Appalachian Ohio Regional Investment Coalition
The Appalachian Ohio Reinvestment Coalition serves a 29-county area that is a discrete part of a larger, 13-state region known as Appalachia. The goal of the Appalachian Ohio Regional Investment Coalition (AORIC) is to help strengthen Appalachian Ohio's economy by commonly identifying and crafting within certain sectors and communities a shared approach of support and assistance to communities and their development that can build on the region's strengths and its unique market advantage. AORIC partners have been working together on business development, community planning, and leadership development strategies, often building capacity in the same communities and around similar issues of economic development; community planning and leadership development; arts and heritage; and grantmaking and networking. Building economic and civic entrepreneurial capacity, AORIC works to build entrepreneurial capacity in two sectors: value-added field and forest products, and experiential tourism.
Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) supports a variety of activities to promote entrepreneurship and business development in the Appalachian Region. These activities help diversify the Region's economic base, develop and market strategic assets, increase the competitiveness of existing businesses, foster the development and use of innovative technologies, and enhance entrepreneurial activity. ARC entrepreneurship and business development activities include: (1) giving entrepreneurs greater access to capital, including support for microcredit programs, revolving loan funds, and development venture capital funds; (2) educating and training entrepreneurs through youth education programs and adult training initiatives; (3) encouraging sector-based strategies to maximize the economic strengths of local communities; and (4) providing strategic support for business incubators and other forms of technical assistance.
Fund for our Economic Future
The Fund for Our Economic Future is a collaboration of philanthropic organizations and individuals that have united to strengthen the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio through grantmaking, research and civic engagement. Begun in 2004, the mission of the Fund is to encourage and advance a regional competitiveness agenda which will lead to long-term economic revitalization that strengthens Northeast Ohio's core cities, encourages inclusion, and enhances the region’s quality of life.
Northeast Ohio is a 16-county region with a population of more than 4 million people and it includes the cities of Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Mansfield, and Youngstown. The Fund is 501(c)3 organization governed by its members. Members include organizations and individuals who have committed $100,000 or more to the Fund over a three-year period. Since 2004 the Fund has raised more than $70 million and the vast majority of the Fund's grantmaking goes to regional economic development organizations that accelerate, attract, and grow companies in the region. In addition, the Fund works with partners in Advance Northeast Ohio, the region's economic action plan, to develop and implement regional strategies that address four key priority areas: (1) business growth and attraction; (2) talent development; (3) growth through racial and economic inclusion; and (4) government collaboration and efficiency.
"Ohio, Home of Innovation and Opportunity"
An economic development strategic plan for the Ohio Department of Development, "Ohio, Home of Innovation and Opportunity" is a practical and forward-thinking plan designed to change the trajectory of Ohio's economy by purposefully redesigning the state's business climate to increase the global competitiveness of Ohio's employers.
Ohio Third Frontier
Created in 2002, the Ohio Third Frontier is a commitment to create new technology-based products, companies, industries, and jobs. In May, the Ohio Third Frontier was extended through 2015, indicating an understanding by the populace that technology and innovation will lead to economic prosperity both today and for future generations.
The $2.3 billion initiative supports applied research and commercialization, entrepreneurial assistance, early-stage capital formation, and expansion of a skilled talent pool that can support technology-based economic growth. The Ohio Third Frontier’s strategic intent is to create an “innovation ecosystem” that supports the efficient and seamless transition of great ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace.
The Ohio Third Frontier also funds Ohio’s New Entrepreneurs Fund (ONE Fund), which is an innovative approach to retaining and attracting the best and the brightest talent to Ohio. The program, in collaboration with The Ohio State University's Center for Entrepreneurship at Fisher College of Business, focuses on the professional development of young entrepreneurs with the necessary ambition to commercialize new technologies. ONE Fund aggressively recruits young entrepreneurs from within Ohio and outside the state. Entrepreneurs submit proposals and concepts; work under the guidance of seasoned entrepreneurs, industry experts, and investors; and then pitch their ideas to investors to launch a new Ohio business venture. ONE Fund fosters young entrepreneurs’ professional development by educating them on what it takes to form a business in Ohio. The program also promotes the state's resources and opportunities available to new entrepreneurs and companies.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has launched the national "Campaign for Free Enterprise" to preserve and advance the American free enterprise system and help ensure that every American has an opportunity to make an entrepreneurial idea become a reality. Core components of the campaign include events, financial literacy resources, free enterprise surveys, state-level initiatives, contests, and youth outreach.