Synergy Incubators Is Hanging Up Its Apron

Dear Community,

After two years of challenging and exciting work, it’s time for us to step away. But first, we’d like to thank you. We’re in awe of the passionate support of people like you. Your generosity and engagement kept us inspired and drove us forward. And we were so close! It’s not easy to let go when we knew we were there!

Thanks to your support, we were running classes, had created a special curriculum, awakened new talent, helped launch new business, and were busy remodeling a kitchen in Dayton’s urban core—right where we belong, where we can do the most good. But the climate wasn’t supportive. Even as we explored every avenue, innovation and partnership suggested to us by the many talented thinkers and doers we know. Even with positive press, prevailing trends and the support of thousands of you in what amounts to one of the broadest grass roots efforts in memory. Even with the need we see in our community. Ours is the kind of effort that requires support from all sectors—private, commercial, non-profit and government.And the powers that be didn’t align with our mission.

Take heart. The concept of a regional culinary incubator is powerful and inevitable. Thousands of you have embraced it. Even as we must step down, we encourage you and your organization to take up the fight at some future time when conditions are more welcoming, as they will be. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to cheer our lungs out for every daring, independent, downtown food venture that enlivens our city streets and keeps us loving urban life. Please rest assured, whoever takes up the gauntlet next will have the benefit of our knowledge and experience, waiting here to be shared.

Love,

Synergy

Full disclosure- I, Lisa Grigsby, publisher of DMM was a part of Synergy.