Akron Roundtable: Steve Marks & Harvey Nelson

Date and Time

• Thursday, Aug 20, 2026  12pm

Location

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Details

Steven L. Marks is a seasoned entrepreneur, author, and civic leader whose career spans over four decades of transformative business leadership and community impact. As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Main Street Gourmet from 1987 to 2019, Marks helped grow the company into a nationally recognized bakery manufacturer, earning accolades such as “Innovative Bakery of the Year” and inclusion in Inc. Magazine’s list of America’s fastest-growing companies. His business acumen is further reflected in his extensive experience with mergers and acquisitions, private equity partnerships, and board service across diverse industries including food manufacturing, educational software, and specialty consumer goods.

Beyond the boardroom, Marks has been a driving force in philanthropy and civic engagement. He co-founded Muffins for Mammograms, an award-winning initiative supporting breast cancer awareness, and co-founded The Akron Marathon in order to promote health and fitness in his community. His dedication to service has earned him numerous honors, including the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award, the H. Peter Burg Business Leadership Award, and multiple Pillar Awards for Community Service. Marks’s influence extends to nonprofit governance, with board roles including the Akron Community Foundation, The Akron Civic Theatre, American Red Cross of Summit County, and the Greater Akron Chamber.

A proud alumnus of The University of Akron, Marks holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). He thrives on assisting other entrepreneurs and authored a 2021 book entitled: “The Muffin Man Chronicles: Recipes for Entrepreneurial Success.”

Harvey Nelson is the Co-Founder and former Co-CEO of Main Street Gourmet, a company he co-founded and helped build and lead from 1987 through 2022. Over the course of 35 years, Harvey, his partner Steve Marks, and a great team, grew Main Street Gourmet into a nationally recognized business, known for innovation, quality, and community impact.

Beyond his entrepreneurial success, Harvey has always pursued adventure, including two solo hitchhiking stints across America, where he says he got his PhD in appreciation . He has also self-published three books of poetry and one children’s book, where readers have often said, "please stop."

For more than four decades, Harvey has served on corporate and nonprofit boards across industries ranging from food manufacturing and real estate development to polymer science and small business mentoring.

His business achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Inc. 500, U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Person of the Year—twice—along with honors such as Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst & Young and The Greater Akron Chamber, America’s Most Successful Small Manufacturers by Industry Week Magazine, and multiple community service and philanthropy awards.

Equally committed to giving back, Harvey has been deeply involved in community initiatives. He currently serves as Chairman of the Akron-Canton Foodbank Endowment, board member of ArtsNow, facilitator for Akron Children’s Hospital Behavioral Development leadership team, First Tee volunteer, and EntrepreNew mentor. He is also the founder of Muffins for Mammograms, an award-winning program that has raised awareness and provided free mammograms for women in need. Over the years, he has mentored high school and college students, taught in Junior Achievement for three decades, and worked closely with a wide range of nonprofits and Jewish community organizations in leadership positions.

Harvey earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from The University of Akron. A lifelong learner, leader, and mentor, his career reflects not only entrepreneurial success but also a deep commitment to creativity, community, and helping others.

Yet, Harvey really wants to be remembered for the time he found a wallet and returned it. He's still searching for who could have taken the $500 in cash.