One of the best parts of my role at the EC is the opportunity to get to know the incredible entrepreneurs who call our Region home—and wherever I can, to help bring their visions to life. For my first update of 2024, I’m thrilled to introduce you to the 6888 Kitchen, a remarkable organization that I am proud to support. It’s led by three fierce female founders who have dedicated themselves to helping food entrepreneurs live out their dreams.
First, a little background on the challenges food entrepreneurs face. Did you know that 60% of restaurants or food businesses fail within the first year, and about 80% fail in their first five years? For the team at the Entrepreneurs’ Center, those statistics are crushing. We believe, and the Founders of the 6888 Kitchen believe—that support programs for food entrepreneurs can help them defy the odds.
And that’s exactly where the 6888 Kitchen comes in—and the name of the organization tells you everything you need to know about its incredible Founders.
In World War II, our men and women in uniform didn’t have email, smartphones, or FaceTime. They needed letters from home to lift their morale, but the Army was terrible at delivering that mail. Until March 4, 1945, when the 6888th Central Postal Battallion was formed. Under the command of Major Charity Adams, a Dayton resident, the “Six Triple Eight”, an amazing group of 855 women of color took on an almost indescribable task. In damp, poorly lit warehouses without heat, they worked seven days a week to deal with more than 2 years of undelivered packages and mail. They faced discrimination and mistreatment. But they completed their job in just three months.
That was 1945. But that same sense of selfless leadership, commitment, passion, and vision is alive today, and it’s personified in the Founders of the Kitchen: Charlynda Scales, Jamaica White, and Dabriah Rice.
Under the leadership of these amazing Founders, the 6888 Kitchen Incubator was developed from a simple concept to a cutting-edge facility for under-resourced food entrepreneurs. 6888 Kitchen provides affordable access to critical commercial kitchen space and business support services, giving food entrepreneurs exactly the resources they need to build a successful business. The Founders are all entrepreneurs themselves, so they understand what it takes, and they understand how to support the amazing food entrepreneurs that will flourish in their program. The 6888 Kitchen opened its doors to its first food entrepreneurs in March 2024.
As I said, these Founders are fierce, smart, and visionary. They reflect the very best of the community and the very best of the entrepreneurial community—not just In Dayton, but anywhere. With their collective talents, they could be doing anything—but they’ve chosen to give their time and talents to others.
When you are next at the Arcade Innovation Hub, be sure to check out the 6888 Kitchen (it’s right across the Rotunda) or take a look at their website. If you are interested in joining the Kitchen and turning your dreams into a reality, contact the founders at [email protected] or 937-203-0802.
It’s these kinds of entrepreneurs that make the Dayton Region special. Here’s to their success—and yours too!
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A Letter from our President & Board Chair
At the Entrepreneurs’ Center, everything we do is driven by one goal: delivering real impact to the clients and communities we serve. Over the years, we’ve celebrated major milestones—but none more meaningful than the one we’re proud to share today.
Between 2017 and 2024, EC-supported businesses surpassed $1 billion in cumulative economic impact, measured through revenue generated, investment capital attracted, and grant funding secured.
That kind of impact doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of relentless work to make the Dayton Region one of the very best places to build a business—through bold programming, expanded access to capital, and a community that’s more connected than ever.
For high-growth, high-tech startups, we continue to lead the region’s Ohio Third Frontier Entrepreneurial Services Provider program. Today, we support more than 100 tech companies whose innovations are fueling job creation, attracting capital, and reshaping Dayton’s economic future. In 2025, our successes were recognized with a program extension through mid-2027.
At the same time, we remain equally committed to the small businesses that sustain and energize our communities. Through the Miami Valley Small Business Development Center, we served more than 500 Main Street entrepreneurs in 2024, offering education, one-on-one advising, and support to access the funding they need to grow. We also deepened our role as a convener, hosting Dayton Startup Week and welcoming over 400 attendees and 80 speakers to share, learn, and connect.
2024 was also a breakout year for the Arcade Innovation Hub, our flagship innovation space. Now home to more than 160 member companies, The Hub Powered by PNC Bank has become the region’s most dynamic gathering place for entrepreneurs, educators, and creatives. This partnership between the University of Dayton’s Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Entrepreneurs’ Center is a powerful example of what’s possible when institutions work together to spark innovation.
From our earliest days as a startup incubator to today’s billion-dollar milestone, we’ve remained grounded in one mission: to build progress and prosperity through entrepreneurship. The future we envisioned is now happening—and we’re just getting started.
We’re deeply grateful to our public and private partners, our community collaborators, and especially the hundreds of small business owners and startup founders who trust us to walk alongside them. This impact is yours, too.
We believe the next billion is already on its way.
Scott Koorndyk, President
Dr. David Kirschman, Board Chair
The federal SBIR and STTR programs provide billions of dollars in non-dilutive funding to support technology innovation, yet many early-stage companies struggle to navigate the application process and build the commercialization strategies necessary for success.
Water technology innovators often face additional challenges, including high initial capital costs, long adoption timelines, complex regulatory environments, and limited access to commercialization support tailored to the sector.
The SBIR/STTR Accelerator addresses these barriers and aims to support startup fundraising efforts by helping participants:
- Understand and navigate the federal funding landscape
- Develop compelling value propositions and commercialization strategies
- Identify market opportunities and competitive advantages
- Strengthen business planning and investor readiness
- Build actionable plans for pursuing SBIR/STTR funding
A Letter from our President & Board Chair
As we reflect on another year of bold ideas, resilient founders, and transformative growth, it’s our pleasure to present the 2025 Annual Impact Report for Entrepreneurs’ Center—the Region’s venture development leader.
In 2025, our team remained focused on our mission: to accelerate the growth of entrepreneurial businesses across the Dayton region at every stage—from a good idea to a scaling business to a business attracting capital. Through targeted programming, expert mentorship, access to capital, and deep partnerships across the ecosystem, we continued to build a thriving environment where entrepreneurs can turn visionary ideas into economic engines for our community.
In 2024, we reported that our impact exceeded $1B since 2017. That momentum is not just continuing—it’s accelerating. In 2025 alone, EC-supported businesses generated more than $266M in economic impact, signaling a pace of growth that is compounding year-over-year.
These outcomes are more than numbers—they represent real stories of innovation, perseverance, and community reinvestment right here in Dayton. From high-growth technology startups to main-street businesses and neighborhood innovators, the entrepreneurs we serve are strengthening our regional economy and positioning Dayton as a hub for opportunity and progress.
None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our Board of Directors, our funders, investors, corporate partners, academic collaborators, and dedicated team. Your belief in the power of entrepreneurship fuels our impact across the Miami Valley and beyond.
We invite you to explore the full 2025 Annual Impact Report to see the depth of our programs, the success stories of the founders we are privileged to work with, and the forward momentum we’re building together.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we continue to power progress and prosperity in the Dayton Region.
Scott Koorndyk, President
Dr. David Kirschman, Board Chair
937-203-0771 
