Local entrepreneurs completed Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program offered via WDC

A group of 21 entrepreneurs from throughout Cincinnati and the region successfully completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program (10KSB) and celebrated at a graduation event on April 19, 2024.

President Monica Posey congratulated the program graduates and Liz Field, founder and owner of The Cheesecakery, and a program alumnus, offered remarks.

This was the fifth group of local small business owners to complete the 14-week training program since Cincinnati State’s Workforce Development Center began facilitating 10,000 Small Businesses programs in 2019.

The 10KSB program helps entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunities by providing them with greater access to education, financial capital, and business support services.

“Cincinnati State is proud to be a national partner in supporting the small business and entrepreneurial community here in Cincinnati,” said 10KSB Program Director Sarah Allen.

The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program is an initiative funded through the Cincinnati State Foundation in partnership with the College.

The 2024 graduates are:

• Nicole Avant – Avant Consulting Group (Cincinnati) – a collective of academics, experiential experts, health professionals, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, and social workers assisting organizations with building healthy workplaces and healthy communities
• Jackie Barnes – Jackie Barnes Design (Cincinnati) – provides custom interior design concepts for residential spaces and full-service execution of those plans
• Jen Burch – The Lil Goodie Shoppe (Cincinnati) – seasonal soft-serve ice cream shop
• Jazz Davis – Sweet Jazz Treats (Cincinnati) – custom cakes and cupcakes
• Beth Flippo – Drone Express (Dayton, OH) – innovative aviation company disrupting last-mile logistics by embracing autonomous flight
• Fred Harrison – Fresh Coat Painters of Cincinnati East (Cincinnati) – full-service painting company for residential or commercial painting needs
• MK Hennigan – In the Curious Kitchen (Newport, KY) – provides products that include pimento cheese; beer cheese; hot pepper jelly; bourbon honey mustard; chocolate, cherry and orange bitters; and cocktail kits
• Lori Himmelsbach – The Kentucky Millstone LLC (Butler, KY) – a farm-to-table cafe, where everything is made from scratch, and a small Air BnB above the cafe
• Robin Hunsucker – Live N Learn LLC (Cincinnati) – facilitates international education experiences for middle school and high school students
• Jen Kellom – Absolute Title Agency, LLC (Fairfield, OH) – full-service real estate title agency for residential and commercial transactions
• Mavis Linnemann-Clark – The Delish Dish (Covington, KY) – full-service catering and events company
• Jeffrey Miller – Parts & Labor (Cincinnati) – restaurant that blends a range of fresh ingredients and bold seasonings, using heat and smoke from hardwood fire
• Mariah Paul-Jones – Refresh Property Solutions (Cincinnati) – provides general and skilled laborers for projects on behalf of general contractors
• Patrick Reynolds – CrossPoint – Commercial Real Estate Services (Covington, KY) – a boutique firm that provides a full range of commercial real estate services
• Tia Rochelle – JahniSpot Concierge (Cincinnati) – a company that curates extraordinary experiences and redefines luxury through personalized services
• Danielle Rowell – Inebriated Baker / Inebriated Chef (Lexington, KY) – an adult bakery specializing in small batch boozy cupcakes, pies, desserts, candies, and cheese spreads
• Rosanna Ruwe – Lulu’s Sweets Boutique (West Chester, OH) – baked goods made with high-quality ingredients that are delicious and have great aesthetics
• Angela Sexton – Fuzzy Butts LLC (Cincinnati) – pet specialist boutique offering grooming, massage, training, education, and reiki
• Kristy Sieve – Mertz Design (Cincinnati) – multi-disciplinary design agency that focuses on graphic, industrial, and motion design
• Pauline Storms-Perkins – Storms Secured Services LLC (Cincinnati) – on-location security guard company that also conducts digital fingerprinting and federal background checks for employers and agencies
• Eku Williams – CyberSure (Cincinnati) – a company that mitigates cyber risk through an appraisal process to identify vulnerabilities, verify findings, and provide quantifiable evidence of organizational risk

New cohort of 10K Small Businesses will start in January 2025

The Workforce Development Center is currently recruiting for the next cohort, which will begin in January 2025.

Applications will be accepted through October 2024 at https://10ksbapply.com.

Business owners who are selected for 10,000 Small Businesses receive a full scholarship funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation.

Applicants should be “passionate about growing their business and creating jobs in their communities” and should meet these criteria:  

• Owner or co-owner of a business 
• Business in operation for at least two years (by the time the cohort begins) 
• Business revenues of $75,000 to $15 million 
• Minimum of 2 full time equivalent employees, including the owner  

If you have questions or want to learn more about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, contact Elizabeth York at elizabeth.york@cincinnatistate.edu.