Innovation Works needs your help in maintaining funding for promising technology companies. A current bill in the state Senate would cut funding 60% for the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, the body that funds Innovation Works and its counterpart centers across the state (known collectively as the Ben Franklin Technology Partners or BFTP).
So, what can you do? We are asking all our readers to do the following before June 8, 2009:
1. Contact your legislators by going to: http://tinyurl.com/my4nu4. This link takes you to a page on the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s website, where you can automatically send a letter to your legislator.
2. Activate your own network of contacts who care about maintaining funding for start-up entrepreneurs. Send the URL (http://tinyurl.com/my4nu4) to others to write a letter, use Facebook or Twitter to create awareness about the need to reach legislators, post blog comments, whatever you can do to reach more people who can subsequently reach out to their legislators.
3. Give us your ideas and feedback about how to reach more people to communicate about this critical issue.
“We recognize it’s a difficult environment for the Legislature, but the 60 percent cut proposed… will have far-reaching effects. To really help drive the economy, in many ways we need (sustained funding levels) now more than ever (for) creating jobs, attracting investment and retaining key talent to our region for our future success.” – Rich Lunak, CEO of Innovation Works.
This isn’t about funding Innovation Works. It’s about funding entrepreneurs and growing technology companies. Please help us continue to support and assist our region’s promising start-ups and other innovative companies.
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