The Greater West Dayton Incubator will host a community open house 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at its new permanent location at 1169 W. Third St.
The second-floor office in Wright Dunbar’s Cornerstone project nearly triples the incubator’s space, with 4,000 square feet for co-working, classrooms, catering and more.
The larger space allows the incubator to bring all its programs under one roof, including the upcoming Mind Yo Business Week celebrating Black Business Month with three days of programming to help entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses and build generational wealth. Registration for Mind Yo Business Week is open online.
The new space also offers two offices for lease, with more information available on the incubator’s website.
“Now we have more space for programs and more ways to show up for our entrepreneurs,” said Director Juanita-Michelle Darden. “We designed this location with our community in mind. The business owners we work with have not always had a seat at the table, and now they have a home.”
The Greater West Dayton Incubator, an initiative between the University of Dayton's L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and The Entrepreneurs' Center with a grant from the PNC Foundation, supports underrepresented and under-resourced entrepreneurs through micro-lending, consulting and educational programs.
Since 2020, the incubator has worked with more than 350 entrepreneurs, helping to secure more than $80,000 in micro-loans, $100,000 in equity grants and nearly $400,000 in contracts for underrepresented business owners through University of Dayton partnerships.