Ybi’s Lake To River Small Business Success (L2rsbs) Program Launches In Ashtabula County
YBI ANNOUNCES NEW BUSINESS PROGRAM COORDINATOR TO ASSIST EMERGING AND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN ASHTABULA COUNTY
Ashtabula, OH- YBI is expanding their services to Ashtabula County with the addition of a new Business Program Coordinator, Ginny Pasha, who will work directly with entrepreneurs to support small business development in the eastern corridor of Ohio through the Lake to River Small Business Success (L2RSBS) program.
Back in March, the Youngstown Business Incubator received $1.35 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to support small business development in Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Jefferson, Belmont and Monroe Counties. This award was part of a $21 million package supporting 21 projects serving 211 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative. POWER targets federal resources to communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries. Additional support for L2RSBS is provided by the State of Ohio, the Veale Foundation, and local philanthropy.
The L2RSBS program will assist emerging and small business development in Ashtabula County through services including: entrepreneurial counseling, contract procurement, loan packaging assistance, business management, accounting principles, networking opportunities, marketing strategy, and completing federal/state certification process.
According to Barbara Ewing, CEO of YBI, expanding their services to Ashtabula County will enable YBI to meet the demand for small business assistance. “Working with our partners, this program will strengthen the recovery of the local economy by assisting small businesses in accessing capital, pursuing procurement opportunities, developing business plans, adopting advanced technologies (in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing settings), and supporting startups.”
A key component of the L2RSBS program is to assist small businesses in securing Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certifications. Certifications are the mechanism by which the state diversifies its supply chain.
Ginny Pasha will serve as the new Business Program Coordinator for the L2RSBS program in Ashtabula county. Pasha has been a non-profit leader for many years working for Junior Achievement, Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates at the state level, Youth Employability Solutions and for the last 18 years, United Way. Along the way, Pasha also worked for YSU on their school-to-work program.
Through her work, Pasha has focused on education and financial literacy programming. She serves on several state and local boards and committees and is currently the Vice-Chairperson of the Ohio United Way board. Pasha is a graduate of Youngstown State University and lives in Kinsman Ohio with her husband, Rob.
“The position with YBI is a perfect fit for where I am in my career,” says Pasha. “Prior to United Way, each of the agencies I’ve worked with have included Ashtabula County, so I’m excited about working with the people in Ashtabula County again to help small companies grow and thrive”.
Pasha is currently working to set up Business Assistance Centers throughout Ashtabula County. In the meantime, however, please contact her at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.