Phelan also supports JumpStart’s team of Business Analysts to help serve our internal and external clients as efficiently as possible.

Five years of experience in finance & accounting give Phelan the clarity and conscientiousness to work through complex financial situations. At JumpStart, Phelan was initially hired to handle accounts payable, accounts receivable, and 1099 tax filings, but he quickly progressed to completing intricate account reconciliations, regularly processing payments, managing interns, writing training manuals, and redesigning forms like our Supplier Diversity Questionnaire. From the beginning of his time at JumpStart, Phelan has been passionate about directly helping local entrepreneurs through opportunities like the Core City: Impact Program, and he volunteered to advise clients whenever he could. This eventually led to his transition from the Finance & Accounting team to the Services team.

Previously, Phelan worked in accounts payable for Sherwin-Williams where he communicated daily in Spanish to teams across Latin America and in English to US suppliers. While in school at Cleveland State University, Phelan worked as a Success Coach helping other students with skills like time management and note-taking. Also while in school, Phelan worked as a Cleveland Foundation Intern, placed at Ingenuity Cleveland, where he first became passionate about the local economic ecosystem.

At Cleveland State University, Phelan earned a BBA in International Business and a BA in Spanish, both cum laude. In addition, he studied abroad in Spain and Nicaragua.