Pictured left to right: Paul Savas, vice president of Comcast Business; David Salinas, founder of District New Haven; New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp; Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney; and Governor Ned Lamont’s Chief of Staff Ryan Drajewicz. (Courtesy Photo / Comcast)
New Haven civic and business leaders yesterday joined representatives of Comcast and the District New Haven business incubator to unveil the new Comcast Business Innovation Lounge at The District Innovation and Venture Center, located within the District New Haven campus.
The Comcast Business Innovation Lounge is a dedicated workspace where innovators and future technology leaders can collaborate and includes access to a high-definition video wall. Comcast gave nearly $700,000 of cash and in-kind services to the District New Haven project, including WiFi and a multi-gigabit high-speed internet connection, use of the Comcast Business VoiceEdge cloud-based phone system and Comcast’s business video service.
“As Connecticut’s leader in connectivity and technology, we’re pleased to continue making a commitment and investment in the future of New Haven with the opening of the Comcast Business Innovation Lounge,” Paul Savas, vice president of Comcast Business in Comcast’s Western New England Region, said in a statement. “We believe this space, as well as our technology, will play a critical role in helping District New Haven reach its innovation goals, in addition to providing a meeting place for new entrepreneurs and those entering the technology community.”
The District Innovation and Venture Center also includes the first East Coast location for Holberton School, an innovative two-year higher-education program for software engineers that uses project-based peer-learning to help students acquire the necessary skills for professional success and a lifelong career in the field.
District New Haven is the only full-service business campus in the northeast using real estate to create entrepreneurial density, excitement and an ecosystem whose purpose is to support and retain innovative people and the businesses they power. District is a one-stop campus that facilitates all stages of innovation and economic growth through small to mid-sized office spaces, coworking, rich amenities, education/workforce development, community, early-stage investment and incubation of startups.
