Innovation Center Officially Open

Posted by: admin on June 8, 2012, No Comments

A ceremony to officially mark the opening of East Stroudsburg University’s Innovation Center took place on Friday, May 4 at 11 a.m. at 562 Independence Road in East Stroudsburg, Pa. The $12 million, three-story facility is dedicated to initiating innovative programs and attracting early-stage companies engaged in 21st century growth industries.  The event was open to the general public at no cost.

ESU President Robert J. Dillman presided in the ceremony, accompanied by Gerald A. Ephault, president of the board of directors for ESU’s Center for Research and Economic Development. Other program participants included: L. Patrick Ross, chair, ESU Council of Trustees; John Blake, Pennsylvania State senator, 22nd District; Mario Scavello, Pennsylvania State representative, 176th District; Michael Carroll, Pennsylvania State representative, 118th District; R. Chadwick Paul, president and chief executive officer, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeast Pennsylvania; Thomas Pellegrini, vice president, Northeast Pennsylvania Alliance; John Moyer, chair, Monroe County Commissioners; Robert Phillips, chief executive officer, Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce; Charles A. Leonard, executive director, Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation;  and Raymond C. Guernsey, executive director, Redevelopment Authority of the County of Monroe.

“Thanks to the university’s share of the state gaming funds, we’ve been able to build out the entire third floor of the center to expand the ESU Business Accelerator program and create the (temporary) Sterling Strauser Gallery,” said Dr. Dillman. “On a more global note, ESU’s Innovation Center is a shining example of the role higher education plays in the development of partnerships and collaborative projects that enable the economy in the Pocono Region to grow and flourish. The staff of ESU’s Division of Research and Economic Development is committed to initiating partnerships, training employees, and providing our students with internship and entrepreneurial experiences that can positively impact their careers.”

In addition to being the address of ESU’s Division of Research and Economic Development and The Sterling Strauser Gallery, the 51,000-square-foot Innovation Center is home to the university’s Office of Sponsored Projects and Research, the Office of Workforce Development, the Entrepreneurship Leadership Center, the ESU Wildlife DNA Laboratory, the Pocono Mountains Keystone Innovation Zone, and the tenants of the ESU Business Accelerator including:

  • A Sound Strategy, Inc. Media Group (ASSi), Dennis Jeter, President, leverages the power of its proprietary software platforms and provides its customers with time-tested business solutions to enhance efficiency and increase their bottom line.
  • Financialfootprint, LLC, David Kittredge, Co-Founder, offers personal finance education tailored for young adults via one-on-one guidance enhanced by website development application and tools.
  • Royal Web Designs, Michael Rosol, President, is a full-service web development company that produces custom high-quality websites, complex web applications and content management systems for small to mid-sized businesses.
  • FD Software Enterprises, LLC,  Dr. Mary DeVito, President, Situational Awareness Systems and advanced information systems for the Defense, Homeland Security, and Healthcare domains.
  • SuccessTSM, LLC  Frederick (Rick) Bailey, CEO, is a software company that provides disaster management solutions in an intelligent and cost-effective manner.
  • Trintek, Inc., Marlon Holder, CEO, provides strategic product development including engineering, assembly, packaging, logistics and field test support for both commercial and defense industries.
  • Innovative Educational Resources, LLC, Ed Connors, President, is a developer of technology-driven resources focused on improving the health, education and productivity of Americans while reducing healthcare costs.
  • Green Atlantic Energy Partners, George Russell, President/CEO, is engaged in all types of renewable energy financing and development.
  • Silver Intelligence, LLC dba Integnol, Antoni Jakubowski, President, provides proprietary business management technology that integrates total productivity solutions for the woodworking industry.
  • Community Unlimited, LLC, Linda Gerkensmeyer, Founder, is a technology-based property management company that utilizes a community’s excess rental capacity for innovative housing solutions.
  • eDentified, Jonathan Weber, Founder, is a powerful people search engine that utilizes a proprietary recursive search algorithm to create a full profile of an individual’s Internet presence and Internet identities based on an email, username, handle, etc. Jonathan Weber was the first-place winner in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s (PASSHE) Business Plan Competition held  April 2, 2012.

These innovative entrepreneurs are creating companies in the areas of information technology, computer science, healthcare, bio-science, renewable energy, web design and related business development interests aligned with the university’s academic programs. Currently, the eleven companies employee 33 full-time employees, and seven part-time employees, and provide student intern opportunities.

“As diverse as the work of the facility’s early stage companies may be, the goal of the ESU Innovation Center itself is strategically focused: to support entrepreneurial and economic development initiatives within the scope of the university’s academic mission, said Mary Frances Postupack, vice president of economic development and research support at ESU. Postupack added, “We are inspired by the number of students interested in starting companies and learning more about entrepreneurship.

Postupack referred to Jonathan Weber, a sophomore majoring in computer science at ESU, who won the First Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Student Business Plan Competition and received $10,000 in business development support this past April; and to Melissa Shaw, who received a master’s degree in biological sciences from ESU, who along with her Professor Dr. Jane Huffman, commercialized Lyme-Aid, a tick testing kit for people and pets.

The Innovation Center’s overall economic impact is expected to result in 595 new jobs and $57 million invested into the Monroe County economy, 630 jobs and $59.4 million invested into northeastern Pennsylvania, and 741 jobs and $85.7M invested into Pennsylvania.

The construction of the Innovation Center is supported by federal, state and county funds including $2.5M from a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project Grant funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; $1.2M from the Economic Development Administration; $75,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission; $1.45M from the Monroe County Local Share Account – Gaming Funds; $281,000 from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; $198,000 from the U.S. Department of Education;  and over $60,000 in legislative support.

For more information about the ESU Innovation Center, contact Postupack at (570) 422-7920 or by email at mpostupack@esu.edu.