Rugile joins Accelerate Long Island

Accelerate Long Island is expanding its mentor network for entrepreneurs and recently brought on a new entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR), Philip Rugile, to help start-up companies bridge the "valley of death," the sensitive time period before a start-up company reaches profitability. Accelerate Long Island's EIR program provides Long Island start-up companies with mentorship from experienced business executives and entrepreneurs. The EIR program is part of "Accelerate Assist," a broad initiative that builds teams of mentors, professional service providers and MBA students from Hofstra University and Stony Brook University around start-up companies. The EIR program is free for identified early stage high-tech start-up companies and will provide those companies with mentorship and assistance. Accelerate Long Island examined other successful EIR programs around the country as it developed Accelerate Assist, including CONNECT's Springboard program in San Diego. Rugile joins Accelerate Long Island's EIR team, which also includes Kevin Hesselbirg, the former chief executive of Uniondale-based OpenLink, and Michael McEntee, former senior director of corporate development at InterDigital Communications LLC.