Dawn and Darrell Fleming-Kendall are advancing the mission of their nonprofit organization, The Ox Shoppe, by launching a small business grant program aimed at assisting aspiring entrepreneurs who face challenges that may make it difficult to get on their own feet.
Dawn and Darrell Fleming-Kendall are advancing the mission of their nonprofit organization, The Ox Shoppe, by launching a small business grant program aimed at assisting aspiring entrepreneurs who face challenges that may make it difficult to get on their own feet.
The Ox Shoppe helps individuals who struggle to get hired — but are seeking meaningful work — connect with employers, according to the organization.
In their former life operating two small farm stores, Dawn and Darrell constantly met capable people who were overlooked for a variety of reasons, they said on their website.
“We learned quickly that talent is everywhere — opportunity is not. Too often, people with barriers are undersold, underestimated and told to ‘be realistic’ instead of being encouraged to dream bigger. We believe that is not just wrong — it’s wasteful,” they said.
The small business grant is their response to that problem.
“Through this new incubator program, we will be awarding small business development grants paired with mentorship, coaching and practical support to help individuals turn viable ideas into sustainable businesses,” the couple said in a Jan. 13 press release. “These grants are intended for individuals who have historically been overlooked or excluded from traditional systems, including but not limited to individuals with disabilities, caregivers, justice-impacted individuals, and others facing employment or economic barriers.”
About two grants are expected to be awarded, Dawn said in a Jan. 19 interview, with each totaling $5,000.
“We have continued to work with individuals to help find them jobs and then after we moved on from our farm stores, people were still interested in supporting individuals in this sector,” Dawn said. “So, we pivoted as an organization because we saw the need and we saw the talent.”
There are many people capable of running a business but who simply need the opportunity, she said.
“We still have a number of supporters of the work we were doing and we said, ‘We’re gonna push our funding this way,’ and they were super excited about that,” Dawn said, adding the grant funding comes from private donors.
“Geauga County likes to give,” she said. “It’s really, really great to see that. There’s also a strong entrepreneurial spirit in Geauga County. I think people see the jobs and businesses that are created that are just thriving and doing well, whether they’re small or multi-million dollar companies, and people know not everyone started off with a great start.”
Grant applications are open to individuals with business ideas as well as those with existing businesses, she said.
Applications will be accepted from January through April, according to the website.
Grant applications, mentor applications and a link to donate are available at theoxshoppe.org.
The grant is not limited to just the Northeast Ohio area and sharing information about the programs helps expand its reach, Dawn said.
