JumpStart Case for Support | 2026

We help entrepreneurs grow.

C A S E F O R S U P P O RT | 2 0 2 6 jumpstartinc.org

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

IS THE BACKBONE OF HEALTHY ECONOMIES.

OUR STORY JumpStart has grown from a regional response to Northeast Ohio’s tech and innovation gaps into a statewide leader in entrepreneurial support.

New businesses create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, foster innovation and generate wealth — producing a ripple effect that makes communities stronger, more resilient and better positioned for the future.

Across Ohio, tech and small business entrepreneurs are working to build sustainable companies and solve real-world problems. Yet many face barriers — not because of a lack of effort or ideas, but because the advice, expertise, funding and connections they need are just out of reach.

For more than 20 years, JumpStart has worked to close these resource access gaps.

Philanthropic partners, foundations and public-private collaborators can help us go further — giving entrepreneurs who are ready to grow every advantage and fueling the kind of community transformation that keeps compounding long after the work begins.

For every $1,000 invested with JumpStart,

$

148K+

in economic impact is generated.

Nationally recognized for developing curriculums and service models that accelerate the growth of tech startups and small businesses, we equip entrepreneurs with the skills they need to grow and thrive — and our track record has earned the trust of foundations, philanthropists and corporate partners implementing targeted initiatives.

OUR MISSION JumpStart drives economic vitality by connecting entrepreneurs to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed.

2026 CASE FOR SUPPORT

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49.4

%

65.3

%

of businesses fail in their first 5 years.

of businesses fail in their first 10 years.

2X

businesses more likely to survive

with mentorship vs. those without.

Establishment Age and Survival Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Mentorship impact: SCORE

THE CHALLENGE Building a business from scratch is one of the hardest things a person can do. Too many promising entrepreneurs are left to navigate that path alone – without the advice, funding or connections that make the difference. Without the right support, even the most driven innovators can stall before they ever hit their stride.

Behind every business that doesn’t make it is a person who had something real to offer, but the loss doesn’t stop there.

There is also a neighborhood that never got to benefit from its existence. When businesses fail to launch, communities don’t just forfeit future jobs — they lose the vibrancy and self-sufficiency that keeps a place alive.

OUR APPROACH JumpStart addresses this challenge directly by pairing personalized mentorship with coordinated ecosystem support, ensuring that no entrepreneur has to build alone.

We believe every visionary — regardless of background, geography or network — deserves the best opportunity to succeed. Entrepreneurs bring the bold ideas and drive; we contribute the expert-led curriculum, capital connections and market access they need to scale.

Strategic partnerships and philanthropic support allow us to keep our services high-quality and accessible at low or no cost — ensuring the right help is there at the moments it matters most.

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BY THE NUMBERS COMPANIES SUPPORTED BY JUMPSTART:

8,500 TOTAL TIME SPENT:

230K+ hrs COMPANY JOBS CREATED & RETAINED:

12,480+ REVENUE GENERATED:

5B+

$

WHY JUMPSTART? The proof is in what our clients achieve.

JumpStart’s track record isn’t measured in programs delivered — it’s measured in companies launched, jobs created and economic momentum generated across Ohio.

Regional and national support combined with a statewide network of partners enables us to bridge industries and institutions to create opportunities that move the needle for entrepreneurs at every stage.

As lead applicant for Northern Ohio’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider (ESP) program, JumpStart manages a collaborative network spanning 44 counties. This infrastructure allows us to secure strategic funding, coordinate across 16 ESP organizations and ensure resources reach entrepreneurs who are ready to put them to work. This connective approach broadens our reach and amplifies our impact.

Since 2010, startups and small businesses assisted by JumpStart and our partners generated $15B in economic impact.

In 2024 alone, that impact reached $1.7B — and the entrepreneurs we served created

10,702 jobs supporting more than 7,000 households.

Reflects numbers since 2010.

*2024 Economic Impact Report; reflects the combined value of direct and indirect economic output generated.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PHILANTHROPY JumpStart operates at the intersection of entrepreneurship, economic development and community impact. While public funding, earned revenue and investment activity are critical to our model, philanthropy plays a unique and essential role — turning individual promise into shared prosperity.

Philanthropic support is what makes it possible to reach the entrepreneur who has never been in the room — the ideator in a rural county, the first-generation business owner without a network, the innovator with a real idea and no roadmap. It funds the work that doesn't fit neatly into a grant category but makes everything else possible.

Philanthropy allows JumpStart to: • Open doors for entrepreneurs outside traditional networks — providing expert advising and technical assistance at low or no cost to entrepreneurs who would otherwise go without.

• Sustain the one-on-one relationships that turn an entrepreneur’s potential into a launched, growing business.

• Leverage public and federal dollars — many of which require a private or philanthropic match to unlock.

• Stay nimble — responding quickly to emerging needs, economic shifts and new opportunities across Ohio's entrepreneurial landscape.

Without philanthropic contributions, entrepreneurial support programs would be reduced, restricted or out of reach for those who need them. Philanthropy keeps

our services accessible to the communities we serve — and drives economic growth that is inclusive, durable and broadly shared.

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HELPING OHIO’S TOP TECH STARTUPS SCALE WITH CONFIDENCE.

IN 2025

302 TECH

JumpStart surrounds early-stage tech startups with people who have been where they are: experts, advisors and dedicated Entrepreneurs-in-Residence who bring hard-won experience to every challenge.

STARTUPS

From 1:1 advising and accelerator programs to professional networking, peer learning and access to capital, our full spectrum of services gives tech entrepreneurs what they need to grow with confidence — not just survive the early stages but compete.

OVER

served

9,000 HOURS

of 1:1 advising

As part of the Trailblazer Accelerator, JumpStart has been

instrumental in setting us up for success.

The advice I’ve gotten – particularly around compliance and contracts – has been huge. InovCares would not be where we are today without JumpStart.

13M+

$

IN CAPITAL

accessed by supported tech startups

Mohamed Kamara, Inovcares 2026 CASE FOR SUPPORT

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The HealthTech Trailblazer is designed for startups that are revolutionizing healthcare. The three-month program provides founding teams with a deep dive into regulatory, clinical, reimbursement and commercialization strategies.

The Software Trailblazer was created especially for SaaS startups that are powering software innovation.

The intensive program helps startups solidify go-to-market strategies, fuel platform development and prepare for their next dilutive fundraise.

THE FLAGSHIP ACCELERATOR FOR OHIO’S TOP HEALTHTECH & SOFTWARE ENTREPRENEURS. The Trailblazer Accelerator is intensive, selective and built to produce healthtech and software companies that are ready to raise, ready to grow and ready to lead.

Only 1 in 10 applicants is accepted. Those who make it receive tailored mentorship, substantial non-dilutive funding and direct access to a network of experts, investors and market opportunities that would otherwise take years to build.

SINCE 2024

673

total applications received.

68

companies selected to participate in cohorts to date.

25M

$

raised in pre-seed/ seed capital

2026 CASE FOR SUPPORT

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HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES TAKE BIG STEPS.

IN 2025 Starting and growing a small business takes everything you’ve got — and most owners are figuring it out as they go. Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we’re able to offer small businesses support as they prepare to access financing, scale sustainably and build something that lasts.

Our 1:1 advising, curriculum-based learning, networking, webinars and hands-on workshops meet owners where they are and help them move forward.

522 SMALL

BUSINESSES served

OVER

6,700 HOURS

of 1:1 advising

A solo founder and mom of three, I had no prior entrepreneurial experience. JumpStart provided the mentorship,

a real chance at success. guidance and resources I needed to give my business

376K

$

IN CAPITAL

accessed by supported small businesses

Tina Chamoun, Terranean Herbs & Spices

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PARTNERSHIPS THAT FIT YOUR PRIORITIES JumpStart works with partners across sectors to design collaborations that align with their goals, deliver measurable results and multiply investment. Every partnership is different — and that’s by design.

SMALL BUSINESS & INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Help small business owners — particularly those who have never had access to expert advising, capital readiness tools or professional networks — build businesses that stabilize households, strengthen communities and generate long-term wealth.

TECH FOUNDERS & HIGH-GROWTH STARTUPS

Fuel the startups creating jobs, attracting outside funding and competing nationally — by investing in acceleration programs, mentor networks, investor readiness and sector-focused innovation that puts Ohio on the map.

STATEWIDE ECOSYSTEM & ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

Strengthen the backbone infrastructure that makes it all work — the coordination, public-private alignment and quality assurance that allows JumpStart to deliver consistent impact at scale across 44 counties.

CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT

Connect your team to the region’s most promising innovators — and open a door for them in return. JumpStart works with corporate partners to design initiatives that align with their priorities — from supporting small business growth to strengthening regional innovation ecosystems.

Beyond financial support, partners engage through mentoring, thought leadership, events, roundtables and site visits that deepen the work and extend its reach. We work closely with each partner to align efforts with shared priorities and outcomes that can be measured and built upon.

For Nestle, Cleveland isn’t just a location — it’s our history. JumpStart’s partnership helps us

real-world opportunities turn corporate resources and expertise into

for this region’s entrepreneurs.

Erika Stoss, Nestle

BREAKTHROUGHS BEGIN WITH ACCESS. The entrepreneurs who will shape our economy are out there right now. Some have everything they need. Many don't ... yet.

Your contribution helps dismantle the barriers standing between a great idea and a growing business. It funds the mentor who shows up at the right moment, the advising session that unlocks a new market, the connection that leads to a first major client — and sometimes, the introduction that leads to the investment that changes everything.

When that happens, the impact doesn't stop with the entrepreneur.

It spreads — into jobs, into neighborhoods and into a stronger Ohio.

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Drive real economic impact.

Partner with us today.

Contact Mary Paxton at mary.paxton@jumpstartinc.org to learn more.

1974 E. 66th Street, Suite 200 | Cleveland, OH 44103 | 216.363.3400

JumpStart is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) providing services and resources to help Ohio’s tech startups and small businesses grow.