Cleveland’s JumpStarthosted its fourth annual StartUp ScaleUpconference today to celebrate the region’s entrepreneurs.
The day-long event featured panels and interactive activities facilitating entrepreneurial growth, funding and finding talent.
Ray Leach is the CEO of JumpStart, the event’s organizer. He says the goal of the conference is to educate attendees, but also to promote an entrepreneurial culture – what he says Northeast Ohio is missing.
“One of the most important things we need is a continued evolution of culture change. Private sector leaders, public sector leaders, philanthropy – all recognize that if we’re going to grow, small businesses, startup businesses, diverse businesses, businesses led by women and people of color, are one of, if not the most important priority.”
Leach says Northeast Ohio is doing well in new business generation, but not as well as surrounding regions and that needs to be improved.
He says that despite the fact that Cleveland still needs more growth, it has come a long way in the past 15 years.