11.08.16
U.S. SBA Presents Growth Accelerator Fund to Northeast Indiana Innovation Center
District Director Stacey Poynter, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), presented the 2016 SBA Growth Accelerator Fund, in the amount of $50,000, to The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC). The award recipients were announced last month, and The NIIC was the single Indiana recipient for the accelerator fund.
According to SBA, the purpose of the grant is to present an opportunity for the SBA to engage with and support organizations whose sole purpose is to help start-ups grow, become commercially viable and have a real and sustained economic impact. The NIIC stated some of the funds would be used to build content for women entrepreneurial users of The NIIC Navigator™ Online Toolset, currently in development.
“Organizations who support women-owned or minority-owned businesses were given special consideration for this grant. We are excited about the opportunity the NIIC Navigator™ will provide to entrepreneurs throughout the state of Indiana through this grant,” said Poynter.
“This is a game changer that will provide a combined online and in-person approach to immersive entrepreneurial training and development for the growing number of innovative women we serve and anticipate serving this coming year through our Women’s Economic Opportunity Center (WEOC) Program. We are rolling out specialized content through the NIIC Navigator™ to our WEOC clients and will expand throughout the state beginning the first quarter of 2017,” stated Karl R. LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC.
The WEOC serves as an official SBA Women’s Business Center, strategically located in and operated by the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC). WEOC assists women entrepreneurs at all venture path states, from business concept and start-up through growth and expansion. WEOC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. For more information, visit www.niic.net.
About The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC)
The NIIC is a non-profit, community-based entrepreneurial resource center that assists in the growth and development of innovative companies in Northeast Indiana. Formed in 1999 by a consortium of community and government leaders and organizations, The NIIC was recently recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top four under-the-radar incubators in the country. The Innovation Center is the country’s only ISO9001:2008 registered business incubation and acceleration programs, serving entrepreneurs, business owners and existing businesses who want to launch, expand or re-invent a company. For more information visit:www.niic.net.
Media Contact: Tammy Allen, Director Marketing Communications & Programs, info@niic.net, telephone 260 407-6442
Photo Cutline:
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) presents SBA Growth Accelerator Fund to The NIIC, shown left to right: Michael Fritsch, Director of Revenue Development, The NIIC; Stacey Poynter, District Director, U.S. SBA; Karl R. LaPan, President and CEO, The NIIC; Sandra Wharton, Director, Women’s Economic Opportunity Center.
