CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — Supporting and mentoring small business owners has been Lamont Mackley’s passion for decades.
“Having an advisor, having somebody who's bringing them wise counsel, having somebody who's been through some of the experiences that this entrepreneur is going through, is really very very important,” said Lamont Mackley, JumpStart’s chief inclusion & diversity officer.
- Cuyahoga County is investing more than $40,000 in JumpStart, a Cleveland-based non-profit business incubator
- JumpStart recently announced the new Entrepreneur-in-Residence program to connect people of color who are launching tech-based businesses
- Cuyahoga County officials say the entire region benefits from investing in this type of program
Once president of several banking institutions, Mackley is now chief inclusion & diversity officer at JumpStart, a Cleveland-based non-profit, whose mission is to help unlock the full potential of entrepreneurs.
JumpStart recently announced a new position: Entrepreneur-in-Residence. They will work as advisors to individuals leading start-ups. The position was specifically created to connect people of color who are launching tech-based business.
Mackley says there isn't enough inclusion in the ever-growing field of technology.
“In Cleveland we believe they exist, there's a disconnect... the disconnect may have been that the industry has not been very welcoming to black and brown entrepreneurs, it's simply, the statistics show that it wasn't an outreach to engage the black and brown and tech entrepreneurs.” Mackley said.
Charles Hubbard has been an entrepreneur for 12 years.
“When I went into the business I didn't know exactly what it meant to be a business owner.” Hubbard says.
Now as founder and CEO of EnDepth Data, he has Heather Hall, his entrepreneur-in-residence. And having her guidance makes all the difference.
“I have so much more. I understand what market sizing is. I understand what a value prop is. I understand how to now set up my financial projections and all that happened with this young lady sitting next to me,” Hubbard said.
Hall has worked for and has built companies of all sizes.
“I have an opportunity to come in here and use the skills that I’ve built over the course of my career, and apply that to other companies and help them really get up and get going. It's incredibly fulfilling, incredibly rewarding,” said Hall.
Cuyahoga County is investing more than $40,000 to JumpStart’s new minority entrepreneurship initiatives.
“There is just a growing ecosystem to support minority businesses and we have to do a more effective job of connecting ideas to capital” said Ted Carter, Cuyahoga County’s chief economic and development and business officer.
Cuyahoga County’s Chief Economic and Development and Business Officer Ted Carter says the whole region benefits from investment into minority entrepreneurship.
“The significant portion of minority population in this county that had been disconnected from the economy, and so, finding entrepreneurs who are interested in launching a business, controlling their own destiny, ultimately will lead to job creation, revitalize communities, wealth creation, tax revenue to the county and to the cities they live in. And so it's a win win win win,” Carter said.
