Kathleen Martel, left, Jamestown Community College’s workforce development director, holds a large check with Brianna Shay, the coordinator of innovation and entrepreneurship at JCC, after the college’s Hatch business incubator was awarded the Springboard $25,000 prize during a ceremony at Cattaraugus County Campus Cutco Theater on Oct. 23.
OLEAN – The Hatch Business Incubator at Jamestown Community College was one of eight organizations awarded a total of $200,000 in the final round of Springboard, a new regional prize competition launched this year that aims to support those contributing to and expanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Buffalo, Rochester and Southern Tier communities.
The Hatch Business Incubator was presented $25,000 during an event hosted by the Small Business Development Center at JCC at the college’s Cattaraugus County Campus Cutco Theater recently. It was one of 196 applicants from Western New York vying for prize money.
The Hatch will use the money to fund internship opportunities to give students hands-on experiences while providing local small businesses additional support at no cost.
“Winning Springboard is giving us the opportunity to not only give incredible opportunities to our JCC students, but it also allows us to connect with the communities we live in,” said Brianna Shay, the coordinator of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at JCC.
Of the 196 applicants, The Hatch was one of 12 organizations asked to make a pitch to four judges.
“We talked about the importance of supporting the small businesses in the area to continue growth in rural communities and how JCC Workforce Development is here to support businesses in the region,” Shay said. “We also stressed the importance of our students getting involved with helping the local businesses. As we pitched, we will use half of the funds to pay students to work for them via internships. The other half will go to any small project a business in the area may need help with.”
The program was open to for-profit or non-profit applicants with an Employer Identification Number that operate in the nine counties of western New York, including Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans or Wyoming counties
A total of 26 organizations coming from a pool of 447 applicants were awarded $610,545 in three rounds of Springboard’s 2024 pilot program. Financial awards were based on the amount requested by applicants and the project’s merit as determined by judges for specific projects.
The Hatch Business Incubator, located on JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean, is a supportive environment that helps new and existing businesses and entrepreneurs grow and succeed. The Hatch provides resources, guidance, amenities, and physical space on campus, as well as mentors, networking opportunities, and workshops and classes.
“We are delighted to host the final Springboard awards and to see so many Southern Tier organizations apply and win funding for entrepreneurial activities in rural communities,” said Courtney Curatolo, director of the Small Business Development Center at JCC. “We have been blown away by the robust response in all three rounds from so many diverse, innovative, and engaged organizations working to support entrepreneurs of all kinds. More than a half a million dollars will now be fueling entrepreneurial organizations and programs throughout the region that will boost the possibility of success and growth for small businesses and entrepreneurs.”
Visit sunyjcc.edu/workforce/hatch to learn more.
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