About Future Lancaster
The people behind the project.
Future Lancaster listens to the people building businesses here, maps the resources that already exist, and makes it easier for neighbors to find each other and work together.
Meet Anne
Small business Owner, The Candy Factory (TCF)
Anne has long been passionate about supporting small, local businesses and the people behind them. As the founder of The Candy Factory, a coworking and social club in downtown Lancaster, she spends her days surrounded by entrepreneurs, creatives, nonprofits, and business owners who are helping shape the future of the community.
Future Lancaster grew out of that passion.
The project is about connecting local businesses with resources, creating more opportunities for collaboration, and starting conversations about what Lancaster’s small business community needs to thrive. Through interviews, community conversations, partnerships, and shared stories, Future Lancaster is working to strengthen the local ecosystem and remind people that the future of our community is local.
Our approach
We listen first, look for patterns, and then make connections, share resources, and test ideas that could strengthen Lancaster's small business community.
We listen first.
We're talking with business owners, entrepreneurs, resource providers, funders, educators, and the people doing the work every day.
Then we look for patterns.
What keeps coming up? What already exists? What's missing? Who needs to know whom?
Lancaster first.
Future Lancaster is rooted in Lancaster City and County, with connections across South Central Pennsylvania.
- ListenCommunity conversations + survey
- MapResources, gaps + needs
- ConnectPeople, businesses + organizations
- AmplifyPodcast + storytelling
- TestPrograms, ideas + partnerships
- BuildAn Entrepreneur Hub, with a 2028 goal
Featured · Working toward an Entrepreneur Hub
The Candy Factory.
Founded in 2010, The Candy Factory is a coworking community and social club in downtown Lancaster built around connection, collaboration, and supporting local business.
Our bigger vision is to create a dedicated Entrepreneur Hub by 2028 and that work is already underway.
Today, founders and small business owners can connect with one another, access resources, learn, and grow within the TCF community. Organizations including ASSETS, Cultivate Lancaster and Ben Franklin Technology Partners already have a presence in our space, and we partner with Ben Franklin each month to host Feed the Founders.
Over the next few years, we’re building on that foundation to create a more connected ecosystem where entrepreneurs can find the people, resources, programs, and support they need in one place. Join us!
- 370+members, many of them business owners
- 4th Thuof every month: Feed the Founders, free for founders
- 2028our goal for the Entrepreneur Hub
The podcast
The Future Is Local is produced by So Good Media at The Candy Factory for the So Good Media Network. Each episode is a conversation with the people, programs, lenders, and business owners helping Lancaster businesses start, grow, and adapt.
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