Fairfax City Incubator Ranked Among the Top Globally

• Value for the ecosystem (job creation, economy enhancement and talent retention)

• Value for the client (competence development, access to funds, network enhancement, hardware and services, and post-incubation relationship)

• Attractiveness (quality of the incubator offer, the internal environment and post-incubation performance)

What Does Mason Enterprise Center Offer?

MEC is an umbrella organization under which there are a number of programs designed to help fledgling businesses grow, according to their greatest needs. Together, the programs provide a support structure businesses can call upon as clients, as well as after they graduate from the program.

Client businesses can completely immerse themselves in the program if they choose, and rent space in MEC's offices at 4031 University Dr. in Old Town. As Executive Director Keith Segerson explains, the offices can offer a feel of credibility to the start-up by giving them attractive, physical offices with conference rooms, Wi-Fi, copy and fax machines, a mail room and more, plus MEC's receptionist will even answer phones by the business' name for them.

Or, businesses can start even smaller and work virtually with MEC. Either way, Segerson says the program includes regular meetings with staff who will help guide them toward the path to growth, in matters such as drafting a business plan, financials, marketing and more.

For those looking to obtain government contracts, members of the staff can also educate them on how to work with the government as well.

"We can help them with any aspect of running a small, emerging business," Segerson said. "One day they might need help on a proposal to the federal government, another day they might need help on their overall organizational structure."

MEC has worked with many start-ups that have gone on to become successful companies. Media Force PR recently graduated from the incubator and has gone on to fill its own offices in Old Town. The agency does marketing and public service communications for government and nonprofit clients.

"They started as just one person, and grew to about 30 employees and moved into their own space just above Pacers running store on North Street," Segerson said.

Dexisive, which helps companies integrate products and technology with IT and merger integration solutions, graduated from the MEC program and now has its own corporate headquarters in Reston. Dexisive recently earned a position on the INC. 500 list.

Internationally, MEC also helps global companies wanting to enter the U.S. market, or conversely, U.S. companies wanting to export overseas. Recently, Segerson has traveled on behalf of MEC to Russia, Malaysia, Turkey, the U.K., Chile and Brazil.

In addition to MEC-Fairfax, there are 29 other sites throughout Virginia, of which the Fairfax City office is the lead. Currently, MEC works with 250 businesses statewide. At MEC-Fairfax, there are 100 business clients, half of which take up office space in Old Town, and half that work with the program virtually. MEC-Fairfax is the largest university-based business incubator in Virginia, with more than 30,000 square feet of space at its University Drive offices.

Officially, MEC is part of George Mason University, and all MEC employees are GMU employees. The center is a partnership initiative between the GMU Office of Research and Economic Development and the City of Fairfax Economic Development Authority. 

City of Fairfax Councilmember Michael DeMarco said MEC is a big factor in why the city is being called a go-to place for entrepreneurs.

"Several years ago Forbes Magazine published its list of 'America's Top 25 Towns to Live Well.' The City of Fairfax placed third on that list," he said. "Here is what they said about Fairfax: 'A great place for entrepreneurs. Fairfax has the second highest number of sole-proprietors of any place measured on our list, [one of the highest numbers of small businesses per capita], and as a result, its [business] start-ups per capita rank first [of every city, town or borough of under 100,000 people].'"

"This type of recognition does not come without a lot of hard work on the part of a great many people," DeMarco said. "In partnership, the Mayor, City Council, George Mason University, the Mason Enterprise Center, the Economic Development Authority, the business community and many others have a common goal to foster and promote economic development within the city."

"Through the varied resources provided by the many programs at Mason Enterprise Center, many businesses have thrived and contributed to the city’s position as one of the leading small and entrepreneurial business centers—not only in the region, but as Forbes pointed out, in the country. And this recent recognition of MEC as one of the top 20 global university business incubators is another indicator of our great success," DeMarco said.

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