Local Entrepreneurs Complete 1Berkshire Get Mentored Program

Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Starts Get Mentored program held its final meeting of the 2018-20 session in early March at the Stationery Factory in Dalton. Get Mentored, a program of 1Berkshire, helps a selected cohort of five local entrepreneurs launch and grow their ventures over the course of a five-month program by pairing them with experienced mentors from the Berkshire County business community.

At this year's final meeting, the Get Mentored cohort presented three-minute elevator pitches, honed over the course of five months of mentoring, to the assembled mentors. After each pitch, the mentors had an opportunity to pose questions and provide advice about the steps the entrepreneurs will be taking over the next six months.

The graduates of the 2018-19 Get Mentored class are: Joe Barry, a construction supervisor whose venture involves building homes where elders can age in place; Brian Handspicker, a startup executive whose venture involves moderation of corporate electronic communications; Rae Langsdale, an IT professional whose venture is a technical support cooperative; Sopheap Nhim, an board-certified behavior analyst whose venture is an applied behavior analysis clinic; and Jebb Remelius, owner of a motion-capture company whose venture is an advanced motion-capture system.

"This year's cohort speaks well to the breadth of entrepreneurial spirit that runs deep here, and it will be incredibly exciting going forward to see how we can continue supporting and bolstering these and other ventures to become rooted, thriving opportunities right here in the Berkshires," said Ben Lamb, 1Berkshire's director of economic development.

 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

BCC Wins Grant for New Automatic External Defibrillator

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is the recipient of a $2,326 grant, funded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, for the purchase of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) device. 
 
The grant specifically covers a device for use inside one of BCC's security vehicles for easy access when traversing the campus.  
 
In total, the Commonwealth awarded more than $165,000 in grant funding to 58 municipalities,
13 public colleges and universities, and nine nonprofits to purchase AEDs for emergency response vehicles. The program is designed to increase access to lifesaving equipment during medical emergencies, when every second matters.  
 
An AED is a medical device used to support people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. An AED analyzes the patient's heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.  
 
"Immediate access to AEDs is vital to someone facing a medical crisis. By expanding availability statewide, we're equipping first responders with the necessary tools to provide lifesaving emergency care for patients," said Governor Maura Healey. "This essential equipment will enhance the medical response for cardiac patients across Massachusetts and improve outcomes during an emergency event."  
 
The funds were awarded through a competitive application process conducted by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), a state agency that is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).  
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories