Learn, Connect & Grow Your Business at the Alumni Small Business Forum on Sept. 24
The Cincinnati State Alumni Association and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program invite interested Cincinnati State alumni, employees, and students, as well as members of the public, to a learning and networking event for current or future small business owners on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 8 a.m. to noon in the ATLC Auditorium.
- Coffee and networking starts at 8 a.m.
- President Robbin Hoopes will welcome Forum participants.
- Dillon Ruby, co-owner and executive vice president of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, and a recipient of Cincinnati State’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, is the keynote speaker.
- A panel of alumni will discuss career highlights and challenges and provide tips on how to be a successful small business owner.
Whether you’re launching your first business, growing an existing one, or exploring entrepreneurship, this forum is designed to help you.
- Learn practical insights for starting and growing a successful business
- Discover entrepreneurship resources available through Cincinnati State
- Hear inspiring success stories from Cincinnati State alumni and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses graduates
- All attendees will be entered to win gift baskets donated by
Tablespoon Cooking Co. and Skin by Brownlee & Co.
Tickets for the Forum are $26. Cincinnati State students can attend at no charge, but need to register for the event.
To purchase tickets and register, visit https://ticketstripe.com/CState-Alumni-Small-Business-Forum.
Randy Kappesser, President of the Cincinnati State Alumni Board, said Alumni Board members have worked on this project for the past year in collaboration with Sarah Allen, the Director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program offered through Cincinnati State’s Workforce Development Center.
“We hope the Small Business Forum will become an annual event that assists our students, employees, alumni, and members of the public,” Kappesser said.
“We want to raise awareness of ways the College and the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses program can assist current and future entrepreneurs,” he added.
“The program also gives our alumni who are small business owners an opportunity to give back to the College while they network with others,” Kappesser said.