Kurvology Owner Shares Advice For Black Women Entrepreneurs

The GROW program at Bounce supports both aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs as they bring their ideas to life. The program focuses on minorities and women.  Monique Clark wears many hats. In addition to her full-time community health worker position at Minority Behavioral Health Center, she owns her own clothing boutique Kurvology, which focuses on serving curvier women. She’s […]

Discover Next Level 2.0

(pictured left to right, Dr. Constance Peek-Longmire, Asha Zayn, Lucas Tindell and Da’Shika Street) Earlier this month, Bounce announced a revamped and expanded program for Black entrepreneurs who want to scale their established businesses. The Next Level Business Incubator, founded in 2019 by Ace Epps, Bounce’s director of inclusive entrepreneurship, includes several additional benefits and […]

Bounce Strengthens Program for Black Entrepreneurs

(pictured left to right, Dr. Constance Peek-Longmire, Lucas Tindell and Da’Shika Street) AKRON, Ohio (March 23, 2022) – Bounce Innovation Hub announces that it has hired three business owners and advisors to serve as the organization’s first entrepreneurs in residence (EIRs) working with clients in the Next Level Business Incubator, part of the GROW program […]

Five Pieces of Advice for Aspiring Black Entrepreneurs

Bounce-Five-Pieces-of-Advice for Aspiring Black Entrepreneurs

It should not be a surprise to anyone that Black citizens in the United States have faced barriers to success for generations. As a Black business owner, who has also worked more than 20 years in the local nonprofit sector advising and helping other Black business owners, I know about having to overcome systemic racism […]

MORTAR winners talk success, challenges

Five women entrepreneurs share their successes and challenges

In celebration of Black History Month, we spoke with five of our MORTAR at Bounce “Life’s a Pitch” competition winners – who also happen to all be Black women. We learned what motivates them and if they have any advice for others trying to start their own business. Jacqueline Achadu, owner of Hunny Bunny’s Confections, […]

Bounce Announces New Board Chair, Director Changes

AKRON, Ohio (Feb. 22, 2022) –  Bounce Innovation Hub announces several changes to its board of directors, effective Jan. 1. Hans Dorfi, senior vice president of engineering at Bridgestone Americas, has been named chair after serving as a member for two years. Dorfi replaces founding chairperson, Deborah Hoover, president and CEO of the Burton D. […]

2021 Year in Review – Technology

Bounce-Orthobrain

(Featured above: orthobrain founder Dr. Dan German presents at our third-annual Startup Showcase.) It was a very busy year for our technology startup programs. Our team worked to expand connections for founders, continue mentorship and create strong bonds for our entrepreneurs. Many of our clients are still navigating restrictions created by the pandemic, but several […]

New Year, New Mindset

Entrepreneurship is an adventure. You can set your own hours and choose where and when to work. You make money by doing something you are incredibly passionate about and your income potential is unlimited. Chances are you are the sort of person who likes to push yourself to grow. But let’s be honest. Owning and […]

2021 Year in Review – Bounce

(Pictured above left to right: Selina Garcia and Molly Carpenter during Bounce’s annual Startup Showcase) It’s a new year, which means new beginnings, new starts and new goals. But before we get too far into 2022, we wanted to take a moment to highlight the accomplishments and significant events of 2021.  It was a challenging […]

2021 Year in Review – GROW

2021 was an exciting year for our GROW programs as we served 91 clients. GROW aims to serve entrepreneurs and small businesses, with a focus on minorities and women, in our local region. Last year, we were able to get back to some normalcy by hosting in-person classes, and we could not be more grateful […]