Entrepreneur Spotlight: Kim Vergottini of SMART-LE
It goes without saying that the entrepreneurial journey isn’t easy. Entrepreneurs take bold risks and fight uphill battles to bring their ideas to life. Though difficult, the entrepreneurial spirit is key to innovations that can solve real-world problems and revolutionize entire industries. For Kim Vergottini, a former nurse turned health tech software developer, innovation and
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Tosan Ugbeye of Scopemed
For early-stage technology startups, it’s generally understood that failing fast is a prerequisite for future success. Startup founders must be prepared to learn from mistakes and iterate rapidly to adapt to changes in the market, technology or user needs. Tosan Ugbeye, a registered clinician, certified anesthetist and the founder and CEO of ScopeMed, was working
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Dawn Miller of Art Bound Studio
Entrepreneurship is not always predetermined. Sometimes, opportunities present themselves and enterprising individuals see a chance to make a career move. Owner and lead tattoo artist of Toledo-based Art Bound Studio, Dawn Miller is a perfect example of an accidental – but no less deserving – entrepreneur. In 2019, Dawn stumbled into the tattoo industry quite
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Sam Friedman of City Goods
A strong small business network has the potential to propel an entrepreneur to new heights, especially if they run a retail shop. For artisans and makers, particularly those in the early stages, things like rent, utilities and staffing can add up quickly. Plus setting up shop in the right location is paramount since foot traffic
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Hermes Ortiz of Ortiz Art Drafts Designs
Like much in life, entrepreneurship often depends on knowing the right people. In Northeast Ohio’s Hispanic-Latino business community, the old adage rings especially true. Hermes Ortiz, owner of Ortiz Art Drafts Designs, is purposefully intertwined with his community. These days, Hermes is an established business owner, and he serves as an ambassador of sorts for
Meet the Participants of the Cleveland Small Business Impact Program’s 19th Cohort
JumpStart’s Small Business Impact Program is a 12-week business accelerator that provides hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring to participants. The program focuses on helping these entrepreneurs overcome key business issues, with a significant emphasis on financial projections and capital pitches. Throughout the program, participants will have the opportunity to work closely with the Impact Program
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Brady Payne of Cleveland Rugby League
Savvy entrepreneurs know that identifying a gap in the market is a crucial first step in building a successful business. When Brady Payne’s high school friend and former football teammate, Monté Gaddis, approached him with the idea to create a North American professional rugby league, Brady’s interest piqued. A college athlete, sports enthusiast and enterprising
Small Business, Big Conversations: Emily Harpel of Art of Sucre
In 2016, Emily Harpel was inspired to give a nostalgic childhood treat a chic upgrade. Emily secured all of the social media handles, ordered her first machine and Art of Sucre was born. Emily launched @artofsucre as an events-based business, spinning out-of-the-box flavors of cotton candy at weddings, parties and concerts. In 2020, Emily knew
Entrepreneur Spotlight: The Aarons of Skin District
The Aarons are the definition of a tight-knit family. Deborah and her wife Neicya and their four children do everything together—from school to play to work. After making a mint selling handmade lip balm at their lemonade stand during a Juneteenth celebration, Deborah and Neicya asked daughters 7-year-old Raveah, 8-year-old Riley and 10-year-old Myah what
Breakthrough Science, Based in Cleveland: Afif Ghannoum of BIOHM
Afif Ghannoum calls himself an ignition entrepreneur; he thrives on turning ideas into reality. As CEO of BIOHM, an innovative microbiome company, he has done just that. Founded on his father Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum’s discovery of the important role fungus plays in digestive health, Afif converted biotechnology into commercial opportunities. Born and raised in Lebanon,
Crafting A Community: Chris Harris of Black Frog Brewery
Like so many brewers, Chris Harris got his start in the garage, trialing new recipes to share with friends. Chris launched Black Frog Brewery soon after, inspired by his roots and his hometown of Toledo, Ohio (lovingly dubbed Frog Town). The beer took off, and his homebrewing hobby soon gained local notoriety. What started as
Building Solutions For Enterprise Influencers: Joshua Reid of Inphlu
No matter what, Joshua Reid goes all in on his ideas. Be it developing a fitness program, setting up a coworking space or running a digital marketing agency, this drive has fueled his passion projects and built businesses from the ground up. Most recently, Joshua founded lnphlu, an Ohio-based social media automation platform that enables