📅 June 11 – “Sales Is Everyone’s Job” with Marvin Montgomery Learn how a sales mindset across your entire team can drive better results, no matter your role: https://ow.ly/s5TW50W1OQc 📍 Greater Akron Chamber Event Space 🕦 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM 🥗 Lunch + networking included These events are built for small business owners, team members, and growth-minded professionals across Greater Akron. Reserve your spot today! #LunchAndLearn #GreaterAkronChamber #SmallBusinessSupport #AkronEvents #AIForBusiness #SalesTraining #ProfessionalDevelopment #GrowWithUs (fb)

In this Small Business Month spotlight, Greater Akron Chamber President & CEO Steve Millard sits down with Frey Canty, owner of The Soulful Vegan Bar & Grill, to explore her entrepreneurial journey from personal trainer to downtown Akron’s first Black female restaurant owner. Frey shares how a passion for health and fitness led her to create a restaurant that meets the need for flavorful, accessible vegan options in Akron. She opens up about the challenges she faced—from pivoting during the pandemic to overcoming barriers in securing a space—and how programs like the Downtown Akron Partnership’s Start Downtown, Western Reserve Community Fund, and CUT helped her get started. Frey also reflects on the realities of launching a mission-driven business in a market that’s still catching up, her vision for expanding into blended menus and food trucks, and the joy of creating a space that welcomes everyone—vegans, the vegan-curious, and even the “conflicted.” 💡 From kitchen strategy to community impact, this episode is all about building something soulful. Learn more or reach out for catering at www.soulfulvegans.com #DreamersDriversDoers #SmallBusinessMonth #SoulfulVegan #AkronEats #DowntownAkron #WomenOwnedBusiness #BlackOwnedBusiness #GreaterAkronChamber (fb)