LEADERSHIP: The On Board! Training and Governance Academy will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 7 at the United Way Volunteer Resource Center, 8133 Market St., Youngstown.

The academy is designed for new and established board members and / or nonprofit leadership and will include content from Charitable University, a new learning platform developed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. The platform provides tools on some of the most important elements in leading a charitable organization: board governance, governmental filings, financial operations and internal controls, filings and recordkeeping and fundraising.

Participants who complete the daylong training program will be included in the new Leadership Mahoning Valley Board Match program, which will connect individuals interested in serving on boards, with nonprofit organizations in need of board members. Charitable leaders who complete the training will also receive completion credit for the program and their names listed on the Attorney General’s web page as acknowledgment of their commitment to learning about their important roles as sector leaders. They will also receive a completion certificate that can be shared with funders to illustrate their organization’s commitment to soundboard governance practices.

For questions, contact JoAnn Stock, executive director, at JoAnn@regional

chamber.com or at 330-744-2131, ext. 1227.

FUNDING ASSISTS GROWTH: A real estate holding company with property in Austintown recently received a $238,900 state loan as part of its $796,538 development project.

KJ3 Ohio LLC was awarded the funding this month through the Ohio Department of Development’s Regional 166 Direct Loan Program. The program promotes economic development along with job creation and retention by providing low-interest loans to businesses with limited access to adequate capital from private funding sources.

The money will assist in financing the purchase and renovations of a 16,540-square-foot building at 5211 Mahoning Ave. in Austintown. The property is leased to Advanced Technology Partners LLC and Comfort Keepers.

The project will create 43 new full-time-equivalent jobs and retain 181 existing jobs, according to the news release.

APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED: Bridgeway Capital’s Business Growth Accelerator, a program that provides support for entrepreneurs through education, coaching and business-building services, is accepting applications for its 2025 cohort.

The program, offered at no cost to participants, will accept applications through March 31.

Facilitated by industry experts in strategy, finance, legal, marketing and more, the Business Growth Accelerator helps emerging and established business owners from the Mahoning Valley refine their fundamentals to achieve operational excellence and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. These entrepreneurs will graduate with clear goals — especially financial ones — and a thoughtful business plan to make those goals a reality.

Through the application process, Bridgeway Capital will select up to eight entrepreneurs for an established business cohort and 12 participants for an emerging business cohort. Applicants who have been in business for more than four years, have $20,000 to $30,000 in annual revenue, and work full time for their business are encouraged to apply to the established business cohort. The emerging business track applies to those entrepreneurs who do not yet meet those criteria.

To apply or sign up for the information session, visit the 2025 Business Growth Accelerator Youngstown / Warren page in Entrepreneurship Hub at BridgewayCapital.org.

CHAMBER ADDS DIRECTORS: The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors has named 15 new members, as well as officers, for 2025, and reappointed four members to new terms.

New board members are Thomas Benyo, Brilex; Barry Bhola, Trumbull Energy Center; John Demmler, 717 Credit Union; Barb Ewing, Youngstown Business Incubator; Gary Hauck, Vallourec Star, LP Steven Jones, Steven Jones Agency; Joe Koch Jr., Joe Koch Construction Inc.; Erik Liber, HSH Drywall LLC; Joe Lukich, #1 Cochran; John Masternick, Windsor House Inc.; John McNally, Boak & Sons Inc.; Doug Rende, Shapes Unlimited Inc.; Mike Repetto, Foxconn; Greg Toporcer, Discover Global / Top Property Holdings; and Mark Wenick, Farmers Bank Group.

Officers for 2025 are chairman, Matt Blair, Blair & Latell Co., LPA; Immediate past chairman, Michael Schrock, Huntington National Bank; first vice chair, Scott Fleming, Aim Transportation Solutions; vice chair, Jeanne Mosure, ms consultants inc.; vice chair, Jackie Stewart, Encino Energy; and treasurer, Mark Wenick.

Directors reappointed to new terms are Joe Cameneti, Believers Church; Bob Davis, Aqua Ohio; Sabrina Jones, Academy for Urban Scholars Youngstown; and Paul Olivier, Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley.

IDEA EVENT: The Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI), in partnership with Code Youngstown, hosted EVOLVEConnect: Founder Matchmaking Event recently.

More than 60 aspiring entrepreneurs, software developers and tech professionals joined to spark collaborations and launch the next wave of startups.

The event, designed to bridge the gap between founders and technical talent, provided a platform for participants to pitch ideas, network with industry experts and explore potential co-founder partnerships. Through structured networking sessions and engaging discussions, attendees connected with software engineers, developers and tech enthusiasts eager to help bring groundbreaking ideas to life.

“Finding the right technical help or co-founder can be one of the biggest challenges for nontechnical entrepreneurs,” said Chandler Fiffick, senior director of the EVOLVE Entrepreneurship program at YBI.

MARKING 25 YEARS: Columbiana-based STG Communication Services, a leader in wireless infrastructure solutions, is marking its 25th anniversary.

“Our success over the past 25 years is a testament to our dedicated team, valued clients and unwavering commitment to our purpose of building to improve lives,” Jimi Moore, vice president and partner, said.

The company provides service to all major wireless carriers and career opportunities for nearly 100 team members.

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