South Side to Host Holiday Market

Local entrepreneurs to showcase wares Nov. 15

The South Side Innovation Center (SSIC) is hosting its annual Holiday Market from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the center, located at 2610 S. Salina St. Local businesses and community members are invited to sample new and unique food and retail products created by SSIC clients and tenants. The free event is open to the public.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the Syracuse community to support local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to bring their unique products to the Central New York area,” said El-Java Abdul-Qadir, director of the South Side Innovation Center. 
“Clients will have the opportunity to provide samples of their food products, promote and sell their hand-made crafts and showcase their name and brand. We are encouraging local business owners and those seeking fresh new product ideas to visit the SSIC and learn about our programs, clients and support our mission of local vitality.”

The SSIC is a non-profit organization affiliated with Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. The center’s mission is to increase the vitality of the local and area economy by recruiting, nurturing and training a diverse group of emerging and mature businesses, providing them with business incubation, development, education, market access and credit assistance, using highly-skilled, trained professional counselors.

The SSIC was created by the nationally-ranked Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises Program at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Launched in April 2006, SSIC is a 13,000 square-foot business incubator that fosters the creation of new ventures and helps to make existing ones sustainable. The program is part of the larger South Side Entrepreneurial Connect Project (SSECP), which seeks to identify and support sustainable ventures, includes infrastructure building, student and faculty engagement through consulting teams, a microcredit fund and training programs for entrepreneurs and opportunities for minority purchasing.

For more information, visit the center’s website.

— Announcement submitted by Keyona Kelly, business consultant/events coordinator for the SSIC