O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

What O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship does

The O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship is a non-profit center within Alvernia University that operates as the university's primary vehicle for regional economic development and student experiential learning in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It delivers business incubation, mentorship, intellectual property management, and consulting services to entrepreneurs, startups, and small-to-medium businesses through a portfolio of sub-brands including the SPARK Business Incubator, EmpowerED by O'Pake, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), and the O'Pake Fellows experiential learning program. The institute is physically anchored at the John R. Post Center within Reading CollegeTowne, a university-led downtown revitalization initiative, and has cumulatively served 400+ clients, completed 200+ projects, and delivered 30,000 hours of mentoring while impacting 175+ students.

Name

O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Legal name

O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Website

https://opake.alvernia.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The O'Pake Institute is Alvernia University's non-profit center delivering business incubation, mentorship, technology transfer, and experiential learning services to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses across Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation and Economic Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities (EDAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Resources, Organizational Behavior & Leadership Institutes (EDAHAHAG), Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ), Integrated Education & Training (IET) / Contextualized ABE (Workforce-Linked) (EDAAAAAK)

Keywords

• Business incubation services
• Economic development programs
• Technology transfer services
• Experiential learning programs
• Entrepreneurship education

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: As a university-affiliated institute, the O'Pake Institute is funded through Alvernia University's institutional budget and external grants/partnerships with public and private organizations to support regional economic development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The O'Pake Institute is a university-affiliated economic development organization that delivers business incubation, startup mentorship, intellectual property/technology transfer services, and consulting to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Berks County region. It pairs these services with an experiential learning program (O'Pake Fellows) in which high-achieving Alvernia University students work directly with clients, and it operates from both the Alvernia campus and the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania.

Product overview

O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship is a single unified organization that serves as Alvernia University's transformational engine for regional economic development and student experiential learning. The institute operates through multiple integrated sub-brands and programs including the SPARK Business Incubator (startup support), Technology Transfer Office (IP management), O'Pake Fellows Program (student experiential learning), EmpowerED by O'Pake (educational services), Community Development, and Economic Development initiatives. These components work together to create public and private partnerships that develop talent pipelines for business growth in the Berks County region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPARK Business Incubator: A business incubator providing startup companies with supportive environment, mentorship, and advising to help them reach critical milestones.
• EmpowerED by O'Pake
• Technology Transfer Office (TTO)
• O'Pake Experiential Learning / O'Pake Fellows

Products and services

• SPARK Business Incubator A startup incubator that provides early-stage companies with a supportive environment, mentorship, and advising to help them reach critical milestones and grow. Offered to founders and early-stage entrepreneurs in the Berks County region.
• Technology Transfer Office (TTO) Intellectual property management service that allows businesses in Berks County and beyond to save time and funds on IP management, administered through the O'Pake Institute. Intended for regional businesses needing IP support.
• O'Pake Fellows Program Experiential learning program that places high-achieving Alvernia University undergraduate and graduate students directly with entrepreneurs, small businesses, regional partners, and faculty to deliver hands-on consulting and project work.
• EmpowerED by O'Pake Educational empowerment program offering entrepreneurial services, resources, and support for businesses in the Berks County region under the O'Pake Institute.
• O'Pake Institute Business Consulting Services Business consulting and support services offered to clients seeking to become part of the O'Pake Institute ecosystem, delivered through student fellows and institute staff.
• Economic Development Programs Programs aimed at fostering regional economic growth and business development in the Reading and Berks County area, coordinated by the O'Pake Institute.
• Community Development Initiatives Initiatives focused on developing and strengthening the local Reading/Berks County community through various programs and partnerships operated by the O'Pake Institute.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ clients served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Reading CollegeTownecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReading CollegeTowne is a major university-led economic development initiative in downtown Reading, PA. The O'Pake Institute operates from the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne and is a key component of this initiative, serving as the transformational engine for economic development and student experiential learning.
• Alvernia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe O'Pake Institute is Alvernia University's primary vehicle for community engagement, economic development, and experiential learning. The institute serves as a bridge between the university and regional business community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit network providing free mentoring, business consulting, and educational resources to entrepreneurs and small businesses — directly mirroring O'Pake's free mentorship model and SMB-focused mission.
• Ben Franklin Technology Partners: Pennsylvania-based tech-based economic development organization that funds and supports startups and innovation — an existing O'Pake funder that competes for the same regional client base in technology commercialization and incubation.
• America's SBDC (Small Business Development Centers): National SBA-affiliated network of small business consulting centers, often hosted at universities, that provide free business advising, training, and incubation services to entrepreneurs — overlapping heavily with O'Pake's SMB and startup support offerings.
• Launch Fishers: Indiana-based nonprofit entrepreneurship hub and incubator offering coworking, mentorship, and programming for startups and small businesses — directly comparable to SPARK Business Incubator and O'Pake's experiential learning structure.
• MassChallenge: Global nonprofit startup accelerator providing mentorship, resources, and programming to early-stage entrepreneurs — directly comparable in mission, non-fee-funded model, and emphasis on experiential learning for founders.
• 1871 Chicago: Chicago-based nonprofit technology hub and incubator that supports early-stage startups with workspace, mentorship, and community programming — directly comparable as a regional entrepreneurship center supporting founders and small businesses.
• Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC): Nonprofit research and advisory organization focused on economic development in underserved urban areas — comparable in addressing regional economic growth, business support, and inclusive entrepreneurship development.
• Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship (University of Maryland): University-affiliated entrepreneurship center offering startup incubation, mentorship, and experiential learning to students and regional entrepreneurs — directly comparable to O'Pake's university-based model combining student experiential learning with SMB support.
• Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Lehigh University: Pennsylvania university-affiliated institute providing student entrepreneurship programming, startup incubation, and regional business support — directly comparable as a Pennsylvania-based university economic development institute with similar programmatic structure.

Others

• Kauffman Foundation: National philanthropic foundation focused on entrepreneurship education and research — operates adjacent programs (e.g., 1 Million Cups) that align with O'Pake's mission of educating entrepreneurs and supporting small business growth.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alvernia-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship