(From the City of Findlay)
Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, DoorDash, and nine local entrepreneurs gathered at The Baker’s Café to celebrate the graduation of the 2025 DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses in Findlay and Hancock County.
Running a small business is challenging: 18% of small businesses fail within their first year and 65% by their tenth year in business. To help local Findlay and Hancock County entrepreneurs build more resilient businesses, the Accelerator for Local Businesses provided small business owners with dedicated mentorship, specialized programming, and grant funding to strengthen operations while fostering long-term growth through local government connections. The 2025 cohort marks the most robust iteration of DoorDash’s Accelerator yet, designed in partnership with City Hall to support the city’s thriving local business landscape.
Over the course of the program, participants engaged in hands-on learning, including:
- One-on-one mentorship from seasoned DoorDash peer merchants;
- Targeted business workshops focused on menu optimization, business operations, digital storefronts, and accessing local support resources;
- A $5,000 grant to support business development efforts; and
- $1,000 in DoorDash ad credits to expand customer reach.
The 2025 Findlay and Hancock County Accelerator cohort included:
- The Baker’s Café • Bella Floral Design • Dante’s Rolling Food Joint • Doughtroit • Fern Cafe • Hurdwell • Jonny Burritos, LLC • Leggo my eggroll • Tokyo Steakhouse
“I’m proud of every graduate from the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses,” said Mayor Christina Muryn. “Your determination and creativity showcase Findlay’s entrepreneurial spirit. I’d like to thank DoorDash for investing in Findlay and to all of our local partners – from Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development & Chamber of Commerce to AR Marketing – for making the programming such a success.”
“I’m so proud of what we accomplished together in this year’s Accelerator in Findlay and Hancock County,” said Esther Ladipo Hill, Social Impact Manager at DoorDash. “We’re incredibly grateful for the support from City Hall — this work wouldn’t have been possible without Mayor Muryn and the leadership of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce. And most importantly, thank you to this year’s cohort. The continued success of our Accelerators is driven by the dedication and grit of small business owners like you. We’re excited to watch your businesses continue to grow and make an impact in the community.”
“The Baker’s Cafe has been a fixture of downtown for eleven years,” said Lisa Allen, owner of The Baker’s Cafe, “we survived COVID and many other obstacles, and thanks to the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses, I feel confident that we are prepared for whatever challenge we face next. The program offered valuable insights and practical resources 3 that helped strengthen our business. We’re grateful for the support from DoorDash and the City of Findlay to help ensure that we remain a place for the community to gather for many more years to come.”
More Information on the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Businesses can be found HERE.