Courtesy of SUNY New Pultz
“Campus to Community: Stories of Impact in Higher Education” is a series I’m writing to explore how colleges and universities show up for the world beyond their gates, and what that reveals about who we are and who we’re becoming. I will highlight higher education’s civic purpose through stories about the programs, partnerships, and people that connect campus to community.
Entrepreneurship doesn’t just launch companies — it shapes communities. This is happening in real time in New York’s Hudson Valley as a growing number of startups are scaling, hiring, and weaving themselves into the region’s future. At the center of this story is SUNY New Paltz, a regional public college investing in innovation beyond the classroom and proving that anchor institutions can fuel both opportunity and community.
The Hudson Valley, known for its agricultural heritage and growing tourism economy, is one of New York’s fastest-growing regions. Yet despite job growth that outpaces national averages, economic opportunity remains unevenly distributed and the entrepreneurial landscape remains fragmented.
To foster more inclusive innovation and statewide economic development, Empire State Development created the Innovation Hot Spot Program. It designated one lead incubator in each of New York’s ten economic regions. These Hot Spots provide direct incubation services to startups and act as regional ecosystem coordinators by connecting entrepreneurs to mentoring, networking, prototype development, and access to New York State (NYS) tax incentives.
In the Mid-Hudson region, which includes the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan, Orange, Rockland, Putnam, and Westchester, the Hudson Valley Venture Hub at SUNY New Paltz serves as the designated Hot Spot. Its mission is to create the next generation of companies and high-quality jobs by working in partnership with founders, faculty, investors, and support organizations across the region; and it’s already making a mark.
According to Bailey Burke, interim director of the Hub, the Hub helped 27 companies from across the region through the HV Venture Hub Accelerator Program in the last year. These companies reported over $9.5 million in combined economic impact, including:
More than $3.4 million in revenue growth. $4.6 million in private investment. $354,000 in cost savings. $996,000 in grant funding. 64.5 new full-time jobs.
This success reflects intentional design, strategic coordination, and targeted investment rooted in SUNY New Paltz’s role as an anchor institution.
A Highly Individualized Accelerator Model
Unlike one-size-fits-all accelerators, the Hudson Valley Venture Hub offers highly tailored, one-on-one support rooted in the real-time needs of founders.
Each year, the accelerator supports approximately 20 startups across a wide range of sectors. To participate, the startups must be beyond the idea stage, demonstrate potential to scale, and be located in the Mid-Hudson Region. Once accepted, startup founders receive access to a suite of supports, including:
New York State Innovation Hot Spot tax incentives. Paid, project-based consulting with curated expert advisors called “Green light hours.” Paid student contractors who support everything from customer discovery to administrative operations. Microgrants and targeted capital introductions to fuel early-stage growth.
“Our advisors are currently working with startups on sales and partnership growth, marketing and comms, deck and financial prep, and go-to-market strategy,” said Burke. “But more than anything, we’re helping founders overcome the exact hurdle in front of them.”
This individualized model allows for flexibility and precision. Whether refining a pitch deck, preparing for investor meetings, or mapping out distribution and logistics, The Hub matches each founder with advisors and resources aligned to their immediate needs. Additionally, students from SUNY New Paltz also play a unique role in the accelerator’s success. The Hub matches them with startups which adds needed capacity for founders while giving students firsthand entrepreneurial experience.
The result is a program that empowers companies to move from early traction to scalable impact in a matter of months by prioritizing customization, speed, and regional fit.
From Concept to Commercialization: A Success Story
In 2024, the founders of Chikka Chikka came to the Hudson Valley Venture Hub with a bold vision and a big question: how do you scale a compelling product idea without building a full-scale operation from scratch?
Chikka Chikka is a functional snack made primarily from maple-roasted fennel seeds, packaged in beautifully designed, pocket-sized tins. The founders had a strong concept and early traction, but they needed help increasing production to meet growing demand.
That’s where The Hub stepped in.
The Hub connected Chikka Chikka with Mid Hudson Works. This local nonprofit supports veterans and individuals with disabilities, and specializes in manufacturing, fulfillment, logistics, and shipping. This connection was transformational for Chikka Chikka’s founders because it enabled them to outsource production and logistics so they could focus on sales, storytelling, and brand growth. Within just a few months, their product was on shelves in more than 100 stores.
Chika Chika’s journey from idea to shelf in under a year is a clear demonstration of what’s possible when entrepreneurs are embedded in an ecosystem that offers mentorship, manufacturing, and meaningful connection.
Coordinating an Ecosystem, Catalyzing a Region
The Hudson Valley Venture Hub at SUNY New Paltz is filling an essential gap in the region by centralizing a startup landscape that had been fragmented and difficult to navigate.
Since receiving a $1.25 million Innovation Hot Spot award in 2023, the Hub has expanded its programming, launched an Entrepreneur-in-Residence initiative, and deepened its role as a convener and connector. This fall, The Hub is bringing a group of founders to New Climate Futures, the largest event of New York Climate Week. These founders will join other entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders from around the world to discuss how to commercialize critical technologies for real-world climate outcomes.
But The Hub is just one part of a larger story. As a regional public college, SUNY New Paltz is increasingly positioning itself as an educational institution and a coordinating force in the Hudson Valley’s economic future.
Its impact is undeniable. The college is Ulster County’s largest employer. Additionally, SUNY New Paltz supports over 3,800 jobs across New York State, contributes $439 million in annual economic output, and generates $600 million in value-added earnings statewide.
This role — educator, employer, and ecosystem builder — is central to the college’s mission, according to President Darrell P. Wheeler:
“As a public university, a key pillar of our mission is to provide value to the communities, businesses, and people of New York State. We serve as an engine of economic growth here in the present day, both by attracting thousands of students to the region and as the number one employer in our county. But we also keep our eyes on the future, working closely with partners to ensure that our academic programs meet workforce needs and prepare students for next-generation opportunities.”
In that future, entrepreneurship is an economic development strategy. And SUNY New Paltz is proving that anchor institutions are critical in supporting, shaping, and building the communities they call home. Through programs like the Venture Hub, the college is cultivating the talent, partnerships, and place-based innovation that will shape the Hudson Valley for years to come.
