We’re diving deeper into the details of how we approach business incubation programming and supporting the more than 80+ entrepreneurs who call iSPI their work-home. Since opening its doors, Innovate Springfield has served a total of 167 small business starters. The business incubation program at Innovate Springfield currently supports 86 members, including 26 student members either between the ages of 18-23 or life-long learners currently enrolled in a higher education program, 15 of whom attend UIS.

Hello from Innovate Springfield the UIS social Innovation and Business incubator located in the heart of downtown Springfield, IL and the newest members to the UIS family! At Innovate Springfield, we’re creating new and disruptive ways to support the “communiversity” and the local economy through our two programs, Social Innovation and Business Incubation.

Hello from Innovate Springfield! In previous months, we’ve introduced our mission, our history, and our two programs: Business Incubation and Social Innovation. We already dove into business incubation, so what in the world is social innovation?

Simply put, we believe that by working together, we can make our community a better place for everyone, but especially for community members who are less-advantaged.

When Raychel McBride and Sarah Tapscott contacted Innovate Springfield about an initiative encouraging more diversity on local nonprofit boards, we only had one question. “When do we start?”

This giving season, we're celebrating the small businesses who have established their headquarters at Innovate Springfield, in the heart of our community, and who proudly call Springfield their home. Welcome to the iSPI Holiday Shop, a curated selection of Innovate Springfield member-owned products and services. Please tell your friends near and far, because when you purchase from a local business, you're supporting the local economy in a meaningful way. You also get to share in the pride of knowing that your purchase dollars will be recirculated right here in our community.