Oury Niagane brought the flavors of Senegal to Cincinnati this spring, celebrating her first official market day at Findlay Market on April 19, 2026. A South Fairmount mom originally from Dakar, she had already been making and selling her nutritious millet and dairy treat within her community while working a full-time warehousing job. Her product was well received by friends and co-workers, but growing beyond informal sales required new tools, systems, and support—something she found through Working In Neighborhoods (WIN).

Her progress is part of a broader initiative that began in spring 2024, when WIN Food Access Coordinator Heather Sayre was recruiting vendors for Beekman Community Market. She quickly discovered a common barrier: many residents interested in selling prepared foods did not have the licensing, equipment, or formal business structure required to participate in a regulated market setting. Rather than turning people away, WIN responded by building a pathway forward.

WIN partnered with the Hamilton County Small Business Development Center to launch an Entrepreneurship Enrichment Workshop Series and a pilot entrepreneurial cohort. The program introduced participants to business fundamentals, customer identification, problem-solving, and marketing strategies, while also providing one-on-one coaching to help them formalize their ideas.

For Oury, this support helped transform an already active home-based business into a scalable operation. She refined her business plan, navigated licensing and application requirements, and ultimately gained membership at Findlay Kitchen—a critical step toward expanding production and reaching new customers.

“She is determined, saw the need for nutritious food, has a great product, and wants to be financially independent,” Sayre said.

Oury’s journey is not the only success emerging from the cohort. Other participants have also begun advancing their businesses, including gaining kitchen access and selling at local markets. Together, they reflect a growing network of entrepreneurs building sustainable livelihoods through structured support.

This is how WIN’s community building works: residents identify needs from lived experience, and WIN finds the right training, partnerships, and access to systems, then those needs are transformed into opportunity and long-term economic growth.