Westside Messenger - March 24th, 2019

PAGE 4 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - March 24, 2019
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GOOD
By Josh Jordan
Staff Writer
A non-profit company, comprised of Ohio State University students,
is trying to make an impact on the small businesses of the
Hilltop.
Ascent wants to make that difference through lending, financial
education and advising using the resources of Ohio State.
Colin Caniglia is the CEO of Ascent and a sophomore at OSU
studying chemical engineering. He presented Ascent’s plan to the
Greater Hilltop Area Commission.
“A lot of people are distrustful of financial institutions,” said
Caniglia. “Our goal is to try to bridge that gap, be completely
straight forward and transparent with our process and try to give
as much aid and help that we can to small businesses.”
These services are not just for the Hilltop. The company’s mission
is to reduce financial inequality in all of Columbus, but they
are focusing on areas with the highest inequality including the
Hilltop, Franklinton and Linden.
“How can you trust a college student who’s coming over here to
lend money to small businesses?” asked Caniglia. “We have a
board of directors that is very competent and we model our organization
off of other organizations who have done this well in other
cities.”
The board of directors includes a professor at the Fisher College
of Business at OSU, an employee of the Boston Consulting Group,
and the owner of a small business lending institution in Nashville,
Tenn.
By Amanda Ensinger
Staff Writer
Local leaders have agreed to continue a popular program aimed
at recognizing service members. At a recent Prairie Township
meeting, the board agreed to continue the Military Hometown
Hero Banner Program.
The program is a tribute to recognize Prairie Township residents
and graduates of Westland High School who are serving, are
veterans or died in the line of duty while serving the United States
Armed Forces.
“The program
started last year and
honors local residents
who have severed
our country,”
said Rob Peters,
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LUCK!
township administrator
for Prairie
Township. “For the
program this year,
we are asking for
guidance on the
number or banners
you want to have
and the cost of each
banner.”
In 2018, the township
had 15 banners
and the cost was $85
per banner for residents.
“This year we
have bandwidth to
do more banners and
the cost needs to be
slightly adjusted,”
www.columbusmessenger.com
Community Focus
Non-profit offers aid to small businesses
Ascent’s lending program focuses on micro-loans of $500 to
$5,000 with an annual percentage rate between 4 and 8 percent,
much lower than most small business loan options.
“Our target customer is a small business owner that would go
to other financial institutions, a credit card, or a bank to get their
means for funding,” said Caniglia. “We are a non-profit, so our goal
is help as many small businesses as possible to avoid lenders.”
Their team of advisors has been helping businesses in other
communities but is now making a push to receive applications for
assistance from the Hilltop.
“The goal of our advisory team is to use Ohio State as a
resource,” said Emily Hovis, a business advisor at Ascent. “We
take students who have skills in special areas that businesses
need help with, and we pair them up.”
Their advisory services can vary from financial advising to website
design, a project Hovis just finished up with a Linden business.
Ascent also offers financial education courses and has teamed
up with the Westgate Community Recreation Center and the
Greater Hilltop Area Shalom Zone to host these classes. Residents
can contact Ascent or the host sites for more information.
The commission seemed optimistic about the program and welcomed
the business to the Hilltop.
“I think what they are trying to do is great,” said commissioner
J.D. Groves. “But I hope they can take it a step further and identify
and approach businesses in the community with a specific
need.”
For additional information, visit www.ascentmicrofinance.org.
Township honors Hometown Heroes
Peters said. “The actual cost to create the banners was $109, so I
recommend we adjust the price to reflect the actual cost.”
The board agreed to hang up to 45 banners in 2019, as well as
make this price adjustment. However, they did make some exceptions
for residents.
“I think if someone participated last year and isn’t making any
changes to their banner, we should rehang those banners at no
cost to them,” said Steven Kennedy, township trustee. “I also think
we should continue to give participants the banners after we take
them down.”
Last year, the township kept the banners up during the warmer
summer months and took the banners down when the weather
started to change. The township is planning to display the banners
from May to August.
The banners will continue to be hung on street lamps on West
Broad Street in the township and will include the service member’s
name, image, military branch and rank.
“The spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis,”
Kennedy said. “Currently, there are about 14 spots available.”
There are three different types of banners participants can get
- an active duty, veteran and memorial banner. An active duty
banner is designated with a blue star, the veteran banner has a
white star and the memorial banner has a gold star. Memorial
banners will be designated for those who have died in the line of
duty.
This year, the township also hopes to create a walking tour
guide with photos and information about those honored on the
banners.
“We would like to have this guide on the township’s website, as
well as in the township office,” Peters said.
For those who can’t afford a banner, but want to recognize a
service member, the township will be collecting donations to pay
for banners for families that cannot afford them. Residents also
can sponsor a specific banner if they desire.
Nominations for banner recognitions are due April 1. For more
information, visit www.prairietownship.org/294/Military-
Hometown-Hero-Banner-Program.