Economic Development
Advancing Economic Development and Building Ohio’s Workforce
The Voinovich School is committed to partnering with entrepreneurs, business owners, nonprofits, and communities to build a vibrant economy and a competitive workforce.
To achieve this goal, we manage multiple state and federal programs providing no-cost to low-cost access to strategic planning, business consulting and capacity building, including support to win government contracts. We also partner with local economic development professionals on opportunity zones, economic impact analysis, workforce development analysis, feasibility studies, brownfield redevelopment, and multiple other services.
Whether you are in the start-up phase, seek to expand an existing enterprise, or want to revitalize your downtown — we can help!
Our Programs at Work in the Community
Small Business Development Center
The Ohio University SBDC provides no-cost, confidential technical assistance to small businesses (both startup and existing) in a 13-county region in Southeastern Ohio, including assistance with capital access, business planning, growth and expansion strategy, export assistance, and more.
Team Lead: Lissa Jollick
TechGrowth Ohio
TechGrowth Ohio drives innovation by providing services, capital and talent to technology-based startups with high-growth potential in southeast Ohio.
Team Lead: Lynn Gellermann
Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE)
SEE provides no-cost, customized, one-on-one business coaching to nonprofit organizations and mission-driven social enterprises. Coaching services include business modeling, grant research and writing support, strategic planning, governance structure, pathways to capital access, pitch development, and more.
Team Lead: Faith Knutsen
Center for Entrepreneurship
The Center offers a Major (in the College of Business) and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship (for everyone outside of the College of Business) along with a wide range of co-curricular opportunities (like bootcamps, workshops, conferences, and competitions) for students to gain relevant experience and learn by doing.
Team Leads: Paul Benedict and Lynn Gellerman
Ohio APEX Accelerator
Provides companies interested in selling to government with business education workshops and no-cost, confidential technical assistance. The Ohio APEX Accelerator at Ohio University serves 62 of Ohio's 88 counties.
Team Lead: Sharon Hopkins
Center for Economic Development and Community Resilience
The center partners with communities, agencies and companies to conduct economic impact analysis, fiscal impact analysis, workforce analysis (e.g., skillshed analysis), and a host of other economic policy approaches to support economic diversification and growth.
Team Lead: Jason Jolley
Center for Economic Development and Community Resilience Team Directory
PORTSfuture
Ohio University is leading a bipartisan, labor-aligned, functioning public-private partnership that is responsive to community preferences to inform cleanup and establish an all-of-the-above energy production and sustainable manufacturing complex at the US Department of Energy former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Pike County, Ohio.
Team Lead: Stephanie Howe
How We Can Help You
Discover the Services We Provide and Meet Our Team Members
Small Business Assistance
If you own a small business or want to start one, the SBDC can assist you with capital access, business planning, growth and expansion strategy, export assistance, and more.
Team Lead: Lissa Jollick
High Tech Business Assistance
If you have an idea for a high-tech company or are in the early stages of starting one, we can help you assess feasibility and plan your next steps.
Team Lead: Lynn Gellermann
Nonprofit and Social Enterprise Assistance
If you have a nonprofit or mission driven social enterprise (or are considering starting one), the Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE) can provide no cost business assistance to help with business modeling, grant research and writing, strategic planning, governance structure, capital access and more.
Team Lead: Faith Knutsen
Student Entrepreneurship
If you are interested in studying entrepreneurship or participating in bootcamps, workshops, conferences or competitions at Ohio University, visit the Center for Entrepreneurship's website to learn more.
Team Leads: Paul Benedict and Lynn Gellerman
Government Contracting
If you are interested in contracting with local, state or federal agencies, the APEX Accelerator at Ohio University can assist you with training and technical assistance, including assistance with certification, finding contracts, and negotiating terms.
Team Lead: Sharon Hopkins
Community Economic Development
If you are an Appalachian economic development professional, community leader or company, we can assist you to gather and assess the information you need to make informed decisions about future economic diversification and growth.
Team Lead: Jason Jolley
Brownfield Redevelopment
Since 2010, the Voinovich School PORTSfuture program has partnered with public and private sector entities on a $15 million program to support the clean-up and reindustrialization of the former uranium enrichment facility in Pike County, Ohio. We work on master planning, community engagement and data analysis; site readiness and property transfer activities; industry discovery and attraction; and STEM outreach.
Team Lead: Stephanie Howe
U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration University Center
Since 1996, Ohio University and Bowling Green State University have jointly served as a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center covering 59 rural Ohio counties, 32 in Appalachia and 27 in northwestern Ohio.
The goal is to provide local economic development efforts access to economists and experienced economic development researchers who can assist with marketing and industry studies, competitor analysis, financial pro forma and modeling, cost-benefit analysis, and technology assessments.
This initiative also partners with the Ohio Economic Development Association to offer the Ohio Economic Development Institute, Ohio’s only certification for economic developers, and offers an annual Appalachian Ohio State of the Region conference to build a shared understanding of regional economic challenges and opportunities.
Annual Conferences Supporting Appalachian Ohio
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Appalachian Ohio State of the Region Conferencehe Appalachian Ohio State of the Region Conference brings public officials, economic development experts, business and organizational leaders and others to discuss different issues related to economic growth in the Appalachian Ohio region.
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Appalachia ForwardAppalachia Forward is a a conference for local elected officials and development staff. The 2024 theme was "Interagency Working Group on Coal & Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization."