AKRON, Ohio — Bounce Innovation Hub is a nonprofit in Akron that is focused on helping other businesses succeed by providing them with a variety of resources. 

What You Need To Know

  • Bounce Innovation Hub is a non-profit focused on helping businesses succeed and grow

  • Bounce helps a variety of different types of businesses

  • People may apply for a program at Bounce

It hosts approximately 60 different businesses, and many of them are completely different. 

James Hilton, senior director of entrepreneurial services at Bounce, said it has anything from a restaurant serving wings to numerous tech companies. 

"So traditionally, we helped technology businesses, we helped focused on scalable businesses, software companies, propriety technology. We also realize that businesses are not simply that, there are a lot of non-tech businesses that are pivotal and essential to a community," Hilton said.  "We do that through our grow programing which is three different sub-programs and that aspiring entrepreneurs, mortar and next-level so we see a massive variety of businesses."

One of the long-term businesses inside of Bounce, is Vigeo Gardens. 

Vigeo Gardens CEO Vincent Peterson credits Bounce for some of his success. 

"People that are trying to start a business or maybe have established a business already, it is a great opportunity. There are a lot of things you don’t know and a lot of people you haven’t met yet," Peterson said. "When you are in a space where 65 other companies are really trying their best to get growing and grow their businesses, the connections that happen. I think you call them ‘collisions’ in this eco-community. Those collisions are meaningful."

Vigeo Gardens grows a variety of things, like lettuces, herbs, micro greens and wheat grass all inside of the Bounce Innovation Hub located in downtown Akron. 

Vigeo Gardens can go on the roster of successful businesses inside of Bounce, as their produce is sold to several major grocery store chains across the state. 

“So, we touch about five states and, give or take, the back of the napkin number is about 100,000 people consume our products on a weekly basis,” Peterson said. 

For people interested in getting involved with one of Bounce Innovation Hub's various programs, apply here online.