Buckeye Gazelles Launch Grassroots Effort to Mobilize High-Growth Entrepreneurs

COLUMBUS, OH– Entrepreneurs are coming together to form a new association that will support high-growth entrepreneurial businesses in Ohio. Jon L. Iveson, Ph.D., Executive Director, and a launch advisory board, have created this organization to significantly improve the business landscape for Ohio’s entrepreneurs.

The Buckeye Gazelles have a vision for 2012: Ohio and its high growth entrepreneurs will be recognized in many ‘Top Tier’ lists for the creation of organic entrepreneurship value such as wealth, equity and the creation of high-wage jobs. The Buckeye Gazelles are currently in the process of defining the appropriate measures that will drive the organization.

"We believe that Ohio's high-growth entrepreneurs need to be more prominent in the discussions and plans for creating Ohio's knowledge economy of the future", says Iveson. The organization plans to conduct primary applied research on high-growth entrepreneurship in Ohio along with secondary research through its high-growth entrepreneur members.

The Buckeye Gazelles believe helping new and existing fast-growing small businesses succeed is the key to economic success in Ohio. The recent annual report of the Milken Institute showed major Ohio cities fared poorly in creating and sustaining jobs in 2005. The Buckeye Gazelles believe high-growth entrepreneurs are the key to turning Ohio’s economy around.

"Our initial projections suggest that there are approximately 1,000 high-growth entrepreneurs in Ohio having some measurable success. In addition, several thousand people are engaged as significant founding team members in aspiring and potential gazelle businesses" said Iveson.

The applied research the group conducts in 2006 will verify this information and lay the groundwork for facilitating measurable improvement during the coming years.

The 2006 launch plans for Buckeye Gazelles include:

1. Conducting primary applied research on the high-growth organizations and environment in Ohio to better understand the current macro business environment. This information will be used to educate Ohio's high-growth entrepreneurs and other interested parties, develop the appropriate measures of organic entrepreneurship value and engage Ohio's high-growth entrepreneurs with the new organization.

The Buckeye Gazelles will then conduct secondary research through its members to determine ways to specifically improve the creation of organic entrepreneurship value in Ohio during the next 1 to 5 years.

2. Continue to build an infrastructure to support the above research and other aspects of engaging Ohio's high-growth entrepreneurs.

3. Provide voice, presence, and leverage for Ohio's high-growth entrepreneurs in Ohio’s current and developing 21st Century knowledge economy.

To learn more or to get engaged, visit www.ohioent.org.