The Gem City is shining brightly as it continues to live up to its rich history of innovation and collaborative idea sharing. Local startups, manufacturers, nonprofits and technology companies are leveraging millions of dollars in grants, government funds, venture capital and sweat equity to propel the region forward with new ideas.
To recognize the region’s fastest-growing, most innovative and impactful organizations, Dayton Inno introduces its second installment of the Fire Awards. It's a recognition for the companies and people setting the local innovation economy ablaze.
Honorees — 15 in total across four categories — were sourced by nominations within the startup Dayton ecosystem and selected by the Dayton Inno editorial team.
Today, there are rising stars in categories like aviation and defense, technology, food service, health care, finance and arts.
These are the honorees and the top Blazer winner in the category of Nonprofits:
Miami Valley Meals (Category Blazer Winner)
This Dayton nonprofit providing meals to those with food insecurity has been on fire in the last 18 months. The group now owns 5.5 acres of land in west Dayton and its campus on Edwin C. Moses Boulevard continues to grow.
Miami Valley Meals (MVM) was forged from the pandemic when a group of recently furloughed culinary and hospitality professionals decided to utilize their skills to support emergency hunger relief efforts for those experiencing food insecurity. In three short years, MVM experienced exponential growth, transforming from a group of nomadic volunteers working in host kitchens, to a full-time staff in its own commercial kitchen.
Since its inception in March 2020, MVM has rescued over 450,000 pounds of food and distributed over 600,000 meals through a partner network of 99 nonprofit organizations in the Miami Valley spanning 35 ZIP codes.
“In March 2023, we partnered with Big Axe Spice to create and sell chef-crafted spice blends, which are now available online as well as Dot’s Market, Gem City Market and Kettering Health gift shops with more to come,” said Tracey Vandewerker of MVM. “Additionally, we have launched a limited catering service offering delicious and convenient boxed lunches.”
MVM also works with local higher education institutions. MVM has hosted two student interns from Sinclair’s Culinary Arts program, worked with the University of Dayton School of Engineering to improve warehouse functions, and worked with Wright State University’s Public Administration MBA Capstone class to explore meal feedback and culturally relevant meal options.
Now the group is securing funds to open the Miami Valley Meals (MVM) Restoration Kitchen at Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative in Xenia. Earlier this March, the nonprofit was selected as a priority project recommended to receive federal support by the Dayton Region Priority Development & Advocacy Committee.
Dayton Live
The nonprofit arts operation Dayton Live is bringing people back to Dayton. Three years after the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered theatres across the county, Dayton Live has rebuilt its staffing, performance schedule, and community engagement programming.
Dayton Live has reached pre-pandemic attendance numbers.
This incredible restart is due to the support of federal and state pandemic recovery programs targeting the arts as well as the support of local foundations, grants, sponsorships, individual support, and increased ticket sales.
Dayton Live continues to support local artists through its resident company partnerships providing venue, ticketing, and marketing support to the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, the Dayton Philharmonic, the Human Race Theatre Company, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Muse Machine, and Dayton Dance Initiative.
Dayton Live’s educational programming have restarted since the pandemic. In the 2022-23 season, schools from across the Miami Valley brought over 13,000 students to participate in the Discovery series. Also, in 2022-23, Dayton Live’s Sensory Friendly programming initiative presented three shows for the special needs community and will grow the program to present four sensory friendly show offerings in 2024.
Dayton Live and its facilities offer the region a $30 million economic impact. The venues welcome more than 400,000 adults and children from a 14-county region each season.
Montgomery County ADAMHS
This Dayton-based nonprofit is creating new avenues to deliver crisis services to the residents of Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) in the last year created a new partnership with RI International to develop a Crisis Call Center. In the first 12 months, the center received 12,024 calls from people seeking support and services due to a mental health crisis. Also in 2022, a Mobile Crisis Response Team was sent into the community 606 times to meet people where they were and to provide support and connection to services.
The numbers in 2023 are significantly higher. In the first five months of 2023, 8,249 people have called the Crisis Call Center, and the Mobile Crisis Response Team has responded to 555 mental health crises.
ADAMHS is celebrating three financial wins in the previous 12 months, totaling over $5 million to support mental health programs in Montgomery County.
Most recently in May, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded ADAMHS $3 million over four years to create new and enhance existing mobile crisis response teams.
“This is one more way the work we are doing here in Montgomery County is being recognized at the federal level as groundbreaking and important work,” said Helen Jones-Kelley, executive director of ADAMHS. “Montgomery County is the first location in the country to complete the Crisis Now model of care.”
ADAMHS this year is working with the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine to train residents in the psychiatry program in the evaluation and management of all substance use disorders.
