The Youngstown Business Incubator is moving up in the world (actually, more like moving north in the state) as they announce an expansion into Ashtabula County.

The expansion allows the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) to support small business development in the eastern corridor of Ohio. The project is called the 'Lake to River Small Business Success' (L2RSBS) program.

To help with the program, YBI has added a new Business Program Coordinator to their staff. Ginny Pasha will work directly with entrepreneurs to support their small businesses.

"The position with YBI is a perfect fit for where I am in my career," says Pasha. "I'm excited about working with the people in Ashtabula County again to help small companies grow and thrive."

The expansion comes after YBI was awarded $1.35 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission to support small business development in Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Ashtabula, and other counties. Support for L2RSBS also came from the State of Ohio, the Veale Foundation, and local philanthropy.

YBI's L2RSBS program will help Ashtabula County's small businesses with entrepreneurial counseling, marketing strategies, resources to be financial successful, networking, and more.

CEO of YBI Barbara Ewing says the expansion will enable the business incubator to meet the demand for small business assistance.

"Working with our partners, this program will strengthen the recovery of the local economy by assisting small businesses in accessing capital, pursuing procurement opportunities, developing business plans, adopting advanced technologies, and supporting startups," said Ewing.