CAN DO received an $83,750 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business Development grant program as part of the renovations to be completed at the CAN BE Innovation Center, an equal opportunity provider, located in the Valmont Industrial Park. More specifically, the grant proceeds will be used to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment.
CAN DO Director of Economic Development Jocelyn Sterenchock will speak at the International Business Innovation Association Conference (InBIA), which is being held virtually from June 23-25 due to COVID-19.
Sterenchock will discuss ecosystems for incubation and innovation in rural communities and share how CAN DO, through its CAN BE Innovation Center, and other organizations throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania have placed a strong focus on developing a regional partnership to grow entrepreneurial activity. She will also showcase how The Hazleton Innovation Collaborative (THInC) combined multiple organizations, both public and private, within Hazleton to create a collaborative to help forward small business and entrepreneurial development. In light of changes among businesses and entrepreneurs due to COVID-19, Sterenchock will also discuss how organizations can link ecosystem building to other national, state, and local economic development initiatives.
The COVID-19 pandemic altered the business landscape and forced many companies to adapt their business strategies to produce vital products and services. IntelliGreen answered this challenge by using its expertise in the energy industry to develop a temperature scanner that helps businesses and educational institutions keep employees and students safe during these uncertain times.
CAN BE is joining other members of the Hazleton Innovation Collaborative (THInC) and the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center to sponsor the May Marketing Series designed to help small business owners and entrepreneurs navigate the waters of web and social media development and management.
The May Marketing Series will be hosted by Ryan Hertel of Socialocca, a digital marketing agency based in Wilkes-Barre. The six-part series will be held online every Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. throughout May. Each week will feature one information session and one interactive Q&A session on a different topic.
