AUBURN - Talk to Cayuga Community College (CCC) professor Thomas Paczkowski for a few minutes and it becomes clear he's passionate about the school's budding efforts to encourage more entrepreneurship in its community.
He ticks off future programs and initiatives like a shopping list: incubator space for young companies, a businessplan competition, mentor networks, referral services for those seeking legal or accounting help, and many more.
Fortunately for Paczkowski, he's not alone in his enthusiasm.
"There are lots of billionaires out there who started with an idea, but with no idea how to run or start a business," says Robert Pine, a member of the board of trustees for CCC and one of those who, along with Paczkowski, is helping launch the schools' entrepreneurial efforts to fill a community need. "There is a total lack of entrepreneurial learning in our community and probably most other communities our size.
"We're hoping this project helps change that."
A trio of charitable foundations and the state has provided substantial money toward CCC's efforts. So far, the college has secured or expects to receive nearly $1.9 million.
The money will go toward establishing the Stardust Institute for Entrepreneurship, a facility to be located in downtown Auburn that will oversee much of the entrepreneurial projects.
The institute will be run by a nonprofit corporation that will likely be formed sometime this month, Paczkowski says. The corporation will then begin the process of hiring a director for the institute and a staff.
That director will work closely with a new endowed chair in entrepreneurship and innovation at CCC. The Fred L. Emerson Foundation, a charitable foundation based in Auburn, provided a $500,000 grant for the position, which will come online in 2008.
"The Emerson Foundation was very much intrigued and inspired by the college's plans," says Daniel Fessenden, executive director at the Emerson Foundation.
Paczkowski hopes to see the downtown facility housed in the former Kalet's Department Store building, a site he says is "in need of some care." The college and the city, which currently owns the building, have had some preliminary discussions on using the 15,000-square-foot site for the institute, he adds.
The varied elements of the institute should take three to five years to launch fully. When up and running, the facility will have three centers grouped around similar efforts:
* One will focus on entrepreneurial initiatives and include aspects like incubator space, mentoring, referral services, and possibly consulting services in areas such as marketing and businessplan development.
* A second center will focus on workforce and community development and include training programs, professional-development courses, and efforts to increase entrepreneurship in non-business areas like the arts, health-care, and other social causes.
* The third will focus on entrepreneurial studies and include coursework and learning for college students and public-school students.
In the long run, Paczkowski hopes to see the Stardust Institute house other tenants like a federal Small Business Development Center similar to the one at Onondaga Community College (OCC), the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, county and city planning offices, and more.
"My vision is that there are going to be a lot agencies in this structure," he says. "I'd love to see it as a one-stop shop for someone looking to start a business."
The college and the institute will carefully coordinate their efforts with each other and other area agencies so they don't duplicate effort or compete with each other, Paczkowski adds.
"There is no suggestion here that existing agencies aren't doing a good job," he says. "They're doing a dam good job. We want to complement what they're doing."
The college continues to pursue grants to fund the effort. When the institute is established it will also generate revenue by charging rent to tenants of the facility, through consulting fees, and training fees.
In addition to the $500,000 from the Emerson Foundation, the charitable Stardust Foundation of Scottsdale, Ariz. has already given $40,000 for the project and committed $1 million over five years. The state provided $56,000 for the efforts and the college also expects to receive about $300,000 of the $3-million entrepreneurship grant Syracuse University received in December from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Mo.
CCC was one of several partners in that grant proposal, which also included Le Moyne College, Morrisville State, College, OCC, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the Central New York Community Foundation, the Gifford Foundation, the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, Messenger Associates, Inc., and National Grid.
Paczkowski says CCC's project has reached far beyond what he originally envisioned - a few college courses and maybe a certificate or degree program.
"This thing has evolved," he says. "I think it speaks to the enthusiasm and the faith people have in what we're trying to do here."
© 2007 Central New York Business Journal Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.
