INSPYRE Innovation Hub’s First Year Fuels Growth, Connections and Entrepreneurial Success

INSPYRE hosted 5,000+ people at events and meetings.

From state legislators and semiconductor industry leaders, to innovative regional founders and students from across Central New York, INSPYRE Innovation Hub had more than 5,000 visits from the public for events and meetings in the first year. The space welcomed events of all sizes, accommodating community forums, off-site meetings for members of the CenterState CEO Network, industry networking opportunities and much more. In all, INSPYRE Innovation Hub hosted more than 150 mission-aligned events in the first year and continues to open its door to members and clients in the CenterState CEO Network as a premiere space to make connections and build together. 

All INSPYRE Innovation Hub accelerators operated at full capacity.  

Three accelerator programs, The CenterState Cleantech Accelerator, Up Start Accelerator and GENIUS NY, all made INSPYRE Innovation Hub their home this year: 

• The Cleantech Accelerator powered by National Grid is supporting four companies in its inaugural year, and participants are now preparing for a symposium in November 2026. This accelerator provides cleantech startups that have ties to higher education with support in validating their technology, running pilot projects and preparing for commercialization. All participating companies reside in or serve one of 12 eligible counties in New York state.

• The Up Start Accelerator welcomed 10 service-based businesses that completed the Start It! course into programming in May 2026. Participants in the Up Start Accelerator have access to monthly workshops, dedicated one-on-one support and all the perks that come with INSPYRE’s Accelerate Tier. The group is getting ready for program graduation in October 2026.   

• The five companies that make up GENIUS NY Cohort 9 established offices at INSPYRE, and the five GENIUS NY Cohort 10 finalists are in the process of moving to Central New York. Round 10 marks a milestone year for the GENIUS NY program, celebrating its role in Central New York’s robust UAS ecosystem. 

More than 100 new clients have joined the CenterState CEO Network since the start of 2026. 

The opening of INSPYRE Innovation Hub also launched new, flexible tiers of clientship to support founders at any stage of business. This expanded model builds on a foundation of more than a decade of entrepreneurship programming from CenterState CEO, and brings new levels of mentorship, access to capital, and additional resources to INSPYRE clients. This includes the establishing a new strategic partnership with Ascend Capital and creating a fractional C-Suite for Growth Tier clients.

Since launching access to these tiers, INSPYRE has welcomed more than 100 clients to the Network, including two full classes of Start It! graduates. In addition to the services provided for each tier, INSPYRE clients also have access to the Mentor Program. In its first year, 30 established professionals from across Central New York worked with INSPYRE clients to offer guidance, encouragement and career insights. 

INSPYRE clients accessed more than $2.5 million worth of services through Global Venture Network. 

CenterState CEO's membership to the Global Venture Network enables INSPYRE Innovation Hub clients to access business-related resources, such as cloud infrastructure and fundraising tools. Since the start of 2026, INSPYRE clients have redeemed more than $2.5 million in perks. On average, a single founder utilizing the GVN platform receives more than $140,000 in services. 

500+ students visited INSPYRE Innovation Hub since its opening.  

Ranging from elementary school to college students, young people explored opportunities in entrepreneurship at INSPYRE this year. Highlights include a meetup between GENIUS NY finalists and the Liverpool High School Drone Tech Program, a pitch event with Nottingham High School Entrepreneurship Club and CenterState CEO's inaugural Whiz Kidz summer program, which taught rising seventh and eighth graders how to take a business idea from concept to pitch. Through ongoing tours and other events, INSPYRE aims to be a place where students can see the innovative, impactful possibilities that are available to them in Central New York. 

And much more! 

The team at CenterState's INSPYRE Innovation Hub is continually evaluating programming and services to provide the best possible resources to the region's entrepreneurship community. Find out how you can be involved in the future of innovation at INSPYRE Innovation Hub.