Continuing their support of the small business community in Columbus, ECDI is celebrating several impressive accomplishments, from anniversaries to events to awards.
Food Fort Food Truck Fest Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Saturday, August 9, the Food Fort powered by ECDI will hold its first ever Food Truck Festival in partnership with classic rock station QFM 96. Over 25 mobile âfoodie-preneurs” will be serving up delectables at the event, including Pitabilities, Swoop! Food Truck, OH! Burgers, Herbân Food Truck, Flat Top Pizza, Red Plate Blue Plate, A Cut Above, Dos Hermanos, Culvers of Reynoldsburg, J Pops, Sweet! Mobile Cupcakery, Loops, Challah!, Kinetic, Blu Olive, Lilyâs Mini Donuts, Smokân Cantina, Funâl Frenzy, Tortilla, Taco Sherpa, Mangia Dolce, Donatos Street Pizza, Kennyâs Meat Wagon, and more. The festival will be held at QFM 96âs studio, 2400 Corporate Exchange Dr., from 12:00 p.m. â 7 p.m.
EDCI Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary
In July EDCI celebrated 10 years of helping small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. The statewide SBA lender stared in Columbus in 2004 before expanding to Cleveland in July of 2012 and Toledo in May 2013. During their 10 years of success, ECDI Columbus had deployed over $16 million in loans, helped over 2,000 business owners and has been instrumental in creating over 4,000 sustainable jobs. Additions like the Food Fort and the Women’s Business Center have further expanded ECDI’s helping hand.
Small Business Administration Recognizes ECDI’s Women’s Business CenterÂ
ECDI’s Women’s Business Center received the 2014 Ohio and Regional Womenâs Business Center of Excellence Award from the SBA. Started in January of 2013, the WBC has already helped start 22 new women-owned businesses, aided in the expansion of 18 others, and invested over $500,000 in women building businesses. In addition, over 200 female entrepreneurs have taken advantage of business classes, funding opportunities and networking events.
Response to the WBC has been overwhelming with the organization already outgrowing its original space. A relocation to ECDI’s headquarters has allowed for the addition of a state-of-the-art learning lab, larger co-working space and conference rooms.
WBC Director Ellen Harvey accepted the award saying, “So many people have been instrumental in making the WBC successful. It is the dedication of numerous ECDI staff, past and present, volunteers and interns who have worked diligently to develop the resources needed to provide opportunities to access capital, training to obtain certifications, instructions on building wealth, and the assistance needed to implement their business idea.â
For more information visit ecdi.org.
