Accelerators, even more so than incubators, provide a place, just like a library or a community centre would, that attracts the public, a place where business and ideas happen. Insofar as accelerators and incubators reach out into the communities, connect to universities, connect to colleges, and bring young people into their facilities, they have an enormous potential to cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs—getting these students working with start-ups, getting employed by start-ups, and then eventually starting their own company while they're in school or after they graduate. It's a hotbed activity that can really create collisions of innovation for these kids.
On March 25th, 2014. See this statement in context.