After the passing of one of the co-founders of Cutco Corporation, Mr. Erick Laine, in 2020, a memorial fund was established in his name (the Erick Laine Entrepreneur Fund). From this funding source, through the brilliant entrepreneurial mind of the director of the SBU Innovation Center, the concept for a business accelerator was developed. The inaugural cohort of 5 businesses was selected from over 40 applicants, and these entrepreneurs participated in a rigorous 13-week entrepreneurial learning experience that has helped their businesses truly accelerate into the next level of performance. In addition, these businesses received some financial benefit in the form of a grant that was given out of the Erick Laine Entrepreneur Fund. The accelerator program consisted of local and outside the area successful entrepreneurs providing their expertise in various business disciplines with weekly seminars attended by the 5 businesses together each Friday during the fall, dedicated SBU consultant interns as part of the C4 program at the SBU Innovation Center and culminated with a Community Showcase event attended by more than 100 people where the businesses pitched their business, and a grand prize winner crowned. A reception was held afterward at The Hub, which was the initial program hosted in this newly renovated space.