Steven Georges, Princeton
At a recent campaign breakfast at his home, Scott Sipprelle disparaged Einstein’s Alley and its leading advocate, Congressman Rush Holt, saying, “They put up 19 road signs but they never did anything about it.” It is evident from this comment, that Mr. Sipprelle is unaware of the work that goes on as a result of the Einstein Alley Entrepreneurs Collaborative gatherings or any of the other numerous Einstein Alley events.
I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Holt at the Einstein’s Alley Economic Summit that he convened in December 2003. At this conference, Mr. Holt shared his vision for creating an “entrepreneurial ecosystem” built on New Jersey’s long tradition of research and innovation and fueled by the diverse, highly educated, and strong community members who have chosen to live in Central Jersey.
Inspired by Mr. Holt’s vision, I co-founded the Einstein Alley Entrepreneurs Collaborative, a grassroots network of Central Jersey-based entrepreneurs that continues to meet nearly every two months for friendship, fellowship, and mutual support. Mr. Holt, or a Holt representative, has attended the majority of our gatherings to ensure that Mr. Holt keeps a finger on the pulse of the Central Jersey entrepreneurial community.
At this time, I was the founding business manager of Princeton Server Group, a startup company that provided affordable digital broadcast solutions for public, educational, and government television stations. Like many other start-ups, my company prospered in Einstein’s Alley. Before being acquired in 2007 by TelVue Corp. (Mount Laurel), we created 15 local jobs and helped over 150 community television stations convert from analog to digital broadcasting.
I am disappointed with Mr. Sipprelle’s comment regarding the Einstein Alley initiative. Currently the Entrepreneur’s Collaborative alone has over 150 business leaders, most of whom are creating high-paying jobs within the state of New Jersey.
I have also always found Mr. Holt to be an honorable man, a committed representative, and a true friend of entrepreneurs. It is unfortunate that Mr. Sipprelle is not aware of what is happening in his local business community and has instead disparaged Mr. Holt and these important contributions.
Steven Georges
Princeton
