Client Success Stories
Each year BAC recognizes clients who have made significant progress as entrepreneurs with its Pinnacle and On the Road to Success awards. These are their stories.
Award Winners
BAC's Pinnacle Award recognizes the most outstanding client achievement of the year. On the Road to Success honors entrepreneurs making remarkable progress.
Allison Urbanek & Thomas Fraser
Barton Communities is proud to be owned by the Barton Center Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit corporation. Barton Communities enables independence and dignity for older adults by providing affordable, well-managed housing, social supports, and services. By engaging with BAC, the leadership at Barton Communities was able to organize a strategic plan with full employee and partner buy-in, to enable greater success in the future.
Owner: Adam Ausperk
Adam created Cloud Financial Solutions three years ago. An entrepreneur at heart, Cloud Financial Solutions, LLC brings corporate-level financial expertise to small and mid-sized businesses across Northern Ohio, backed by AI tools and Harvard-trained data science methodologies that deliver more value, faster results, and better reporting. Every engagement is personally overseen by a licensed CPA, so you get cutting edge efficiency with the security and accountability your business deserves. He continues to work with BAC on refining his networking and business operations.
Owner: Chris Baggott
Chris Baggott has owned and operated Northeast Plumbing and Mechanical for over 20 years, proudly serving homeowners and businesses in the Northeast Ohio area. With decades of combined experience on his team, he built a reputation of reliability, honesty, and high-quality workmanship throughout Northeast Ohio. He is working with BAC to optimize his inventory practices and improve overall value of the business.
Judi Kovach & Judy Payne
In 2015, Judi Kovach and Judy Payne started stocking Little Free Libraries near Cleveland's elementary schools. In 2016, after redirecting thousands of books from the recycling bin to the hands of children, the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank was born. Since then, the organization has diversified its book sourcing, installed 22 outdoor book collection bins throughout Greater Cleveland, and holds monthly book drives with schools, companies, and individuals in the community. The team is very proud of the origins and the growth of the organization and looks forward to the exciting next stages for a well-loved community resource.
Brian Halasinski & Kirk Hyust
Kirk Hyust and Brian Halasinski developed the Turbo Trusser, a simple kitchen gadget that quickly trusses a turkey or chicken without cumbersome string and with better cooking results. They were recently featured on Shark Tank. With the help of BAC, they are working to ensure their business structure, financial records, partnership opportunities, and strategies are aligned for continued future growth.
Owner: Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard created Steam At Home as America's first low-cost, at-home spa. Using patent-approved technology, this product works by trapping warm air inside the shower, keeping cold air out. Takes 30 minutes to install and can be removed in seconds. No electrical or plumbing changes required. Steam At Home also reduces energy costs, lowering water bills and bathroom renovation needs by reducing condensation. Ryan came to BAC to seek advice on identifying future partners and growing the market.
Dave Sokoll, Executive Director
The Oberlin Food Hub is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting local farmers and increasing public access to local and healthy foods in Northeast Ohio. They aggregate and distribute local food sourced from nearly 100 farms, orchards, food entrepreneurs, and manufacturers in the region, serving K-12 public schools, colleges, hospitals, grocery stores, bakeries, and restaurants.
Jeff Leahy & Bryan Thomas
Jeff Leahy and Bryan Thomas built the BlazeBite platform to give restaurants, stadiums, and other venues the ability to provide an all-digital dining experience. With BlazeBite, customers can view the entire menu, order food and beverages, and pay, all from their phones. Designed to be affordable and easy to set up.
Leigh Goldie, Founder & Executive Director
Empowering Epilepsy is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded by people with epilepsy for people with epilepsy in 2014. Their goal is to create a caring community that allows people with epilepsy and their families to find active ways to manage their seizures and take charge of their lives. In March 2022, they opened their new headquarters in Beachwood, hosting 80+ events and educational programs annually.
Owner: Thair Henry Afaneh
Thair Henry Afaneh started Leaf on the Wind Leather Company after 13 years working for someone else, pursuing his lifelong interest in crafting leather goods. He focuses on high-quality handmade and dyed bespoke leather items, including belts, bags, holsters, wallets, purses, and handbags, made to exact customer specifications from the finest materials. His workshop is in the Cleveland area where he was born.
Owner: Doug Bell
In 2013 Doug and Laura Bell started planting memorial and celebratory trees on a historic estate in County Carlow, Ireland. The Gifted Tree has since expanded to 30+ locations in 23 countries on 6 continents, restoring forests destroyed by fire or disease and helping individuals connect on a personal level through thoughtful, lasting tree-planting gifts.
Eric Diamond & Gordon Priemer
Central Kitchen was founded to provide craft food entrepreneurs with education, licensing, and facilities that assure success from start-up through scale-up. Under one roof, food entrepreneurs have access to shared prep and cooking facilities, dry/cold/frozen storage, and a professional incubator program. Businesses spawned include Randy's Pickles, Cleveland Kraut, Chill Pop Shop, and Cleveland Bagel.
Owner: Andrew Walters
Founder Andrew Walters is passionate about helping the 50+ restore areas of weakness and enjoy active lifestyles. Using muscle activation techniques (MAT) as an integral part of the exercise process, he assesses and improves each individual's muscular system to meet the demands of vital exercise. Restorative Fitness has shown steady growth since its founding.
Owner: Kevin Vinicky
Skyplex Management is a full-service accounting and bookkeeping firm offering monthly financial statements, bank reconciliation, payroll services, accounts receivable, and accounts payable to small businesses and contractors. Skyplex is a QuickBooks Certified Pro Advisor that allows clients to focus on running their business while trusting Skyplex to provide accurate, timely business analytics.
Steve & Elaine Daniels and George & Inger Kantzios
Agora Foods International, an importer and distributor of fine Mediterranean foods, relocated to a Gordon Square warehouse in 2013 and transformed part of the space into Astoria Café & Market. Astoria was named to Cleveland Magazine's 25 Best Restaurants of 2019, Cleveland.com's 100 Best Restaurants in Cleveland 2019, and Scene Magazine's 2018 Best New Restaurant.
Owner: Denise Reynolds
Denise Reynolds founded Outside the Lines Creative Group LLC in 2012 to help companies communicate using cartoons. Working with BAC since 2013, the business evolved from a freelance operation to a full-fledged company offering innovative cartoon and video services for employee benefit programs, wellness messaging, and HR communications. Recently launched Muni-Toons® for local government clients.
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