Celebrating 10 Years of Flywheel—and Looking Ahead

Dear Friends of Flywheel,

As we reflect on the past year, I’m filled with gratitude—and pride. In 2025, Flywheel marked a major milestone: ten years of supporting purpose-driven founders across Greater Cincinnati through our flagship Elevator accelerator programs.

From the very beginning, Flywheel has believed that when purpose-driven founders are supported by a community that values both innovation and equity, extraordinary things can happen. Over the last decade, together with you, we’ve supported the growth of social enterprises transforming our community—one founder, one idea, and one partnership at a time.

Here’s what that impact looks like in action:

  • 190 founders supported through our accelerator programs—68% women and 51% founders of color

  • 67 portfolio companies launched and grown

  • Nearly $300,000 in early-stage capital and more than 5,200 hours of coaching provided

  • $9 million in follow-on investment and $8.7 million in revenue generated

  • 696 jobs* supported, with 80% of portfolio companies still active today

In December, we celebrated this milestone with an evening that brought together alumni founders, volunteer coaches, board members, and community partners. We heard powerful reflections from founders Tony Bronsink (The Hive) and Katie Nzekwu (Found Village), as well as from longtime volunteer Sandy Hughes—one of Flywheel’s very first coaches and the architect of our coach training program. It was a meaningful reminder that Flywheel’s impact is rooted in people like you.

The celebration also marked an important leadership transition. We honored the retirement of board leaders Susan Ingmire and Rebecca Riegelsberger after nine years of dedicated service, and we welcomed our newly elected board officers:

  • Dan Poston, President

  • Melisse May, Vice President

  • Byron Stallworth, Secretary

  • Ben Berling, Treasurer

2025 Highlights: Innovation in Action

This past year, Flywheel continued to grow its reach and relevance through programming that blends entrepreneurship, civic problem-solving, and storytelling:

  • Elevate Impact Accelerator supported five founders—100% women and 80% BIPOC

  • Pave the Way Innovation Lab, in partnership with the City of Cincinnati, engaged 68 applicants and 13 teams to address the city’s pothole challenge, with 80% of participants interested in joining a future lab

  • On the Fly Podcast, launched in June, released 21 episodes reaching listeners in 14 countries and culminated in a live recording during Startup Cincy Week

  • Four community events brought together 245 attendees

Looking Ahead

As we enter our next decade, Flywheel is building on this momentum. In the year ahead, we’re excited to launch the SOAR Resource Hub this spring, host the first-ever Midwest Social Impact Summit June 23 and 24, and open applications for a new cohort of Elevate Impact founders this summer.

To our donors, coaches, founders, and partners—thank you. Your belief, generosity, and engagement make this work possible. Together, we are shaping a stronger, more inclusive innovation ecosystem—and we’re just getting started.

With gratitude,

Donna Zaring

Executive Director

* Reflects the total number of full-time equivalent roles supported (for at least a year, in aggregate) by Flywheel portfolio companies over the reporting period. This speaks to employment sustainability over time

Donna Zaring