Dawn Moore, the winner of the 2022 Project Activate SouthEast competition, dreams of bringing the fine tastes of cognac at her Cigar Lounge & Moore to life.
Moore, 50, won $150,000 at the December event. Founded by Fort Wayne City Councilwoman Sharon Tucker in 2021, PASE brings together aspiring entrepreneurs to incentivize them to locate their new business in southeast Fort Wayne.
“Where do we go to relax and socialize and network in the urban community?” Moore said of her choice of business.
She envisions working-class, middle-aged customers seeking out Cigar Lounge & Moore as a place to enjoy cognac, sophisticated wine and premium cigars. The $150,000 prize would offset her projected $400,000 startup costs, which includes $212,500 for expected remodeling expenses. She anticipates $462,000 in sales in Year 1, with a projected $57,594 in net profit rising to $93,753 in Year 3.
A Fort Wayne native and graduate of Harding High School, Moore went on to study journalism at Indiana University Bloomington while working part time in retail. She later worked as a manager at the Southtown Centre Walmart, got a Master of Business Administration at Indiana Wesleyan University and then went on to be an assistant professor of marketing in Trine’s Ketner School of Business.
She served as the business school faculty lead and an assistant professor of business at Martin University, a predominantly black institution in Indianapolis before returning to her hometown to become director of online programs and credit at Purdue University Fort Wayne. She just recently earned her PhD. in global leadership from Indiana Tech.
Moore would like to return to teaching, which would give her summers off to work her business. She had her eyes set on the former Cloverleaf Bar, 1818 Coliseum Blvd. S., but hadn’t heard anything as of press time.
“It’s the place I prefer in terms of square footage and access to all four quadrants in the city,” Moore said.
Depending on her final location and renovation time, she’d like to see her business in operation by the end of the year or by spring 2024.
As a winner, she’ll also be part of the Greater Fort Wayne Inc. Bridge Program, which provides support for startup entrepreneurs.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.