by Nicole Bradford
Pearland City Council on Monday voted 5-2 to approve a 16-month, $467,600 contract with the Pearland Chamber to manage the Pearland Innovation Hub for small business assistance.
Voting against were Councilman Rushi Patel and Councilwoman Layni Cade.
“This is a money grab,” said Patel, who predicted the 16-month contract would likely need to be extended.
“We’ve already sunk $700,000 — this just tells me the EDC has way too much money,” he said.
The contract is funded through the Pearland Economic Development Corp., which is generated through sales tax.
“There’s a lot of good people involved on the advisory board and at the chamber, and I don’t know that I’ll have much rope after the 16 months if we’re not seeing some good results,” Councilman Tony Carbone said.
Governed by an 8-member advisory board, the Innovation Hub launched in May 2022 and has since established a website, social media presence, and nonprofit status.
“The hallmark of the program is to offer customized coaching and technical assistance to our small business and entrepreneurs,” Pearland EDC president and CEO Matt Buchanan said. “We also try to host year-round small business events and networking opportunities.”
The majority of private sector jobs in the community are in small businesses, he said.
The hub currently has 127 members and holds events such as a pitch competition, educational workshops, and a Shark Tank event for local middle schoolers, which is scheduled for June.
The contract includes transitioning web platforms, membership and databases, and developing a program for the coming fiscal year.
“The Chamber, the EDC have great brands — we want to see the Innovation Hub as the third leg of that stool in our community,” Pearland Chamber President Jim Johnson said. “If you’re coming into Pearland, you know the entire community are there for support.”
