When I talk to entrepreneurs in Cleveland, I don’t see a lack of hustle. I see a lack of maps.

I meet brilliant founders who were forced to learn the hardest lessons by hitting walls they didn’t even know were there. They had the idea and the drive, but they didn’t have someone to walk beside them early on and say, “Here is how the landscape actually works.”

That’s why support is more than advice. It is a bridge to equity. Providing mentorship ensures the rules of the game aren’t a secret. It gives founders (regardless of where or when they start) access to the tools, networks and strategies they need to win.

Take, for example, a young man named Sirjai McDaniels. Today, at 19, he owns and runs a smoothie business here in the city. But Sirjai’s path didn’t start at 19; it started years ago through the power of community and family.

Around the neighborhood, we often call Sirjai a ‘neighborhood nephew.’ We first met him when he was just 14 or 15—a kid with a spark and a front-row seat to the entrepreneurial life. His mother, Pepper, is a total powerhouse who runs everything from home goods to event planning. Every single day, she showed him exactly what it looks like to build something of your own.

But Sirjai didn’t just watch; he widened his circle of support and equipped himself with the know-how and tools he needed. Through early mentorship and internships, he learned graphic design, marketing and the “invisible” mechanics of business. By the time he opened his doors, he wasn’t just guessing—he was executing with the confidence of someone who had already been in the room.

Sirjai’s growth didn’t happen by chance. When I see Sirjai, I think about the founders I meet who are discovering these lessons for the first time in their 30s or 40s. While they are playing catch-up, he is already in business. Watching his journey makes it difficult not to imagine how much further most entrepreneurs might be if they had earlier access to resources, advisors and leadership development.

Improving the Odds

Mentorship matters because it improves survival, growth and resilience. Data shows that businesses with mentors significantly outperform those without and this “walk-beside-you” support changes the odds:

  • Entrepreneurs with mentors are five times more likely to actually start their business and report significantly higher revenue growth.
  • 70% of mentored small businesses survive past the five-year mark—double the rate of those without mentors.

But mentoring doesn’t just help an individual. It strengthens ecosystems When our neighborhood businesses scale, our whole city scales.

The Infrastructure of a Thriving City

Mentorship shouldn’t be an afterthought. The goal isn’t just to help people start a business—it’s to help them sustain it, grow it and compete on the largest stages possible. If it is treated as infrastructure rather than charity, entrepreneurs won’t just survive, they’ll accelerate.

If we want Cleveland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to thrive locally and reach globally, we have to change the starting point. We have to treat mentorship as the infrastructure of our city’s future—ensuring the path to success is sturdy and accessible long before a founder hits their first major hurdle.

JumpStart is here to help make those connections happen.

  • Founders: If you’re ready to move beyond the guessing game and get the tools, training and mentorship you need to truly scale, reach out to us. We provide the mentorship and resources that ensure you’re fully equipped to grow, sustain and take your business as far as your ambition can carry it.
  • Community & Business Leaders: If you want to join us in building local wealth and championing our homegrown talent through mentorship, investment or resources, let’s talk. When we partner to support small business growth, we aren’t just helping individuals; we are ensuring our region is ready to compete.

Whether you’re ready to scale your own business or help us create more opportunities for local founders to win, reach out to us today. Let’s get to work.


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About The Author

Devin Bates

In his role as Learning Centers, Outreach and Curriculum Manager for the Cleveland Learning Centers, Devin is responsible for internal educational offerings, community engagement and entrepreneurial education.

He leads program activities, assessment, data collection, testing and communication with all program participants and site managers.