Strategic relationships fuel Ohio’s homegrown business

In 1991, years before achieving prominence as a charismatic confectioner on The Today Show, elementary school teacher Lisa King established a routine of baking brownies in her Cleveland apartment after work.

“I decided I was going to create my own brownie recipe—what I called the Absolute Perfect Brownie,” she says. “And I was going to begin sharing them with the world.” That was the start of Brownie Points, the bakery business she built from scratch using a single countertop mixer.

In those early days, King enlisted the help of friends, neighbors, and even her sister-in-law, Lisa Berliner, who joined as co-owner in 1998, to get the operation up and running and spread the word.

“I educated myself on how to start a business,” King says. “It was a labor of love—a dream I decided to follow.”

King’s story mirrors that of countless Ohioans who follow their passions and launch their own companies across the state. In fact, of the 1 million businesses in Ohio in 2024, over 99% are classified as small businesses, employing more than 43% of the state’s workforce, making them indispensable drivers of job creation, innovation, and economic growth.

Getting any new business off the ground, however, is no easy task. The three C’s—customers, capital, and connections—take time to develop. While Ohio boasts the best small business survival rate in the nation, it still stands at only around 53% after five years.

JPMorganChase is proud to serve over 190,000 small business clients in Ohio, and we take a holistic approach to supporting them because we recognize that entrepreneurs need more than just capital to grow. We’re thinking about the growth of the companies we support—and across our firm, we have team members that work with companies at every stage of their business evolution.

This commitment adds up to more than 62,000 hours of personalized support for our clients —equal to more than 2,500 days—tailored to each company.

In the case of Brownie Points, JPMorganChase first met with King and Berliner in 2016 when they were looking for a new bank. The duo had already expanded their brand and relocated central operations to Columbus, but they were ready to grow statewide and needed a financial partner who could lead with empathy, insight, and a deep understanding of the local market.

“I put a lot of thought into our banking,” adds King. “It wasn't just a place to put our money. We needed someone who could be there when we needed encouragement and guidance.”

Enter Howard E. Lyon, the senior Business Relationship Manager who initially met with the Lisas in person at Brownie Points’ Columbus shop. “There's something to be said when somebody walks in the door and talks to you face to face,” Berliner says. “He assured [us] that he would be right there with us. And he 100% was and has been ever since.”

Lyon’s title of Business Relationship Manager doesn’t entirely do justice to the wide and often unexpected range of services he provides. He describes his role as the “center of the wheel,” connecting clients with other small businesses, experienced vendors, and resources.

“My job,” he says, “is just to get to know the client, first and foremost: What made you want to start a business? What keeps you up at night? How did last year go? What's on the horizon? Getting to understand them tells me exactly what I need to help them.”

From helping them maximize their Chase business credit card rewards to participating in the Chase Business Banking Gifting program, Berliner and King credit Lyon with helping Brownie Points leverage initiatives specifically designed for small business customers.

“There have been so many different events,” says King. “I cannot tell you how beneficial they've been and how much it has helped my business in the sense of meeting different people that have either become clients or advisors. The events have been invaluable.”

One-to-one relationship management is the core of JPMorganChase’s support plan—but we’re focused on investing in the broader marketplace and local communities that are integral to small business growth too.

Since 2019, JPMorganChase has invested over $9 million in philanthropic capital to more than 15 local nonprofits and community organizations. These investments strengthen the support ecosystem around entrepreneurs and help build capacity in organizations that offer technical assistance, networking, and business education to small business owners.

While recent headlines have often highlighted high-profile industrial expansions in Ohio, it’s the state’s small businesses that truly sustain its economic vitality. Businesses like Brownie Points, which now ships over one million brownies across the nation annually (including, of course, the best-selling Buckeye Brownie) and employs 25 Ohioans.

King’s advice to other entrepreneurs looking for a new financial relationship? “Don't look for a bank, look for a partner,” she says.’ “I'm not just getting financial services—I'm gaining access to a network of professionals who really care about our growth and our success. And I think that's something that just can't be underestimated.”

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. The testimonials are the sole opinions or experiences of those featured and not those of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or any of its affiliates. These opinions or experiences may not be representative of what all may achieve. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or any of its affiliates are not liable for decisions made or actions taken in reliance on any of the testimonial information provided.