A nonprofit accelerator dedicated to empowering women and small businesses with education, resources and connections received significant funding for its Dayton branch to enhance current efforts across a variety of industries, including technology. With additional offices in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, the nonprofit has helped over 3,000 women entrepreneurs create 15,000 jobs, receive millions in funding with alumni generating a cumulative total over $1 billion in earned revenues.
Aviatra Accelerators received the $216,000 grant from the Ohio Third Frontier, a sub-grantee of The Entrepreneurs’ Center of Dayton. The funding, to be divided over a three-year-period will allow the nonprofit to cover operational expenses and enable expanded programming for female entrepreneurs in the Dayton area.
"The Entrepreneurs' Center is fortunate to have Aviatra join us as a first-time collaborator in our Entrepreneurial Services Provider or ESP program,” said Scott Koorndyk, President, The Entrepreneurs' Center. “With a focus on empowering and uplifting women entrepreneurs, Aviatra’s connections and resources are ensuring female-founded new business ventures succeed, and that's very exciting. Almost half of all startups are founded by women, so their successes are helping sustain communities while impacting the local economy.”
Here are some of the current programs Aviatra Dayton offers for female entrepreneurs at any stage of business:
- Explore Bootcamps: for new women entrepreneurs to validate their business idea and learn how to set up their business for success.
- Women’s Mastermind Hot Seat Cohort: Created by Aviatra and the Women in Business Network (an initiative of the BBB), this year-long cohort is for women entrepreneurs to give and get business advice in hot seat-style gatherings. The cohort meets quarterly, with the first event on May 12.
- SOAR workshops: Held around the Dayton area for women in any stage of business, these workshops provide valuable information from experts in areas such as marketing, entrepreneur mindset, legal and more.
- Side Hustle without the Hustle workshop: For anyone with a business idea, these free workshops, with workbook, share the steps to set up a side business in seven days.
As an added benefit to the sub-grantee funding, Aviatra Accelerators will have access to the resources of the Dayton Entrepreneurs’ Center’s programs, interns, mentors, and other business support.
“This funding is a game-changer for Aviatra in Dayton – it will truly allow us to focus on the bold community of female entrepreneurs and help to create a meaningful contribution to the local economy,” said Kourtney Terry, Aviatra Dayton Program Manager.
Ohio Third Frontier is an internationally recognized, technology-based economic development initiative that is working to change the trajectory of Ohio’s economy. Third Frontier works with innovative startups of all types across the state and its partners provide access to business expertise, mentorship, capital, and talent to highlight the state’s competitiveness in emerging job pathways for the workforce of today and the future.
Aviatra’s funding was awarded by The Entrepreneurs’ Center as part of the $14.9 million Ohio Third Frontier grant it received in 2022.
