Impact Enterprise Team

The Impact Enterprise Team provides no-cost, customized, one-on-one consulting to the Impact Sector, including social enterprises — mission-driven for-profits — nonprofits, and entrepreneurs. Coaching services include business modeling, grant research and writing support, strategic planning, governance structure, pathways to capital access, and pitch development.

Supporting Mission-Driven For-Profits & Non-Profits

The Impact Enterprise Team offers one-on-one professional business coaching to the Impact Sector, including social enterprises — mission-driven for-profits — nonprofits, and entrepreneurs.

Expertise includes:

• Venture and startup advising
• Determining new business legal structure
• Developing business governance structure
• Strategic planning
• Financial planning
• Fundraising campaign development
• Marketing planning and implementation 
• Graphic and visual design 
• Capital access pathway development
• Feasibility assessment development
• Grant research and identification
• Organization succession planning
• Connections to regional funders

The team also provides support to clients through managed OHIO student engagement opportunities with graduate and undergraduate students, including year-round mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, and enterprise client research projects.

Impacting Ohio's Economy

Since its establishment in 2017 as the Social Enterprise Ecosystem (SEE), the team has established trust and networking with clients, impact investors, and collaborating institutions throughout Southeast Ohio, West Virginia, and select locations in Kentucky:

• 180+ clients served
• 100+ businesses improved (revenue/investment secured as a result of services)
• $63+ million in grants, investments, loans, and client revenue as a result of services
• 45+ startups created
• 350+ students engaged
• $220,000+ in competitive awards distributed through the Appalachian Impact Allocation program to regional 501(c)(3) nonprofits

Providing Outreach, Education & Training

Enterprise development tools, best practices and methodologies have been honed by serving rural Appalachian clients. Former clients, now successful business founders, owners and operators, are key participants in educating and guiding mission-oriented, bottom-line-sustainable enterprise principles.

Team professionals have been invited speakers at more than 30 conferences, summits and trainings across the nation and internationally. At each engagement, they share notable stories, toolkits and client examples as illustrations of community and economic development impact through social enterprise development.

The Impact Enterprise Team is currently providing:

• Regional entrepreneurial training
• Custom One-on-One Business Consulting Services 
• Partner Programming
  • The IGNITE Entrepreneurship & Business Bootcamp & Pitch Competition - Regularly funded regional entrepreneurial trainings
  • The Appalachian Conference on Social Enterprise (ACOSE) - Regularly organized regional conference supporting social enterprise and nonprofit activities and initiatives
  • …Support for grassroots social entrepreneurship initiatives within OHIO
    • Acceleration of the Circular Economy (ACE) - Reducing textile waste and building a circular economy through collaboration between healthcare providers, students, and community organizations. By connecting hospitals, local manufacturers, and rural communities, we transform HMO polypropylene fabric waste into opportunity—keeping plastics out of landfills and promoting environmental resilience across Ohio.
    • Sustainable Social Enterprise Development (Habitat For Humanity of Southeast Ohio & Voinovich - Sugar Bush funded project) - The project advances three integrated priorities: (1) organizational capacity-building through an SROI strategic planning tool and expanded student engagement; (2) growth and stabilization of Habitat’s construction-focused social enterprise (CR&R) via market analysis, service expansion, workforce training, and improved business systems; and (3) sustainability initiatives that promote circular economy practices, material salvage, green infrastructure, and environmental education from K–12 through higher education. Collectively, these efforts strengthen financial resilience, reduce construction waste, expand affordable housing and workforce opportunities, and create scalable models for nonprofits and communities across the region and beyond. 
• Educational Opportunities
  • Mid-career learning through the Voinovich Academy Dublin Campus and online offerings
  • Mid-career cohort seminars through the OEMPA Dublin-based course
  • Two hands-on, implementation-oriented graduate/undergraduate university courses: Social Entrepreneurship (MPA 5710 - Athens campus, Fall in-person) and Environmental Entrepreneurship (ES 5730 - asynchronous, Fall 7-week offering)
• Experiential Learning Partnerships
  • ‘Micro Internships’ - Opportunities for OHIO students to directly connect, support, and address short-term social enterprise and non-profit challenges.
  • Graphic Design Services - Semester-long support and application through the Oh You! Design Agency: An Ohio University College of Fine Arts & Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service Partnership.
  • Consulting & Market Analysis Activities  Opportunities - collaboration with the Ohio University College of Business Center for Entrepreneurship to offer half semester long client consulting projects. 
  • Impact Enterprise Team Experimental Learning Fund
    
    Give To Support OHIO's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service and support our experiential learning activities. This account will provide support for experiential learning opportunities for students through the Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Services and the Impact Enterprise Team, which connects Ohio University students with mission-driven ventures in the Impact Sector. These mutually beneficial experiences advance student learning while supporting organizations working to improve sustainability and increase positive change.

Helping Our Clients

Conductor Solar

During multiple years’ of the Impact Enterprise Team's professional assistance, this fintech client has helped investors in aggregated solar installation projects to lower transaction costs and finance small-to-medium-sized projects, with a focus on public service buildings.

IET also assisted several regional impact investors with diligence and deal structure services to syndicate impact investments. IET’s assistance brought together clients in this common project with services including deal structure, business modeling, and community engagements. During its pilot phase, this collaboration with other clients facilitated by IET raised $1.6M in a Power Purchase Agreement for a solar installation on both the middle school and high school in the local Federal Hocking School District, for whom an immediate $20,000 annual savings went toward student-focused resources. In a later A Round of funding, SEE’s advice helped propel the firm to new revenue and investment goals. Conductor Solar is one of several greater than $1 million metrics IET clients.

Passion Works

Passion Works, a nationally renowned social enterprise employing developmentally different artists (featured in 2024 on CNN’s “Champions for Change” showcase) received financial and investment coaching, social enterprise development assistance, and a major analytical service in a Social Return on Investment report. (Also see Impact Measurement and Management, an Impact Enterprise-affiliated Voinovich program.)

Tablertown Museum

Dedicated to preserving and showcasing 19th-century cultural artifacts, the museum tells the story of Appalachian history in Kilvert Ohio, which has faced devastating challenges since the 1950s. With technical assistance, the museum attained 501(c)(3) status, secured over $40,000 in small grants, established a board of directors, and expanded its network to include key resources. In 2024, these efforts culminated in transformative funding, including a $45,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for a regional planning grant and $500,000 from the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program to construct a world-class, permanent location. This future site will serve as a hub for exploring Kilvert’s historic sites in Southeast Ohio.

Serenity Grove 

Serenity Grove is a strong Impact Enterprise Team-aided startup, an enterprise founded by committed health and recovery experts who lacked the financial and operational business services IET provided. The enterprise houses and supports individuals in recovery (in conjunction with a collaborating longstanding institution) — a strong social need within IET’s footprint of opioid-impacted communities. As of 2024, the successful enterprise has served more than 50 residents in programming ranging from peer counseling and life-skill training to workforce engagement with multiple other regional social enterprises.

Winding Road Network

Winding Road Network, a longtime Impact Enterprise Team client, aggregates and promotes the region’s authentic "experience tourism" assets under a common brand. IET assisted in seeking and acquiring a federal USDA grant for tour transportation, marketing and sales capacity in a pilot “trail town” project in Shawnee Ohio. The project is a hub for product development, workforce training, booking and ticketing services, and enterprise support for the emerging experience industry cluster in southeast Ohio.

Services to the Funding Community

In addition to seeking, supporting and growing social enterprises, the Impact Enterprise program provided key services to the regional funding community. After its March 2018 Social Impact Investing Symposium, the IET team initiated and convened a grassroots collaborative of interested impact investors.

The Impact Innovation Group (IIG) included foundations from SE Ohio and West Virginia, the SE Ohio Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), all SEE partner institutions, regional banks, and several local qualified investors. The IIG membership was instrumental in assisting and participating in the region’s new angel investment fund in January of 2023. Furthermore, when traditional funding methods are not feasible, IET leverages internal resources to offer gap funding opportunities for regional social enterprises.

We're Here to Help You, Too!

Social Enterprise Ecosystem Directory

Team Lead: Faith Knutsen

Professional Staff: Nathaniel Berger, Erin Rennich, Aaron Kirby