Ybi Announces 6 ‘sharks’ For Shark Tank Event

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YBI ANNOUNCES 6 ‘SHARKS’ FOR SHARK TANK EVENT

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown Business Incubator announced the six “sharks” that will serve on the panel at the 3rd Annual Shark Tank Event October 6 at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center: Ray Mancini, Entrepreneur and Boxing Legend, Ellen Tressel, Philanthropist, Herb Washington, CEO/Founder of HLW Fast Track Inc., Lenny Fisher, CEO Handel’s Homemade Ice cream & Yogurt, Lena Esmail, Owner/CEO QUICKmed Urgent Care, and Tom Stabi, Senior Advisor, SSB.

The event is a local take on the ABC show “Shark Tank,” where entrepreneurs give brief pitches to a panel of investors. In YBI’s version, startups will pitch their idea to the panel of ‘sharks,’ announced at the VIP Launch Party held at Penguin City Beer last night. “Our sharks each have their own area of expertise and interests which will make for a great panel,” said YBI’s Director of Evolve Technology Entrepreneurship, Corey Patrick, adding that the companies selected to pitch will also receive entrepreneurial counseling before pitching at the event .

Ray Mancini, entrepreneur and boxing legend, is a world champion fighter and his biography, “The Good Son” is a best-seller. He is also an actor and producer, known for Timebomb (1991), 6:45 (2021) and Who’s the Boss? (1984).

Ellen Tressel served as Vice President of Trading for Youngstown’s own Butler Wick and Company and has been an active advocate and leader for the state of Ohio throughout her adult career. She currently serves on the Boards of the Beatitude House, Mahoning Valley Historical Society, Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation, and is a “We See Tomorrow Capital Campaign” member for Youngstown State University.

Herb Washington is the CEO/Founder of HLW Fast Track Inc., identified by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the Top 100 black owned companies for retail in the United States.

Lena Esmail is Owner/CEO QUICKmed Urgent Care, a community-oriented, locally owned, and operated urgent care here in Northeast Ohio. Since it was founded in Liberty Township in the summer of 2019, QuickMed has added five other sites – Cortland, Howland, Lake Milton, Austintown and Columbiana – and is working on expansions in Parma and Westlake near Cleveland. It also staffs in-school clinics for Youngstown City Schools.

Tom Stabi is a Senior Advisor and Business Consultant at SSB, with an emphasis on contractors, manufacturers, automotive and the food industry. He was the founder and managing partner of Stabi, Burnett & Company, which was acquired by SSB in 2019.

Lenny Fisher is CEO Handel’s Homemade Ice cream & Yogurt, named the #1 ice cream in the world by National Geographic. Fisher purchased Handel’s Ice Cream from Mrs. Alice Handel in 1985 and has grown the business into one of the top 100 franchises in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine.

“When looking for our sharks, we asked ourselves ‘Who embodies the aspects of a true entrepreneur?’ and I believe we’ve found those people,” Patrick said. YBI’s Shark Tank Event will be held 5 to 8 p.m. at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Youngstown. Tickets are $100 each. Tickets, table reservations and sponsorship opportunities are available at ybi.org/sharktank/.

Have a startup idea? Apply to pitch at this year’s event at ybi.org/sharktank/.