José Otero, Entrepreneurial & Procurement Specialist
Happy New Year! In 2018 the collaboration between various agencies within the entrepreneurial ecosystem grew stronger and deeper. On December 18, 2018 ETAL Transfer Authority, Bridge to Pittsburgh and Startup Alleghenies participated with Pitt Tech Council on TECHVibe Radio.
Right around minute 30 is where you can hear our section, but if you want more information and resources, the entire podcast will be a true delight.
Our local economy is growing due to the rising interest of entrepreneurship and the resources available to those that are seeking them. Let’s continue the momentum of collaboration to continue to build our economy into a prosperous new year.
Pictured above: All four Startup Alleghenies coaches including the two newest additions Andrew Trexler (Bedford) and Debra Clark (Huntingdon and Fulton), as well as existing coaches Rick Lasek (Blair County) and our very own, Jose Luis (Cambria).
Startup Alleghenies (SUA) is ready to support entrepreneurs in the Alleghenies from three additional counties, Bedford, Fulton and Huntingdon. This expansion means that the Startup Alleghenies movement has expanded to all six counties in the Southern Alleghenies, and often, beyond.
“We’re delighted to welcome entrepreneurs and partners from Bedford, Fulton and Huntingdon Counties into the Right Here. Right Now. movement we launched to create the next great startup zone in the Alleghenies,” said Debbi Prosser, director business-development, Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission (SAP&DC).
“We believe our Entrepreneur Coaches are the critical entry-point and ongoing mentors for entrepreneurs, connecting them to all that the SUA network has to offer,” explained Prosser, “so we’ve hired two new entrepreneurial Coaches, Andrew Trexler and Debra Clark, to ensure entrepreneurs in our newest counties also receive all the help they need to get their ideas to market.”
Andrew Trexler will focus on Bedford County while employed by the Bedford County Development Association, and Deborah Clark, will cover Huntingdon and Fulton Counties while employed by Huntingdon County Business and Industry.
In addition to personalized coaching, Startup Allenghenies entrepreneurs benefit from a network of resources available ecosystem-wide, including nine entrepreneur work spaces, programs such as TechCelerators and the BIG IDEA Contests organized by Startup Alleghenies Founding partner, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, as well as help with business plan development from St. Francis University Small Business Development Center (SBDC), marketing, legal and financial advice. Startup Alleghenies partners also sponsor networking opportunities for entrepreneurs throughout the year.
Prosser credits additional funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) with making this growth possible. “In expanding our POWER grant, by just over $1.2 million, ARC acknowledged Startup Alleghenies success, due in large part to our network of committed partners in Blair, Cambria and Somerset Counties,” Prosser added.
If you have a new business idea, want to expand your existing business or just want to learn more about what it takes to take your idea to market, register with SUA today—Right Here. Right Now.
If you have a new, tech-based business idea or you are developing an innovative product, process, or software application, you’ll want to check out this program! As part of the Startup Alleghenies initiative, the BF TechCelerator@Johnstown is providing a business startup accelerator, along with one-on-one mentoring sessions, for emerging tech-entrepreneurs.
Beginning Tuesday, July 10, 2018, the eight-week program will be held in alternating locations which include 814 WORX and the JARI Center for Business Development. Our Accelerators are free of charge, but space is limited. Contact Jerry Hudson at or José Otero at .
Business mentoring from Ben Franklin’s Transformation Business Services Network and local economic development and startup experts will be available at no cost. General topics to be discussed over the eight weeks include:
Customer discovery
Business and revenue models
Value propositions
Legal issues
Cost structures and more.
You’ll come away from this experience with a viable business model as well as a list of networking contacts and a concrete path forward. However, perhaps the most important thing you will gain is the confidence that comes from knowing if it’s the right time for you to start your own tech-business – or not.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Not only will you receive up to $1,000 to help with your initial accounting, legal, or customer discovery costs, you will also have the chance to pitch your business idea to a panel of judges at the completion of the eight weeks. If you win, you could be awarded up to $10,000 in seed funding to help get your startup UP and running.
Not sure if a TechCelerator is right for you? Check out this video of a recent graduation event held in Altoona.
