Amount of community loan fund capital deployed to minority-owned businesses
$2,364,074 million
Amount of community loan fund capital deployed to minority-owned businesses by Western Reserve Community Fund

In past years

  • 2022
    $1,598,000
  • 2023
    $1,808,266
  • 2024
    $2,896,511*
  • 2025
    $2,364,074

*2024 reflects several one-time grant allocations that were not available in 2025.

Amount of capital raised for Polymer Industry Cluster
$106,810,996 goal:
$200,000,000
Amount of capital raised for Polymer Industry Cluster
USEDA Good Jobs
Challenge Program
$3,084,371
Awarded on
1.14.2024
ODOD Innovation
Hubs Program
$41,650,000
Awarded on
9.5.2024
USEDA Tech Hubs
Program
$58,186,538
Awarded on
7.2.2024
USEDA Good Jobs
Challenge APEX
$6,457,942
Awarded on
1.17.2025
Percentage of jobs with a family sustaining wage
17.8% of jobs
Percentage of jobs with a family sustaining wage

For Akron MSA region

  • Family Sustaining Wage:
    $37.36
  • Jobs Paying a Family Sustaining Wage:
    17.78%

Source: Lightcast 2024, via TeamNEO

Percentage of Black workers in in-demand occupations/industries
14.4%
Percentage of Black workers in in-demand occupations/industries
  • IT
    1.3%
  • Manufacturing
    7.3%
  • Healthcare
    15.1%
  • Other
    76.3%

Source: Lightcast 2024, via TeamNEO

Number of downtown residential units added and in the pipeline
646
Number of downtown residential units added and in the pipeline
  • Units Added
    0
  • Units in the Pipeline
    646*

*In the Pipeline means either nearing, starting, or in construction.

Number of downtown visitors, residents, workers, and students
2,542,052 people
Number of downtown visitors, residents, workers, and students
  • Visitors
    2,500,000
  • Residents
    3,000
  • Workers
    25,000
  • Students
    14,052
  • Total
    2,542,052
Number of development-ready sites in and accessible to low-income urban areas
37 sites
Number of development-ready sites in and accessible to low-income urban areas

37 out of 42 developable sites of 5+ acres of land are located in, or within, 5 miles of low-to-moderate income areas.

Number of payrolled business locations, including new establishments
Number of payrolled business locations, including new establishments *in Akron MSA
Year
Existing
New
2024
19,591
203
2023
19,389
300
2022
19,089
490
2021
18,599
537

Source: Lightcast 2026, via TeamNEO

Amount of third party capital raised by tech-based start-ups
Amount of third party capital secured by clients of Bounce Innovation Hub and University of Akron Research Foundation
  • Angel Investor
    $9,856,000
  • Community Organization
    $272,502
  • Federal Government
    $11,478,386
  • Other
    $482,600
  • State Government
    $100,000
  • Strategic Partners
    $894,250
  • Venture Capital
    $10,010,000
  • Total
    $33,093,738
Number of businesses visited by Elevate Greater Akron ecosystem
Number of Businesses visited by the Business Retention and Expansion Working Group
  • Business, Retention, and Expansion meetings
    233
  • Subset of MBE/WBE meetings
    104
  • Net Promoter Score
    83.93