University of Dayton names leader for business incubator

FIRST REPORT: West Dayton Incubator to spur entrepreneurs

The incubator will bring together entrepreneurs and University of Dayton students.

Marshall will start his new role March 2, moving from his current role at University of Dayton’s Fitz Center for Leadership as coordinator of community and neighborhood partnerships.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for all stakeholders and I’m honored to have been selected to lead the charge,” Marshall said in a statement. “With the zeal of collective impact, we will work to establish an equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem, serve as a hub for civic innovation and scholarship, and establish a new standard for community-university partnerships. The incubator will also serve as an invaluable experiential learning site for current and future UD students — that will prepare them for a diverse, competitive, and multifaceted global workforce and society.”

Marshall is co-founder of The Conscious Connect nonprofit dedicated to neighborhood revitalization, and founder and CEO of three start-ups in the region, including Purpose Based Learning Academy, which provides mentoring and consultation to disadvantaged small businesses and social ventures.

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He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Wittenberg University; a graduate certificate in nonprofits and community leadership, and a master’s degree in higher education administration from UD, where he is also pursuing a doctorate in leadership for organizations from UD.

Attorney and community organizer Branford Brown said in a statement that they’ve had almost three years of conversations leading to the incubator idea and the group that has been involved is enthusiastic about the progress made up to this point.

“The concept is something to get excited about. It’s an opportunity to plant some businesses in West Dayton and empower some that are already here,” Brown said.

The incubator will connect to innovation hub at the Dayton Arcade being developed by UD and The Entrepreneurs Center.

It also will connect to other resources like the city’s Minority Business Assistance Center and the Dayton chamber’s Minority Business Partnership. The incubator is supported by a donor gift and funding from the state’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider Program through The Entrepreneurs Center.