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Ohio Business Spotlight - March
This month’s business spotlight celebrates the impact women have had and continue to have in our communities. We recently showcased a video on how one of the first Black female pharmacists started her own business in Toledo in 1922, and how her courage inspired others.
Across Ohio, women-owned businesses are continuing to inspire, while also serving as vital building blocks of our local economies and contributing to the betterment of our communities. We encourage you to find women-owned businesses in your part of Ohio that might offer a different perspective or opportunity for a good or service. If you need help starting or growing your own business, Ohio is bursting with resources for women-owned businesses, beginning with our Ohio Business Gateway.
Senayt Fekadu came to Ohio from Eritrea with a finance background and a dream. After owning and running Little Caesars franchises for 10 years, she sold them all to start her own restaurant, focusing on healthy quality food in her urban neighborhood. The Crispy Chick was born.
Fekadu works with local vendors to serve chicken free from additives but keeps prices low for customers that don’t have healthy options in the area. ”It's about providing quality food at a good price, it's about employing local kids in the area,” said Fekadu. “I want the kids to see somebody that looks like them owning a business, working open to close. I'm trying to show them what it takes to succeed."
Fekadu embodies the Ohio spirit of working hard for something you believe in that also benefits your community.
TheCrispyChick.com
Cristina González Alcalá’s maternal great grandmother, Doña Cuquita, was a master of flavors in her town of Durango, Mexico. Cristina spent her childhood in Durango before moving to the United States for a scholarship to play golf at the University of Louisville. She noticed the lack of hot flavors and always asked her father for the family recipe. After trying to bottle and sell the sauce himself but running into trademark hassles and giving up, he finally gave the recipe to his daughter.
Cristina and her wife, Richelle, credit the strong sense of community amongst their fellow entrepreneurs in Akron. “Everyone is really excited about everyone else’s product. It’s fun to get together and talk with them about how things are going and where their businesses are going and what they’ve been up to and sharing ideas,” says Richelle.
Not Yo' Daddy's sauces can also be purchased online or at Sweet Mary's Bakery, Stray Dog Cafe (inside the Main St. Library), Urban Eats Cafe, Chameleon Cafe, Guy's Pizza Cuyahoga Falls and Jilly's Music Room. Be sure to visit and support local owners!
UES provides scientific support and expertise to government and industry customers while developing products and services from their specialized technologies for commercialization. Under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Nina Joshi, UES’s revenue has tripled.
Last year TeamUES thought outside the box with their COVID response support, continuing research in nano and health sciences, as well as their commitment to the community by supporting STEM learning from home.
A full-service pallet, container, and logistics provider for decades, Lima Pallet became a 100% Certified Woman Owned Business with both women owners actively involved in everyday activities. They expanded five years ago, allowing them to accept larger production orders and adding 20 more jobs, bringing total payroll to more than $2.5 million.
President Tracie Sanchez said “we’re excited to be able to create more jobs and see our community grow.”
In 2008, Claudia Quintero set out to help her underserved community with taxes and ended up winning the Mega Media Hispanic Business Recognition Award six years later.
Quintero Tax Service has been committed to helping and guiding the community with their federal and state taxes. They also offer other financial services such as money orders and check cashing, and have been giving financial advice and answering questions live every Saturday at 10:00 am on La Mega 103.1 FM.
Fay first opened a small coffee shop in a Somali mini mall that served coffee, cold drinks, traditional pastries, and of course, crepes. She had so many customers coming by for the crepes that she made the brave decision to expand. After some setbacks, she finally found a small space at Polaris mall food court and employed her husband, who already had a full-time job, to take turns at the shop while the other was home raising their four children. Even when faced with the pandemic, she has kept nine employees on payroll and opened a second location at Bubbly Hall in New Albany.
The homemade batter and sweet and savory toppings can by made-to-order and Fay now serves gluten free and dairy free crepes and waffles.
As Chillicothe’s first luxury day spa, Brick Haven offers multiple natural alternatives for healing and stress relief. Besides massage therapy, Brick Haven also features hair and natural nail services, body wraps, waxing, and skincare—all the full-service luxuries you would expect from a big city spa. Just this year they have added microdermabrasion, hydrafacials, and specialized ashiatsu massage. In fact, the demand for their high-quality services was so high they opened a second location.
Building on their early success, licensed massage therapist Stephanie Truitt credits Bobbi Blanton, her business partner, for coming up with the monthly membership idea for repeat customers. They have weathered COVID by requiring masks, sanitizing everything, and spacing out bookings by appointment only in private rooms.
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