Dreamers, Drivers, Doers

Each year, Greater Akron comes together to celebrate exemplary leadership, community impact, and a steadfast commitment to gender equity and diversity in the workplace through the Woman of Achievement Awards. This year, Judge Jennifer Towell was honored for her exceptional dedication to breaking down barriers, mentoring others, and supporting the progress of women in our community. Judge Towell discusses her time in the Navy, the importance of mentorship, and the various intervention programs carried out through the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.

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In June 2025, if you are an electricity user in Ohio or a number of adjacent states, your costs arelikely togo up–a lot. PJM is the regional transmission organization behind every kilowatt of electricity that runsthrough 13 states in the northeastern U.S., including Ohio. Recent market action for future pricing saw astaggering 933% increase for the 2025/2026 delivery year that starts next June. This spike is attributed topersistent supply tightness and the massive increase of energy needs in the region, with new powergeneration capacity unlikely to alleviate the shortfall in time. Sounds technical–and it is but XpenseSolutions President and energy industry veteran, John Verdile, stops by in this episode to explain why thisis headline news and why businesses should begin preparing for the increase. Stay tuned for a follow-upepisode where John talks about steps he is seeing many businesses take to better optimize their energyspend and ultimately save money.

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While women play key roles in leading and driving work in companies and organizations, they remain disproportionally underrepresented on boards and committees across for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Enterthe WNLI Board Leadership Initiative, a program with the goal of creating greater access and connectivity between women interested in serving on boards and committees, and companies/organizations looking for board members. In this episode, Greater Akron Chamber Executive Vice President Brynn Popa sits down with Steve to detail research on gender equity in the workplace, the Board Initiative’s goals and future plans, and how women and organizations can utilize the WNLI Board Directory.

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Entrepreneurship is not just creating businesses and IPOs from brand new ideas jotted on cocktail napkins. Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is a growing movement that may be at its most sophisticated right here in Northeast Ohio. ETA provides a path for aspiring entrepreneurs, owners with a desire to exit while leaving their business, employees and partners “intact” and investors who want to support the growth of entrepreneurship in our region. In this episode, Steve talks with Scot Lowry, local entrepreneur, investor, business supporter and the Richard Osbourne Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Weatherhead School of Business at Case Western Reserve University. ETA is centered with Promise Partners–a group that over the last 30 years has driven the acquisition of almost 70 businesses by people who started the process with a desire to become an entrepreneur by evaluating, selecting and acquiring the right kind of business for their interests and skills. Steve and Scot talk about the opportunity of ETA and the October 23 event that anyone with an interest won’t want to miss.

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The ACE Mentor Program is a nationwide program designed to introduce students to the wide range of career opportunities in architecture, construction, engineering and more. The Akron-Canton affiliate was established in 2017, and has provided more than $130,000 in scholarships to over 15 students and guided nearly 370 students through the program. CESO Inc. is a proud sponsor - Business Development Director Donald Obermeier recently stopped in to discuss how the ACE Mentor Program works and detail the upcoming Fall Fundraising Symposium for community leaders and business developers

Register for the event here:https://ow.ly/5KtS50T54I7

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Renea Woods-Baylor is the third of five generations of entrepreneurs, and she’s been learning about business ever since she was a young girl sitting at the dinner table. She owned an accounting firm for 22 years before stepping away to pursue her true passion: tea. The Tea Lady Inc. is a luxury style English tearoom offering a unique experience for Akronites downtown. In this episode, Renea discusses the successes and hardships she’s faced as a black entrepreneur, how she uses marketing to stand-out in the community, and the process of positioning a business as a “destination spot.”

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The Akron Civic Theatre has had a successful few years following the pandemic, the $9 millionof renovations donein 2021, and the addition of the Knight Stage. And with programming and consulting also done for the GoodyearTheatre and E.J. Thomas Hall, around 550 events are put on each year in total. In this episode, Executive DirectorHoward Parr explains the economic impact that the Civic and other entertainment venues have on Greater Akron,from increasing local spending and incentivizing tourism to attracting citizens to downtown living developments.

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Akron RubberDucks President and General Manager Jim Pfander has been with the AA baseball team for 12 years.Canal Park has changed a lot in that time, mainly in its marketing and operations-Jim positions the RubberDucks asnot just a baseball team, andmore of a “collective spirit” for downtown. In this episode, Jim and Steve discuss howthe RubberDucks use out-of-the-box marketing tactics and special entertainment opportunities to bring people to theballpark and get engaged with downtown Akron.

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Tony Troppe is known throughout Akron for donning various hats: owner, proprietor, developer, creative director, musician... there’s no easy way to explain exactly what Tony does day-to-day. But on a larger scale, he's a passionate change maker looking to make Greater Akron a bright, asset-filled city via arts and entertainment venues and community spaces, mixed-used developments, and green spaces. In this episode, Tony sits down with Steve to talk about his passion for Akron, his current and planned development projects and his Akron Rising documentary which will release during the city’s bicentennial. And, a little jazz flute to set the vibe!

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The United States’ labor market is continuing to reshape and heal itself following 2022’s “Great Resignation,” butconnecting workers to good in-demand jobs has always been difficult. ConxusNEO seeks to solve this issue inNortheast Ohio by working with partners to generate awareness of in-demand jobs, develop a competitive talent pool,and upskill employed workers. In this episode, Senior Manager of ConxusNEO’s Manufacturing Sector PartnershipJean Barbato sits down with Steve to explain Ohio TechCred, a state program that ConxusNEO encourages areabusiness and organizations to utilize that allows them to be reimbursed for employee upskilling up to $2,000 percredential and $180,000 per year.

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