Purpose in Business luncheon with the Elyria Community Partnership is April 27

The Elyria Community Partnership is hosting a Purpose in Business free luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 27, at the Foundry Kitchen & Bar, 525 Broad St. in downtown Elyria, as a kick-off to the 2024 National Small Business Week, according to a news release.

The second annual business luncheon is designed for Elyria and Lorain County business owners who strive to become storefront owners one day and connect them with resources to do so from the city of Elyria, PNC Bank, the Small Business Development Center, SCORE Mentors and downtown Elyria property owners, the release said.

Keynote speaker, Jim Vandemark, owner of Vandemark Jewelers, 244 E. Broad St., will share a compelling story about his journey in business and the tools that have led him to success, the release said.

Food will be provided by the Foundry Kitchen and Bar, following a panel discussion from six business owners who have insight in regard to running a storefront sharing both the challenges and opportunities, according to the release.

Panelist include: Vandemark; Steph Matus, owner of Vintage Vibes, 51 East Ave.; Chris Schneider, president of Handshake Digital, 104 Middle Ave. Suite 1; Carole Doerr, owner of Pearl’s Girls Knit & Stitch, 604 Middle Ave.; Greg Dabran, owner of Foundry Kitchen & Bar and Erie Island Coffee, 148 Middle Ave.; and Tracy Carden-Mason, owner of Tracy’s Trinkets & Treasures + More, 401B and 403, Cleveland St., the release said.

This event is brought to us through a partnership with PNC, which has continued to support the Elyria Community Partnership’s Business Development Program over the last few years, according to the release.

Business owners must register for the event to help allocate food by April 24 at https://elyriatogether.org/businessluncheon/.

“Building back small business support and resources in the downtown area is a key focus for the organization,” said Mone’t Roberts, executive director of the Elyria Community Partnership in the release. “This opportunity positions business owners to leverage resources and plan for upcoming storefront rentals downtown Elyria.”

If you are interested in getting involved or attending, reach out to hello@elyriatogether.org or call 440-610-1461.

You can follow Elyria Community Partnership on Facebook @ElyriaCommunityPartnership for regular updates and check out its website, elyriatogether.org.