Interview with Deb Hoover by EEC Board Advisor Toby Maloney

We caught up recently with Deb Hoover, Chief Executive Officer, EEC Ohio, to get her take on the consolidation of EEC and YEI, the Young Entrepreneur Institute. 

Toby: What will this consolidation of EEC and YEI mean for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in NE Ohio? 

Deb: The YEI/EEC consolidation represents the culmination of years of regional ecosystem building efforts focused on building easily navigable pathways among different levels of entrepreneurship education.   

​While the level of collaboration among ecosystem partners in this space has always been exemplary, this consolidation of programming will lead to seamless integration of programs to help K-16 students and educators develop entrepreneurial skills through strengthened ecosystem offerings and strategic deployment of resources.   

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"The region will be a model for adopting the long-term vision of preparing young entrepreneurs to assume entrepreneurial leadership roles as they launch their careers."   

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Toby: As someone who has helped NE Ohio embrace entrepreneurship, could you give us some recent history and context? 

Deb: I have been singularly focused for two decades on developing the capacity of the regional ecosystem, supporting the components and people who facilitate connectivity and opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive, innovate, and create jobs. The ecosystem is a living and ever-changing organism that adapts to changing internal and external circumstances as needed. Now in 2024, the ecosystem is demonstrating its agility through its capacity for change and enhancement.  
 
Toby: What do you see as our biggest challenges and potential obstacles to entrepreneurship in NE Ohio? 

Deb:  Northeast Ohio has so much to offer to rising entrepreneurs, yet the region still faces challenges retaining students and young entrepreneurs to pursue their careers here. EEC and YEI have been and will continue to be focused on connecting students to people and opportunities that will help move careers forward in Northeast Ohio.   
 
Toby: What do you think are the most important characteristics for entrepreneurial success? 

Deb: Entrepreneurs I have known, and that is quite a few at this point, have a zest for life, a desire to experiment and make a difference, and the will to make their mark with new ideas and ways to solve problems. They discern gaps and pursue solutions with single-minded focus. Their energy is boundless and their motivation unflappable.  
 
Toby: Can you look into your crystal ball and offer a prediction on what things will look like on the entrepreneurial side of life in 2029? 

Deb: The Northeast Ohio ecosystem will evolve and change as it has over the last two decades. New talent will enter the scene with fresh ideas; organizations will shift their energies to support emerging needs and industries; the workforce will demonstrate a better match of skills to workplace needs; and startup funding will be more readily available to women and entrepreneurs of color. The region will be a model for adopting the long-term vision of preparing young entrepreneurs to assume entrepreneurial leadership roles as they launch their careers.   
 
Toby: Thanks for chatting with us today and best of luck in the next chapter of your professional life.   
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Deb:  I am excited to dive into the next chapter of my life and career. During my formative years, I shared a close bond with my maternal grandfather, a metallurgist and inventor, whose favorite pastime was hiking off-trail in New England’s undeveloped wilderness.  He taught my brother and me how to navigate untamed forests and how to interpret the natural and man-made features of a landscape. He nurtured in us the value of careful land stewardship, including property he eventually acquired in New Hampshire.  

In honor of our grandfather, my brother and I will be pursuing sustainable forestry practices and clean energy opportunities to manage the property. I will be capitalizing on all I learned from my grandfather, and from the many courageous entrepreneurs I met during my career. After all, the dynamics of forest ecosystems and entrepreneurial ecosystems have much in common and much to teach us!   

I thank my many friends and colleagues who have inspired me along the way!