DiscoverDreamers, Drivers, Doers
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Dreamers, Drivers, Doers
Author: Greater Akron Chamber
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Want to discover the personalities, leaders, and voices who are making things happen and making a difference in our region? Welcome to Dreamers, Drivers, and Doers, where Greater Akron Chamber CEO and President Steve Millard engages in conversations with business owners, influencers, and government officials to discover what makes a group of people come together, the possibilities on a local and regional level, and the potential of an area that pulls together. Fascinating journeys, strong opinions, unique perspectives, and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the business and legislative initiatives that are the heartbeat of our community.
90 Episodes
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The Center for Family Business is a new resource for the region. Created by the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, the Center is focused on the unique issues, needs and experiences of family-owned businesses in Northeast Ohio. Steve sits down with Laura Bonnet, Director for the Center for Family Business, to talk about the environment for family-owned businesses, some of the unique issues faced in family businesses and the help and support the Center for Family Business is designed to provide. Laura also talks about their upcoming “company chat” being held in Akron at the JS Knight Center on October 30th were fifth generation owner and former CEO of iconic Tabasco Sauce maker, McIlhenny Company, Tony Simmons, will share his experiences and the “secret sauce” for owning, leading and maintaining the legacy of a 150+ year old family business. Beyond the experience and ideas Tony will share, the event is also a chance to meet other family business leaders and owners in Greater Akron.
Business owners: are you stuck in the day-to-day grind of your business and struggling to focus on yourbusiness? Feeling the strain of growing pains or like you’ve hit a ceiling?This isn’t a sales pitch–in thisepisode, Andy Platt joins Steve Millard to explore the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS), abusiness management framework designed to help small and mid-sized businesses streamline theiroperations and boost efficiency. Platt, a Professional EOS Implementor, shares insights from his tenure atThe J.M. Smucker Co., where he helped the company grow from a million-dollar “jelly and jam” business toa billion-dollar enterprise, and how the company used similar tools andprocesses to navigate that growth.Discover if EOS is the right fit for your business at www.eosworldwide.com/andy-platt.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.”
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.
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.
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!
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.
PGA Golf at Firestone in July has been a mainstay in the Akron community for over 70 years. In this episode, Steve sits down with Don Padgett, Executive Director of the Kaulig Companies Championship to discuss how the championship and Firestone Country Club delivers visibility, community engagement, and charitable support to the Greater Akron community. Hear more about what to expect at this year’s event as it continues to evolve and grow as an entertainment and community celebration for everyone.
Each day we get closer to an AI driven world–and that’s no more apparent than in education and the businessworld. Stark State College has taken a forward-thinking approach in developing programs specifically oriented to AIlearning career readiness. Inthis episode, President of Stark State College Para Jones and ConxusNEO Tech SectorPartnership Senior Manager Amy Neumann sit down with Steve to talk all things AI and how the next generation ispreparing for an AI centered workforce.
Akronites know that our city has a deep and colorful history that's shaped the fabric of our region. In July 2025, the City of Akron will celebrate its 200th birthday with a much-anticipated Bicentennial Celebration! A number of events and historic celebrations will take place aimed at bringing the city together. In this episode, Mark Greer, Executive Director of the Akron Bicentennial talks with Steve about plans for the celebration and how everything will come together.
Dr. Cliff Deveny is the President and CEO of Summa Health, a healthcare delivery system in Northeast Ohio thatserves around 1,000,000 people a year and stands as Greater Akron’s largest employer in the region. Like allindustries, healthcare is continually changing with our evolving world; technology and practices continue to improvealong with cost. Summa Health’s recent acquisition by venture capital firm HATCo has sparked much debate in thecommunity about its future in Greater Akron. On this episode, Dr. Deveny and Steve discuss how this new structurewill solve problems in the administration of healthcare and misconceptions about the acquisition.
Rick Small is the Chief Marketing Officer at Grube Inc., a franchisee of Buffalo Wild Wings with 68 total locations,including a new sports bar in Cuyahoga Fallsand one of the first Buffalo Wild Wings "Go" locations in country here inAkron. Small champions the importance of connecting with the community despite being a part of a national brand.High school spirit nights, live local music, and weekly deals are allways that Grube Inc. endears its Buffalo WildWings locations to the community and keeps people coming back.
Amy Mucha can be found at many Greater Akron Chamber events, but there's a chance you've heard of her referredto as the "cake pop lady" more than her actual name. She's the owner of Daisy Pops, a Kent-based cake pop shopthat sells a number of cake-based delicacies and services. If you've ever talked to her, you knowthat "pop" hasbecome a part of her everyday dialogue to the point where she almost naturally throws it into sentences withoutthinking. She's been running Daisy Pops fulltime since 2021 and has seen exponential growth due to her exceptionalmarketing andpeople skills. In this episode, Mucha and Steve discuss small business growth, the Golden Sachs10,000 Small Business program, and collaboration over competition.
Headquartered in Akron, Apple Growth Partners (AGP) is an accounting and business advisory firm thatoffers a fullrange of services, primarily to privately held small and mid-size businesses. In this episode, Chairman Chuck Mullen sits down with Steve Millard to discuss how in our ever-changing world, complete with AI other modern technologies ,clients are demanding more... as they should. Chuck explains how he never wants to have to tell a client "no". If he doesn't have an answer or a solution in the present moment, he either makes the effort to find one or points them in the direction of someone who does. And that leads into AGP's recent announcement of their merger with Eide Bailly, a top 25 CPA and consulting firm based in Fargo, ND. With this merger, Chuck explains the wealthof new resources that will be available to clients, as well as opportunities and benefits for current employees.
Expanding a Small Business Outside of our RegionLeppo Rents was started nearly 80 years ago by Roy and Stella Leppo as a small Oliver Farm Equipmentdealer. A few decades later, a shift in focus to construction equipment rentals propelled the business intoyears of dynamic growth and expansion. Today, the company has expanded to 10 locations across threestates, while continually altering their business model to boot. In this episode, CFO and In-House LegalCounselor Erin Leppo Palmer sits down with Steve Millard to discuss the business’ acceptance of changein culture and operations, and how to be unique in an industry while doing what is best for the customer.Erin also discusses her experience as a female CFO, the importance of board service, and the WNLI BoardLeadership Initiative
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