WARREN – The Akron Community Foundation has awarded BRITE Energy Innovators $1,000 to facilitate its work with eight Akron-metro startups. BRITE is an Ohio-energy incubator that has assisted nearly 300 new energy startups statewide.
“Akron and Warren have a long history of working together – from Simon Perkins to the eBay program – we have a lot of places to grow together. The commitment from the Akron Community Foundation continues to build on the relationship in our goal to support cleantech startups in the region,” said CEO Rick Stockburger.
The collaboration is hoped to open avenues for economic development in the Akron and Summit County area by assisting with fundraising, capacity building, and transformation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
BRITE’s resources complement other Ohio Third Frontier initiatives with partners like JumpStart, Bounce and the University of Akron. The Ohio Third Frontier is a state-recognized community of experts and organizations dedicated to increasing entrepreneurial success.
With BRITE Energy Innovators exclusive specialization in energy-tech, the partnership will facilitate conversations between national cleantech investors and the Akron startups.
Currently, there is a waiting list for BRITE’s support and the Akron Community Foundation grant will serve to build out the capacity to serve the Akron-based startups.
In order to satisfy the goals of the funding, BRITE will review pertinent information provided by partners and then assist in areas specific to BRITE’s expertise through a management workflow system.
The Akron Community Foundation Civic Affairs committee annually awards grants to programs that address the workforce-skills gap, support economic-empowerment initiatives, and boost neighborhood-revitalization programs, among other initiatives.
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