ACEnet News Story Archive

ACEnet is beginning an innovative new asset building program for lower income entrepreneurs this year. With support from the Ohio CDC Association, Merchants National Bank, and the Christ Lutheran Church in Athens, we’re launching our 2023 Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program.

IDAs are matched savings accounts established in qualified financial institutions. Participants who make the required total $250 in deposits by 12/31/2023 and complete the program steps below will receive $2,000.00, plus an additional $1,000 from ... Read More

Fees & Service Rates for the ACEnet Food Ventures Center and Food & Farm Enterprise Center have been updated, effective January 1, 2023. See below for details.

Over the years, ACEnet has been committed to growing our regional economy. In this season of charitable giving, there is, at this very moment, an opportunity for you to join in our commitment. Please take a moment to see how you can be a part of something new and very special.

A large part of what gives our region its character is our locally owned and operated businesses. Supporting these entrepreneurs is exactly at the heart ... Read More

ACEnet client Briarwood Studios Flower Essences has released a new book! “Flower Essences: Partnering with Nature in Southeast Ohio” profiles 59 flower essences made in Southeast Ohio, arranged around our seasons and bringing to the life the beauty and significance of our region.

Dr. Katharine Ziff also explains what flower essences are, how to use them, and encourages people to make their own flower essences with easy-to-follow, detailed instructions so anyone can make their own for ... Read More

The ACEnet Virtual Holiday Open House is open until the end of the year!

Please stop by, meet many of the ACEnet family of entrepreneurs, both present & graduated, and support their businesses!

https://acenetworks.org/support-us/virtual-holiday-open-house/

Presented by Central Appalachian Network in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture SPONSORED BY: THE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION OF AMERICA, FOUNDATION FOR A HEALTHY KENTUCKY, AND SUGARBUSH VALLEY IMPACT INVESTMENTS

 

As an organization participating in the Central Appalachian Network (CAN), ACEnet is excited to be a part of the planning & execution processes for A Fair Food System, a six-part summit series that will discuss scalable solutions to creating community food systems. The summit will include ... Read More

ACEnet Welcomes 5 New Board Members

“As we enter 2022, we are very excited about our five new trustees. Through their service to our organization, we are strengthening ties to our region’s educational institutions, the community of Nelsonville, which houses our largest facility, and our region’s successful entrepreneurs,” said Larry Fisher, ACEnet’s Executive Director.

Joining the Board of Trustees are Erin Rennich, Senior Executive Coach & Strategic Advisor with Ohio University’s Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE) and Director of ... Read More

Since November, 15 participants in The Trail Town Business Challenge, a five-part workshop series focused on business planning training, have been working towards the final stage, a pitch contest scheduled for February 2022. They will be presenting their final ideas to a panel of judges for the opportunity to receive funding.

Funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission through a Power grant, the program is focused on providing support for entrepreneurs who have a vision for the ... Read More

Big news from-long time ACEnet Food Ventures tenant, Milo’s Whole World Gourmet (which includes Vino de Milo & Brownwood Farms)! Milo’s WWG is proud to announce a major $1 million facility expansion which will allow Milo’s to dramatically increase sales, while significantly upgrading equipment, in a brand-new 2100-sq ft production facility located in ACEnet’s Food & Farm Enterprise Center in Nelsonville. As part of this expansion, which will include job growth, Milo’s WWG received a ... Read More

“The times they are a-changin.” While Bob Dylan’s lyrics were heard for the first time 57 years ago, they continue to echo across the land.

 

Today, these words ring true as we work with small businesses in our region, many of whom are currently struggling with employment issues and perceived labor shortages.

At ACEnet, we have been working to find new, innovative ways to help our communities and our clients at this unique point ... Read More