Dave Myers (Photo courtesy of Greater Reading Chamber Alliance)
In August 2022, Berks County Commissioners released a strategic plan focused on promoting economic development. Imagine if Berks were the first such plan developed by county government. The goal was to identify strategies to make Berks County a better place to live, work, and play. In this plan he had six focus areas. Infrastructure and land use. Human resources and economic mobility. Housing; Placemaking and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
At about the same time, a group of organizations serving entrepreneurs and start-ups began thinking about how they would work together to strengthen Berks County’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: to serve the people they want. We started discussing how we could develop more resources. Learn how to start a business and how to use those resources more effectively in this job. The Imagine Birks program emphasized the importance of this coordination. The report noted that Main Street business birth rates and retail, arts, entertainment and recreation business startups in Berks County lag behind the nation as well as virtually all neighboring counties.
Initiatives such as Cultivate Lancaster made the group realize that they could achieve better results by working together. These organizations were already active in Berks. Some companies offered a wide range of services to entrepreneurs. Others focused on financial planning, literacy, and fundraising. Some worked throughout the county, others far beyond Berks County. Some companies focused on specific groups, such as Latino business owners, while others worked exclusively with nonprofit organizations.
With financial support from the Wyomissing Foundation, the group conducted a thorough analysis of available resources, identified gaps, and developed a strategic plan. Sixteen different organizations were involved in this planning effort. The Berks Alliance and the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance have agreed to serve as a neutral third party to help coordinate the group’s activities.
Elevate Barks was born from this initiative. It is designed to support entrepreneurs and startups and provide critical resources to foster a thriving and inclusive business community in Berks County. Elevate Berks is designed to be a portal and entry point for people wanting to start a business, providing access to a variety of resources. The idea is not to create another service provider, but also a way to connect people interested in starting and growing a business with the resources they need to succeed.
In March, Elevate Berks held its first public event to bring together partners and people interested in starting a business. Participants had the opportunity to network and learn about available resources. However, the highlight of the event was the four presentations by local entrepreneurs. Each spoke about the support they received and what it meant to their business. Each of these businesses works with multiple partners of his Elevate Berks, and each has been successful. The underlying principle of Elevate Berks is that by working together, we can build stronger communities. This was the message from each of the four business leaders.
Elevate Berks plans to host other events in the coming months. And we continue to work to make a variety of program services available. Together, we can do better.
