Forbes Local Leaders: Under-30 innovators adding new flavor to Cleveland food scene

Posted by: Laura DeMarco on Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Honorees include bagel inventors, CEOs and coffee rebels

Clevelanders know this is a forward-thinking foodie town. Now, the world is learning. Multiple young food and hospitality innovators have been selected for the inaugural Forbes 2023 Cleveland Local Leaders list. These honorees under 30 include a nightlife entrepreneur, a woman rethinking bagels, a CEO leaning into sustainability and an applesauce inventor.

Meet the next-generation of food-forward Clevelanders:

Mitchell Vargo

Mitchell Vargo, 26 | Partner, Forward Hospitality Group

FWD Hospitality Group has redefined the way Clevelanders go out since the company was founded in 2015. Its current nightlife hotspots include FWD Day and Nightclub (complete with a pool!), Good Night John Boy and Welcome to the Farm.

“I am born and raised in Cleveland, so I have seen the innovation that has gone on in the city in general with business my whole life –to be honored as a local leader is a pretty cool feeling,” says Mitchell. “Having the Forbes Summit coming here is not only great for the city, but I’m excited to be able to show off what we have to offer. A lot of people coming to the Summit probably haven’t been to Cleveland before – this is our chance to show our best.”

Cameron Tolbert, 26 | Founder, Native Ingredients

Founded in 2022, B2B Native Ingredients provides healthy and creative snack options, such as ‘Or’chata,’ cinnamon-infused rice-milk sweetened with Agave.

“I’m very honored,” says Cameron. “It’s the culmination of years of learning about entrepreneurship and taking risks, and somebody is finally saying, ‘hey this person is doing something that is worthy of noticing.’ To be noticed in our city, as someone who grew up in the city, was educated in the city and chose to stay here – it’s fantastic.”

Natalie Bata, 29 | Cofounder, Cocky’s Bagel Sandwiches + more

Proving bagels aren’t just for breakfast, this creative & quirky bagel sandwich chain with locations in the Flats, North Olmsted and near OSU – plus food truck and catering – was founded in 2017 by Keene Cockburn and Natalie Bata.

“It is truly an honor to be recognized as a local leader in Cleveland,” says Bata. “This city means so much to me and I’m so proud to have been able to build a business here. When we first introduced this business idea, people looked at us like we were crazy, but this city believed in us and helped us grow Cocky’s into the business that it is today. Through this honor, I hope to inspire those with “crazy ideas” to GO FOR IT!! Anything is possible if you work for it.”

Reilly Berk, 25 | CEO, Berk Enterprises

Berk Enterprises concession supply company was founded long before its current CEO was born – it’s 80 years old, in fact. Since taking over the family business, Reilly has continued to move Berk forward with their Environ – a new, environmentally-friendly line of cutlery, plates, bowls and containers.

“I am honored and humbled to be recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30,” she says. “This acknowledgment is not just a reminder of my efforts, but to the collective dedication of everyone at Berk Enterprises. It serves as a motivating force, reminding me of the responsibility I hold towards our employees, community and stakeholders.”

Aaron George & Dan Lozada, 26 & 22 | Cofounders, SupplyNow

Founded in 2020, SupplyNow provides on-demand, high-tech digital purchasing and logistics solution solutions for food supply chain issues. They say they save customers on average 11.6% per order, and the average order fulfillment time is just 80 minutes.

Says Aaron: "Being on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Cleveland list, alongside other impressive local leaders, is truly an honor. To us it symbolizes the mark of a relentless spirit and the audacity to dream beyond what's possible."

Elie Haoui, 23 | Cofounder, Milk + Honey

There are few more creative cafes than Milk and Honey, co-founded by 23-year-old Elie Haoui, and now with three locations – including a new one at Tower City Center. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte, anyone?

Ethan Holmes, 30 | Founder, Holmes Mouthwatering

As a young child growing up in Shaker Heights, Ethan Holmes knew that he would someday start his own business. “I had a huge interest in entrepreneurship,” Holmes told GCP in 2022. Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce was launched in 2014. Within a year, Holmes’ products had made their way to store shelves across the region, including Whole Foods, Heinen’s, Dave’s and Giant Eagle. The brand has since expanded across the Midwest. In 2021, Holmes gave the brand a refresh and launched a more competitive line of products to help expand the growing company beyond local and regional markets. Just this summer, Wal-Mart began carrying Holmes Mouthwatering.

““I have applied to the Forbes national list for many years and was never chosen, so being named to this means a lot to me,” says Ethan. “It’s also great exposure. We are launching a new product line this month. We sent our first shipment to Walmart. And we are working with Forbes to be part of their Summit in October.”

The Local Leader lists are an outgrowth of Forbes prestigious 30 Under 30 franchise, the definitive young leaders lists that the company launched a decade ago.

Cleveland is one of just 10 cities to make the Local Leaders list, highlighting the changemakers and groundbreakers who are innovating and inspiring the future in The Land. The other cities include Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Puerto Rico, Seattle and Toronto.

Honorees were nominated through online submissions, industry sources and Forbes alumni. Candidates were evaluated by Forbes writers and a panel of independent judges on factors including funding, revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness and potential. Cleveland judges were Mayor Bibb; Andrew Berry, General Manager, Cleveland Browns; Ashley Keating, Partner, CincyTech; 2023 Forbes Under 30 honoree Marisa Sergi-Schumann, Chief Executive Office, L’uva Bella Winery; and Eddie Taylor, Jr., President, Taylor Oswald (who is on GCP’s Executive Committee.)

The spotlight on Cleveland doesn’t stop there. This October, Forbes brings its 2023 Under 30 Summit to Cleveland, the first of three years in Ohio. The Summit, which has already celebrated more than 10,000 young leaders, will be in Cincinnati in 2024 and Columbus in 2025.