On August 11, our second group of Core City: Cleveland Impact Program participants took the stage to present their fine-tuned, demo day-style pitches to an audience of friends, family, community members and a panel of judges. The event also featured a small exhibition hall, where attendees could network with alumni of the impact program and resource providers that are dedicated to helping core city entrepreneurs all across Northeast Ohio.

We would like to congratulate each of the Core City Impact Program participants on their completion of the 12-week business assistance program. Meet the participants:

James Owens
After 10 years of working for big box retailers, James wanted to start something of his own, so he founded Owens Print & Creative Solutions, a company that specializes in the quick turnaround of commercial printing, graphic design, web design and other marketing services for businesses of all sizes.

Jason Minter
Taking inspiration from his Grandmother Connie’s love of cultural exploration, and a semester spent as a teaching assistant in Italy, Jason founded Connie’s Affogato, an ice cream truck for adults. He has plans to grow his business by activating space within the city that isn’t ideal for use as a traditional, buildable site.

Angela Flowers
While working in the school system, Angela realized that the mental health care for students was insufficient. Angela decided to tackle this problem by co-founding Making A Difference Consulting, an in-school counseling service that teaches children valuable coping skills for improving both behavioral and academic performance.

Tasheika Johnson
Tasheika understands the negative consequences that inconsistent prescription drug use can have on patients and those around them. To solve this problem, she created a software designed to keep physicians updated on their chronic disease/mental health patient’s medication adherence, allowing for improved healthcare.

Kareem Hardy
With several years of landscaping for the City of Cleveland under his belt, Kareem Hardy knew he could succeed on his own. He took a chance, bought some equipment, founded Kareem’s Landscaping and hasn’t looked back yet.

We would like to extend a special congratulations to Jason Minter on being chosen by the judges to receive $10,000 for providing the most compelling pitch. All other participants received $2,500 to help grow their businesses.

To experience the Entrepreneur Showcase in pictures, view the slideshow below.

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