We’re celebrating milestones big and small with our entrepreneurs and founders! Read on to see some of the moves our startups made in February.
Corvus Audio completed casting for their new audio drama. Congrats, Savannah & Harrison! also, stay tuned as they roll out their Kickstarter campaign later this month.
Battle Sight Technologies was one of 20 companies across the country to advance in the Army’s xTechSearch competition. Congrats, Nick!
Baba Love Organics turned 2. Congrats, Vaniti!
Arcani Coil Care killed it at the Bronner Brothers Trade Show. Congrats, Jerricha!
Picnk turned 2. Congrats, Will! Stay tuned for more on his new business partner.
Six Dayton restaurants received Three-Diamond ratings in AAA’s rankings. Congrats founders of Coco’s Bistro; J. Alexanders Redlands Grill; Jay’s Restaurant; Pasha Grill; P.F. Chang’s; and The Meadowlark Restaurant.
Alex Todd & Chris Wire opened Red Star Vodka Bar in the former Proto Build Bar Space. Congrats, gentlemen!
Vimeo tapped Theze Dealz — A Thrifty Boutique to be a featured Ohio business on its platform. Congrats, Zontaye!
Baldwin Cafe opened! Congrats Leroy & Mariah!
Something or someone we missed? Tell us! We need your help rounding up this good news so we can celebrate our entrepreneurs together. Thank you in advance!
The long-awaited Springfield COhatch is slated to open next month in the historic Myers Market building, and we couldn’t be more excited!
COhatch The Market, located at 101 S. Fountain Ave., will offer 18 1- to 5-person offices, four conference rooms, four restaurant concepts, a North High Brewing tap lounge, an event space with a full-service bar, a shared kitchen with a show kitchen for pop-ups, and plenty of space for coworking memberships.
“I can’t describe to you the amount of excitement I have to bring this space to life! Springfield is in a fantastic place and we believe that COhatch is going to add so much value to what is already going on. Plus, who doesn’t love tacos, waffles , pizza, craft beer, and delicious salads served by the best humans on earth?!” Community Orchestrator Joe Harrison said. “In all seriousness, we are so excited to be a part of Springfield’s thriving community and pumped to help activate businesses in the region.”
The new restaurants will include:
• Crust & Co, an artisan pizzeria that will be the third food startup for Lisa & Dan Freeman, who also own Springfield’s Le Torte Dolci Bakery & Salato Deli;
• Ironworks Waffle Cafe, offering specialty sweet & savory waffles, as well as espresso & tea;
• Painted Pepper, the popular Mexican food truck that is now pursuing a restaurant concept;
• Fresh Abilities, a gourmet salad bar operated by TAC Industries, which hires & empowers individuals with disabilities. All the veggies for the salad bar will be grown at their factory, where the company has produced more than 700K cargo nets for the U.S. Air Force.
Shared kitchen space is available starting at $59. Cowering memberships also start at $59.
The entire COhatch space is tailored to pay homage to the city, residents & history of Springfield — from the rose-backed phone booth that nods to Springfield’s one-time title as flower capital of Ohio to the locally-made lights from Velorossa Design.
Want to see a sneak peak and test some of North High’s Beers? RSVP here.
Want to set up a private tour or inquire about space? Contact [email protected]
The University of Dayton has hired Karlos L. Marshall — an entrepreneur, University alumnus, and co-founder of The Conscious Connect nonprofit dedicated to neighborhood revitalization — as manager of the Greater West Dayton Incubator, a project envisioned by and being developed in partnership with community leaders of Greater West Dayton.
The incubator, which will be located in West Dayton, will provide networking opportunities, training and education, consulting services, referrals to other entrepreneurial networks, and additional resources to startups and underrepresented firms. It will bring together entrepreneurs and University students, providing students hands-on learning opportunities in developing new businesses and social ventures.
The incubator idea grew out of longstanding conversations between community and University leaders on how to address needs of the Greater West Dayton community and provide meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students.
“The Greater West Dayton Incubator will harness the innovative spirit of local entrepreneurs, University faculty, staff and students and leverage our collective resources to add economic and social value to our community,” said UD President Eric F. Spina. “Developing this incubator with community leaders not only enriches the educational experience for our students, it helps the University achieve our vision to deepen community partnerships in ways that have an even greater impact in Dayton.”
Plans for the incubator are still being developed, including identifying potential locations.
“We’ve had almost three years of conversations leading to the incubator idea — a lot of work and hours put into exploration and research — so the group that has been involved is enthusiastic about the progress we’ve made up to this point,” said attorney and community organizer Branford Brown. “The concept is something to get excited about. It’s an opportunity to plant some businesses in West Dayton and empower some that are already here. We hope this is just the first of many partnerships that we think will be beneficial to both the community and the university.”
The Greater West Dayton Incubator will create a more inclusive startup ecosystem, and connect to the innovation hub at the Dayton Arcade being developed by the University and The Entrepreneurs Center, according to Vince Lewis, director of the University’s Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and president of The Hub at the Dayton Arcade. It also will connect to other resources like the city’s Minority Business Assistance Center and the Dayton chamber’s Minority Business Partnership. The incubator is supported by a donor gift and funding from the state’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider Program through The Entrepreneurs Center. The University will continue to seek external resources and sponsorships to ensure its long-term success.
Marshall will start his new role March 2. He is currently coordinator of community and neighborhood partnerships for the University’s Fitz Center for Leadership in Community. Along with his work on campus and with his nonprofit, Marshall is founder and CEO of three start-ups in the region, including Purpose Based Learning Academy, which provides mentoring and consultation to disadvantaged small businesses and social ventures. He was named to Forbes 30 under 30 list for education in 2019.
Marshall holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Wittenberg University; a graduate certificate in nonprofits and community leadership, and a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Dayton. He is pursuing a doctorate in leadership for organizations from UD.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for all stakeholders and I’m honored to have been selected to lead the charge,” Marshall said. “With the zeal of collective impact, we will work to establish an equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem, serve as a hub for civic innovation and scholarship, and establish a new standard for community-university partnerships. The incubator will also serve as an invaluable experiential learning site for current and future UD students — that will prepare them for a diverse, competitive, and multifaceted global workforce and society.”
#PitchIn — Northmont attendees will hear tonight from 10 entrepreneurs making moves in tech, landscaping, food, apparel & art in the Clayton, Union & Englewood areas.
Join us tonight from 5-8p at Northmont High School, 4916 National Road, Clayton. You’ll hear from:
• Christopher Adams and Gorilla Bear LLC. Christopher launched the “Do Yard Work and Earn” app, which allows ordinary people to perform yard services such as raking leaves, shoveling snow, cutting grass, or planting flowers for neighbors in their community. It has reached nearly 10o downloads. Find it on Google Play.
• Christina Mendez and Avery Tie & CO, a men’s accessory line to highlight men of color while championing criminal justice reform. “There are very few tie lines, suit lines, or professional men’s wear that are geared towards men of color and their body types,” Christina said.
• Julia Ziemelis and PAK Solutions, offering a new form of vascular access for the hemodialysis patient.
• Kerry Bush and Roots & Leaves Art, creating custom, printable family tree art.
• LaMarr T. Cole and Cole & Company Clothing, a clothing retailer promoting self worth and value.
• Yvonne Bailey and Bailey’s Veggie Ribs LLC, offering plant-based protein products.
• Chiora Waters and Heshima, a maternity and nursing athletic apparel company. We are providing moms with attractive and functional athletic apparel.
• Deirreon Durant and D2 Contracting Solutions.
• John & Tanika Jackson and En’Dulge Yourself LLC, a Christian apparel retailer.
• Judy Elder and Helping Hands by JMarie’ / Designs by JMarie’, an online boutique that features women’s new and gently used clothing, shoes and accessories at affordable prices. JMarie also offers personal shopping services and “Dress For Success on a Limited Budget” seminars.
These entrepreneurs will be pitching for a prize package sponsored in part by Northmont-area businesses & The Entrepreneurs Center’s Miami Valley Small Business Development Center. Prizes include:
• $1,000 Cash
• Kiva Application Coaching ($500 value)
• BBB One Year Membership ($425 value)
• Northmont Chamber membership ($200- 250 value)
• Website Audit ($50 value)
• QuickBooks Training ($500 value)
• IT services by Interlink IT ($500 value)
The judges for tonight are:
• Jordan Roe, Venture Manager for the Entrepreneurial Services Provider at The Entrepreneurs Center and Northmont Graduate.
• Aaron Flatter, Director of Sales & Business Development at Garber Electric, a Northmont Business.
• Gwen Ebberly, Economic Development Planning Manager at Montgomery County Ohio a Northmont Resident.
We hope we see you there!
We’re excited at the lineup of entrepreneurs slated for this Friday’s Early Risers!
Pitches will start promptly at 8a in the BarryStaff Community Room, 230 Webster St, Dayton.
You’ll meet:
James Mainord and Parcell, his WiFi porch box startup;
Jon Jackson and Global Neighbor, pitching an update of his tool to kill weeds using light;
& Mandy Groszko and Ella Bella Gluten Free, expanding production of her gluten-free baking mixes!
Our January Early Risers sponsor is Tim Walker with the Dayton Business First networking group. He’ll bring the coffee & light breakfast eats.
Early Risers is a morning pitch series that connects entrepreneurs to the things they need most, like first customers, key employees, mentors, funding, and more. Each startup gets 10 minutes to pitch, then the audience gets 5 minutes for Q&A.
In the last two years, 90% of startups have gotten their ask granted through a connection made at Early Risers. So grab a cup of coffee & a donut and find a place you can plug into Dayton’s startup community!
Let us know you’re coming! Register here.
Want to pitch? Click here: http://bit.ly/pitchEarlyRisers
Want to sponsor (and get two minutes in front of the audience)? Click here: http://bit.ly/sponsorEarlyRisers
Hope to see you at BarryStaff on Friday!
Ever wished you could fully automate your social media marketing?
Josh Reid’s startup, Inphlu, is designed for you.
Josh owned a digital media marketing agency for about five years. He met with many small businesses and nonprofits, but the cost was always a barrier, he recalled.
So he saved millions of impressions of data from his agency, and developed an algorithm that will automate social media post creation for 50+ industries.
Inphlu (the name is derived from influencer) subscription tiers range from $15/month to $229/month depending on the specific services you need. Each package offers tailored content ideas, down to the recommended hashtags for your industry. Once a month, you get a notification to hop on and approve the posts that have been scheduled for you.
Josh recently pitched his tech startup at the January edition of Early Risers.
The market is strong, he said. In 2018, social media marketing had a revenue of $51.3B, and it will only grow as more services move online.
“The more people we can make aware of this platform, the better, because our goal for our subscribers is not just brand equity, but economic impact,” Josh said.
Increasing revenue creates jobs, and job creation offers new access to capital, he explained.
“It’s not just about social media marketing, it’s the economic impact we’re having on our target market,” he said.
Reach Josh here.
A Dayton mompreneur is looking to shake up the baby food industry with her idea for frozen baby food cubes.
Kourtney Terry launched her baby food prep business Taste-T-Love Baby Food about two years ago, after the birth of her son. She was making food for her own baby, and decided to leave her job in corporate health to launch her company.
She pitched her company at our January 2020 edition of Early Risers.
Taste-T-Love baby food is made with natural ingredients that are organic and local when available. Kourtney’s most popular flavor is apple mango. The food is made for babies age 0 to 2 years old. She has primarily been selling pouches of fresh, homemade baby food at farmers markets.
But Kourtney has her eyes on retail shelves — specifically, freezer shelves.
“When you’re at home, and you’re a mom making baby food, you use ice cube trays,” she said. “You pop them in, put them in the freezer, they last up to a couple months. But you can’t buy frozen baby food in the grocery stories here.”
Kourtney wants to change that. In Ohio alone, there were more than 138K babies born in 2016. By 2026, the baby food industry is projected to reach $18.23B.
“It’s something I really think is important for moms to have, it’s another way of getting food that is shelf-sustainable without all the added preservatives,” she said. “I’m passionate about health & food and starting babies off on that healthy foot. They say what you do in the first 30 years catches up in the next 30 years. I want to be that person who helps local parents start off on the right foot.”
Kourtney is seeking business mentorship and connections to marketing experts & a nutritionist. Reach her at [email protected].
A Springfield rideshare startup is looking to tackle drunk driving by getting both you & your vehicle home at the end of the night.
Springfield native Bill Perdue launched Your Ride Home last fall after a bartender friend confided that the main reason people drive home drunk is because they don’t want to leave their car at the bar overnight.
“It sparked the idea in my head, let’s drive them home in their own car,” he said.
The service works by dispatching two drivers to the bar — one to drive the patron home in his own car, while the second driver follows and takes the first driver back to base.
The cost is $20 per ride to get you and your vehicle home, up to 10 miles away. Your Ride Home also offers traditional rideshare services for $12.
Currently, Bill is primarily serving the Springfield area, but he is working to push in Dayton, and hopes to eventually go national.
“Just in this tiny area we’re staying busy, but I want to expand,” he said. “I want to help all of the people to not drive drunk.”
Bill recently pitched his startup at our January 2020 edition of Early Risers. He’s looking for a partner with business experience to get involved in his startup. He also wants to work to develop an app.
Reach Bill here.
ARKHOUSE Co., a quintessential small-town mercantile with modern flair, opened over the weekend at 233 South Market Street in Troy.
The new store will sell home goods, jewelry and accessories with uplifting, Christian messages. Beautiful gift wrap and stationery products will give shoppers a one-stop place to create a meaningful gift.
Owners Kevin and Jennifer Smith first opened the ARKHOUSE doors to customers as part of Ark & Echo, a collaborative storefront housing two businesses. The community has been tremendous supporters of ARKHOUSE since the store’s opening four years ago, and as the business has grown, the Smiths believe the time is right to open a storefront exclusively for ARKHOUSE Co.
“We have received amazing support from the local community at ArkHOUSE, and we are excited to invest in Troy again with this new stand-alone store,” said Kevin Smith, co-owner of ArkHOUSE Co. “There is so much growth in downtown Troy and along Market Street, and we are proud to be part of that in a new, bigger way while offering customers many of the same brands and products they’ve come to love.”
The new store will reflect Kevin and Jennifer’s classic American style in a space twice the size of the current location. ARKHOUSE Co. will collaborate with local makers and artists whenever possible, while also continuing to carry exclusive items like ARKHOUSE Co. candles and the MUDPIE Collection of home goods.
Kevin has designed the new retail space – which formerly housed United Way of Miami County – to embrace historic details like beautiful wooden floors uncovered during renovations. He’s complemented them with new elements like custom wood trim, moldings and furnishings that create a charming and modern experience for customers.
The Smith’s husband-and-wife team has a successful business history in Troy as the creators of the original branding and retail space design of Ark & Echo. Kevin and Jennifer also introduced the store’s popular Acts of Random Kindness (ARKs) program, where patrons received a discount for a “scout’s honor” pledge to spread ARKs to others.
“We’ve always known we wanted our business to help share kindness in the community,” said co-owner Jennifer Smith. “Our tagline is ‘In this house, we do kindness.’ It’s important to us that kindness is central to our business, and we’re excited to expand that belief and practice at the new store.”
Elizabeth Pampalone fell in love with marketing at age 7, & launched her first business at age 21.
On March 6 & 7, the Cincinnati native is bringing her pop up marketing workshop to Dayton.
There is space for 20 entrepreneurs at this workshop series, which will be held at Dayton Metro Library — Main Branch.
Each day will run 9a to 1p. On Friday, tackle marketing strategy and email marketing. On Saturday, learn to optimize social media & web design.
“Together we will learn how to condense 365 days of marketing into just 5 days. We’re talking 8 hour days, nothing crazy,” Elizabeth said. “We will be discussing productivity and how to actually generate profit starting the very next day.”
After each day wraps, Elizabeth will be available for attendees to pick her brain over lunch.
The cost of the workshop series is $40. (Lunch is not included.)
Attendees should bring laptops, a notebook + pen, and access info for all social & web accounts.
Snag your tickets here.
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