The Dominion Foundation recently contributed $15,000 to the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) for the INSPIRE! project.  INSPIRE! is a new program of YBI that will offer flexible development suites and access to entrepreneurial resources for information technology start-ups that are in the very early stages of formation. 

“YBI is appreciative of this substantial investment as it affirms the mission of YBI to assist technology-based entrepreneurs establish and accelerate their scalable, proprietary information technology applications,” states Julie Michael Smith, chief development officer of YBI.  “YBI will be using this investment to create INSPIRE! - a resource for technology entrepreneurs that are in the very early stages of developing and implementing new information technology solutions.” 

“Dominion Foundation is pleased to invest in YBI’s new entrepreneurial initiative that will help technology entrepreneurs and companies in the northeast Ohio,” states Theresa D. Bishop, Philanthropy Manager of the Dominion Foundation.  She continues, “Dominion has been a long time supporter of YBI, and recognizes the need to invest in innovation and entrepreneurship, and thus, its importance to the creation of new business, jobs and strengthening the economic climate of the community.”

About Dominion

Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,000 megawatts of generation, 1.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas and oil reserves, 14,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,000 miles of electric transmission lines.  Dominion operates the nation’s largest natural gas storage facility with 975 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 11 states.  For more information about Dominion, visit the company’s website at http://www.dom.com.