Comcast Fosters Entrepreneurial Spirit at Pennovation Center
Media Contacts: Tony Sorrentino, University of Pennsylvania/Pennovation Center, 215.898.2295, asorrent@upenn.edu
Jennifer Bilotta, Comcast, 215.642.6635, Jennifer_Bilotta@cable.comcast.com
October 24, 2016
The University of Pennsylvania’s Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services announced today that Comcast is sponsoring entrepreneurial education for Pennovation Center, the University’s new business and technology incubator. Affiliated with the Penn Center for Innovation and the University’s Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services, the Pennovation Center will provide students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and local start-ups with coworking office and lab space, as well as informative programming to drive future business success and economic development.
The Comcast sponsorship of the new technology and business incubator will support programs and resources dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial spirit throughout the Philadelphia area. Start-ups, university scholars, and students from the University of Pennsylvania and other colleges will have opportunities to participate in forums, seminars, and events provided by Comcast, focusing on innovation, technology, and business skills.
“Once a small start-up itself, Comcast believes in supporting innovators and inventors across the country. The Pennovation Center will inspire both entrepreneurs and university students as it combines the University of Pennsylvania’s best talent and resources with those of the private sector,” said Sam Schwartz, chief business development officer at Comcast. “Comcast is dedicated to giving back to the local community. Our support of entrepreneurial programming at Pennovation will help these future tech and business leaders innovate to build great businesses and solve the problems of tomorrow.”
The Pennovation Center is a full-service business and technology incubator that is designed for researchers, start-up companies, entrepreneurs, and inventors looking to be part of a unique community of innovators from both the University and the private sector. It provides cutting-edge labs for the life and material sciences; robotics; access to equipment; private offices; and, a coworking space operated by Benjamin’s Desk. The three-story, 58,000 square-foot Pennovation Center is the centerpiece facility of the larger Pennovation Works, a 23-acre precinct of facilities on the southern bank of the Schuylkill River, and adjacent to the University campus.
“Comcast Business is committed to supporting small businesses and helping them find the right tools and technologies to grow,” said David Dombroski, Vice President for Comcast Business, Freedom Region. “By partnering with the Pennovation Center we’ll be able start on that journey with new companies from the very beginning.”
“The Pennovation Center represents a significant achievement in supporting Pennsylvania’s greater culture of innovation, and the support of Comcast demonstrates the commitment of the private sector to building an innovation ecosystem,” said Dawn Bonnell, Vice Provost for Research at the University of Pennsylvania. “We are excited that Comcast will be a resource for Penn’s community of researchers and students engaged in start-ups and disruptive technologies.”
About The Pennovation Center
The Pennovation Center is a 58,000 square-foot, three-story facility designed for start-up companies, entrepreneurs, and inventors looking to be part of a unique community of innovators and includes a full service technology incubator, basic wet and dry laboratories, private offices, inventor garages, and a coworking space for up to 200 members operated by Benjamin’s Desk. It officially opened in September 2016 as the centerpiece of the University of Pennsylvania’s Pennovation Works, a 23-acre development adjacent to the University campus on the southern bank of the Schuylkill River providing facilities and amenities to bridge intellectual and entrepreneurial initiatives among university researchers, private sector innovators, and start-ups.
Visit pennovation.upenn.edu and follow Pennovation Works on Facebook, @Pennovation on Twitter, and @pennovationctr on Instagram.
About the Penn Center for Innovation
The Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) serves as a dedicated, one-stop shop for commercial partnering with Penn by translating Penn discoveries and ideas into new products and businesses, facilitating technology licenses with the private sector, building R&D alliances, and forming new ventures; all with the aim of further supporting R&D and innovation for the benefit of society.
About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
About Comcast Cable:
Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
photo credit: m. moran/OTTO
