Youngstown Business Incubator seeks contributions from community

Youngstown Business Incubator seeks contributions from community

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Business Incubator is requesting the community’s support.

The No. 1 university-affiliated incubator in the world is hoping to raise $2.5 million through public contributions for “critical” investments for portfolio companies and to draw in more companies, YBI Chief Executive Officer Jim Cossler said in a release.

“We firmly believe that if we are successful, the spectacular growth you have seen from our organization these past fourteen years, will pale in comparison to what you will see from us in the next ten,” Cossler writes.

In September, YBI received $3 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to renovate the Vindicator office building.

The cost of the project to renovate the building on the corner of Vindicator Square and West Boardman Street is $5 million. YBI also received $1.5 million from the Ohio Capital Appropriations budget and $500,000 from the City of Youngstown to renovate the building.

To donate go to: ybi.org/donate-now/.