A group that aims to support underrepresented business owners has officially opened its new office in west Dayton.
The Greater West Dayton Incubator (GWDI) held a grand opening Tuesday for its public office at 1105 W. Third St. During the event, members of the community, as well as GWDI stakeholders, including the University of Dayton, were on hand to celebrate the new office.
The event included tours of the incubator office and a ribbon-cutting ceremony by local entrepreneurs featured in the incubator’s Wall of Entrepreneurial Excellence. The location is a starter for the incubator, while the university selects a permanent home in Greater West Dayton.
“The grand opening, which was delayed by the pandemic, is a great opportunity to tell everyone the incubator is here and ready to connect entrepreneurs with mentors, industry partners, students who can help strategize and solve business challenges, and a host of other resources to help you launch and grow,” GWDI Director Whitney Barkley said. “Together we can be a catalyst for an entrepreneurial ecosystem where success is not defined by zip codes and/or backgrounds.”
The incubator offers access to working space, consulting, training, capital and other resources, with a focus on the Greater West Dayton neighborhood. It was developed in partnership by community leaders of Greater West Dayton and the University of Dayton to help create a more inclusive economy, which can drive positive change in the community.
Since its soft launch in March 2020, the incubator has been involved in the formation of Startup Grounds bistro, which features food from underrepresented vendors at The Hub Powered by PNC, and facilitated about $300,000 in contracts for local Black-owned businesses at The Hub and Dayton Arcade.
GWDI also launched the Cultural Capital microloan program to support underrepresented entrepreneurs; has been involved in Flyer Pitch, which awarded more than $75,000 to Black company founders during the 2020 competition; formed an advisory council of local leaders and entrepreneurs; and connected businesses with students on projects to help the companies grow.
In addition, the incubator offers expertise for tech-based companies through the Entrepreneurs’ Center entrepreneurial service provider program. Local banks also offer financial education, and the incubator brings in other guest speakers, coaches and mentors. More programs will begin in 2022, including the Business Blitz series of classes that will teach business owners to legitimize, capitalize and digitize their ventures. Each session will include a deliverable, such as a web page for a business.
“It’s all about access,” said GWDI Advisory Council Member Christina Mendéz, CEO and founder of Irene-Marie Consulting. “Resources exist, but they have not been accessible for Black and brown people. My hope is we break institutional barriers. I can’t wait to simplify this and make it so much easier to catapult people’s dreams. Everyone should have the right to catapult their dreams.”
The Greater West Dayton Incubator is an initiative to support black- and women-owned businesses, as well as other underrepresented business owners, with a focus on Greater West Dayton. It was conceived at the intersections of the University of Dayton’s most recent strategic visioning process and intentional conversations with Greater West Dayton community leaders.
Investments made by GWDI are intended to drive diversity, equity and inclusion for underrepresented, under-resourced, and under-served entrepreneurs in the Greater Dayton startup community.
