The Fredonia Technology Incubator is welcoming a new business, Venture Productions, to its facility in the central business district of Dunkirk. Venture Productions is a start-up company that provides highly innovative, original and affordable entertainment, digital media, and high quality dramatic education for all ages.
Venture Productions was founded by Ted Sharon, a faculty member with Fredonia’s Department of Theatre and Dance. He said the move into the incubator will provide his small business with the resources it needs to maximize its potential and bring it to “the next level.”
“I am excited by this opportunity to join the other companies in the Fredonia Incubator,” Mr. Sharon said. “I believe this move will allow our company to expand and contribute to economic growth in Chautauqua County. I thank the faculty and administration at Fredonia for encouraging me and assisting with this significant transition.
“Our team has taught, produced, directed or performed on national tours, in regional theatres, on and off Broadway, and with the Paul Newman ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’ camps. We have also been invited to such well respected universities as Harvard University, Boston University, the University of Arkansas, and Brigham Young University, and to international venues in Italy, China, Taiwan, and Korea. We have produced projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and we have a vision for the future.”
Fredonia Vice President of Engagement and Economic Development Kevin Kearns said he is thrilled to add Venture Productions to the incubator.
“The incubator is intended to support entrepreneurs from the community, our faculty, and the student body here at Fredonia,” Dr. Kearns stated. “The addition of Venture Productions adds significant value to our local economy and existing incubator businesses, a list that includes a company run by recent graduates of our university.”
Sharon is an associate professor and the Head of Performance for the Department of Theatre and Dance at Fredonia. His work on stage has been seen on Broadway in “Disney’s Aladdin,” “Disney’s Newsies,” at the Miracle Theatre in Tennessee, “The Yakov Smirnoff Show” in Missouri, Sight and Sound Theatres in Pennsylvania, the California Shakespeare Festival, Boston Lyric Opera, the Chautauqua Theatre Company of New York, the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and internationally at the Bargello Museum in Florence, Italy as well as in Taiwan R.O.C. and mainland China.
Mr. Sharon produces and directs stage and on-camera productions for university and corporate clients. His work includes numerous projects funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Science Foundation. He is also the founder of mindtoolsinnovations.com; a publisher of educational products.
The Fredonia Technology Incubator (FTI) promotes economic growth in western New York State by supporting entrepreneurship and the development of new, innovative companies into successful business ventures. The incubator creates jobs in the community, develops real-world internships and training opportunities for students, attracts and retains graduates for the area, provides a first-class facility for community activities, and provides support services to community organizations and leaders.
Fredonia established its Engagement and Economic Development (EED) division in 2013 to facilitate and support university-community collaborations that enhance the intellectual, cultural, artistic and economic vibrancy of the region. Such collaborations include active community engagement and partnerships with local and regional organizations, governments, businesses and universities. In addition to the incubator, the division also oversees the university’s StartUp New York economic development program.
