Dayton, March 29, 2017: The Ohio Third Frontier Commission selected The Entrepreneurs Center (TEC) as the Dayton Region’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider (ESP). This award will grant TEC and its collaborative partners as much as $6.1 million to support the growth and development of regional technology start-ups. The new award covers two years and will require matching dollars from public, private, and philanthropic sources to be fully deployed.
“We are thrilled that the Ohio Third Frontier Commission recognized the progress that the Dayton Region has made in developing our start-up community. This ESP award validates our efforts to link our community’s incredible technology assets with leading institutions, service providers and partners to provide comprehensive support to regional entrepreneurs,” said Scott Koorndyk, president of TEC.
The ESP program provides a variety of support programs for technology-based start-up companies, including those originating from within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). “TEC has been a great commercialization partner for AFRL,” said Bill Harrison, Director of the Small Business Program. “ESP will help new startups that come from AFRL technology and across the community, filling a critical gap in the ecosystem.”
TEC’s lead collaborative partner in the ESP is Wright State University and includes other partners including The University of Dayton, Wright Brothers Institute, The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, CreativeFuse, and Nucleus CoShare. “We are proud to participate in the Region’s ESP, as an extension of our growing efforts to commercialize WSU technology, and to support local entrepreneurs,” said Hugh Bolton, director of commercialization at Wright State University.
TEC maintains its primary hub operation at 714 E. Monument Avenue, in downtown Dayton, and nurtures the formation, development and growth of new industrial or commercial technology-based businesses. Serving Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties, TEC works with multiple partners, sponsors and collaborators.
About The Entrepreneurs Center:
The Entrepreneurs Center (TEC) is the Miami Valley’s center for entrepreneurial excellence. TEC drives meaningful connections and provides significant resources to Miami Valley entrepreneurs and research institutes. TEC’s Innovation Program is designed to meet the various needs of all entrepreneurs from lifestyle to large-scale ideas and includes the Entrepreneurial Services Program, Dayton Tech Guide, SBIR TAP, Nucleus CoShare, Small Business Development Center and more. Learn more at TecDayton.com.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: 937.531.6595
444 E. Second Street
Dayton, OH 45419
www.tecdayton.com
www.nucleusdayton.com
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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
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