Jazmine Mosby
Manager, Special Events and Operations
Getting to know the Main Street Ventures Team
At Main Street Ventures (MSV), we strive to do one thing: Empower our next generation of entrepreneurs by helping provide capital, connections and education to help them take their idea from dream to reality. But who are the individuals working behind the scenes to support our region’s startup and small business community?
Meet the people who look forward to meeting you at Main Street: Jazmine Mosby, Manager, Special Events and Operations.
Q: When did you start with Main Street Ventures?
Mosby: I started with Main Street Ventures on Jan. 9, 2023.
Q: How did you learn about Main Street Ventures as an organization?
Mosby: I actually found out about Main Street Ventures from my husband, Stephen. I was working for the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) in their project management office and was about to go on maternity leave. I knew I wanted some greater flexibility in the work that I was looking for, as I needed a change of scenery and environment. Working for a public transit authority throughout the pandemic was no joke as they are an essential service.
If I'm going to be at work for eight hours a day, I want to be passionate and enjoy the work that I'm doing. Serving the community, having an impact and helping people reach their best quality of life is something that I'm passionate about. I naturally (gravitated towards) supporting entrepreneurs (because they) are working every day to make their passion work and inspire others around them. That’s something that I could get behind. Lucky enough for me, I get to continue some of that project management in helping plan events and programs for our grant recipients. So naturally, Main Street Ventures was the best fit for me.
Q: Speaking of life outside the office, what is your family life like?
Mosby: My daughter just recently turned one. My husband and I have two dogs. One is a mikipoo which is like a small breed mix with a poodle. My husband named him Murmie because he was born with a heart murmur. I was also born with a heart murmur, so my husband was like, ‘Oh, there's a connection – you guys are meant to be together.’ It’s okay because he's better now, healthy and we love him. He's great. Our other dog, her name is Stella. She is a golden doodle. She is eight months now.
Q: Do you have any hobbies or passions outside of work?
Mosby: I am big on health and wellness not only from a physical standpoint but mental as well; something that I'm passionate about is dancing. I just love the rush that you get from it, the way it makes you feel and it’s not a bad workout, either. My pandemic project was to become a licensed Zumba instructor. I still participate in Zumba classes weekly; I really enjoy that.
Q: Describe what your role is at MSV and how you work with the entrepreneurs.
Mosby: I like to tell people that my job is the fun job of the team. I get to plan the programs and events that bring together our activators and connect them to each other and to different resources that can help them grow and thrive in their business and personally as entrepreneurs.
In the past, the MSV team was just two people, Abby and Brianna, and they did the best that they could supporting our entrepreneurs through our Level Up program. What I bring to our team is to be able to be more intentional about the types of events and programs we're offering our activators to make sure it fits their needs. But they can also come to us and hang out as they don't always have to necessarily be learning something and just enjoy a sense community.
Q: Why is this region a great place to start a business?
Mosby: From what I've seen so far, the cost of living here is very affordable. Whether you want to come here as a single individual or with a family, there are a lot of opportunities to create roots here.
Additionally, I feel like I've been lucky enough to be married to someone from Cincinnati. The community has been very welcoming and open to me. Not being from the startup industry, I didn't know much about this ecosystem. Coming in and seeing all the different resources that are available to entrepreneurs here, be it from a funding perspective or other organizations that support in other ways, it all helps in creating community. That’s an incredible thing – to have all that support to be able to grow here.
Q: Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky can help entrepreneurs and startups by doing more of what?
Mosby: There has been a shift and focus on technology-based startups. I feel like that's where your mind first goes when people say the word ‘startup’ instead of a small business. The city that we work and play in doesn’t have to be like Silicon Valley or be the Midwest epicenter for technology as there are so many businesses who are not in that space that are really making a difference in our community. Being more open-minded and intentional about supporting those kinds of businesses will ultimately grow the area in the way we're looking to grow.
Q: If you ever started your own business, it would be …?
Mosby: I would probably start a Zumba studio or a dance studio.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
Mosby: It’s hands down working with our activators. I like hearing how passionate they are about the work that they're doing, being vulnerable about the challenges that they're facing or all the good work they're doing to grow. Hearing those things gets me excited. It makes me want to come to work daily.
Q: Do you have a story that encapsulates why you enjoy your job at Main Street Ventures?
Mosby: I do. It is very personal, but I think it speaks to just how Main Street Ventures sees the people that we work with as actual people and not just their business and what they can provide or bring.
When I was interviewing for my position, I was about to go on maternity leave, and I didn't necessarily disclose that as I was interviewing because I didn't know if I would get the job. Once I received the offer, I let them know that I wanted to be able to finish out my maternity leave that I had already been approved for by my then-current job. I wouldn't be able to start with Main Street Ventures until the new year – mind you, this was in October, so we’re talking about a three-month period before I could start. If they had said, ‘That's a no go, we're not going to be able to accommodate that,’ I understood that it wasn't the place for me.
When I spoke with Brianna, she said, ‘You know what, we're actually taking some time off at the end of the year … Why don't you start on the ninth of January instead?’ That filled my heart with so much joy and I thought, ‘Wow, this is all falling into place. This is absolutely the place that I'm supposed to be in.’ They support me as a person, as a mother, and that really meant a lot to me.
