The second-floor office near West Third and Broadway streets has 4,000 square feet for co-working, classrooms, catering and more.
“It’s going to be a major help,” incubator Director Juanita-Michelle Darden told the Dayton Daily News. “It is a beautiful space. It offers great spaces for classrooms. So I’m just envisioning so much good work happening in those spaces.”
A university spokeswoman said the office is not yet ready, but when complete, it will allow the incubator to bring programs under one roof.
“This is more than just a new address — it’s a promise that we’re here to stay, to grow with our entrepreneurs and to keep building something powerful together in West Dayton,” Darden said in the university’s statement. “By expanding into this new space, we can offer more resources, more collaboration and a stronger sense of community.”
The incubator now uses offices nearby at 1105 W. Third St.
The university received a $1.8 million in state and federal funds for the new office.
The city of Dayton also provided $650,000 of West Dayton Trust Fund Development Grants to the developer, Wright Dunbar REH, to support the project, UD said.
UD signed a 10-year lease and expects to open the location in early 2026.
“We’ve hosted events with the Greater West Dayton Incubator at different locations over the years, and I’m really excited about this new space,” Curtis “P-Nut” Johnson, co-founder of Official Network and Chill for small businesses, said in UD’s announcement.
Since 2020, the incubator has worked with more than 350 entrepreneurs, helping to secure more than $80,000 in micro-loans, $100,000 in equity grants and nearly $400,000 in contracts for underrepresented business owners through University of Dayton partnerships.
The incubator offers guidance on business-related matters, focusing on how to get capital, on how to market businesses on social media, winning contracts and how to make connections.
“In a nutshell, what the (incubator) provides is business planning, it helps you with making proper connections, networking, we offer training, and there are also avenues to participate in some of the programs that happen at the University of Dayton, including the Flyer Pitch competition.”
Both new and experienced entrepreneurs can find help here. Even established businesses need help as they navigate growing pains, she said.
“We can help businesses on a spectrum,” Darden said. “It’s a big range.”
The focus is on West Dayton entrepreneurs. However, the director said no one is turned away.
“When someone walks through the door, they are helped,” she said.
Every Monday, the incubator is open at the current address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Darden was named director of the incubator in June. She brings experience founding Soul Food Carryout and the former Third Perk Coffeehouse & Wine Bar. She also worked for 12 years as a tenured associate professor of mathematics at Sinclair Community College. She holds a master of science in education from UD.
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