“Small businesses are important to local communities because they are innovative and respond more nimbly to local needs — plus, the money spent in small businesses is more likely to benefit the local economy,” Husted said in a news release issued by JobsOhio. “This program will build more successful small businesses leading to stronger, more prosperous communities across Ohio.”
The JobsOhio Small Business Academy, Powered by Aileron targets small business owners, presidents and CEOs of small, growing businesses in Ohio to help them improve their leadership skills and grow their companies.
The academy is open to small businesses statewide who have been or are clients of JobsOhio, the state’s privatized economic development arm, and will begin in the fall with a cohort of 25 organizations, Nauseef said. Participants will get a scholarship, so the program will be free to the participants. He said business owners not already in the JobsOhio pipeline but interested in the program should contact JobsOhio about getting involved.
Credit: Lynn Hulsey
Credit: Lynn Hulsey
“We’re thrilled to come together with JobsOhio to uplift organizations across the state,” said Aileron President Joni Fedders. ”This program will help small business owners elevate their businesses, team, and lives and build an organization that thrives for the long-term. We’re honored to work with our partners at JobsOhio and our first cohort of small businesses, all right in our own backyard.”
The 12-month program will include in-person and virtual events, facilitated by Aileron. Applicants will be notified of their selection in August and the program begins on Sept. 24.
“Partnering with Aileron to create the JobsOhio Small Business Academy will enrich the capabilities of Ohio’s small businesses, helping them upskill professional management efficiencies and scale their operations for future success,” Nauseef said in the news release. “This program not only empowers small businesses’ ability to expand, it also honors the enduring legacy of Clay Mathile, whose bold, visionary and unselfish commitment to Ohio’s economic growth continues to positively impact communities statewide.”
Fedders said the business leaders in the cohort also will be able to learn from one another in the program.
“Aileron was founded on the belief that small businesses improve lives and raise the quality of life,” Mike Mathile, chair of the Aileron board and son of Clay Mathile, said in the news release. “This partnership is empowering that meaningful work right here in Ohio as JobsOhio and Aileron uplift leaders, organizations, and communities across the state.”
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