The Winning Mindset: Showing Up, Taking the Chance and Getting in the Game
There’s something special that happens when you get a room full of people who are willing to share what they’ve learned along the way.
That was certainly the case Monday evening at the SSU Kricker Innovation Hub, where Ignite alumni, Shawnee State students and student-athletes, faculty, business owners and community members came together for The Winning Mindset networking event to help kick off registration for the Ignite Appalachia Business Bootcamp and Pitch Competition. Part of Shawnee State University’s Week of Welcome, the evening was filled with good food, new connections, a few laughs and plenty of encouragement from three entrepreneurs with ties to athletics and Shawnee State: Pat Rigsby, Matt Keeney and Brittani Wolfenbarker, MBA.
And while each of our guests took a very different road to get where they are today, there was a common thread running through their stories: success rarely follows a straight line.
Get in the Game
Matt Keeney knows a thing or two about taking an unconventional path.
The entrepreneur behind Keeney’s Kitchen and Dreamboat Fitness spoke candidly about his experience in school, building businesses, surrounding himself with the right people and believing that where you start doesn’t determine where you can finish.
Matt Keeney talked about how his team and family helped him grow a multi-million-dollar food business called Keeney’s Kitchen.
“I graduated last in my class. Now, I’m running a multimillion-dollar business with 60 staff members. I’m passionate about what I do…but I’m only as good as the team that I built. It’s only because of my team that I am standing here today… If I can do it, you can do it. My question to you is, are you in the game or are you standing on the sidelines?” said Matt Keeney.
It was a fitting question for a room that included aspiring entrepreneurs alongside people who have already experienced the ups, downs and occasional curveballs that come with owning a business. Sometimes the hardest part is simply deciding to get off the sidelines.
Believe in Yourself Enough to Begin
For Shawnee State alumna and two-time All-Conference athlete Brittani Wolfenbarker, taking that chance meant putting herself out there online.
While earning her degree and competing as an SSU athlete, Brittani began creating content and ultimately grew her social media audience to more than 75,000 followers. She shared practical advice about personal branding, but perhaps her most important message had little to do with algorithms or social media strategy.
Brittani Wolfenbarker, an SSU grad and athlete, talked about online branding and social media.
It was about having the courage to start.
"During my time at Shawnee State being a student-athlete, I never knew what experiences would shape my future. What started as a creative outlet actually became a way to connect with others and helped me develop skills that I still use today. I hope current students have the courage and freedom to try something new, because you never know what opportunities it might bring," said Brittani Wolfenbarker.
That lesson translates well beyond social media. New ideas often look a little crazy before they work. Entrepreneurs have to be willing to try, learn, adjust—and occasionally fail in public.
That’s part of the process.
Find Your People. Build Your Network.
Entrepreneur, coach, author and business builder Pat Rigsby brought another important piece of the winning mindset into focus: the people around you matter.
Today, an aspiring entrepreneur can find an almost endless supply of information online. You can watch a video about writing a business plan, ask AI to explain marketing or find a podcast about nearly any challenge you’re facing.
But information isn’t the same thing as having somebody in your corner.
Entrepreneur, coach, author and business builder Pat Rigsby has ties to the Portsmouth community and Shawnee State Athletics.
Reflecting on what he experienced at the Hub’s The Winning Mindset event, Pat shared:
“The Kricker Innovation Hub is doing something special with Ignite Portsmouth. They've built a room where current and aspiring entrepreneurs sit side by side, which is more valuable now than ever before. Information is everywhere now; an event like this isn't. Shawnee State University & Portsmouth should be very proud of what they've built here,” said Pat Rigsby.
That gets right to the heart of what we hope to accomplish through entrepreneurship programming at Shawnee State.
You Don't Have to Build It Alone
At the Kricker Innovation Hub, we believe entrepreneurship is for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. You don’t need a business degree. You don’t need to have everything figured out. And you certainly don’t need to walk through the door with the perfect idea.
“What makes Ignite special is that it doesn’t end when the pitch competition is over. We’re seeing businesses that started as an idea in an Ignite cohort now open and growing in our community, serving customers and creating jobs. Just as important, those founders stay connected. They mentor one another, share resources and encourage the next person who is thinking about taking that leap. That’s how we grow an entrepreneurial community, one business and one relationship at a time,” said Gina Collinsworth, Director of Entrepreneurship & Community Engagement, Kricker Innovation Hub
Gina Collinsworth, Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement Director for the Shawnee State University Kricker Innovation Hub.
Sometimes you just need a place to start and a few good people willing to help you along the way. That philosophy is central to Ignite Appalachia: Scioto County Business Bootcamp & Pitch Competition. Ignite brings aspiring and existing entrepreneurs together to work on their businesses, learn practical skills, meet mentors and just as importantly, learn from one another.
Because some of the best conversations at Ignite don't necessarily happen at the front of the room.
· They happen when one founder says to another, “I’ve been through that. Here’s what worked for me.”
· They happen when a mentor makes an introduction.
· They happen when somebody who has been sitting on an idea finally meets someone who says, “You know, I think you've got something there.”
That's how entrepreneurial communities grow—one relationship at a time.
Ready to Get in the Game?
Registration is now open for the next Ignite Appalachia: Scioto County Business Bootcamp & Pitch Competition, beginning September 15, 2026.
Whether you've been running a business for years, have an idea scribbled in a notebook, are working on a side hustle or simply want to find out whether entrepreneurship might be for you, there's a seat at the table. The classes are free.
And if Monday night's conversation taught us anything, it's that you don't have to know exactly where the road will lead before you take the first step. You just have to be willing to get in the game.
Photos courtesy of Toni Dengel.
