EIU Media Relations

Illinois SBDC at EIU-Elevate to host press conference and ribbon cutting April 26

EIU’s Lumpkin College of Business & Technology partners with Elevate to expand interest, grow resources

(Charleston, IL) – Through grant support from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Small Business Development Lead Center, Eastern Illinois University’s Lumpkin College of Business & Technology is partnering with Elevate, a nonprofit business incubation hub in Mattoon focused on encouraging, connecting and growing small and start-up businesses through resourcing and education to facilitate economic prosperity across the region. To celebrate the alliance and launch of the Illinois SBDC at EIU-Elevate, a press conference and ribbon cutting will be held at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26 at Elevate CCIC, Inc., located at 700 Broadway Avenue East in Mattoon.

“We are so grateful for the tremendous support from the Illinois SBDC Lead Center,” said Dr. Austin Cheney, Dean of Eastern Illinois University’s Lumpkin College of Business & Technology. “This new partnership with Elevate marks the beginning of a sea of change in the support offered for emerging and small businesses in Central Illinois. We have big plans for the future.”

The new partnership of the EIU Lumpkin College of Business & Technology with Elevate will provide significant benefits to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the area. A connection to the University will give small businesses a wider network of resources enabling increased support for both new and existing small businesses as they look to grow and expand. Moreover, the partnership will broaden access to professional business advising, training, and access to state and federal resources. With these enhanced capabilities, partnership facilitators are confident the synergy will have a meaningful impact on the small business community, in turn helping entrepreneurs and small businesses succeed and thrive.

Media members, business leaders, and the general public are invited and encouraged to attend the April 26 press conference and ribbon cutting.

For more information about EIU, and to learn more about its comprehensive programs and services, visit the university’s website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.