Entrepreneurship is Key to Job Growth
and Wealth Creation

The Innovation Collaborative is the result of countless volunteer hours from community leaders who recognize that entrepreneurship is essential to Erie’s economic development. These leaders worked with Jumpstart to develop a strategy to cultivate Erie’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Erie Lags Behind in Key Indicators

Northwest PA lags behind many regions in Innovation. Why is entrepreneurship and innovation important for our region? The logic is simple: nearly 100% of net new jobs in the last 30 years have come from companies 5 years old or younger.

We’re Closely aligned to Jumpstart’s 77 Recommendations

Jumpstart put forth 77 strategic recommendations that will help Erie’s startup ecosystem. These recommendations range from growing regional business plan competitions to obtaining more risk capital for startup entrepreneurs. The Innovation Collaborative is formed to develop Jumpstart’s 77 recommendations.