Business incubator at Mississippi State University celebrates expansion

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY, Miss. (WCBI) – A center at Mississippi State University that helps students get a leg-up on the business world is celebrating a major expansion.

The Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach held the grand opening for its E-Center expansion Friday on the MSU Campus.

The facility gives students the tools, support, and access to mentorship to develop their ideas into products and services, and get them to the marketplace.

The CEO also helps existing businesses grow their footprint.

The center’s director, Eric Hill says one of the main goals is to keep homegrown businesses close to home.

“I mean, I think at the end of the day, when you go around the country you see people where they start great businesses, and we hope that Mississippi State students learn the ability to do that here, and that they don’t have to leave to start a great business. They can do it in Mississippi. They can be successful in Mississippi. So, that’s a huge takeaway for me that I hope they get.”

Today’s grand opening was part of the C-E-O’s annual MSU Startup Summit, that allows individuals to pitch their businesses for a chance to win cash to jumpstart their company’s growth.