News

CAN BE kicks off the Entrepreneurial Power Hour Series with intro to business plans

CAN BE will present the first part of their Entrepreneurial Power Hour series on Thursday, February 2 at the CAN BE Innovation Center from 12 – 1 PM.

This six-part series is designed to teach current and aspiring entrepreneurs vital information to grow and maintain their small business.

In this session, Lucy Singer, Business Consultant from the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center (Wilkes SBDC), teaches us why a business plan is so important and how to write your own!

To RSVP, please contact Nico Makuta at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (570) 579-8511.

State Senator David Argall and State Representative-elect Dane Watro paid a visit to CAN BE Innovation Center

Pennsylvania State Senator David G. Argall and State Representative-elect Dane Watro recently visited the CAN BE Innovation Center on Monday, December 12, to tour the facility and learn more about its positive impact on local entrepreneurial development.

Senator Argall currently represents the 29th district, serving part of Luzerne, Carbon, and Schuylkill Counties in addition to being the Chairman of the Senate State Government Committee. Since being sworn into office, one of Senator Argall’s top legislative priorities has been revitalizing downtowns and older industrial neighborhoods, such as those within the Greater Hazleton Area.

Accompanying Senator Argall during this visit was State Representative-elect Dane Watro. The former mayor of McAdoo Borough was recently elected to represent Pennsylvania's 116th Legislative District which includes parts of Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties.

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CAN BE to Host Joint Networking Event for Regional Entrepreneurs

CAN DO’s entrepreneurial program and small business incubator, The CAN BE Innovation Center will host a regional holiday networking event on Tuesday, December 6^th from 5:30 to 7:30PM at the THINK Center in Downtown Wilkes-Barre. The collaborative and festive evening will happen in partnership with Wilkes-Barre Connect – a division of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Scranton Chamber’s Ignite program.

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CAN BE sponsors Greater Hazleton Chamber’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 9th year

Longtime CAN DO partner, the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, held its 21^st Annual Business and Community Award Ceremony at The Pines Eatery & Spirits in Downtown Hazleton on Thursday, October 27th.

At the luncheon, CAN DO Business Financing Specialist, Nico Makuta, proudly presented the 2022 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Omar Alcantara of Hazleton. This marks the 9th year that the organization’s entrepreneurial arm, the CAN BE Innovation Center, has sponsored the award.

“CAN BE is proud to support this award each year and recognize the hardworking and innovative entrepreneurs that we have right here in Greater Hazleton. It is exciting to witness the immediate success that Tabla Supply has had in the market. Omar was a perfect selection for this award, and I commend him for how quickly he has grown Tabla Supply and his dedication to expanding his operations in the future,” Makuta said.

Omar Alcantara is the owner of Tabla Supply, a family-owned home decor store and remodeling business in Hazleton. Originally from New York, Alcantara started his entrepreneurial path with a small carpentry shop in Corona, NY. While still in New York, he realized that his customer base had additional needs that he could not fulfill at the time, such as flooring and granite countertops. Upon moving to the Hazleton Area, Alcantara found an opportunity to make his dreams of a home improvement store a reality.

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