UMES receives federal funding to expand Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is growing opportunity in Princess Anne.
Federal Funding
UMES is expected to be awarded $2.3 million from the United States Senate. The funding is just part of a $14,111,000 piece of legislation. The bill is aimed at providing direct federal funding for community-led projects that aim to boost small businesses in Maryland.
UMES’ Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (the Center) will directly benefit from the funding. Dr. Pamela Allison is the Endowed Chair of the Center. She says the money will help the program to move to a brick-and-mortar location. There, the hope is for entrepreneurs to watch their hard work come to life.
“What we’re looking to do with this funding is create a retail and food and beverage incubator,” said “What that means is you can startup a business in a safer environment. It’ll be education-based and will have mentors to help you through every step, but most importantly, it’s going to be the bridge to education on how to be an entrepreneur, and actually bringing your products to the large-scale market.”
In addition to the brick-and-mortar location, Dr. Allison says entrepreneurs will have the chance to pair their products with online marketing tools.
Making Dreams Come True
The Center is relatively new in its mission, says Dr. Allison. However, it has already helped to make dreams come true.
“We have workshops and seminars, we have speakers, we have equipment for them to use. We can take a person all the way from idea to prototype,” Dr. Allison said. “So, we have a couple of entrepreneurs that are actually in business right now, but we’re still in a lot of the startup stage.”
Getting real world hands-on experience can often make the difference between new business success and failure, says Dr. Allison; and, providing that support when entrepreneurs are just starting out can also foster a stronger sense of community.
“We’re looking to bring economic development and some revitalization to Princess Anne. The ultimate goal is to have all those entrepreneurs start their businesses here, become successful, and stay here and create greater, expansive economic development,” Dr. Allison said.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Allison says UMES cannot yet reveal exactly where in downtown Princess Anne the Center will be located. However, they plan to start working with potential vendors in the Summer of 2025, with a possible grand opening in Summer of 2026.
For more information about the Center, click here.
