In 2019, Rob Dejene, owner and operator of Nimbus Comic Café in Trotwood, opened his business, which features vintage comic books along with selling coffee and some food items.
“I wanted to make sure I offered alternatives regarding healthy food to the people of Trotwood,” Dejene said. “We do fresh wraps, fresh breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, and I learned how to roast coffee.”
Located at 486 E. Main St. in Trotwood, Nimbus Comic Café is near the Trotwood extensions of the YMCA. Dejene’s regular patrons include senior citizens using the Y’s services. When Nimbus Comic Café had to shut down for a couple months during the COVID-19 pandemic, it impacted the number of customers coming by his café, which still hasn’t completely bounced back yet.
“I’m still affected by that,” Dejene said. “But luckily I’ve been able to find other ways to stay open and create brand awareness.”
Dejene is also active in the community, partnering to hold Trotwood’s Juneteenth event, as well as supporting local youth sports teams. Dejene has also started hosting comedy shows and open mic nights on Thursdays. He is working on the Nimbus Comic Café becoming a comedy lounge after hours.
Dejene is a product of Trotwood, and it’s his faith in the community and the people of Trotwood that has kept him and his business in the area.
“I plan on staying here for several decades. I don’t plan on leaving,” Dejene said. “I’m proud to have my own corner of Trotwood.”
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Boss J & Co
Megan McDaniel launched her business, Boss J & Co, after she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She was able to reverse her type 2 diabetes by exercising every day and eating well, as well as finding the nutritional benefits from sea moss.
“My business is all based in sea moss,” McDaniel said. “My biggest seller is my sea moss juice.”
McDaniel first started selling sea moss gel before creating the sea moss juice. She currently connects with customers through social media, like Facebook and Instagram under the handles Boss J Co LLC.
“Sometimes in the summer, I will do farmers markets here and there, and I sell out every time,” McDaniel said.
Care Task, LLC
Tastee Smith provides non-emergency medical transportation, along with serving a small number of home health care clients, through her business, Care Task LLC.
“There is a great need for the home health care, as well as the non-emergency medical transportation,” Smith said. She started her business during the pandemic. Part of what prompted her starting to provide home health services was after she experienced family members getting sick, one from cancer and one from a stroke, going from independent individuals to needing full-time care and transportation services.
Smith is licensed through a number of providers, including Medicaid plans through CareSource, Buckeye State Mutual Insurance, and others, to provide trips to doctor visits, dental appointments, the grocery store, and more.
Smith hopes to expand her business into an agency so she can employ more people and get additional customers. She is participating in the University of Dayton Flyer Pitch competition as a potential way to make that happen.
“It is a community-based business that I’m looking to grow,” Smith said.
The Entrepreneurs Shoppe, District Market
The Entrepreneurs Shoppe hosts approximately 30 small businesses inside its location at 1109 W. Third St. in Dayton.
“Each shelf is a different business,” said owner Tae Winston, who also owns the District Market at 200 Wayne Ave. in Dayton. “The goal was to provide a location for the businesses who don’t have a storefront.”
By sharing space at the Entrepreneurs Shoppe, Winston is helping small businesses with low overhead costs. The retail businesses sell a variety of items, including clothing, accessories, skin care, and hair care products. Winston also helps promote the vendors at her locations on social media.
District Market has seven vendors at its location with the similar goal of sharing space to reduce overhead costs.
Winston has owned the Entrepreneurs Shoppe for almost three years, and District Market opened earlier in January. She also has hosted community events like Wright Dunbar Day and Fashion Meets Food Trucks Rally.
Winston said the lack of resources for entrepreneurs is what prompted her to start her businesses.
“There was nowhere like this for people that didn’t have the money to open their space to go sell their merchandise,” Winston said.
Getting through COVID, as well as having no outside funding streams like grants or business loans, have been some of the obstacles Winston has had to overcome with her businesses.
“I’ve still never been able to receive any funding, so everything that I’ve opened has been funded by myself, so that’s a little hard,” Winston said. “Funding is definitely one of the biggest obstacles.”
Winston, a lifelong Dayton resident, said she’s stayed in the area to watch it grow, as well as to take part in that growth and revitalization.
“When I first came over in this area, it was dead. I was the first business that actually had come after so many years, and now, I see people are wanting to come, and it’s growing,” Winston said.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Throughout February, the Dayton Daily News is highlighting the impact of Black trailblazers and leaders on our area, showcasing Black Daytonians’ contributions to the arts, and elevating Black perspectives on solutions to shared challenges. Read all of this coverage at daytondailynews.com/black-history.
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