Inside Bounce, Akron’s New ‘Innovation Hub’

Story excerpt provided by WOSU. Written by Jeff St. Clair.

After 35 years, the Akron Global Business Accelerator has rebranded itself as Bounce, Akron’s Innovation Hub. The person at the head of that hub is newly installed CEO Doug Weintraub, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of the Cleveland venture capital group Jumpstart.

Weintraub has big visions to build a start-up community in Akron. He takes us on a tour of the soon-to-be renovated first floor of the former BF Goodrich tire factory ahead of the facility’s first public open house on Friday.

Hub Of Innovation. Weintraub envisions the former tire factor transformed into a plush gathering place of entrepreneurs, investors, angel investors, and people from the city.

“Everybody coming together in one place to get a cup of coffee and talk about entrepreneurship,” he says. “It’s a place where people can come without an agenda and meet entrepreneurs in the building or others not associated with some of the companies.”

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Originally published April 13, 2018.