Chamber Press Room

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber has partnered with North Star Destination Strategies to develop a community Value Proposition to build messaging that will help market the area to businesses, talent, and residents in the year 2018 and beyond. According to North Star CEO Don McEachern, at the heart of Greater Akron’s brand will be its competitive differentiator—in other words, what makes the area special so it can stand out in the marketplace. And one of the best places to find that figurative nugget of marketing gold is in the hearts and minds of the people who call Greater Akron home.

Greater Akron—The Morning Buzz is a monthly speaker breakfast series, which aims to connect small- and medium-sized businesses by facilitating the exchange of ideas and strategies for business growth and success. On Friday, August 11, 2017, join us to hear Doug Piekarz, President & CEO of the Akron Zoo.

Greater Akron—The Morning Buzz is a monthly speaker breakfast series, which aims to connect small- and medium-sized businesses by facilitating the exchange of ideas and strategies for business growth and success. On Friday, July 14, join us to hear from Maureen Ischay, Sr. Director of Development, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum.

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber has launched an intensive branding program designed to discover, define and design Greater Akron’s competitive differentiator—or, what makes the area special so it can stand out in the marketplace. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to attract more businesses and talent to the area and to improve/maintain quality of life for current residents.

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber’s Small Business Council will present its 35th annual Excellence in Business awards program at a breakfast on Thursday, May 25, 2017, from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., at the Firestone Country Club, 452 East Warner Road, in Akron. Join us as we honor the accomplishments of local businesses who have consistently demonstrated outstanding performance, growth, staying power, innovation and proven leadership in the community.

Greater Akron—The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Greater Akron Chamber announced today that it has retained Richard Norton as Interim President and CEO of the Chamber, effective May 1. He will assume responsibility for the day-to-day activities of the Chamber, replacing on an interim basis Dan Colantone, who announced his resignation March 29.

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber proudly presents the 10th Annual 30 for the Future recognition program. 30 for the Future recognizes 30 young professionals (ages 25-39) who live and/or work in the Greater Akron Region, who are trendsetters in their industries and who make an impact on the region through dynamic leadership and community service.

Greater Akron—Register today for the Greater Akron Chamber’s second biennial Young Professionals Summit: Breaking the Mold on May 18. This half-day conference is for any young professional looking to step out of the box and bring new energy to our region.

Greater Akron—Greater Akron Chamber President and CEO Daniel C. Colantone has informed the Executive Committee of the Chamber’s Board of Directors that he will resign his position, effective May 31, 2017. Colantone has led the Chamber since February 1, 2000.

Greater Akron—The Morning Buzz is a monthly speaker breakfast series, which aims to connect small- and medium-sized businesses by facilitating the exchange of ideas and strategies for business growth and success. On Friday, April 21, 2017, join us to hear Jay Mellon, CEO, AtNetPlus, present “Simple Solutions to Protect Yourself from Cyber Crime.” Jay will discuss how to recognize fake e-mails and when not to click, how to protect your business’s network and all the latest e-mail phishing scams you should be aware of.

Greater Akron—A new Harvard Kennedy School website with a focus on operational excellence in government will include the “Redesigning Ohio” report. Originally released in 2010 by nine Ohio chambers of commerce, the report provided recommendations for sweeping changes to help the state improve economic performance and reduce costs. “Redesigning Ohio” was one of 30 studies selected for the website.

Greater Akron—Join KNOW on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, for the next Empowering Women Luncheon to hear from Olympic Medalist, Leadership Consultant and Best-Selling Author, Bonnie St. John.

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber has announced that Russell M. Pry, late Summit County Executive, will be honored posthumously with the H. Peter Burg Award. Anthony J. Alexander, last year’s awardee, will present the award on Wednesday, March 16, 2017, at the Greater Akron Chamber’s 110th Annual Meeting at the John S. Knight Center. The award recognizes Pry as someone of paramount leadership for the advancement of Greater Akron’s economic and community development. The award was created in memory of H. Peter Burg by the Chamber’s Executive Committee to recognize a leader who promotes economic development in the Greater Akron region.

Greater Akron—Join KNOW on Wednesday, February 15, 2017, for the next Empowering Women Luncheon to hear from Kirsten Lino, Vice President, Akron Business Banking Team Leader, FirstMerit Bank (Now part of The Huntington National Bank).

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber is accepting nominations for our 2017 Excellence in Business Awards. We all know or do business with companies who deserve recognition for the exceptional work they do in the business community. You can pay tribute by nominating a deserving company for the Small Business Council’s Excellence in Business Awards.

Greater Akron—The Morning Buzz is a monthly speaker breakfast series, which aims to connect small- and medium-sized businesses by facilitating the exchange of ideas and strategies for business growth and success. On Friday, February 10, 2017, join us to hear a panel discussion on Workplace Culture.

Greater Akron—The Morning Buzz is a monthly speaker breakfast series, which aims to connect small- and medium-sized businesses by facilitating the exchange of ideas and strategies for business growth and success. On Friday, January 13, 2017, join us to hear Stephanie York, Vice President at Hennes Communications, present “Crisis Management and Communications: How to Plan & Prepare for the Unthinkable.”

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber is seeking nominations for their second annual awards program to recognize member businesses in Summit County for their support of arts and culture. The award will be presented in collaboration with ArtsNow, a nonprofit focused on connecting arts, culture and community in Summit County.

Greater Akron—The Morning Buzz is a monthly speaker breakfast series, which aims to connect small- and medium-sized businesses by facilitating the exchange of ideas and strategies for business growth and success. On Friday, December 9, 2016, join us to hear Bob Arnold, author of the soon-to-be released, The Uncanny Power of the Networking Pencil: The Natural, No-Anxiety Way to Spot Results-Oriented Networking Partners—Fast!

Greater Akron—The Greater Akron Chamber invites you to Economic Outlook 2016 on Friday, November 18, 2016. Join us to hear Jack Kleinhenz, Ph.D., present "Solving for 2017: Prospects and Perspectives." Is the economy on solid ground in the 8th year of the recovery? In spite of being one of the longest expansions, it has lacked intensity. Can we be excited? Jack will provide an overview of key economic indicators, a review of spending trends, and provide a discussion on the outlook.