May News Update

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News, Business Feature and Initiatives from Hilltop RISE Economic CDC

As we embrace the beautiful month of May, we are thrilled to bring you the latest updates on our community initiatives.

Over the past month, our dedicated team has been canvassing the Sullivant and West Broad St. corridors to spread the word about the transformative Power of One Grant. We have been overwhelmed by the positive response and the invaluable feedback we received regarding our upcoming Empowering Business Series, set to launch this fall. We are delighted to announce that our efforts have been recognized, as we have been awarded the SBA Prime Grant through ECDI. This grant will provide us with valuable insights to better support our new and existing Hilltop businesses. Furthermore, we have been hard at work advocating for our community, collaborating closely with the City Council and the Mayor’s office. Together, we are making strides toward a stronger, more vibrant community that benefits us all.

Sincerely,

Morgan DeBoth
Executive Director of Hilltop RISE

More To Explore

October 2026 HR Newsletter

This past month, our staff spent a few days in Athens with our peers from around the state in economic and community development at the Ohio CDA’s annual conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Rooted in Place.”

Due to our work being hyper-focused on the Hilltop, it’s easy to forget that our community’s challenges are being faced by similar communities all over Ohio (and elsewhere). Among many other things, we learned how other communities are addressing their challenges, about creative funding solutions for redevelopment projects, and the statewide advocacy the Ohio CDA is working on. It was exciting to see examples of great work being done throughout the state, particularly in and around Athens.

Back in Columbus, our Executive Director participated in a Zone In Gallery event hosted by Council Member Melissa Green for District 6 residents. You can learn more about Zone In Phase II and how to visit the in-person Zone In Gallery here. Don’t forget to submit public comments for Phase II by October 24th.

Hilltop Rise Director October 6, 2026

September 2026 HR Newsletter

We had a busy and rainy August! Our staff and Board Chair kicked off the month by attending 2026’s third CDC Thinktank hosted by Eastland Development for Growth & Equity (EDGE) along with Columbus Redevelopment Corporation (CRC), Linden Economic Development Alliance (LEDA), and the City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods. We learned about the redevelopment efforts taking place in the Eastland area and collaborated with the other partners. Later in August, EDGE celebrated its official launch event to the community which we also attended.

Hilltop Rise Director September 1, 2026