Bradford Area Alliance Launches Innovative Accelerator Program to Support Business Growth
The Bradford Area Alliance is proud to officially announce the kickoff of its Entrepreneur Leadership Mission (ELM) business accelerator program, made possible through a generous opportunity grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business Development Program. This new initiative aims to help existing business owners realize increased business success and life balance together.
U.S. Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture stated, “Business accelerator programs supported through USDA spur growth and provide entrepreneurs with new tools and knowledge, as well as a support system that helps them move forward. The value of programs like ELM lies not only in accelerating success but in fostering innovation, achieving resilience, and living in a community where entrepreneurs can reach their dreams. This is truly exciting for Bradford.”
The participants include the following area business owners, Tonya Bisker with Copy Connection, Danielle Brinsky with Alleghany Industrial Insulation Company, Greg & Sue Gleason with Pizza Napoli, Devon Kloss with Devon Kloss State Farm, Jim Minard with Team Minard Production, Jody Murphey with Julie's Ever After, Rocco Pompa with Magic Bean Café, Mauri Shembeda with Bloom Organic Beauty Bar, and Petra Stana with Allegheny Store Fixtures.
This inaugural cohort, consisting of ten area business owners, recently participated in a 2-day business owner retreat at Beaver Hollow Conference Center. This two-day event continues a nine-month journey where participants will be paired with mentors, benefit from subject matter expertise on key topics, and formulate strategic plans to pursue new opportunities or overcome specific business obstacles.
Heading this transformative program is Althea Luehrsen, former Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) at the University of Buffalo and former CEO of Leadership Buffalo.
The retreat featured a diverse array of activities, including a DiSC Assessment Workshop—a session leveraging a personal assessment tool to enhance participants' understanding of their strengths and tendencies, while also fostering improved teamwork, communication, and productivity. Additional sessions included team-building activities and inspiring talks by accomplished entrepreneurs such as Mercedes Wilson, author, television personality, and founder of Sadie’s Relish; Kathy Snyder, President and COO of Beaver Hollow Conference Center; and Dave Cervi and Nick Del Nuovo from Personal Touch Food Service.
The ELM program is designed to bring about lasting change for entrepreneurs of existing businesses in Bradford. The cohort will next convene biweekly over the next eight months to delve into various topics and collaboratively work on individual strategic plans.
This new program is possible as a result of grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business Development Enterprise Grant. Rural Business Development Grants support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas.
For more information on the Entrepreneur Leadership Mission (ELM) program, please contact Carolyn Newhouse at [email protected].
About Bradford Area Alliance:
The Bradford Area Alliance is a dynamic organization committed to fostering economic development and entrepreneurial success locally. Through strategic initiatives and community partnerships, the Alliance strives to create a thriving business ecosystem that benefits both entrepreneurs and the local community.
