PA Wilds Center releases 2023 Annual Report online
PA Wilds Center releases 2023 Annual Report online
The nonprofit PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. (PA Wilds Center) has released its Annual Report for 2023, detailing some of the regional nonprofit’s top achievements over the calendar year.
As the PA Wilds Center celebrated ten years since its founding in 2023, the report features the top highlights, accomplishments, and challenges of a year that marked the incredible anniversary. The Center held its official grand opening of the PA Wilds Media Lab in Kane, which features tools, technologies and classroom space to support the nonprofit’s expanding business network and its regional partnership work. As the PA Wilds Center rounds out its first decade, the staff continues to plan for resilience and for the work to continue beyond all existing leadership and staff, shooting for generational and long-term success.
“The year 2023 was one of momentous milestones for the Pennsylvania Wilds effort. It marked a decade since the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. was founded, and it also marked 20 years since the Pennsylvania Wilds brand was first created,” said Ta Enos, Founder and CEO of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship. “In the 10 years since the PA Wilds Center was established, we have seen exponential growth as both an organization and a tourism destination. We worked with core stakeholders engaged in the regional effort to bring the marketing, branding and business development lanes of the work all under one roof. We have grown from one staff member to about 20. Our value chain network has grown to more than 500 members and counting. And so much more!”
Accomplishments tackled in 2023 alone included the implementation of the second year of the Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience program in the communities of Warren and Emporium. It also marked the second year of “PA Wilds BIG IDEA Contest series,” in which the PA Wilds Center helped Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA with a competition for local entrepreneurs to win up to $50,000 in grant funding for their innovative idea. The 2023 BIG IDEA Contest focused on the Allegheny National Forest & Surrounds counties of Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren.
The PA Wilds Center was also proud to host a Multi-State Peer Learning Program with The Conservation Fund in 2023, bringing in individuals from New Hampshire, West Virginia, Georgia and other states, who are all looking at how to successfully leverage their natural resources for sustainable economic development. The region also hosted an important guest from the Commonwealth in 2023, when Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro selected Kinzua Bridge State Park as the backdrop to announce nearly $600,000 in investments for partnerships, outdoor recreation, and conservation in the PA Wilds region.
Six members of the Wilds Cooperative of PA network launched new branded products in collaboration with PA Wilds Center in 2023. As official logo licensees, a portion of product sales will support the PA Wilds Center’s mission to marry conservation and economic development in a way that strengthens and inspires the region’s communities.
These accomplishments and many others are outlined in the 2023 Annual Report, which is now available online at PAWildsCenter.org/annual-report.
The nonprofit aims to reduce waste and its environmental impact by distributing the report electronically, continuing with a digital-only report.
The format of the 2023 Annual Report is organized by the nonprofit’s core programs, with a separate section for Key Financial Highlights. The core programs include: Regional Planning & Partnerships (RPP), Regional Marketing (RGM), Wilds Cooperative of PA (WCO), PA Wilds Licensing (PWL), and Sustainable Commerce (SCM). The report is color coded with sections for each program, creating opportunities for stakeholders to dive deeper into the impacts of each. Stakeholders can easily access the most recent data and better visualize how these programs – all part of the PA Wilds Entrepreneurial Ecosystem – are working together toward the Center’s mission of integrating conservation and economic development in the Conservation Landscape.
The 2024 Annual Report is also expected to be released in 2025, as part of the PA Wilds Center’s effort to move away from a bi-annual report structure to a true annual report.
For more information, visit PAWildsCenter.org/about-us.
ABOUT THE PA WILDS
The Pennsylvania Wilds is a 13-county region that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre. The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that inspires the communities of the Pennsylvania Wilds. The PA Wilds Center promotes the region and its 2+ million acres of public lands as a premier outdoor recreation destination as a way to diversify local economies, inspire stewardship, attract investment, retain population and improve quality of life. The PA Wilds Center’s core programs seek to help businesses leverage the PA Wilds brand and connect with new market opportunities, including: the Wilds Cooperative of PA, a network of more than 575 place-based businesses and organizations, and the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, a retail outlet primarily featuring products sourced from the WCO. For more information on the PA Wilds Center, visit www.PAWildsCenter.org. To learn more about the WCO, visit www.WildsCoPA.org. Explore the PA Wilds at www.PAWilds.com. Find regionally made products at www.ShopThePAWilds.com.
Media Contact
Britt Madera | Communications Manager
PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.
[email protected] | 570-948-1051