Youngstown Business Incubator gets grant to form online community

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Business Incubator has received a grant to form an online community to reach out to former Mahoning Valley residents who have built their careers elsewhere.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation has awarded the incubator $5,000 to create the network based on LinkedIn, a social networking site for professionals.

Julie Michael Smith, chief development officer of the incubator, said the initiative came out of the attention incubator received from a story about it on National Public Radio in February. Hundreds of former area residents sent e-mails to the incubator to learn more about it or to offer to get involved with one of its companies.

For the complete story, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com