Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub names nonprofit leader, entrepreneur its next executive director

A Cincinnati accelerator group and a pivotal player in the local startup ecosystem has tapped a new leader — only the second in its 11-year history, following a months-long search.

Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, an Over-the-Rhine-based social impact accelerator, named Laura Randall-Tepe its executive director. She succeeds Bill Tucker, who announced earlier this year his plans to retire after 11 years at the organization.

Randall-Tepe has spent more than 10 years in the nonprofit sector, most recently with Junior Achievement, where she served as VP of strategic partnerships and communications. Prior, she worked at the Health Collaborative, where she led Gen H, a population health initiative.

Before that, Randall-Tepe was a news reporter for WLWT and WCPO before founding her own communications firm in 2000 and serving as its CEO until 2011. Randall-Tepe also co-founded Able, a home sensor network to passively monitor at-risk seniors aging in place. 

Rebecca Reigelsberger, chair of the Flywheel board, said Randall-Tepe’s “experience, commitment to our mission, plus her creative dexterity” made her the right fit for the position.

Randall-Tepe’s first day on the job will be June 6.

“Flywheel is making an important impact in Greater Cincinnati, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to lead a strong team ushering future founders into the world of business with community purpose,” Randall-Tepe wrote in a letter to Flywheel stakeholders. 

Flywheel was founded in 2011, backed by some of the biggest names in Cincinnati: The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, the Manuel D. & Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, U.S. Bank, Interact for Health and Scripps, among others. 

The idea was to create a “hub” for social entrepreneurship, or building businesses set up to address social issues through the products or services they sell and/or the people they hire.

As an organization it provides one-on-one coaching, workshops, consulting services and accelerator programs including Elevator, Elevate Equity and Sustainable Cincy, launched in partnership with Cintrifuse, HCDC and Kroger. It created the Social Impact Fund in partnership with Miami University, an undergraduate-led risk capital investment fund, considered one of the first of its kind in the country. 

Tucker joined Flywheel in 2011 as part of his “second act,” following a career in printing, most recently as executive VP of sales at Berman/TouchPoint Print Solutions.

Under his leadership, the organization has equipped 174 social entrepreneurs with the skills and tools through its programs.

Tucker will remain with Flywheel until June 30. A “Celebration of Impactful Entrepreneurs” will be held at Union Hall from 4:30-7 July 14 and will include a tribute to his leadership, Flywheel said.

“The organization is perfectly positioned for a new leader,” Tucker said in a release. “Laura is a collaborator who knows this community. She checks every box needed to guide Flywheel’s mission to advance equity and sustainability through social enterprise entrepreneurship.”