What is the Hudson Community Incubator?

We are a conscious entrepreneurial member community working to connect and grow the startup and creative ecosystem of the Hudson Valley. Our vision is for the Hudson Valley to be an international model for responsible economic growth in the 21st Century.

What is an incubator?

An incubator is a structured community of startup businesses that provides mentorship, training, and services for entrepreneurs.

Do you have to be a “start-up” to join HCI?

No. In fact, we encourage businesses who have been operating for some years to join our community as well. The world is evolving every day, and so are business practices. We do our best to help our members remain current, relevant, and forward-thinking. We also have creatives, service providers, and investors in our community. We welcome those who want to work collaboratively.

Do you provide funding?

Not at the time being, but we are able to make introductions to capital partners. One point of joining an incubator is to properly prepare yourself to go out to fundraise. We can help in creating pitch decks that investors expect to review. Some of our members go on to join accelerators that provide cash in exchange for equity.

Can I join if I do not live in Hudson, NY?

Absolutely. Our Hudson namesake implies the Hudson River Valley. We encourage membership from across the Hudson Valley, down the Hudson River, and adjacent communities. We find that cross-collaboration strengthens our intelligence network and in turn our immediate city. At HCI, we believe we are breaking the mold of traditional incubators by hyper-focusing on intersectionality and inclusion.

Who funds the Hudson Community Incubator (HCI)?

As of right now, we are a membership-funded community. In the future, we may reevaluate and form an additional non-profit for our future initiatives.

What sectors are you focused on?

As of now, we are focused on emergent sectors that are happening in the Hudson Valley. These include sustainable fashion retail, healthcare, and food-related businesses. We also have a large contingency of freelancers/solopreneurs as they are also the bedrock of our community. Overall, we care about creating a mutually beneficial business community and circular economy.