Written by: Lisa Karel

Lisa Schilthius is the classic innovator-type of person our small business coaches at Operation HOPE get to work with every day. With years of experience in their “day job,” they are able to identify an untapped need in the market that will make their customers’ lives better. For Lisa, an occupational therapist by profession, it was while she was working with seniors with memory loss that sent her on her entrepreneurial mission. Lisa started talking with her daughter, Alyssa Zehr, who was also an occupational therapist, about what she was seeing and how they might be able to help. Together, they started developing activity books, journals, puzzles and building kits that caregivers could use to spur interactions with their senior patients. In 2021, the duo formed GrandMinds LLC to expand the reach of their groundbreaking products.

With help from Lisa’s son, Elijah, Lisa and Alyssa started out producing the books and puzzles by hand, but as orders picked up, they knew that wasn’t going to be sustainable. What Lisa needed was an infusion of capital so that she could invest in a manufacturing process to mass produce GrandMinds’ products. She decided to participate in the 53 Voices Challenge, a pitch competition sponsored by one of Operation HOPE’s banking partners, Fifth Third Bank. The competition required small business owners to submit a 53-second video and one-pager explaining their business concept. Out of more than 400 applicants, GrandMinds took home first place–a $7,500 prize.

But the grant money wasn’t the only positive thing to come out of the 53 Voices Challenge for Lisa. During the competition, she was introduced to Operation HOPE Small Business Coach Brooke Ratliff, who set Lisa on a long-term path for growth. To start with, Lisa joined an online seminar hosted by Brooke that focused on how to write a business plan. Lisa found that conducting a market analysis enabled her to look at her business more objectively so that she could further refine her products to meet market needs.

“I had no idea how to do a business plan before meeting Brooke,” said Lisa. “The workshop was rigorous, but the workload was manageable because it was a weekly course, with assigned homework. Brooke was always available to answer questions specific to my circumstances, which was invaluable.”

The business plan Lisa developed with the help of Brooke’s seminar was key to GrandMinds finishing third in another competition. She and Alyssa used this new round of grant money to expand GrandMinds’ product line.

“Lisa is that rare entrepreneur who has the right balance of vision, commitment, and expertise that moves her forward to crush her goals,” said Brooke.

Lisa gives Brooke and Operation HOPE a lot of credit for the fact that GrandMinds now has a loyal customer base across the country. The next goal for the company is to offer a techenabled product that would help engage patients with later-stage dementia. But wherever her entrepreneurial journey takes her, Lisa’s confident Brooke will be along for the ride.

“She gets what my family and I are trying to achieve with this business. She’s always accessible when I have questions, and I hear from her regularly with news about new grant opportunities,” said Lisa. “I’m so grateful to have her in our corner.”