Today I have been to the Hidden Tech networking event at Holyoke Community College (HCC).

I was astonished by the new beautiful HCC Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development. Michael Kittredge ‘73, founder of Yankee Candle Company and HCC graduate, provided a $1 million gift to Holyoke Community College Foundation to launch the construction of the state-of-the-art facility. The Center was opened in May ‘06. I am very, very impressed. The building is a gem in otherwise fairly poor Holyoke.

Jeff Hayden, Vice President of Business and Community Services and Executive Director of the Kittredge Center, gave us a tour around it. The five store building has:

• Wireless Internet everywhere
• Videoconferencing, and state-of-the-art lighting and projection
• Huge Flat Plasma TV (63 inches, if not more) in a conference / training room
• Large Flat TVs with announcements all over the place
• 10 “Smart” technology computer labs/classrooms
• Green Roof: A flat or low-pitch roof was designed to absorb atmosphere water from rain and snow not to have a need to build water sewage system. The roof will be planted with pretty grass and other ground covers. “This “green” roof—the first on a public building in New England—will benefit the environment and provide research opportunities to environmental studies students.” — from HCC web site.

In addition to all that state-of-the art technology and environmentally safe roof, the interior design of the building is very stylish and everything is overwhelmingly well done. Walls are covered with richly toned matte finish paint of soothing colors — deep yellow, vinous (deep red), deep olive, light gray. All edges are finely finished. I loved the precision and care everything was done with. Rarely had I seen such a level of precision, especially not expected in a community college. Unfortunately, I did not have camera with me to capture bright colors of this wonder.

The Center does open its doors for entrepreneurs and small businesses to host events and meetings.
Another great thing I found out is that this past summer, UMASS Isenberg Business School, the one I graduated from, started holding classes in the Kittredge Center. This evening, I saw future MBAs sitting in an awesomely well-designed and equipped classroom. Professor Richard Asebrook, one of the best and my most favorite professors was teaching a class of (most probably) Managerial Accounting. I could not resist and stopped by to say ‘Hi’. I remember Professor Richard Asebrook tremendous most patience and tremendous common sense. He would explain complex things as if they were very simple, and, believe me, Debit-Credit and T-accounts can be Chinese to many.

Thanks to Amy Zuckerman, founder of Hidden-Tech for organizing this event and thanks to the Kittredge Center for hosting it. Those who could come and did not, lost a lot.