Spark Akron

The Goal

Position Greater Akron to be an entrepreneurial hub by strengthening the existing pieces of the ecosystem, identifying, and filling ecosystem gaps, and ensuring entrepreneurs are equipped with the resources they need to grow.

Spark Akron

The Goal

Position Greater Akron to be an entrepreneurial hub by strengthening the existing pieces of the ecosystem, identifying, and filling ecosystem gaps, and ensuring entrepreneurs are equipped with the resources they need to grow.

Spark Akron

The Goal

Position Greater Akron to be an entrepreneurial hub by strengthening the existing pieces of the ecosystem, identifying, and filling ecosystem gaps, and ensuring entrepreneurs are equipped with the resources they need to grow.

Why this strategy?

The Akron region has produced a healthy stream of innovative young firms, including 42 in the Inc. 5000 list over the past five years. However, it has not been as aggressive as many of its peer metro areas in making a robust innovation ecosystem a top priority, leaving most of its promising startups to go unnoticed.

Why this strategy?

The Akron region has produced a healthy stream of innovative young firms, including 42 in the Inc. 5000 list over the past five years. However, it has not been as aggressive as many of its peer metro areas in making a robust innovation ecosystem a top priority, leaving most of its promising startups to go unnoticed.

0.22% of Ohio’s
population starts a
new business each year,
that ranks us tied 5th worst in the country



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Entrepreneurs in the United States are 80.2% white and 64.5% male – not at all representative of the overall U.S. population.



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Over the past five years, the Akron region has had 42 start-up tech firms make the Inc. 5000 list, placing it among the top 40% of mid-sized metro areas for the number of entries per capita

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How We're Driving This Work

The grand opening of Bounce Innovation Hub in January, 2018 was the City of Akron’s pledge to prioritize innovation and entrepreneurship. Since then, Bounce and the City have led in supporting this region’s innovative potential.

How can this work benefit you?

Elevate Greater Akron works to create opportunities throughout our regional ecosystem that benefit individuals and businesses alike.

Bounce Innovation Hub

Explore the opportunities Bounce has to offer for entrepreneurs at all stages of the process.

Learn More Here

Rubber City Match

Rubber City Match connects vacant retail spaces with new and expanding small businesses in Akron’s Great Streets districts.

Learn More Here

MCCAP Program

The MCCAP was created to provide financial and technical assistance on an annual basis to Summit County minority contractors.

Learn More Here

Akron Resiliency Fund

This fund was created to provide low-cost small business loans to help stabilize Akron’s small businesses.

Learn More Here

Growth Story

Submit a growth story of an entrepreneur or business to be featured in the storytelling initiative #ChooseGrowth.

Learn More Here