Ryan Leckey credits securing a spot in the TekRidge Center for accelerating the growth of his advertising agency.
Now, officials from the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce hope other entrepreneurs experience similar success following renovations of the Jessup facility.
Amy Luyster, vice president of business and workforce development for the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, anticipates the work — which includes small meeting spaces, phone booths and a room designed for pitch sessions between tenants — should be completed by the second quarter of the year.
“We’ve heard from the clients that they’re looking for additional amenities where they can have private conversations, one-on-one meetings, and an environment where they can come together to collaborate and network amongst each other and with our partners, on a daily basis,” Luyster said. “We wanted to make sure we had that space available for them to grow and expand their businesses. The model worked very well at the Scranton Enterprise Center and we felt it was important to duplicate that in the unfinished space in TekRidge.”
Ongoing construction work at the TekRidge Center in Jessup. (Courtesy Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce)
Ongoing construction work at the TekRidge Center in Jessup. (Courtesy Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce)
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Ongoing construction work at the TekRidge Center in Jessup. (Courtesy Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce)
Following a stint in television at WNEP, Leckey started Ryan Leckey Media in 2022 and quickly realized he needed an organized, professional space to conduct business.
After working out of his dining room table for a couple of months, Leckey hired his first full-time employee and met with chamber officials to tour TekRidge.
“I knew it was an area that was super innovative, with other entrepreneurs who were hustling, driven and facing similar challenges,” he said.
Leckey started with a small office through the chamber’s Ignite program and saw the business continue to grow.
“I hired more staff until we needed more space,” he said. “We just kept expanding, went to a bigger office, and then we had to open the door to expand to two more offices.”
Leckey’s company consists of 23 employees and uses four spaces in the building until the firm’s new office is finished.
Additionally, since joining the TekRidge Center, Leckey launched Clay Builder — a website-building platform — and the Ryan Leckey Foundation, a nonprofit. As the company continues to evolve, Leckey aims to establish RLM Videos within the next three to five years, producing content for streaming platforms.
“I think the biggest thing you get out of (TekRidge) is just support from the chamber and people who want to see you succeed,” he said. “These folks are hyping you up to do your best and continue to grow. They want to see you graduate the program, meaning you move from the front of the building to a bigger space with a longer lease. It’s very beneficial from an entrepreneurial standpoint to stay there, grow and expand. When we had this opportunity to create our dream space, it just made perfect sense.”