Old Dominion University opened a new center in downtown Norfolk Wednesday that will provide office space and resources to entrepreneurs at flexible rates.
The Innovation Center, located at 501B Boush St. in Norfolk, offers about 1,500 square feet of space to startups that need a place to incubate their businesses. The partnership is between the University’s Center for Enterprise Innovation (CEI) and the city of Norfolk. Governor Terry McAuliffe, who attended the opening ceremony Wednesday, said the space will help grow the local economy.
The center will offer technical and business resources from the university and the city, including direct connections to other CEI programs such as the Hampton Roads Veterans Business Outreach Center, the Women’s Business Center and others, according to a release.
The space held a soft launch earlier this year, which caught the attention of four businesses who are currently there. One of these is International Software Sales LLC.
“If you have an idea, and you’re ready to get out of bed every day excited to make it a reality, you should come here, to join us,” David Kern, CEO of International Software Sales LLC, said in a release. “The more of us we have here working together, the more we can move the region forward.”
