The Santa Fe Business Incubator is busy these days, with 20 clients and co-locators at the southwest-side nonprofit all intent on making their start-up businesses succeed.

The woman running things is also hard at work.

Not only is Marie Longserre president and CEO of the Santa Fe Business Incubator, she has taken over as chairwoman of the board of National Business Incubation Association, a nationwide trade group.

Longserre doesn't think it's going to be a time problem for her, explaining in a telephone interview that the two positions complement each other.

In the first place, Longserre's new position "brings a heightened awareness of New Mexico to the national group," which serves about 2,000 members worldwide with 900 affiliated incubators, Longserre said.

"It's a wonderful thing," she said. "A lot of these (incubator] programs are very large, but most operate in smaller cities or rural areas."

"Twenty-five percent of our membership is from rural communities," she said, and Longserre manages a program in a small community that incorporates both high tech and service businesses, said David Monkson, president/CEO of NBIA, in a statement.

"This segment is particularly important in light of the recession we find ourselves in," he said.

Longserre said it was important to have the NBIA there as a source of information and support.

"I don't think we would have the [Santa Fe Business Incubator] we have today if I was not involved [with the NBIA]," Longserre said. "I have been involved with it taking trainings and learning from other areas."

She added: "At this level, we're with the best of the best."

The new job involves attending three board NBIA meetings through the year at the association's headquarters in Athens, Ohio, Longserre said.

Meanwhile, the Santa Fe Business Incubator is busy, Longserre said. "It seems that many people have decided that the only way forward in this economy is start thinking about joining an incubator."

She added: "As a result of that, we're seeing a lot of activity."

The fledgling businesses in the Santa Fe Business Incubator range from one that is developing a blood-preparation system to another involved in a therapeutic pharmaceuticals firm.

Another provides quality communication products, while another has created an artisan distillery.

Another business is a seed-focused early-stage venture fund with the aim of creating entrepreneurial companies focusing on the nano-bio marketspace.

Longserre is confident the incubation process will benefit them all.

"I know incubation works," Longserre said. "It's what our communities need now ... a proven model to grow start-up businesses and create jobs."

Another New Mexico incubator proponent is Jasper Welch, former director of the Enterprise Center at San Juan College Incubator, which is the second certified New Mexico Incubator.

She (Longserre) "believes in the value of economic development through incubation and is a leader in business incubation, both in New Mexico and the United States," he said in a statement.

Welch added: "Marie helped every one of the six New Mexico Incubators gain their certification."

Among the New Mexico certified incubators Longserre has helped are Albuquerque's South Valley Economic Development Incubator and WESST Enterprise Center; Arrowhead Technology Incubator in Las Cruces; and the Clovis Business Incubator.

When Longserre is at home, she's busy promoting business incubation that's close by.

Earlier in the year, Longserre served on the planning committee for REDI Green Business Cluster, which is an initiative of Northern New Mexico Regional Economic Development Initiative for Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Taos and Santa Fe.

And she was a board member and treasurer for the New Mexico Small Business Investment Corp.


The Santa Fe Business Incubator, according to a statement on its website, has helped create and grow more than 75 businesses. As of Dec. 31, 2010, revenues for client companies and affiliates exceeded $100 million. Payroll generated was in excess of $40 milllion.

Client companies and graduates of the Santa Fe Business Incubator have created more than 800 new jobs, the majority of which are above minimum wage.

For more information, visit www.sfbi.net.