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RDA recommends virtual entrepreneurial center to expand incubator reach and cut costs
Summary
An IDA-appointed committee briefed Hampton City Council on incubator performance since 1992 and recommended a virtual entrepreneurial center to replace much of the brick-and-mortar model; the proposal would reduce annual costs from an estimated $245,000 to about $150,000 while expanding access and mentor-protégé support.
Jackie Zell of the Redevelopment Authority told Hampton City Council the Industrial Development Authority chartered an incubator-review committee that found long-running brick-and-mortar incubators produced limited measurable returns and that many graduates leave Hampton after graduation. "Our recommendation to you is to establish a virtual, entrepreneurial center," Zell said, describing a web-based portal, mentor-protégé relationships, one-on-one business outreach and quarterly workshops.
Zell detailed historical program metrics and funding: the Hampton Small Business Incubator (1992'1999) had 33 tenants and 99 employees before it closed; subsequent agreements with Hampton University and the Hampton Roads Technology Incubator shifted models. She told council that city contributions to the technology incubator over four years exceeded $708,000 and that the committee estimated current program costs at roughly $245,000 annually and projected a virtual model could operate at about $150,000.
Council members pressed for reconciled performance data and clearer business plans from both incubators. Council member Turner asked how the mentor-protge program would help grow the pool of minority and small-business contractors; Zell said the portal would point entrepreneurs to state and university resources and that mentor-protge matches could improve capacity. One council member urged staff to bring representatives from both the Hampton University incubator and the Hampton Roads Technology Incubator back to council so reported metrics and counting methodologies could be reconciled before changing the current bricks-and-mortar arrangements.
The presentation closed with council asking the manager to coordinate next steps and request additional documentation from the incubators, including business plans and consistent metrics to resolve apparent discrepancies in reported revenues and client counts.
