Westlake business leaders graduate from Tri-C’s Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program

Three Westlake business leaders took a step toward greater success by completing the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Cuyahoga Community College. 

Emily Kloos of OCS Process Systems, Nicole Ponstingle of Pandata and Laura Sherman of Sustainable Energy Services are among the 26 small-business operators in the program’s latest graduating class. 

Each spent three months at Tri-C studying a specialized business and management curriculum for entrepreneurs. Previous graduates have seen their business outperform the broader economy while exceeding national and local averages in revenue growth and job creation. 

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) is a charitable initiative to unlock the growth and job creation potential of small businesses across the United States by providing them with greater access to business education, financial capital and support services. 

10KSB launched at Tri-C in Cleveland in May 2012. The alumni list for the College’s program now exceeds 700, with graduating business leaders representing a variety of industries. 

Kloos serves as operations manager at OCS Process Systems. The engineering company provides a variety of equipment and services to food, dairy, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers. It is located at 24142 Detroit Road. 

Ponstingle is chief operating officer and partner at Pandata. The company helps clients harness data to solve and simplify complex business challenges and drive success. It is located at 24600 Detroit Road. 

Sherman is chief executive officer at Sustainable Energy Services. The business helps industrial and commercial companies minimize financial loss on utilities through smarter energy consumption and purchase strategies. It is located at 24700 Center Ridge Road. 

For information on 10,000 Small Businesses, visit tri-c.edu/10ksb or call 216-987-3162. Applications are being accepted for the session beginning in September 2021.