A new "Y" incubator


"Y"s are all the rage these days in business incubator naming. Since the launch of Y Combinator in 2005, and the resulting success of many of its incubated creations, Y Combinator has caught the attention of the new venture creatorati [yes, this is a word that I just created]. Some of Y Combinator's most notable successes have included scribd, justin.tv, weebly, Dropbox, and reddit.

Let me be the first to tell you about the latest Y incubator: Y-Enterprise. This time, the Y is there on purpose...Y stands for Yonkers, the city in New York that is offering a boatload of benefits to attract new ventures to find their home in the Y, up the Hudson from the big M [aka Manhattan, ever heard of it?].

Here are some of the carrots Mayor Amicone is dangling in front of new venture creators to entice them to the 8,000 square foot facility in his town:
  • private office space at reduced rental rates
  • communal meeting space to cross-pollinate ideas
  • internet and phone service
  • sundry office equipment (copiers, fax, scanner)
  • reception and administrative staff
  • access to professional business development, legal and accounting support
Cities around the country are considering business incubators as an additional device in the economic development game. Have you taken advantage of a business incubator near you?

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