A New Program to Support Entrepreneurs We at AlleyNYC and Entrepreneur Media have put together an awesome way to help colleges and incubators shepherd innovation.
By Jason Saltzman Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It is the year 2014. Take note of the times we are in, because they are special. This era will go down in the history books as an entrepreneurial renaissance. More than ever, new businesses are being built. I believe this is brought on by a combination of economic climate and accessibility. Whatever the case is, it's AMAZING. Hard work and intellect are being celebrated and, more than ever, popularity is measured by a keen mix of smarts and ability to execute. No offence to Snookie, by I for one am ecstatic for this rapid change in culture. We need it.
Collegiate programs are shifting focus to be more entrepreneurialism-based. As the culture changes, education platforms around it will continue to change as well as new programs that embrace networking, exposure, and collaboration. It is with this in mind that I am proud to announce a new program that has been inspired by AlleyNYC's partnership with Entrepreneur Media.
Announcing Entrepreneur Factory, a program that helps early-stage companies by providing subsidized office space along with media coverage of each and every sponsored organization. Together, we will be working with colleges, incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurial programs around the world.
Related: An American Entrepreneur in Kuwait on a Mission
We have selected three organizations to be part of the inaugural launch of this program: Cornell University-funded Data Incubator, Kaplan Accelerator, powered by TechStars, and the Startup Leadership Program. Everyone is very jazzed about the potential.
"Startup Leadership is excited to be a part of into the Entrepreneur Factory initiative, Anupendra Sharma, founder of Startup Leadership Program, told me. "Congratulations to Jason and Entrepreneur Media for bringing high-quality programs supported by Startup Leadership, Cornell Data Incubator, and Techstars Kaplan under the same roof. It is a vibrant ecosystem where our startups can thrive, We look forward to seeding a new home for our startups within AlleyNYC, which can not only be a hub for Startup Leadership in New York City, but a destination for our thousand-plus entrepreneurs to visit by from our other chapters around the world."
"Jason's vision for an Entrepreneur Factory is compelling," says Jon Ferris, co-founder of Cornell University-funded Data Incubator. "His idea of bringing together entrepreneurs, universities, technologists, investors, and nonprofits is dynamic and fits in with what we're doing at the Data Incubator. We bring top companies to the table with PhD data scientists, and the Entrepreneur Factory is the perfect place to make this happen. He's doing an an amazing job of bringing people together as a community, and we feel this is a place we'll really thrive."
Related: Noah Kagan on Entrepreneurship, and a Tool to Help Us All
"The Entrepreneurship Factory program is a great example of incubation, and the possibilities for the future of education," says Ash Kaluarachchi, Kaplan Edtech Accelerator, Powered by Techstars. "Giving young founders the opportunity to pursue projects that they are highly motivated to work on is what school should look like. Instead of sitting in classrooms learning facts about how to start a company, they are learning-by-doing and building real skills to reach the next level of performance. This is learning on steroids."
It is programs like this that make my job the best job in the world. To have the ability to help foster the growth of these young companies is something that I feel is extremely special. We will be working diligently on creating new, valuable experiences. And we will be doing so with our partners at Entrepreneur Media.
"Entrepreneur Media could not be more excited to have the ability to empower young, brilliant entrepreneurs, and to be able to sponsor space and provide an outlet for showcasing these new innovative products and services," says Ray Hennessey, editorial director at Entrepreneur.com. "This is the first of many amazing programs we will be executing on in order to help the startup ecosystem."
Entrepreneur Factory will welcome early stage companies into the AlleyNYC family and expose members to our programing plus strategic media exposure. Look for more updates and coverage in the weeks to come. Hustle ON.
