Radius CoWork and the Erie Downtown Development Corporation (EDDC) have launched a new initiative to boost support for Erie’s small business community, thanks to a $250,000 Shaping Tomorrow grant from the Erie Community Foundation.

The organizations have jointly created a Business Support Coordinator position, appointing local financial consultant and business advisor Jenessa Norton to the role.

Norton will work with both EDDC and Radius CoWork staff to provide expert guidance and resources to entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on empowering disadvantaged communities.

The initiative, known as Project Front Door, aims to help small businesses overcome common challenges such as bookkeeping, legal compliance, and expansion, while also fostering job creation and peer mentorship in downtown Erie.

EDDC CEO Drew Whiting highlighted the importance of this support for sustaining jobs and amenities in the city’s revitalizing downtown.

Sean Fedorko, founder of Radius CoWork, praised Norton’s decade of experience and results-driven approach, calling her addition a “much-needed new capacity” for Erie’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

For more information on the Business Support Coordinator, Radius CoWork or the EDDC, visit Radiusco or Erie DDC.