A prominent, growing startup program in the Dayton region is being transferred to a new owner.
The Launch Dayton program, previously hosted by nonprofit Parallax Advanced Research since its inception almost a decade ago, will move to its new home on June 1. The program will be transferred to the Entrepreneurs’ Center (EC) in the downtown Dayton Arcade.
Launch Dayton will continue to act as an entry point for new and established entrepreneurs. The transition of leadership is expected to enable greater access to the full range of resources and support provided by the EC and its partners.
“It’s been a joy to watch a shared idea become a real program — especially one that has come to mean so much to our community,” said Scott Koorndyk, president of the EC. “The Entrepreneurs’ Center is eager to build on the legacy of Launch Dayton to support the explosion of entrepreneurial energy that we’ve witnessed over the last eight years.”
During the transition, as the EC steps in to lead Launch Dayton program, the Entrepreneur Rising Academy will be on pause, but all other Launch Dayton activities, including Startup Week, will continue as scheduled. Startup Week is planned for Sept. 10-12.
"Nine years ago, Parallax Advanced Research saw a need to bring density to Dayton's startup ecosystem and built the community infrastructure for entrepreneurs to connect with area resources and each with other,” said Dennis Andersh, president and CEO of Parallax Advanced Research. “… We trust in the Entrepreneurs' Center's capability to continue this journey, empowering dreams, and shaping the future of Dayton’s entrepreneurial landscape.”
The story behind Launch Dayton and its growth
It all started in 2015 when Parallax Advanced Research led efforts to write a $7 million grant to build and support Dayton’s startup community.
A community of entrepreneurs across the region came together which, in turn, resulted in the growth of support organizations. As the community grew, Andersh said that infrastructure became the backbone for the collaborative effort, eventually named Launch Dayton in 2019, which Parallax has hosted for the last five years.
In a recent short film about Launch Dayton, John Owen, program manager at Parallax Advanced Research, said Dayton was on "hard times" when they first began their work.
"We saw entrepreneurship as a path forward," Owen said. "If we could help founders commercialize tech and grow companies that could hire people in Dayton, we could better our community. When we started having those meetings with entrepreneurs, it really became more about the individual people than the companies they were going to build.”
Since its inception, the Launch Dayton program has:
- Supported nearly 500 entrepreneurs, organized eight Startup Week conferences
- Trained 126 entrepreneurs in foundational business skills
- Created a free online curriculum featuring more than a dozen courses
- Hosted 200+ events to connect the region’s entrepreneur community
- Published more than 900 stories celebrating entrepreneurs and sharing opportunities for them to move their businesses forward
“Launch Dayton represents a safe and welcoming place to be an entrepreneur,” said Matt Veryser, Director of Product at Ascend Innovation, in the film. “Being an entrepreneur is tough. You’re taking a risk, you’re putting your brand, your identity out there, and It’s so important that we have a community of like-minded people that have been there to help build you up.”
The Parallax Launch Dayton team will be present at a networking mixer on Thursday, May 30 from 5-7pm at The Reserve on Third.
