Innovate Newport, Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG), and RIHub, Rhode Island’s innovation campus, celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Entrepreneurial Hub at Innovate Newport.
The grand opening and ribbon-cutting occurred on April 7 at Innovate Newport and was a celebration of entrepreneurship and community. Representatives of the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, along with other business support organizations, were also present at the event to meet local entrepreneurs and share useful resources.
The purpose of Innovate Newport, a non-profit organization launched in partnership between the City of Newport and the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, is to foster innovation and entrepreneurship with qualitative programming and supportive resources for businesses in all phases of development.
“Innovate Newport is a prime location for cultivating a community of innovators and entrepreneurs all in one space, and the Entrepreneurial Hub will be a tremendous launching pad for start-ups and next stage growth businesses,” said Mollie Frazer Williams, Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship for the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce in a provided statement.
The partnership with SEG and RIHub to launch the Entrepreneurial Hub is an important accomplishment in centralizing these efforts to support and foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Greater Newport region and to further Innovate Newport’s vision of establishing an innovation district in the heart of the City of Newport.
The Entrepreneurial Hub at Innovate Newport will offer entrepreneurs:
• Workshops and office hours for entrepreneurs to help troubleshoot business challenges • Networking opportunities
• Coworking membership exchange, where members from SEG’s other coworkings locations will have opportunities to work in Newport and vice versa
• Free coworking space for Newport-based entrepreneurs currently enrolled in SEG and RI HUB programs
“We have been strategic partners with Innovate Newport from the very beginning and this is an exciting realization of our vision of building an ‘entrepreneurial hub within a hub’ with a focus on impact and equity,” said Kelly Ramirez, CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse in a prepared statement. “Through this work, we aim to ensure that we are offering culturally relevant services and support that meet the needs of all entrepreneurs and small businesses on Aquidneck Island.”
“We are thrilled to partner with SEG and Innovate Newport to be a part of the Entrepreneurial Hub”, said Annette Tonti, Managing Director RIHub in a statement, “We see a significant uptick of startups coming from southern Rhode Island and now we can offer all of RIHub’s programming through Innovate Newport’s Entrepreneurial Hub”
More information on each organization can be found below;
About Social Enterprise Greenhouse
Social Enterprise Greenhouse creates a positive social and economic impact by providing social entrepreneurs and enterprises with the tools and networks they need to thrive. It fosters an ecosystem of diverse stakeholders who work to enable a more just, equitable, and resilient economy. The organization operates throughout Rhode Island from programming sites in Providence, Newport, and Pawtucket/Central Falls. Its network of 600+ social enterprises and 250+ business and community leaders contributes time, expertise, and funding to grow Rhode Island’s social impact ecosystem. Learn more by visiting www.segreenhouse.org.
About RI Hub
RIHub is Rhode Island’s first Innovation Campus. Started in 2019, they enable and accelerate entrepreneurial ventures that have the potential to become high-impact high-growth businesses. They help turn ideas into startups and startups into scalable growth companies. They work to build an engine of growth for Rhode Island by connecting Entrepreneurs, inventors, students, investors, and corporate leaders. RIHub provides incubation space, an online community portal as well as numerous programs to enable growth for entrepreneurs. They provide curated startup introductions to investors and corporate innovation teams to help startups find a pathway to growth and success.
About Innovate Newport
Innovate Newport is a coworking space and private office provider with the goal of supporting the Greater Newport region as a driving ecosystem for business enablement and innovation. We provide flexible space, access to resources, and a collaborative community that allows businesses to thrive. Through our co-working space, business events, strategic partnerships, dynamic programming, and networking, Innovate Newport aims to cultivate a community of collaborators, innovators, and entrepreneurs.