Board Member: Harvey Nelson
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Main Street Gourmet
Main Street Muffins (now known as Main Street Gourmet) was founded in 1987 by Harvey Nelson and his partner, Steve Marks. Main Street Gourmet is a manufacturer of gourmet frozen bakery products with sales throughout the United States.
Main Street Gourmet was selected to the 1992 and 1993 “Inc. 500,” a listing of the fastest growing companies in the United States. In 1993, Harvey and Steve were chosen by Inc. Magazine and Ernst & Young as the “1993 Entrepreneurs of the Year Award for Northeastern Ohio.” The U.S. Small Business Administration selected Harvey and Steve as the “1994 and 2011 Small Business Person(s) of the Year.” Main Street Gourmet was also selected in 1994 by Dunn & Bradstreet as one of 50 companies in the United States for the “Best of America” Small Business Award. In 2000, Main Street Gourmet was chosen as the Number One Fastest Growing Company in the Weatherhead 100, a listing of the fastest growing companies in Northeastern Ohio. Harvey and Steve received the 2004 “Entrepreneurial Achievement Award” from Sales & Marketing Executives International. Main Street Gourmet has also received the Pillar Award from SBN Magazine in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2013 for their commitment to Community Service. In 2006, The Greater Akron Chamber recognized Harvey and Steve with the “Entrepreneur(s) of the Year” Award. In 2007, Harvey was awarded the “Outstanding Alumni Entrepreneur” from The University of Akron. In 2009, Main Street Gourmet was presented with the Richard Shatten Civic Distinction Award from Crain’s Leading EDGE Awards. The Shatten Award is presented each year to an exceptional company that goes well beyond the norm in giving back and supporting the Northeastern Ohio community. In 2011, Main Street Gourmet was selected as the Wellness@Work Grand Prize winner from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and 2012, Main Street Gourmet received the “Healthy Worksite” Gold Award from the Ohio Department of Health. In the years 2010-2016 Main Street Gourmet was honored with the North Coast 99 award from ERC for being one of the top places to work in Northeast Ohio.
Harvey is co-founder of the award winning “Muffins for Mammograms Program,” (and the recipient of the National Breast Cancer Board’s “Bronze Award” in 1994), designed to raise funds for free mammograms and to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. Harvey has served as a board member of: Temple Israel (1993-1999); The Jewish Community Center of Akron (1992 – 1999); the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank (1995-2000); a member of the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank Endowment Board (2000 – present); The Entrepreneur in Residence, The University of Akron (2011 – present); ATHENA Powerlink Governing Body (2011-present) and as a member of the Epcon Lane Board of Advisors (2012) and ASI Board of Advisors (2016).
Harvey has also served as President of the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank from 1998 through 2000, Chair of the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank Endowment Board (2009 – present), Chairman of the Civic Forum of the Air, (2002-2011) a member of The University of Akron’s Polymer Advancement Council, (2003-2016), Co-Chair of the Summit Education Initiative Celebrate the Stars 2004 and Member of the Board of Directors for JumpStart, Inc., 2004 – 2005. However, his favorite community involvement is and has been his weekly visits for Junior Achievement as a consultant at various local high schools. For his continuous dedication to education, Harvey was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame in 2002.
Harvey believes he will someday be remembered for his innovative business concepts, his creative, inspirational and fun writings, films and speeches. And if not remembered for that, then at least for the time he found $500 in a wallet and returned the wallet (but felt guilty about keeping the $500).