YBI graduates 14 women, 12 businesses through WE Program

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Business Incubator’s Women in Entrepreneurship Program graduated 14 women representing 12 businesses from its WE Launch program this week.

The graduation also doubled as an “elevator pitch” competition where the presenters were scored for a chance to win a $5,000 launch grant. The grant is designed for entrepreneurs to further their business in some way. In addition to the launch grant, a $1,000 impact grant was also awarded to an entrepreneur who has made a community impact in some way.

The winner of the $5,000 grant was McDivitt Family Maple LLC, a family-owned business that produces traditional maple syrup and gourmet maple products such as maple balsamic vinaigrette and maple hot-pepper jam. MFM is owned and operated by Stacy McDivitt. MFM got its start with the gourmet products by working in the commercial kitchen space at the Common Wealth Kitchen Incubator. McDivitt donates a percentage of profits to local nonprofit organizations that assist those with autism.

The $1,000 award went to Compassionate Wigs LLC, a business owned by Patricia McSuley, a breast-cancer survivor who works with women to find a hairpiece as they experience the loss of their own hair during chemotherapy or if they have alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.

WE Launch is a nine-week program that incorporates education, training, mentoring and networking. Applications for the 2018 WE classes will open in January and will be available at www.ybi.org. The program hopes to increase its reach through the Minority Business Assistance Center that is coming to the YBI at the beginning of the new year.