Lorain Fund Sees No Borders

The Lorain County Community College Foundation said Thursday that it will invest $325,000 in four Northeast Ohio technology startups through the second round of its Innovation Fund awards.

Most interestingly, not a single one of the four companies was started in Lorain County. Now that's regionalism. You can read more about the Fund and the companies it is investing in this story from the Lorain Morning Journal.

The Fund is demonstrating that major benefits are derived from looking beyond traditional borders. Two of the companies it is investing in will be moving into the GLIDE incubator building on the campus of the college. The incubator is part of a network of incubators throughout the region called NEOinc. Check out its new web site here.

The college is using its innovation fund to stimulate the growth of high-growth startups. It is a model that other institutions throughout the region should consider emulating -- particularly if they adopt Lorain's regional perspective.