I could have paid to attend StartupCincy Week in Cincinnati. I asked to volunteer.
That is The Art of the Ask.
I volunteered at StartupCincy Week for a few reasons.
First, I was curious. As a coach to leaders, I am always looking for resources, ideas, and opportunities that could be relevant to my clients. I wanted to experience the event firsthand rather than make assumptions about what it offered.
I also wondered whether the sessions would be useful for the people I work with. Would the content be too technical? Would it fall outside the scope of the work I do with leaders? Or would I discover ideas and connections that could actually be valuable?
And there was one more question I wanted to explore: accessibility. If someone finds the cost of attending an event like this prohibitive, are there other ways to access the knowledge, resources, people, or opportunities it provides?
Volunteering gave me a chance to see StartupCincy Week from a different perspective, learn more about what was available, and think about how I could connect what I discovered to the people I serve.
It also let me practice what I train others to do in The Art of the Ask. Whether you are an educator, a business owner, an entrepreneur, or in HR, learn to ask. Never let anything like the cost of attending be a barrier to achieving your goal.
Whenever I do this, my goal is to make one connection and learn about one new resource. Being focused like that makes it very doable. You can always meet more people and find more resources later. Quality counts more than quantity.
Day 1 of StartupCincy Week: goal achieved.
The StartupCincy Week session that gave me my one resource
It was called “Building Ecosystems in the Big Three: What Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus Can Learn From One Another.” Leaders from Cintrifuse (J.B. Kropp), Rev1 Ventures (Julia Dewey), and JumpStart (Dan Brown) sat down with Patrick Longo of Alloy Development Co. and shared how their organizations help people build a business. Here is what each one offers.
In Cincinnati: Cintrifuse
- Venture Velocity helps early stage companies raise their next round.
- The Startup Fellows program places top university talent in young companies or backs them to build their own.
- Demo nights and panel events put founders in front of investors and corporate partners.
- If Cintrifuse cannot give you what you need, the team sends you to the partner that can.
In Columbus: Rev1 Ventures
- A 14 week accelerator runs twice a year and takes no equity. Founders learn to build the business model and win customers first.
- A membership space opened in February where founders work alongside investors, corporate partners, and service providers.
- Rev1 shared that one entrepreneur who wanted customer feedback had meetings across Columbus within a week.
In Cleveland and Northern Ohio: JumpStart
- An accelerator alternates between healthcare and software themes. Graduates have gone on to raise upwards of $40 million.
- Centers of Excellence, launched this year, act as a concierge so founders anywhere in the territory know where to go.
- Doctors and researchers from the region’s hospitals advise the companies.
What if you are outside Ohio?
While the focus here is on Cincinnati, these opportunities exist in many cities. I have lived here for two decades, and only now have I discovered them. None of these opportunities are new.
So start where you are:
- Find the entrepreneur support organization in your region and ask what it offers.
- Look for a cohort program that takes no equity. Rev1 reported that founders who learn beside each other raise capital and land customers faster.
- If a program does not fit, ask who they would send you to. The Ohio organizations send founders to each other.
Make your own ask
You can do the same this week:
- Ask to volunteer at an event you want to attend.
- Set one goal you can reach in a day: one connection and one resource.
- Ask one organization what it offers. All three panelists said their doors are open year round.
The help is already out there. One ask is all it takes to find it.
How to ask to volunteer at StartupCincy Week or any conference
- Find the organizer’s name and write to that person directly.
- Say what you can do: check in guests, guide people to rooms, or help set up.
- Offer the days and hours you are free.
- Send the message early. Volunteer spots fill weeks ahead.
- Thank the organizer afterward and share one thing you learned.
For another volunteer story, read What People Forget When They Make an Ask.
Five questions to ask at StartupCincy Week
- What do you offer someone at my stage?
- Who is the right person for me to talk to?
- What does it cost, and is there a way to take part without paying?
- If your program is not a fit, who would you send me to?
- What is one step I can take this week?
These work at StartupCincy Week and at any event where support organizations are in the room.
Your Turn
What is one ask you could make this week that would put you in the right room?
Pick the event. Find the organizer. Send the message.
StartupCincy Week continues, and I will be back with the same goal: one connection and one resource.
For more on making the ask, subscribe to my newsletter, Lead With the Ask.
Leila Kubesch is a keynote speaker, speaking coach, and author. Her keynote, The Art of the Ask, shows leaders and teams how to make the ask with confidence. To bring Leila to your event, write to Leila@LeilaKubesch.com.
