The Center provides the physical infrastructure and support system for new businesses to grow vibrantly into the local economy. Just like a living ecosystem, our economy is changing, evolving and adapting. We’re all working from a new business model and The Center was created to provide the foundation of support so that entrepreneurs can focus their time and energy on growing their business.
The Center is part of a vibrant entrepreneurial community in the Binghamton area. It is a place to learn techniques from experts in all fields on how to grow your business. Check out the Drive Binghamton collaborative calendar below for upcoming events.
Brad Treat is an instructor in Practical Entrepreneurship at Ithaca College and Cornell University. He has also served as the Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Cornell University.
Brad was most recently the Founding CEO of Mezmeriz, a high-tech company making interactive projectors and reality capture cameras to embed into mobile phones. Mezmeriz’s cutting edge technology was spun out of Materials Science and MEMS research at Cornell University. Brad was also the co-founder and CEO of SightSpeed, an innovative video and voice communications company. SightSpeed grew from a university research project at Cornell into the world’s premier video calling software. SightSpeed was profitably acquired by Logitech for $30MM. Earlier in his career, Brad worked for eight years in the automotive industry in both the US and Spain at Bowles Fluidics and GKN Automotive. Brad holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State, and an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell.
As a mentor to companies, Brad will be helping entrepreneurs with the challenges they face taking their businesses to the next level.
Ken Rother is an Entrepreneur in Residence with the Southern Tier Startup Alliance. He is a proven entrepreneur who has built and exited two successful tech/media start-ups, Mountain Lake and Treehugger, after which he served as SVP of Digital Platform Strategy of Discovery Communications.
He is a member of the teaching team for eLab, Cornell’s student business incubator, and serves as a Venture Partner at Cayuga Venture Fund. His expertise is in leveraging the intersection of the Business Model Canvas, Design Thinking, and rapid hardware/software prototyping to create highly effective customer products and experiences.
Brian Bauer is a seasoned international energy industry executive with extensive experience in Oil, Natural Gas, Chemicals, and renewables in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Brian has a B.S. In Chemical Engineering from Cornell and an MBA in Operations and Finance from the University of Chicago. Brian ran several businesses during a 30 year career in the energy industry and has expertise is in operations, strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, major project management, corporate governance and organizational change.
Brian recently retired and relocated to Ithaca to build the next phase of his career where he is interested in start-ups and tech innovation, with a particular interest in the area of energy innovation. Since returning to Ithaca, he has served as an advisor to several startup companies in the energy and consumer services spaces.
Tony Frontera is a Lecturer at Binghamton University’s School of Management where he teaches Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. In addition Tony is the academic advisor for Enactus, a student organization promoting entrepreneurship and the BU Marketing Association.
He is an Entrepreneur in Residence for the Southern Tier Startup Alliance, a member organization of business incubators, whose purpose is to provide support to entrepreneurs starting and growing businesses in the Southern Tier of New York.
Tony is also a co-founder and principal for NutriGenTek, a startup in the corporate health and wellness market.
Prior to Binghamton University, Tony was the Brand Communications Manager for McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. an internationally recognized manufacturer of premium consumer electronics. Frontera led the initiative to re-position McIntosh as a luxury brand along with the development of a new strategy for its dealer distribution system. He was an integral member of the strategic planning and sales teams.
From 1992 through 2008, Tony Frontera was President/Owner of Tuthill’s Photo, Audio and Video. Tony’s leadership and strategic planning skills established Tuthill’s as the leading photo specialty store in central New York and it became the benchmark for customer service, quality and product selection.
Previous to this, Mr. Frontera held various positions as Manager of Business Development, Northeast Regional Training Manager, and Account Manager for companies in the Photographic and Printing industries.
Tony Frontera holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Binghamton University. Mr. Frontera is an active board member of the Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs of Binghamton and currently serves as Vice-President.
Ideas need to be nurtured and require a certain environment to blossom. The Center seeks to provide not just office and meeting space, but an entrepreneurial ecosystem so that ideas can thrive.
Companies that join The Center may also be eligible for certain tax incentives as part of the Southern Tier Startup Alliance or through The Center’s designation as eligible START-UP NY space.
The Southern Tier Startup Alliance is a regional consortium of business incubators that can provide tax benefits to businesses located in certain business incubators that are affiliated with a college, university or independent research institution. 
Businesses eligible to participate in the program must be located in New York and include corporations, sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited partnerships, LLCs, and New York S corporations in the formative stages of development. The business must also be approved to be located in a STSA incubator.
Under the program, startup businesses are eligible for corporation franchise tax benefits such as a fixed dollar minimum benefit and subtraction modification benefit, and sales and use tax benefits. If claimed, these benefits are irrevocable, meaning that no other exemption, deduction, tax credit or refund will be applicable.
START-UP NY helps you start, expand or relocate your qualified business to a tax-free zone in New York State in connection with a college or university campus that aligns with your business specialty. Businesses must be new to New York State or must be an expansion of a company that already has employees from New York State. Businesses may not move existing jobs into the tax free area from another area in New York State.
Tax benefits include the business tax-free New York area elimination credit, organization tax and license and maintenance fees, sales and use tax, real estate/real property transfer tax and personal income tax benefits. Eligible START-UP NY companies will receive benefits for a period of ten years.
The most important thing to have is the IDEA and then the PASSION. All great companies began as a seed and we want to help you nurture your idea into a thriving business.
If you’d like to become a member, there are a few things you’ll need to do to get started.
Upon review of your application we will contact you to set up a time to see the Center.
*The Agency reserves the right to decline membership of any application*
Review our So You Wanna be an Entrepreneur Checklist to give you some food for thought.
We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about membership. Contact us
Our model is based on a “grow to go” theory. Using the Business Model Canvas, we’ll check in with you regularly to make sure that you are actively pursuing growth and also that we’re providing an inclusive, dynamic ecosystem to help make your growth a reality. At the end of one-year, we’ll sit down and review if continued membership at The Center is the right decision.
The Center is operated by The Agency - Broome County’s first stop for economic and business development. The Agency operates the Broome County Industrial Development Agency (BCIDA) and the Broome County Local Development Corporation (BCLDC).
Complete the Membership Application below.
