Youngstown Entrepreneur Turns Challenges into Opportunities with Yo! Crash
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Mara Cunningham took a bold step seven years ago, leaving the corporate world to launch Yo! Crash, a mobile rage room. Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced the original brick-and-mortar location to close, Cunningham adapted by transitioning to a mobile service model, ensuring her business could reach customers in new ways.
Having surpassed the crucial five-year mark, Yo! Crash has already outlasted over 50% of new businesses, according to LendingTree. “If we cannot have them come to us, we need to figure out a way to get to them,” Cunningham said about her innovative approach.
The pandemic took a significant toll, with over a million small businesses closing in 2020, as highlighted by Federal Reserve data. This prompted Cunningham to rethink the traditional business model and promote her unique concept. “One of our largest challenges was educating the community on what exactly we are,” she noted, acknowledging that rage rooms have roots dating back to 2009 in Japan.
Recently, Cunningham celebrated a significant milestone by graduating from the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Black In Business program, a free 12-week education initiative for Black women entrepreneurs.
“The resilience that we required to have,” she said, reflects the collective strength of her community. “It is now our time and our right and our duty to seize all of those things that belong to us.”
Tanisha Wheeler, the Regional Director from the Minority Business Assistance Center at YBI, works closely with Cunningham. With a track record of assisting over a hundred small businesses, Wheeler emphasizes the importance of providing resources for business plans, access to capital, and connections to larger commercial opportunities.
Black women now represent a growing demographic of entrepreneurs across the U.S., and Wheeler believes Cunningham’s success can inspire others in the Youngstown area. “We’re seeing an advance in different industries,” she remarked, noting a resurgence in business interest in the region.
Reflecting on her journey following the Goldman Sachs program, Cunningham expresses pride in her accomplishments and recognizes her connection to the community. “I am not alone, and my community needs me just as much as I need them,” she affirmed.
Since its inception in 2022, the Goldman Sachs program has served nearly 2,000 solopreneurs nationwide, with two cohorts each year supporting about 600 small business owners. Cohort Nine graduated in July 2023, showcasing the success of 306 entrepreneurs like Cunningham.
