Syracuse University

Syracuse University's South Side Innovation Center (SSIC), a community based
microenterprise incubator operated by SU's Whitman School of Management, today
announced the expansion of its space to accommodate seven new small businesses, two
anchor tenants, and more virtual members. The expansion -- made possible in part
through support from Assemblywoman Joan Christensen -- enables the SSIC to support
the creation and growth of more than 25 resident businesses.

Established in 2006, the SSIC currently is home to 16 resident businesses, providing
Syracuse-area entrepreneurs with business training and support to improve the economic
development in Syracuse's South Side community. At 10 a.m., the SSIC marked its
expansion with a press conference featuring Assemblywoman Christensen and Eric
Spina, vice chancellor and provost of Syracuse University. A selection of SSIC tenant
businesses also participated and a tour of the expanded space was offered.

"This expansion of the SSIC speaks volumes about the impact that SU and all of its
partners in this facility are having on the neighborhood," says Syracuse University
Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. "Our overall South Side initiative has trained
more than 1,600 entrepreneurs and has helped launch 12 new businesses this year alone.
Within the SSIC, we're incubating 31 more new resident and virtual ventures right now-
and we're accelerating by opening up this new space to enable us to cultivate even more
home-grown businesses and create more jobs in this neighborhood. None of this would be
possible without committed partners like Assemblywoman Joan Christensen, who helped
secure funding for this expansion. We're so grateful for her vision and support in joining
with us to help residents transform their lives and strengthen the local economy."

"The South Side Innovation Center is another resource for small businesses to tap into,"
says Assemblywoman Joan Christensen. "It is my goal to aid small businesses as much as
I can, both for the character and economic well-being of the community."

Some of the SSIC's current resident tenants include:

• Funk N'Waffles, a specialty Belgian waffle cafe;
  
• Bluetree Studios, a fair trade business that sells fairly and responsibly traded
  products from abroad;
  
• BD Trauma Scene Clean - a biological, infectious, and hazardous material
  abatement and disposal company;
  
• FYM Logic - an electrical technology services company;
  
• The Real Estate Society - an online agent referral service for sellers and buyers;
  
• Luxurious Hair Boutique - a company offering an extensive variety of premium
  wigs and hair products online;
  
• Count It All Joy - a company offering custom gifts for newborns, featuring the
  popular Moses basket;
  
• and The Stand - a monthly community newspaper for neighbors, businesses, and
  friends in the South Side of Syracuse.
  

"With this expansion, the SSIC will have even more opportunities to assist entrepreneurs
start and grow their businesses," says Nola Miyasaki, executive director of the Falcone
Center for Entrepreneurship in the Whitman School. "We are grateful to the
assemblywoman and to all our partners who have consistently rallied behind the SSIC
since its inception just a few years ago. Together, we have made the SSIC a vibrant
community cornerstone that is helping to affect change in Central New York."

The SSIC fosters the creation of new ventures and helps existing businesses grow. The
program is part of the larger South Side Entrepreneurial Connect Project (SSECP), which
seeks to establish a vibrant entrepreneurial culture in the South Side and surrounding
communities through the creation of sustainable ventures, infrastructure building, student
and faculty engagement through consulting teams, a micro-credit loan fund, training
programs for entrepreneurs, and opportunities for minority purchasing.

For more information, contact SU News Services, at (315) 443-3784.