SYRACUSE, February 7, 2006 – Key today presented a $100,000 Key Foundation Grant to the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University to support Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) and the South Side Entrepreneurial Connect Project.
“This is a trailblazing gift from the Key Foundation,” said Nancy Cantor, chancellor of Syracuse University. “Now residents on the South Side who dream of starting a business can collaborate with students and faculty in one of the nation’s most dynamic and successful entrepreneurship programs. It’s an opportunity to transform the lives of the participants and to contribute to a bright future for the community and the city.”
The grant from Key Foundation was announced at a news conference in The Groove Restaurant, located on the South Side of the city of Syracuse.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the Falcone Center and the Whitman School,” said Michael Morris, executive director of entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises at the Whitman School. “This grant will make a significant difference in our goal to help foster entrepreneurial activities in the community, as well as to support two important initiatives that can potentially have a great impact on the greater Syracuse area.”
“Key Foundation’s contribution to Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management reflects KeyCorp’s ongoing collaboration with institutions of higher learning to provide students with access to practical, hands-on learning experiences, and underscores Key’s commitment to building economically strong and inclusive communities by helping people of all backgrounds and businesses succeed,” said Stephen D. Fournier, KeyBank’s Central New York District President. “Both programs serve as catalysts for creating and sustaining a culture of entrepreneurial development and economic empowerment. Key’s investment will allow for specific program enhancements and expanded community outreach, especially to women and minority-owned businesses.”
Launched in 2003, the WISE program was developed to foster the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities by women from all walks of life. WISE sponsors an annual symposium to promote entrepreneurial thinking among women in the Central NY area, and to help entrepreneurial women stay connected. The 2006 WISE symposium, sponsored by Key Foundation, will take place April 11 at the Oncenter.
The focus of the South Side Entrepreneurial Connect Project is the creation of new ventures as well as helping to make existing ones sustainable. The program, which seeks to create 100 sustainable ventures over five years, includes infrastructure building, student and faculty engagement through consulting teams, a microcredit fund, training programs for entrepreneurs and opportunities for minority purchasing. The consulting covers areas of expertise throughout the SU campus, from business operations and finance, to law, architecture, information systems and fashion. The infrastructure efforts range from the creation of the South Side Entrepreneurs Association and the SSEC Board, to geographic mapping, a co-marketing program for all South Side ventures, the placement of computers in South Side businesses and the establishment of the first entrepreneurs database.
About Key
Key Foundation is a private foundation funded by KeyCorp, parent company of KeyBank N.A. Grants from Key Foundation principally support organizations that promote economic self-sufficiency and inclusion through financial education and workforce development initiatives. KeyBank N.A. has 59 branch locations and 500 employees throughout its Central New York District.
