{"id":53604,"date":"2024-10-09T18:51:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T22:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/?p=53604"},"modified":"2025-07-14T12:22:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T16:22:48","slug":"local-entrepreneur-creates-inclusive-gymnastics-program-turning-her-dreams-into-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/news\/small-biz-news\/local-entrepreneur-creates-inclusive-gymnastics-program-turning-her-dreams-into-reality","title":{"rendered":"Local Entrepreneur Creates Gymnastics Program, Turning Her Dreams Into Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p class=\"lead\">We all start somewhere \u2013 maybe it\u2019s a dream we had since childhood, or an idea that struck when we were in school, or even a side gig that turned into a full-time venture.<\/p>\n<p>For Kanisha Harwell, owner of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.balancecheergym.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Balance Cheer and Gymnastics<\/strong><\/a>, her dream started early on. As a young, Black gymnast, Kanisha often felt uncomfortable and isolated in a sport whose practice spaces didn\u2019t attract many girls that looked like her. Her experience fueled her dream of owning her own gym and creating a place where no child would feel alienated the way she once did.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Kanisha is the proud owner of the only Black and female-owned gym in Ohio, creating a safe haven for young gymnasts.<\/p>\n<p>Kanisha\u2019s journey wasn\u2019t easy. She started small, cautious not to stretch herself too thin while navigating the early stages of her business, but she had no idea how much the community needed what she was offering. Operating out of a 3,500 square foot facility, managing a growing waitlist and looking to expand her services, she needed help. As a small, minority-owned gymnastics center with a unique business model, she faced bigger hurdles than most.<\/p>\n<p>Struggling to find mentorship and business advice from within the industry, Kanisha reached out to JumpStart. She applied and was accepted to JumpStart\u2019s Small Business Impact Program, a 12-week accelerator that helps local entrepreneurs grow their businesses and plan for long-term success.<\/p>\n<p>Through the Impact Program, Kanisha worked primarily with JumpStart team member Rayne Elder, who provided support and advice throughout the course. \u201cRayne went above and beyond,\u201d Kanisha says. \u201cShe showed such immense concern for me and all her other clients. The level of support she provided was invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kanisha credits JumpStart\u2019s Phelan Spence with her newfound understanding of financial projections. \u201cIt was overwhelming at first,\u201d she explains. \u201cBut Phelan broke down the concept and applied it to my business model in a way that really helped me feel comfortable talking about it to anyone, and that was something I struggled with before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kanisha is determined to build something long-term and hopes to pass her business down to her kids one day. The $10,000 she won is earmarked for new equipment that will help her provide competitive gymnastics classes and programs.<\/p>\n<p>Cheer Balance and Gymnastics is more than just a business. For Kanisha, it is the legacy that she is building for her family. For the community, it is a welcoming space that helps young people recognize their self-worth and cultivate their inner and outer strength. Through gymnastics, she hopes to instill in them the belief that with hard work, they can achieve anything in life. Kanisha is not just building a business; she is transforming her community in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the resources and counsel provided by JumpStart, Balance Cheer and Gymnastics has become a pillar in the community, providing hope and opportunity for many young athletes.<\/p>\n<p>Kanisha\u2019s story is just one example of how our collective efforts can create lasting change. This is why we do the work that we do at JumpStart. Join us \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/donate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>make a tax-deductible donation now<\/strong><\/a>. Your donation will provide funding and free programming for the entrepreneurs that spark change in our communities. With your support, we can create a future of shared prosperity, where every community is a hub of opportunity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":53605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-small-biz-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Local Entrepreneur Creates Gymnastics Program, Turning Her Dreams Into Reality - JumpStart Inc.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kanisha is the proud owner of the only Black and female-owned gym in Ohio, breaking barriers and creating a safe haven for young gymnasts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/news\/small-biz-news\/local-entrepreneur-creates-inclusive-gymnastics-program-turning-her-dreams-into-reality\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Local Entrepreneur Creates Gymnastics Program, Turning Her Dreams Into Reality\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kanisha is the proud owner of the only Black and female-owned gym in Ohio, breaking barriers and creating a safe haven for young gymnasts.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/news\/small-biz-news\/local-entrepreneur-creates-inclusive-gymnastics-program-turning-her-dreams-into-reality\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"JumpStart Inc.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-09T22:51:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-14T16:22:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/kanisha-blog.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"825\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"420\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mary Paxton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mary Paxton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/news\/small-biz-news\/local-entrepreneur-creates-inclusive-gymnastics-program-turning-her-dreams-into-reality\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/news\/small-biz-news\/local-entrepreneur-creates-inclusive-gymnastics-program-turning-her-dreams-into-reality\",\"name\":\"Local Entrepreneur Creates Gymnastics Program, Turning Her Dreams Into Reality - 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