May 22, 2019
Jo Ann LeSage Nelson, APR.
Troy, N.Y. – Passport for Good, a software solution that captures community engagement for students, schools and community organizations, is joining the Hudson Valley Community College START-UP NY program. The company is moving into designated tax-free space within the Quackenbush Building on Broadway in Troy and plans to invest more than $50,000 into the downtown Troy economy and create new technology jobs locally.
Passport for Good’s software provides verified data on extracurricular experience for student transcripts and gives schools a robust data tool and application to measure, encourage, and improve student engagement. Prototyped by students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the company was formed in 2016 by Gayle Farman of Slingerlands.
Several local school districts, including Bethlehem Central, Cohoes and Watervliet, are currently using the software to track community service for its students. Engagement data can be collected from school volunteer activities, career and technical education experience, work-based and service learning, extracurricular activities, and community-based activities.
“As a START-UP NY participant sponsored by Hudson Valley Community College, Passport for Good will collaborate with the community college to share its expertise, provide the community engagement platform to departments that have service learning requirements, and partner on research grants,” said Farman, Passport for Good founder and CEO. “Hudson Valley will have the opportunity to measure and improve its collective community engagement programs, utilize its testing infrastructure, and gain real-world business and technical experiences for employees and students. Ultimately, students and graduates will be considered for internship and employment opportunities.”
“We are pleased to welcome Passport for Good as our newest START-UP NY partner,” said Hudson Valley Dean of Economic Development and Workforce Initiatives Penny Hill. “There are many opportunities for us to collaborate with the company as it grows in this new software sector.”
Launched by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in 2014, START-UP NY is an innovative tax incentive program that partners new, growing and relocating businesses with New York State’s large network of public and private colleges and universities.
Hudson Valley has designated 181,973 square feet of vacant space off campus and 13,557 square feet and 11.25 acres of on-campus space to START-UP NY, targeting businesses in bio-life sciences and biotech, nanotechnology, semiconductor development, chemical manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, computer science, and information systems. The college now partners with 12 companies through START-UP NY; these companies have created at least 222 jobs within five years and have invested more than $10,700,000 locally, mostly in downtown Troy.
For more information about Passport for Good, visit www.passportforgood.com
About START-UP NY:
Launched by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in 2014, START-UP NY is an innovative tax incentive program that partners new, growing and relocating businesses with New York State’s large network of public and private colleges and universities. Through the use of tax incentives, which significantly reduce state and local taxes for participants, the program encourages businesses to create new jobs while establishing a meaningful, mutually beneficial partnership with its college or university sponsor. These partnerships enable companies to create new opportunities for students to receive first-hand experience and internships with START-UP NY businesses. Dozens of colleges and universities across New York State are participating in START-UP NY, with more than 650 approved zones that represent over 6 million square-feet of eligible space for new or expanding businesses to operate on or near campuses. Each college and university’s approved START-UP NY plan is available at www.startup.ny.gov