With the close of National Entrepreneurship Week here at LIGHTS, we look forward to celebrating a newcomer to the maker community in our region.
For the final theme “Entrepreneurship for Everyone”, we are reminded that entrepreneurship is more than just starting a business. For some, it’s innovating with a centuries-old tradition, while for others it’s maintaining a mindset of experimentation, continual learning, and hard work.
Entrepreneurship can be found all the way from urban skyscrapers to our nation’s rural communities seeking to reinvent themselves. A new wave of entrepreneurs has begun to find meaning through creating social impact with innovative ideas.
To celebrate this broad community of innovators, makers, thinkers, and entrepreneurs, it is only fitting that we announce a new arrival to the LIGHTS network: The Shawnee State University Kricker Innovation Hub!
The Innovation Hub will be a flagship building for the University to promote innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship across multiple disciplines. With over 20,000 square feet and four floors, the Kricker Innovation Hub will provide value through a community maker and coworking space; small and micro-business incubation; data analytics resources; and more.
Located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, Shawnee State University is repositioning itself for a greater campus-community connection with this shared use facility. Community-connected spaces like the Kricker Innovation Hub are a critical piece of the LIGHTS mission. A strong social dimension helps to create the dynamic ecosystem in which entrepreneurs thrive by sharing new ideas and perspectives among groups.
This community of innovation provides the intangible benefits that often go unseen; having someone who can give honest feedback is sometimes all it takes to move an innovative idea forward!
The idea of being a “Hub” represents having multiple functional spaces within the building; the Innovation Hub will be a natural focal point for activating ideas, practicing creativity, and connecting like-minded individuals.
In the LIGHTS network, a “Hub” also represents a significant node in our region’s innovation ecosystem, and we are excited to see our partner institutions leading the charge towards a bright future!
Stay tuned for more information, grand opening information, and upcoming events! You can see more now by visiting the Shawnee State University website.