Housatonic Community College (HCC) in Bridgeport recently held a spring open house for its new Werth Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, offering students and the community a fresh resource for starting or building a business.
“It”™s been an amazing start with enthusiastic and engaged students,” said Housatonic accounting professor Pamela Pirog. “Some students are starting a business, others are exploring their ideas, and we”™re ready to work with them and mentor them, one-on-one.”
HCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader Institution, through the HCC Foundation was the recipient last year of a $1 million donation from philanthropist and business owner, Peter J. Werth Jr. The largest gift from an individual in school history allowed the college to distinguish itself as the first community college in the state to establish this type of entrepreneurship and innovation center.
The center provides space for business incubation, offering business coaching, access to networking opportunities and admission to business workshops and entrepreneurship certification programs. Students may participate in elevator pitch competitions, student entrepreneur pop-up showcases and market their business in the Student Entrepreneur Gallery.
“To be able to form new businesses, these are the seeds of economic growth in the community, said Community Economic Development Fund Business Advisor Frederick Welk Jr. who teaches a “Launch a Business” course to students from both Housatonic and Gateway Community College.
