We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephan Brady and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had been working with small businesses for a while in a coaching mode. When I first did it it was through a co-working space in Roanoke Virginia and I fell in love with the concept of coworking as well as helping businesses.

I was fortunate that we were able to create a not-for-profit and work with the state government to provide an ongoing coaching program that allowed us to also open a co-working space. That was in 2017, and since then we have grown both the space and the program to allow us to deliver our MasterClass for Microbusinesses across the whole state of Pennsylvania.

As for a thought process, it was more one of wanting to introduce new Concepts and new ideas to a rural city here in Williamsport Pennsylvania. I looked around and realized no one was providing the educational and training support that the small businesses, the mom and pop businesses, in our small towns really needed to help them thrive. Fortunately for us, and I suppose for the small businesses, we started several years before COVID. We have since received feedback and testimonials from businesses that our program, while not geared towards preparing for a pandemic, was essential for their success While others around them floundered.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a retired Air Force officer. I was a logistics plans officer and then the Air Force sent me to earn my PhD in logistics from Penn State University. And that role I learned both how to educate at various levels as well as understanding more of the operations of large and small organizations.

When I retired, I joined the faculty at Penn State University in Harrisburg and found that my interests were more focused on immediate impacts on businesses. I left Penn State and started Consulting where I learned not only that I enjoyed the large Consulting roles with the likes of Boeing and the Department of Defense but my real heart was with these smaller mom and pop businesses.

Living in a rural area of Pennsylvania really highlighted for me the values of the community and that these small businesses truly are the lifeblood of those communities. What struck me most was that the business owners not only had a need to learn but how to desire to learn how to run their businesses more effectively and to grow their businesses. But they didn’t have was the resources to pay for high-powered contractors to come in and help and train them.

By creating the creation center to create a space for businesses and individuals to work, but also to create a curriculum that would be relatable to regular business owners. We didn’t want something that was overly academic, but respected where these people as Executives of their own businesses we’re operating.

One of the things that I am very proud of was how my team came together during covid. While many organizations around us posted on their websites that you can click a form and seek assistance we chose to go a different route. We called about 500 businesses asking them what we can do to help and what they needed. We worked as closely with them as we could, and we’re often amazed at the heart so many of these business owners had when they said that they didn’t need help but please reach out to the one next door. Ross that really highlighted the sense of community that we have with small business owners.

While we started as a regional program inside the state of Pennsylvania we have since been approved by the government to expand our program to go from one side of the state all the way to the other. And we continue to see growth in these businesses. We take to heart what we’ve learned from Donald Miller’s story brand and that these businesses truly are the hero of the story and we are only their guide.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Best part about living in Lycoming County Pennsylvania is that there’s so much to see and do in the city of Williamsport and all around the county. Perhaps the best thing we have going for us is that we are a Gateway into the PA Wilds.

If we have a week to spend together I would blend the time between going to places like Worlds End State Park, Ricketts Glen and their numerous waterfalls, many of the waterfalls that are just one or two at a time on things like dry run or Rock Run. In addition we would visit many of the small General Stores across the county that not only are stores but often have a post office inside and a small family run restaurant. Some of them have amazing breakfast lunches and dinners and often music as well.

Coming into Williamsport obviously I would show off the Covation Center and take the opportunity to take them to several of my favorite restaurants here in town. Top of my list is always the bullfrog Brewery which is right next door to the Center. They have perhaps the best fish and chips this side of the Atlantic. Then addition their Rubens and other sandwiches are amazing. Of course it’s a brewery and I always recommend the Billtown Blonde Ale. From there if they like barbecue we would go to Acme barbecue perhaps for lunch, and if they’re fans of Italian we would go to Franco’s or Morrone’s Cafe.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a few. Of course my family, my wife who supported us as we created the Covation Center, and my eldest daughter who was a co-founder of the Covation Center.

Ever appreciated the support of everyone at the Department of community and economic development in Pennsylvania, specifically Jennifer Lynch and Neil Fowler.

Website: https://covationcenter.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/covation.center/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/11207476/admin/feed/posts/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CovationCenter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/covationcenter

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@covationcenter616

Other: info@covationcenter.org

Image Credits
Covation Center Photos

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