The sun feels good...
It's been amazing to be outside of the office more lately, walking to coffee shops for meetings, smelling the flowers along the way (dealing with the consequences of sneezing after the fact), and just allowing the sun to warm our skin. We're looking forward to the upcoming food truck season, grabbing some delicious ice cream cones, stopping at neighborhood festivals to support local entrepreneurs, and listening to that new Kendrick album as we frolic through the many beautiful parks Cincinnati has to offer.
This is an incredible season to start implementing all of those plans you were dreaming up when we were all locked indoors. Now that we're OUTSIIIIDE, don't forget those goals or get distracted by all of the beautiful happenings around you; use that energy & excitement to spark the fuse of ACTION! Let's. Get. It.
Cheers to MORTAR's 8 Year Anniversary!
On May 1st, MORTAR celebrated our 8th anniversary and kicked off a campaign to recap & celebrate many of MORTAR's highlights. Check out our social media platforms (all linked at the bottom of this newsletter) to see how we've put the spotlight on 8 expansion cities, 8 partnerships, 8 team members, 8 donors, 8 alums to watch, 8 impactful projects, 8 exciting plans for the future, and 8 ways to support our mission as we move forward.
We wouldn't be able to do this work without the trust of our alums, or the support of the communities that we work in! Please consider continuing to support our mission to make entrepreneurship more accessible & equitable by contributing to MORTAR's 8th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign:
A gift of $8 dollars provides office supplies for 1 participant while in the MORTAR class // $80 dollars will supply snacks for 2 weeks of the Academy program // $800 dollars will support the Pitch Night prize money given to the most outstanding pitch // A gift of $8000 helps us continue to provide state-of-the-art facilities for our Entrepreneurship Academy, Alumni programming & Brick Pop Up Shops.
We have had an incredible 8 years, and we look forward to what lies ahead. Thank you for being part of our community and helping us build MORTAR brick by brick.
MORTAR Pitch Night - We're back!!
We are having our next pitch night IN-PERSON! Hallelujah. We have missed you, and we are bringing a bonafide, open-to-the-public Pitch Night experience to all of you. We are happy to host Pitch Night for Cohorts 32 & 33 at The Hard Rock Casino!
NOTE: This event REQUIRES AN RSVP through our Eventbrite page and is capped at 100 people. RSVP now! Those attending will be able to do a meet & greet with each participant and see each booth showcasing their business ideas before the pitches begin. Mark your calendars for June 15th at 5pm!
MORTAR Indianapolis has LAUNCHED!
In April, we launched the MORTAR Indianapolis pilot program, a Fast-Track cohort of the MORTAR Entrepreneurship Academy that lasts 8-weeks and will give participants an accelerated glimpse into the future of small business empowerment throughout the city. Fifteen Indianapolis entrepreneurs are participating in this cohort facilitated by Allen Woods (MORTAR Co-founder & CEO), and Diamyn Rembert (MORTAR Alum & PAUSE Cincy Co-Owner). We are so excited about our partnership with The Indianapolis Foundation which has led to our continued growth in the region. Special shout out to Flanner House for hosting our cohort!
Applications are now open for the Fall cohort. Click here to apply!
Everyone needs a little Hoity Toity in their life!
Sometimes it's fun when things are a little fancy. Especially when we're talking about donuts. MORTAR Alum, Susan Coach, Owner of Hoity Toity, is counting down the days until she officially opens her artisanal donut and coffee shop in Walnut Hills! Want a chance to snag some FREE donuts when Hoity Toity Donuts open? Head to the link to get on the VIP list!
Are YOU That Somebody?
As MORTAR continues to grow, we're searching for some amazingly talented, mission-focused individuals to add to our team. We're hiring for several roles, including those listed above (and more). To see the entire list of career opportunities, please click here.
MORTAR One of United Way Systems Change Partners! This month's partnership highlight is United Wayfor selecting MORTAR to be one of the newest one of their Systems Change Partners. We are honored and grateful for this award and the support of Untied Way. A few weeks ago, United Way announced their new systems-change approach, investing $11.4 million in 86 partners working toward true community change, so all Greater Cincinnati families achieve economic well-being. We are happy to be one of the organizations that can assist in increasing impact in the region.
