Category: Entrepreneurship

Allan Blair, the president of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, says Silva is right on the mark about the improved infrastructure for entrepreneurs in the Pioneer Valley, but he still gives a lot of the credit to Angel Investors.

A lifelong city residents, owner Salvatore Circosta runs the emerging business with his two friends Nunzio Bruno, who is the business manager, and Santino Bruno, who is the operations manager.

The other big implication is that economy policies and resources should be geared to supporting this young generation’s entrepreneurial aspirations, instead of trying to keep alive giant corporations that have been the biggest source of job losses – not job creation – for well over a decade now, as shown in the Kauffman Foundation’s landmark study, “The Importance of Startups in Job Creation and Job Destruction.”

For some of the students in the Product Innovation and Development class at Western New England University, inspiration came on the football field. For others it came on the factory floor of Lenox American Saw East Longmeadow or on a school-sponsored trip to hospitals in Guatemala.

Google, the Internet powerhouse, has selected the Modernist chairs of artist Michael Trebbe, of Hampden, to adorn their new corporate headquarters in Cambridge. Google has ordered 10 "Painted Loungers" from Trebbe’s company, Trebbe Modern. The dramatic seating, handmade in the Pioneer Valley, was selected to add color and interest to the public spaces of their office suites.

The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomed Koch to its annual meeting at the Delaney House. The Boston Beer Company boss discussed the Brewing the American Dream micro-loan program designed to help small businesses grow.

iRobot founder Colin Angle said that Friday’s Idea Mill conference here that featured entrepreneurs discussing how they have innovated is the right recipe for Holyoke to breed more entrepreneurship.

For proof that innovation is not dead, we need look no further than Holyoke where a group of local innovators believe the Pioneer Valley could become the next Silicon Valley.

“It is people who are creative innovators and people who are interested in urban revitalization,” said organizer Brendan M. Ciecko. “The conference is a really wonderful crossroads of all of that. We’d been having a number of informal meet-ups. I felt there was a lot more potential for a larger event, given the magnitude of the computer center.”

Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) is a mentoring program that helps early-stage entrepreneurs in western Massachusetts launch their companies. These companies are generally in the pre-funding stage, with many unexplored details to consider. The goal is to match each team with appropriate professional mentors to guide them through the process of establishing their business. Mentors have the opportunity to share their expertise and speak from experience, while supporting the young entrepreneurs through various challenges.

"Western Mass is becoming a craft beer destination," said Sam Braudis, owner of Trubeer. "Hopefully it will continue. It would be great if the revitalization of Easthampton came from the craft beer movement."

Capital is the lifeblood of most all established businesses and start-ups. And for many, obstaining capital has become more difficult in this soft economy. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans can often be a creative solution to the needs of businesses large and small

Economic growth and its resulting jobs are driven by innovation. Innovation comes from talented people. Last year, CNBC named Massachusetts the No. 1 state in education and No. 2 in access to capital. We must work together and do everything possible to earn the No. 1 spot in retaining talent as well. Our success, and the future success of the ...

LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification is the industry’s new buzz term, incorporating various energy-saving programs and environmentally sound practices and materials. There aren’t many who would argue against these design attributes, but is the certification plaque on the wall worth the price of admission? “Yes, clients are concerned with the overall cost of a project, and in many cases they are making the conscious decision to do the right thing,” Edgin said, referring specifically to two current clients at work on new police stations, in Northampton and at UMass Amherst.

Amherst-based Therapeutic Systems — which in May launched its wearable Vayu vest that’s designed to help soothe autistic children — has raised $325,000 in initial seed-round funding in addition to $66,500 in prize and grant money. As one of 125 finalists in MassChallenge, its two executives hope not only to win some of the start-up comp...