MACON – Mercer Innovation Center (MIC) and SparkMacon are partnering to offer Start-Up Land, a business development program that is free and open to the public, designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who find themselves in the space between an initial idea and an actual business.
Registration is required and is available now at startuplandmacon.eventbrite.com. The program's inaugural cohort will be limited to 20 participants.
The Start-Up Land program, composed of a series of workshops based on the Start-Up Land print piece produced by the College Hill Alliance, begins Jan. 31. The Alliance sunset in 2015 after generating more than $200 million in investment in the College Hill Corridor, a 2-square-mile area between Mercer University and Macon's downtown business district.
Participants in the program will meet twice a month through April as they are led through a hands-on business development experience. Workshops are scheduled for Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 28, March 14, March 28, April 11 and April 25, each taking place from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Mercer Innovation Center.
“We are very excited to launch this new program through the Mercer Innovation Center and look forward to motivating new entrepreneurs,” said Stephanie Howard, deputy director of the MIC. “By partnering with SparkMacon we are able to support a variety or makers and innovators, and support the entrepreneurial efforts of Macon-Bibb.”
“This partnership will help bridge the gap between start-up entrepreneurs and local business resources, to help transform their business ideas into reality,” said Nadia Osman, director of SparkMacon. “The series will also reinforce our entrepreneurial ecosystem and add to our holistic approach to entrepreneurship, which begins with the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a program that we partner with the MIC on already.”
The series will culminate with a business showcase in May, where participants will pitch and/or present their new businesses.
About SparkMacon
SparkMacon is Central Georgia's first makerspace, or space where you can make awesome things, equipped with art and technology tools, equipment and expertise to teach S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and math) skills, offer creatives a place to collaborate and empower entrepreneurs to launch new businesses in the greater Macon-Bibb County community. Think of the space as a gym for your brain! SparkMacon leads classes, hosts events and offers membership to allow access the space's resources. For more information, visit www.sparkmacon.com.
About Mercer Innovation Center
The Mercer Innovation Center offers to aspiring entrepreneurs the programs, networking opportunities, physical space, tools, experts, student interns and access to potential funders that can help take an idea from conception to market. Working in tandem with organizations such as the Atlanta Technology and Development Center and the Atlanta Technology Village, the Mercer Innovation Center will contribute to making Georgia one of the leading start-up centers in the United States. For more information, visit mic.mercer.edu.
