We Partner with Startups to Support Their Growth
The Great Lakes Innovation & Development Enterprise (GLIDE) is a regional innovation center, business hub, and incubator space offering comprehensive services and support to technology-focused startups based in Northeast Ohio. We are located on campus at Lorain County Community College (LCCC), helping the business leaders of tomorrow experience entrepreneurism and support growing technology businesses.
GLIDE was established in 2001 as a partnership between the Lorain County Commissioners, the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, and Lorain County Community College — a unique combination of the private sector, government, and higher education. Our goal has been and always will be to stimulate economic and job growth in Lorain County and the broader Northeast Ohio region to make our community competitive in the fast-developing global technological economy.
What We Do for Entrepreneurs and the Community
More resources are available for entrepreneurs and innovators in the Northeast Ohio region than ever before. To maximize this opportunity for our region, we seek to support these unique individuals and connect them with everything they need to launch successful commercial enterprises. Our offerings include:
Meet the GLIDE Ohio Team
Jim Walborn, Director
As the Director of GLIDE, Jim is responsible for the planning, organizing, and directing of all GLIDE activities. Jim’s responsibilities include managing support services for entrepreneurs, including first-level assessments, a comprehensive resource network, and providing business advisory services to companies.
Jim was Co-Founder of Banyan Technology, North America’s leading innovator of live carrier and API connectivity for transportation management. At Banyan, Jim served as CEO and CCO of a high-growth software as a service (SaaS) model company.
A native of Northeast Ohio, Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Ashland University. He has been very active in the non-profit community serving on many boards including Leadership Lorain County, Lorain County Community Action Agency (LCCCA), and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Julie Thompson, Project Manager/Operations
Julie Thompson serves as the Project Manager for GLIDE, where she leverages years of experience in multiple industries including software, non-profit, government, education, and more. Prior to joining GLIDE, Julie served in administrative and operations roles for other Northeast Ohio organizations, including Manco, Inc. and Dow Chemical.
