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Politics & Government

Mason Enterprise Center Officially Opens

Ribbon-cutting signals culmination of long partnership to bring business incubator to Leesburg.

Officials from local governments, the business community, and George Mason University (GMU) celebrated the opening of the new Mason Enterprise Center serving Leesburg and Loudoun County with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Oct. 26. 

The Mason Enterprise Center Leesburg/Loudoun County is the culmination of a partnership between GMU, the Town of Leesburg, and Loudoun County that has been in the works for years to bring a business incubator to Leesburg. The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and Loudoun Small Business Development Center (SBDC) have also actively supported the project.

The new business incubator occupies the entire building at 202 Church Street, SE, and includes the office of the Town’s Economic Development Department and the Loudoun Small Business Development Center as well as client company space and telework stations. 

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The client company space consists of 29 private offices. A client company can occupy more than one office. At the present time, 14 client companies have signed leases and several more companies are in final interviews.

The businesses, which must meet certain criteria, will not be brand new, but will be enterprises that are not yet fully established. The center’s goal is that the businesses will eventually “graduate” and move out on their own.

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The businesses share a reception area, receptionist, meeting space, and infrastructure such as copiers, telephones and internet access. They pay rent at market rates.

“There are already synergies that are taking place among the current clients, with more to come in the future,” said Leesburg Mayor Kristen C. Umstattd.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity,” said Kelly Burk, Leesburg District Representative on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, who expressed the hope that the next AOL would get its start at the enterprise center.

“This is a great opportunity, to have these resources right here at our fingertips,” said Lisa Cusack, co-owner of Custom Software Systems, an information technology company that already occupies office space at the center. “It is reasonable, affordable and convenient.”

Her company moved into the center on Oct. 1, and she said that it is working out well. “We are looking for a home base, and it has been very helpful to connect with other businesses in the area.”

The incubator is managed by the Mason Enterprise Center (MEC), an outreach program of GMU’s School of Public Policy. The Regional Manager for the Mason Enterprise Center Leesburg/Loudoun Center is Susan Henson, who joined the MEC staff earlier this month.

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