Bounce Innovation Hub

Thank you to everyone who attended or supported last night's PNC Startup Showcase and made it the best one yet! We had a wonderful evening celebrating with everyone at the beautiful House Three Thirty in the heart of Akron.

And a huge congratulations to CEO Aaron Boggs and the Dianyx team for winning the pitch competition among the incredible startups and founders who presented!

This morning, we celebrated our own Nick Glavan for his contributions to Bounce and all of Greater Akron at the 2026 Greater Akron Chamber 30 For the Future Award Ceremony! Serving as the Program Director for Bounce's Synthe6 Materials Accelerator, Nick has been an incredible asset to our team with the work he has been leading to push polymers to the forefront of Akron's future.

Congratulations Nick and all of the 2026 Awardees!

Building a startup is demanding. When was the last time you checked in on your own wellbeing?

This interactive Beyond Startup session on Wednesday, October 7 at 10 AM will help you assess your mental health, explore stress-management tools, and experience innovative wellness technologies. Take 90 minutes to recharge, refocus, and strengthen your resilience so you can lead with clarity.

Register now: https://BeyondStartupMentalWellness.eventbrite.com

Thank you to everyone who joined us for today's Beyond Startup Workshop: "AI Basics for Small Business Startups"

Attendees learned practical skills to grow your business, increase productivity and create smarter workflows using AI.

Stay tuned for information on the next workshop happening on Wednesday, October 7!

Meet Bounce Board Member Meg Lee!

Meg Lee is a transformational marketing and business leader with more than two decades of experience driving revenue growth, brand strategy, and organizational change across global consumer and B2B enterprises, including her current role as Chief Marketing Officer of BelUSA LLC, a leading promotional products company.

Meg brings deep board and community leadership experience to complement her executive background, including service on the boards of SummaHealth Foundation, the American Red Cross, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl - and now Bounce Innovation Hub.

She holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is based with her family in Akron, Ohio.

We are thrilled to announce a very special guest joining us for the 2026 PNC Startup Showcase: Ray Leach, Co-Founder and President of The O.H.I.O. Fund!

Ray leads the firm’s mission to connect capital with conviction and build a network of investors, founders, and operators focused on supporting Ohio’s long-term economic growth. Private funds advised by The O.H.I.O. Fund have invested more than $250 million in 36 companies and projects across Ohio.

Prior to co-founding The O.H.I.O. Fund, Ray invested in more than 100 startups and co-founded four technology companies, bringing firsthand entrepreneurial experience to his work with founders and investors. With nearly forty years of experience working in Ohio, Ray is a champion for the state. His perspective is a natural fit for Startup Showcase, an evening centered on the founders, ideas and investment shaping Ohio’s next economy.

Get your tickets now and don’t miss out: https://Bouncestartupshowcase2026.eventbrite.com

Bounce Innovation Hub, in partnership with the Polymer Industry Cluster, has announced the selected companies for the second cohort of the Synthe6 Materials Accelerator, a 12-month accelerator for polymer and materials science startups.

Through Synthe6, startup founders gain access to expert mentorship, tailored industry connections, and specialized workshops, ensuring they have the support needed to scale. Each company will receive up to $25,000 in non-dilutive funding and an additional $20,000 in covered professional services expenses, including marketing, legal, and materials formulation and testing services.

See the cohort members: https://bouncehub.org/blog/bounce-innovation-hub-announces-second-cohort-synthe6-materials-accelerator

That's a wrap on Food Truck Wednesdays for 2026! Thank you to all of the trucks we had the pleasure of seeing outside our building this summer, and to all of the folks who came out and make this such a great event year after year.