COSE Council of Smaller Enterprises

09/10/2026

07/31/2026

Drumroll, please! 🥁 🎉

We’re thrilled to announce the winners of Season 9 of Cleveland Chain Reaction:

🥇 First place, $40,000: Noblewins LLC
🥈 Second place, $20,000: Engineered 2 Entertain
🥉 Third place, $10,000: Mouma's
🥉 Special Fourth place, $5,000: Jam By Josh

The winners also received free advertising from Mimi Vanderhaven and FreshWater Cleveland.

Congratulations to all of our stellar semifinalists! The remaining semifinalists received $2,000 grants funded by competition partners Medical Mutual, COSE Benefit Plan, Minutemen HR and Magnet: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, along with discounted advertising from Mimi Vanderhaven Magazine and FreshWater Cleveland.

Cleveland Chain Reaction is produced by COSE in collaboration with JumpStart Inc.. and Fox 8 News in the Morning’s “Kickin’ it with Kenny.” This season of Cleveland Chain Reaction is sponsored by COSE Benefit Plan, Medical Mutual, Minutemen Workforce Solutions and MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network. Mimi Vanderhaven Magazine is the competition's print publication partner, and FreshWater Cleveland is the competition's digital publication partner.

07/29/2026

Looking to grow your construction business? The Built Strong program helps minority- and woman-owned firms build the systems, skills, and certifications needed to scale. 🏗️

Participants get:

➡️ Hands-on business training to strengthen operations, finances, marketing, and systems

➡️ Field experience with regional construction partners on real project sites

➡️ Safety and compliance credentials like OSHA-30

➡️ Direct access to work opportunities and consideration for major contractor programs

➡️ A supportive peer network that collaborates, shares resources, and wins work together

The first cohort secured nearly $400,000 in new contracts and built a community that continues to grow.

Applications are now open for the 2026 Built Strong cohort.

🔗 Apply Now: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JDC7Xd6LKke8_9h3RofvxowiTjHvz65BkQ8XWDTdFK1UMVhaNU9MRElEMzRRSUVTUU5GTUUyRzA1US4u

🔗 Learn More: https://cose.org/builtstrong/

Built Strong is presented by: Built Environment Collaborative, Greater Cleveland Works and Greater Cleveland Partnership.

07/09/2026

Breaking News: Ohio has been named America's Top State for Business in 2026 by CNBC, earning the No. 1 spot for the first time in the annual rankings. 🏆

The Buckeye State ranked No. 1 for Infrastructure and No. 1 for Cost of Doing Business, driven by broad market access, affordable operating costs, shovel-ready development sites and continued investment in business growth. More than 143 million people live within a day's drive of Ohio, giving companies access to one of the nation's largest markets.

Ohio also ranked in the Top 10 for Economy, Technology & Innovation, Access to Capital and Cost of Living.

🔗 Learn More: https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/07/09/ohio-no-1-americas-top-states-for-business-rankings.html

JobsOhio State of Ohio City of Cleveland - City Hall Cuyahoga County Team NEO

06/16/2026

Big News from Cleveland Chain Reaction! 🚨

22 semifinalists are moving one step closer to funding, coaching, and connections to transform their small businesses. 🏙️

This year’s semifinalists are:

Aviary
baked AF
Blue International Marketing
Boyce Music Studio
Captains Car Service
Cleveland Cotton Candy Machines
Destiny Connections LLC
Engineered 2 Entertain
Food With Purpose, LLC
Freshlyfe
FIG / Future Ink Graphics
Jam By Josh
Mouma's
Natural Pretty Hair LLC
Noblewins LLC
Rolling Refreshments
SharcuteriebyShanell
SIGL Inc.
The Healing Studio
The Opal Ink Studio
Vitiman Kandie Vegan Restaurant & Winery
ZuZu Chocolates

Congratulations to this inspiring group of entrepreneurs. Your ideas are bold, your impact is real and we’re excited to see what each of you brings to the next round of competition.

🔗 Learn More: https://cose.org/chain-reaction/

Cleveland Chain Reaction is produced by COSE in collaboration with JumpStart Inc. and FOX 8 News in the Morning’s “Kickin’ it with Kenny.” This season of Cleveland Chain Reaction is sponsored by COSE Benefit Plan, Medical Mutual, Minutemen HR and Magnet: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network. Mimi Vanderhaven Magazine is the competition's print publication partner, and FreshWater Cleveland is the competition's digital publication partner.

05/15/2026

05/07/2026

Despite its small size at 500 square feet, FunktiniLand Shop in Lakewood is a big supporter of the local arts scene in Greater Cleveland. 🎨

You’ll find different artwork and trinkets from all mediums – wall art, paintings, posters, cards, home décor – even artwork made of pistachio shells. COSE visited as part of National Small Business Week and may have left with a few goodies in hand.

🔗 See everywhere we visited this week: https://cose.org/blog/cose-news/celebrating-national-small-business-week-2026/

City of Lakewood, Ohio - Municipal Government This is Cleveland

05/06/2026

When you want to relax and feel rejuvenated, it sometimes takes more than one spa treatment. 🫧💆🏼‍♀️

NüIQ Wellness Lounge & Med Spa owner Jamie Fiore wants clients to feel totally relaxed - so he created a health hub in Gordon Square. We visited NüIQ, Purefyx Health Bar & Juicery, and SoulSpace for National Small Business Week to see it all and left feeling refreshed.

See everywhere we visited this week: https://cose.org/blog/cose-news/celebrating-national-small-business-week-2026/

NSBA - National Small Business Assoc. Gordon Square Arts District Detroit Shoreway