YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Near the end of a morning filled with gratitude, testimony and more than a few tears, Ryan Gilchrist reached back nearly four decades for a line that has guided his life.
“In 1989 there was a movie that came out. The movie was titled “Field of Dreams,” he told the crowd Thursday at Stambaugh Auditorium. “In that movie, there was an angelic voice that kept saying to Kevin Costner, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ Tell somebody [to] build. Tell somebody [to] build.”
For Gilchrist, owner of Ryan’s Chair barbershop and recipient of the Legacy Award at the inaugural EmpowerUS Awards, the message was both personal and practical.
“We have to build something,” he said. “Build it. If you build it, they will come.”
About 200 people attended the inaugural event, hosted by YBI and its Minority Business Assistance Center, to recognize women- and minority-owned businesses and nonprofit leaders in the Mahoning Valley.
By the time the program concluded, the ceremony had taken on a tone that was equal parts professional recognition and heartfelt reflection.
Gilchrist, who has operated Ryan’s Chair for more than 30 years, joked about receiving a lifetime honor while still actively working behind the chair.
“Here’s what legacy is. They’re giving me my flowers while I’m still alive,” he said.
He described his shop as more than a place for haircuts.
“Ryan’s chair has never just been about hair,” Gilchrist said. “It’s been about people, helping and developing people. It’s been about relationships. It’s been about networking.”
Earlier in the program, YBI CEO Barb Ewing reflected on how the organization expanded its mission by becoming a host site for the state’s Minority Business Assistance Center.
“When YBI became a host site for the Minority Business Assistance Center for the state of Ohio, it not only changed our external face in the community from just technology entrepreneurship, but who we are as an organization,” Ewing said.
Held during Black History Month, the EmpowerUS Awards highlighted five honorees whose work spans construction, health training, nonprofit leadership, arts and culture and small business development.
Shaundretta Boykins, manager of business development and entrepreneurship for the Minority Business Development Division at the Ohio Department of Development, said the region has a deep history of minority entrepreneurship.
“William R. Stewart became the first black attorney to practice in the city and the second black man elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. So there’s a long history of entrepreneurship and business professionalism in the city. Do not take what you have for granted and continue to grow your businesses.”
Youngstown Mayor Derrick McDowell also emphasized that minority business development is part of the city’s broader identity.
“Part of the city’s identity is its population,” McDowell said. “[Younsgstown’s] population is made up of close to 47% white people, and approximately 43% black people. We have our Hispanic community that is growing in this population as well. When we hear the word minority over and over again, I pray that none of us are offended by that statement, because what we’re celebrating is a part of Youngstown’s identity.”
Small Business Award
Rhonda Bowser, owner of BCI Granite, received the Small Business Award. Operating in a male-dominated industry, she said credibility must be earned through expertise.
“Being a female is super difficult, so you have to earn your credibility with honest respect, but you have to know what you’re talking about,” Bowser said.
She thanked supporters and customers and described her company’s reputation as “strong and as solid as the stone that we cut.”
On the Rise Award
Jasmine Neal, founder of Healing Hearts CPR Training in Ashtabula, received the On the Rise Award. Neal started the business after the death of her infant daughter and now teaches CPR and emergency response skills locally and nationally.
“My message for all of you is that if you do not know how to do CPR, please learn how to do CPR,” Neal said. “You will save someone’s life.”
She also credited YBI and the Minority Business Assistance Center for helping her grow the business.
“If you can get with the YBI and try to elevate your business, they are there for you every step of the way,” Neal said.
Nonprofit Award
Angelica Diaz, executive director of Organización Cívica y Cultural Hispana Americana, received the Nonprofit Award. The organization, founded in 1972, provides food assistance, clothing, workforce development and youth programming.
“As a young child, I grew up in the city of Youngstown. I was raised by a single mother, and OCCHA provided programs and services to my family,” Diaz said. “So today, it is truly an honor to stand before you and just represent this agency that poured so much into my family.”
Diaz said the agency has expanded in recent years, increasing its budget, growing staff and serving thousands of individuals annually.
Trailblazer Award
Jeff Green, founder of Jazz in the Park, received the Trailblazer Award. The free summer concert series began more than three decades ago as a youth initiative during a period of high violence in the city.
“This is community,” Green said. “My wife and I haven’t been on a vacation in 25, 26 years, because it takes that much work to do this and to raise the money.”
Green said the series has grown into a regional draw that brings together residents of all backgrounds through music.
Legacy Award
Gilchrist closed the ceremony with gratitude for his family, customers and faith, urging others to pursue their own callings.
“If you stay faithful, you stay humble and, most importantly, just stay open. God will do the rest,” he said.
Pictured at top: From left are Ryan Gilchrist, Ryan’s Chair; Angelica Diaz, OCCHA; Jasmine Neal, Healing Hearts CPR; Rhonda Bowser, BCI Granite; Jeff Green, Jazz in the Park.