NOW RECRUITING: SPRING 2024 gbeta COHORT

ATTEND LIVE events

Webinar: Technology Industry Grant + Q&A

Discover new funding opportunities for your tech business at the webinar below, hosted by the City of Peoria, IL. Learn about the recently launched Technology Industry Grant Program, which supports tech businesses aiming to settle or expand in Peoria.

With a total of $250,000 in grants made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), qualifying businesses can receive between $10,000 and $25,000. Come understand the criteria for eligibility, application process, and get your questions answered.

Don't miss this chance to leverage this grant to fuel your tech business. Review of applications begins July 21st.

a new small business & startup portal for support & micro-grants

Oct 19, 930am, Peoria, IL – Peoria County Government in collaboration with Distillery Labs, Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, Illinois Small Business Development Center at Bradley University, Minority Business Development Center & SCORE Mentors, and other regional partners launched the Start a Business in Greater Peoria program.

By participating in this program, you will be able to meet with mentors and advisors and receive digital stamps to validate your business opportunity. When you receive 4 of these digital stamps, you will be eligible to apply for a micro-grant of $5000.

Watch the archive of the launch event at https://fb.watch/gg6PlhzFuO/ to learn more or sign up for the program at https://startabusinessgp.org/

Watch & get inspired now

CODING & TECH Night: STEAM for diversity, equity & inclusion

Join us for a Coding & Tech Night, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) event. All are welcome. Meet Renee Gorrell, President & CEO at CSE Software as she shares insights on how STEAM is impacting the world around us.

watch & learn now

Biz Labs workshops

Biz Lab Workshops are presented by Distillery Lab partners. Watch to gain actionable insights that you can immediately apply to your business. RSVP for the next live workshop at the button below.

WATCH gBETA PITCH NIGHT 2022

community stories

Ecosystem

Greater Peoria Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ramp

The Peoria region has a vibrant innovation and startup ecosystem, we have several support organizations here that serve business owners and startup founders.

Greater Peoria innovation ecosystem map

The Greater Peoria region is home to many business and entrepreneurship support organizations. Explore the map below or scroll down to view the list of people and organizations across our region who will be able to assist.

greater peoria innovation, entrepreneurship & small business assistance

The regional leaders of the innovation, entrepreneurship and small business support organizations (in alphabetical order) are the following:

City of Peoria, Economic Development

• Debbie Van Sickle, Economic Development Manager

• Uriah Kilgallin, Economic Development Specialist

Distillery Labs

• Aaron Gigous, Organizational Improvement Scientist (via OSF Innovation)

• Nate Dominighini, Managing Director gBETA & gBETA Distillery Labs (gener8tor)

Greater Peoria Economic Development Council

• Andrew Ngui, Director, Office of Innovation and Startups, Greater Peoria Economic Development Council (GPEDC)

• Nest Coworking
  Located in the vibrant Warehouse district, the Nest Coworking is a membership-based startup hub bustling with innovation. Serving as the temporary home for Distillery Labs activities during their building renovations, it also houses the gBeta accelerator program. A sanctuary for various tech startups and small businesses, the Nest Coworking offers coworking, office and virtual memberships respectively, providing businesses the opportunity to locate in one of Peoria's premier locations.

Greater Peoria Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

• Jim Montelongo, Chair

• Christell Frausto, Vice-Chair & Founding President

Minority Business Development Center (MBDC),

• Denise Moore, Founder & CEO

SCORE

• Joanne Corbett, Chapter President

• Brenda Grove, Chapter Vice-President

Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University
The Turner Center for Entrepreneurship assists anyone in the community who wants to start, maintain, or grow their own business. Counseling, technical assistance and educational opportunities are available for anyone interested in startups, as well as owners of established companies looking to expand their businesses.

• James Foley, Director, Turner Center for Entrepreneurship

Three organizations provide services under the Turner Center umbrella:

• The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) mission is "to provide professional guidance for business growth". The SBDC provides free business counseling and low-cost training programs for existing and startup businesses in central Illinois.

  • Eric Sampson, Director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center

  • Chris Youngmark, Assistant SBDC Director

• The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center, which helps Illinois companies navigate the international marketplace.

  • James Ryan, International Trade Specialist

• The Illinois APEX Accelerator, which helps companies that sell goods and services to federal, state and local agencies.

• Keli Krueger-Huhra, Director, APEX Accelerator

Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Bradley University
The mission of the school is to nurture students' entrepreneurial actions, innovation, creativity, and cross disciplinary learning. Our graduates will take their place in society as innovators, providing solutions to complex, global, and fast changing challenges. Students will be prepared to seek out and recognize untapped opportunities in their fields. Networking is a critical part of this process. We help link our students to key contacts in the entrepreneurial community locally, throughout the Midwest and nationally.

• Mary Conway Dato-on, Executive & Academic Director, Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• Marcos Hashimoto, Managing Director, Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• Jane Talkington, Associate Director of the Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Peoria NEXT Innovation Center
Located in the West Main, Campus district a stone’s throw away from Bradley University, Peoria NEXT Innovation Center is a business incubator providing spaces for startups, ranging from private offices to large areas and wet labs. They also offer Affiliate Memberships for companies requiring only a mailbox and internet access. The center emphasizes a collaborative setting for knowledge-sharing among innovators. Prospective tenants must complete a tenancy application. Additionally, they rent out conference rooms with capacities varying from 6 to 50 people.

• Michael Stubbs, Director of Peoria NEXT Innovation Center

ABOUT DISTILLERY LABS

Distillery Labs exists to bring together people, ideas, and resources so that the future of our community can be inspired and advanced by our region’s entrepreneurs and innovators.

Positioned to become the epicenter of Greater Peoria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and one of fifteen members of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), Distillery Labs is located within Peoria’s Innovation District in the heart of Downtown Peoria, Illinois.

This community-focused facility will expand opportunities for entrepreneurs, students, innovators, creators, and residents from across the entire Greater Peoria region.

Additionally, Distillery Labs is dedicated to finding solutions to improve the health and wellness of underserved populations, advance innovation related to food, farming, and transportation – specifically smart mobility, while crafting a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment where all ideas are valued and respected.

Slated to open soon, Distillery Labs will contain spaces for startups, corporate partners, community organizations, universities and many other stakeholders.

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Expanding to the USA?

Learn more about the Greater Peoria region’s innovation ecosystem and see why Peoria might be the right place for you to land your startup in the United States, and how you can expand your business across the USA.

Explore new tech

Schedule a 90-minute session to explore & learn about the latest technologies that might help you in your biz: 3D printing, VR & more.

accelerator

What is gBETA Distillery Labs?
gBETA is a program of nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor. gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity

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