Presented by PNC Bank, Startup Scaleup 2016 Will Feature More Than 40 Sessions At 15 Different Venues, Connecting Northeast Ohio Startups And Small Businesses With The Knowledge And Resources They Need To Grow

This summer, JumpStart is once again teaming with many of its closest partners and collaborators to celebrate the growth of Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and showcase the full array of resources available to help entrepreneurs.

Presented by PNC Bank and powered by JumpStart, Startup Scaleup 2016  is an all-day, festival-style event held in the heart of Cleveland’s Gordon Square Arts District, a diverse west-side neighborhood boasting a plethora of theatres, eateries and creative spaces, 15 of which will be used for event programming and post-event entertainment.

“Startup Scaleup is our annual community event, but it’s also an opportunity to celebrate our region’s ongoing transformation into a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship,” said JumpStart CEO Ray Leach. “Whether you are thinking of starting your own venture, currently building a startup or working to reinvent an existing business, we’re filling an entire neighborhood with people and resources that can help you achieve your entrepreneurial goals.”

Not only has this year’s event expanded from a half day to a full day, it will also feature two track options, one focused on startup-related events, and the other focused on scaling existing businesses. Attendees can follow the track that best fits their entrepreneurial needs, or chart their own unique path throughout the day.

Session presenters will include:

• PNC Bank: How To Take Your Business From $2M To $10M
• Etsy: Using Etsy To Grow Your Business
• JumpStart: Finding Money For Your Idea
• Flashstarts: Startups & Angels
• FIT Technologies: Women In Tech: How Female Leaders Are Taking Over The Tech Space
• MAGNET: So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur?
• Youngstown Business Incubator: Funding Strategies For SaaS Tech Companies
• The Bit Factory: Building A Mobile App
• Hello LLC: Bringing Your Brand To Life With Visual Platforms: How To Use Instagram & Snapchat
• SEA Change: More Than Profit: A Social Enterprise Primer
• Thompson Hine: Understanding Your Term Sheet: How To Negotiate A Win/Win Deal
• Meaden & Moore: Win The Crowd: Is Equity-Based Crowdfunding Right For Your Company?
• Burton D. Morgan Foundation: What It Means To Be A Student Entrepreneur
• Plus many more investors, advisors and resource providers from across Northeast Ohio

Panelists and speakers will include successful Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs like Chris Wentz of Everykey, Laura Bennett of Embrace Pet Insurance, Ethan Holmes of Holmes Made Foods, John Gadd of Hotcards and many more. Also returning in 2016 is the “Sidewalk to Stage” pitch competition, where entrepreneurs have a chance to pitch on the main stage of the Capitol Theater and win a share of $15,000 in prize money.

“PNC recognizes the important role small businesses play in our economy, across the nation and in our own backyard,” said Patrick Pastore, executive vice president of Corporate and Institutional Banking at PNC. “This event provides aspiring and established entrepreneurs with information, resources and inspiration.”

Full-day tickets for Startup Scaleup 2016 are $20 and will include a $10 lunch voucher, as well as two $5 snack vouchers redeemable at various local vendors in the Gordon Square Arts District. Half-day tickets are also available for $10. These tickets will include two $5 snack vouchers.

To register and learn more about this event, visit www.startupscaleup.org.

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JUMPSTART INC. is committed to strengthening the economy through entrepreneurship. The nonprofit has been accelerating the successes of diverse entrepreneurs, their high-growth companies and the ecosystems that support them since 2004.

THE GORDON SQUARE ARTS DISTRICT (GSAD) was formed in 2007 by three theatres to revitalize a once-thriving west side Cleveland neighborhood.  More than 80 new businesses have located in GSAD, more than half of them arts-based, and residents are now flocking to a range of new and rehabbed housing options.  In 2014, GSAD completed a $30 million capital campaign and began planning to steward the investment and look to the future. www.gordonsquare.org