Chamber Helps Open RI-CIE
The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce joined State and City offficials, as well as academic and business leaders on Tuesday, April 28 to officially open the doors at the Rhode Island Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship(RI-CIE), a new facility designed to help train and develop future entrepreneurs.
RI-CIE’s grand opening comes after more than a year of planning and collaboration among government, academic, and business leaders. The Center is designed to be a hub that supplies expertise to the state’s college and university faculties, as well as to researchers and entrepreneurs who want to launch new companies in Rhode Island, focused on high technology, life sciences, design or other knowledge economy businesses.
"This is yet another example of the successful collaboration among businesses, institutions, the city and the state," Edward J. Cooney, vice president & rreasurer of Nortek Inc and Chairman of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors said at the event. "We are hoping that we can use this center as a benchmark for other entities like it nationwide. The Chamber is fully committed to seeing RI-CIE succeed and will work in collaboration to bring our events and activities here."
Background on RI-CIE
Location: One Davol Square, a Jewelry District property owned by Brown University
Size: Up to 5,000 square feet, with conference rooms, meeting spaces and room for expansion
Founding partners: Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Brown University, Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, Slater Technology Fund
Funding: $200,000 total for two years from Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council; and Slater Technology Fund; real estate and space costs, plus compensation for executive director and staff funded by Brown.
Description: A community center for entrepreneurs, RI-CIE provides expertise to college and university faculty in Rhode Island and to researchers and entrepreneurs seeking to launch knowledge economy businesses.
Versatility: RI-CIE will work with existing economic development programs including Brown Forum for Enterprise, Slater Technology Fund, and the Economic Development Corporation’s RI-Nexus program.