Long Island's First Seed Accelerator and Coworking Community Prepares for Liftoff

Mineola, NY, February 05, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Long Island’s first seed accelerator and coworking community for early stage ventures is preparing to launch. LaunchPad Long Island (www.LaunchPadLI.com) is scheduled for lift off in early February in its 12,000 square foot entrepreneur community at 55 Mineola Boulevard, Mineola, NY which is at the Mineola train station and 35 minutes from New York City. Eric Trump, EVP of Development and Acquisitions at the Trump Organization as well as a Task Advisor and Boardroom Judge on The Apprentice will be speaking at the Official Launch Party on February 11, 2013, which you must RSVP to in order to attend.

LaunchPad Long Island will underwrite at least $250,000 in stipends for Long Island-based startups with guidance from two successful entrepreneurs with startup experience. LaunchPad LI was created to help great entrepreneurs improve the odds of startup success and build successful companies on Long Island. The core mission of LaunchPad LI is to:

· Rapidly launch ideas & concepts that have low startup costs and minimal barriers to success
· Create an entrepreneurial community that fosters collaboration & innovation
· Mentor entrepreneurs and assist them with taking their idea/business to the next level
· Seed the startup of many, many Long Island companies & accelerate their growth
· Inspire entrepreneurs with our Hofstra Zarb Business School Speaker Series
· Create jobs on Long Island

The first of three floors at LaunchPad is the RMF Flight Deck; 2,200+ square feet of open coworking space and a conference room designed for innovation, collaboration and success. Startups and other entrepreneurs can work in this space for as little as $15/day or $250/month. The second floor is more than 6,500 square feet and contains event space sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union (for weekly speakers, mentor meet-ups, Pitch Contests, LISTnet events, Hackathons and more), conference rooms sponsored by Stony Brook University and KPMG and 13 private office suites ranging from $650 to $1,500 a month. The Lounge downstairs, sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, is for releasing stress as it’s filled with ping pong, foosball, a pool table, plasma TV, an ‘Trep library, couches and more. From writeable walls to bright creative décor, supersonic wifi and a full service 1,500 sq. ft. LaunchPad Café in the building, businesses will without doubt ignite and soar to new levels at LaunchPad.

LaunchPad Long Island is the brainchild of Andrew Hazen and Richard Foster, both raised on Long Island.

Andrew Hazen, an angel investor, serial entrepreneur, attorney and admitted domain name & startup addict twice sold the Internet marketing company he founded on Long Island. He has also made the INC List of Fastest Growing Companies in both 2007 & 2008. He is now the CEO of Angel Dough Ventures and Of Counsel to Ruskin Moscou Faltischek. Hazen is also the Founder of LI Startups and sits on the Board of LISTnet, the Long Island Angel Network, LI Tech COMETS and rockCANroll.org. Ironically, Hazen started his company in LISTnet’s incubator at Briarcliffe college and now LISTnet and LI Tech COMETS will be moving into Hazen’s LaunchPad.

Richard Foster is a 23 year old gifted entrepreneur who holds seven U.S. Patents for products that have been distributed in fifteen countries and has been named the “Youngest Entrepreneur” by the New York Times. Foster currently serves as the President of Foster Management & Holdings which has over a dozen portfolio companies. Foster also sits on the board of the Long Island Angel Network. “From seed funding, to a prime location for entrepreneurs to grow, to premier event space, LaunchPad has it all,” Foster stated.

“LaunchPad represents a unique collaboration among a broad spectrum of Long Island talent,” comments Michael Faltischek, Chairman of the Long Island Angel Network. “We look forward to supporting the business concepts to be developed at LaunchPad,” Faltischek added.

Hazen & Foster partnered with the Levine Family, owners of the LaunchPad property as well as L&L Paint, a prominent Long Island business for more than 30 years. Michael, Marni & Ross Levine “wholeheartedly believe in LaunchPad LI and the importance it presents to Long Island.”

According to Peter Goldsmith, President of LISTnet, “Long Island’s startup community has the LI Angel Network, COMETS and talented young people with ideas ready to become businesses, but it was missing the place where all this can hatch and take off. Andrew & Rich through LaunchPad LI have provided that missing spark plug that will ignite LI’s Startup Community.” Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss thinks “it’s a great concept and it fits perfectly with our plans to revitalize and reenergize our downtown.”

Long Island startups and early stage ventures have already responded with overwhelming enthusiasm to LaunchPad Long Island as more than 24 companies such as DormFunding, CollegeStartup.org, TurboRoster, Dedicated eMails, SuperCook.com and RingLead are already inquiring about taking space and a Mineola-based startup has already signed-up for a private office suite. Moreover, Hofstra University, Stony Brook University and Touro Law Center, three major colleges on Long Island, along with Bethpage Federal Credit Union, LISTnet, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, Eisner Amper and EGC Group are all supporting LaunchPad Long Island.

For additional information please visit www.LaunchPadLI.com or contact Andrew Hazen at andrew@LaunchPadLI.com or 855-8-LAUNCH.