Solar panel installation firm Third Sun Solar, a graduate of the Ohio University Innovation Center, benefited from business training and networking opportunities provided by the incubator. They also received assistance and early funding from TechGROWTH Ohio, an Ohio Third Frontier Entrepreneurial Support Provider based at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.

The Raccoon Creek Watershed is located in southeast Ohio and flows south from the Hocking Hills region into the Ohio River near Gallipolis. Since 1999, the Voinovich School has coordinated the efforts of local, state and federal partners to restore the Raccoon Creek Watershed from acid mine drainage. The Raccoon Creek Partnership, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is a member-supported watershed group working toward conservation, stewardship and restoration of the watershed for a healthier stream and community.

The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs monitored and assessed the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations’ School Wellness Initiative. Thirteen rural southeastern Ohio school districts received multi-year funding from the foundations to improve access to physical activity, nutritious foods, health services and wellness councils.

Voinovich School’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) began consulting for Snowville Creamery in 2006. Victoria and Warren Taylor started their business in 2007 with the idea of stopping a three decade drop in American children’s milk consumption. OHIO SBDC Director Lissa Jollick and a team of gradate students created a marketing plan, aided the Taylor’s in financing and connecting with business contacts.

Follow along with two students for their first year in the Ohio University Master of Public Administration program housed within the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. Students in this program are part of project teams working on real world projects, applying their classroom knowledge to real life situations.

The mission of the Chesterhill Produce Auction (CPA), located in a rural, economically challenged area of southeastern Ohio, is to promote the town of Chesterhill as a fresh food destination and income generating hub. In 2007, the Small Business Development Center at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs provided assistance with the development of a business plan and projections in order to assist the CPA in obtaining financing.