The WET Center: Who We Are, What We Do, and Why We Do It.

Hi, I am Peggy Cromwell, the newest employee at the WET Center. My main goal is to write articles about all the epic things we do. So, I thought the perfect topic for my first piece would be an introduction to our mission and how we accomplish it. I got a chance to sit down with our executive director, Eric Hadden, so I could learn all about the work we are here to do and how we do it. I was able to get a good overview of our goals and what we do.

The WET Center is a nonprofit hosted by Fresno State that aims to build up the Central Valley's entrepreneurship network and ecosystem. We do this through a couple of specific accelerator programs like Valley Ventures and Culinary Catalyst and by creating opportunities for the future and current entrepreneurs of the area to learn about what is available to them. Through these efforts, the wet center brings jobs to the valley not just by bringing established companies but by enabling people in our community and outside of it to take their livelihoods into their own hands, to develop new businesses instead of just growing old ones, which helps foster healthy competition and innovation throughout the valley.

There are various ingredients in an entrepreneurial ecosystem, some of which we can cultivate and others that cannot be manufactured, such as risk-tolerant markets, access to capital, and new founders. But the main thing, which is a huge part of what we focus on, is just making sure people know what resources they have available and what risks are worth taking. We primarily have concentrated in Ag Tech, and while that is a challenging market to find risk-tolerant clientele for new businesses, there are a lot of government subsidies out there that are targeted at helping out farmers and food production, especially if it can be done in an eco-conscious way. We aren’t a venture capital firm, nor does the Central Valley abound with them. Still, we can help get the word out about the businesses that come through our door and help them create the business plans and firm foundation they need to attract investors. Our most complex challenge is finding new founders ready to learn about all the available resources and how we can come alongside them.

Interested in Learning More?

If you have any questions or want to know more about us or our programs at the WET Center, please email us at info@wetcenter.org or contact us at 559.278.4540 . I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

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Taxonomy

• Innovation
• Research