Ray Leach walked from table to table inside the Kardiac Club at FirstEnergy Stadium and chatted with dozens of entrepreneurs, all of whom had joined his organization to help their small businesses take a giant leap.
Leach is the CEO of JumpStart, a nationally recognized venture development organization that provides capital, services and connections to small business owners in Northeast Ohio. The organization held its third event in partnership with the Browns on Tuesday at FirstEnergy Stadium — a “First and Tech” happy hour event for tech startups led by minority founders in the area to expose their business to investors and learn from other entrepreneurs and business experts about how they can grow their companies.
“At JumpStart, we focus on three principal resources: capital, services and connections,” Leach said. “What’s unique about the Browns is they can bring the whole community together, so entrepreneurs here have an opportunity to meet all different kinds of stakeholders, bankers, investors and other service providers, and also each other.
“In the community of entrepreneurs, finding ways to connect with each other and help each other is all incredibly meaningful.”
That’s exactly what the happy hour event was for.
For tech startups, such gatherings can be crucial for the growth of their company because they don’t always have a tangible item or service to sell in a retail store or their own shop. Their businesses thrive on actions such as app downloads or website visits, which requires a strong network as they look for ways to inform others about their service.
“I hope these founders can be exposed to different ways to support their growth,” said Camille Heard, an entrepreneur in residence for JumpStart who helped organize the event. “A lot of people in the tech space need access to venture capital and resources as far as connections and a network to get them to the next level. Our goal is to give them that exposure and that opportunity to showcase their…
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