Lee Huang, 27, and Jeff Wicklund, 25, offer intro-to-business classes at seven Philadelphia public high schools, as well as at weeklong summer camps, weekend workshops, and after-school programs. The duo plans to open a Ben & Jerry's ice-cream franchise that will give the kids experience in running a real business.
Meanwhile, West Philly remains a work in progress. Persuading the incubator's graduates to stick around isn't easy. So far, all six of them have left the neighborhood because they were unable to find suitable office space. To keep them nearby, Clark plans to create an entrepreneurial campus, with new buildings that she hopes will attract midsize companies.
If Black Star continues to grow, Brodie will open a processing center and fill it with Clark's trainees. Boyd plans to establish his company's headquarters down the block from the Enterprise Center. "I have this vision of a nice facility with manicured grounds," he says. "And people would say, 'I know the man who owns that company. Mr. Boyd. He lives in the neighborhood.' "
Contact Matt Bergheiser by email (mattb@theenterprisecenter.com) , or visit the Enterprise Center on the Web (www.theenterprisecenter.com) .
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