Levan Center Awarded $742,787 for its Founder’s Journey Program
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – Since the Alan B. Levan|NSU Broward Center of Innovation opened just over a month ago, it has been very busy hosting programs and helping fulfill its three themes (innovation, technology, entrepreneurship) and four pillars, known as the Founder’s Journey (Ideate, Incubate, Accelerate, Post-Accelerate). And now the Levan Center has another milestone in its short history – it has received a grant totaling nearly three quarters of a million dollars to support its programs.
“We have a very clear mission and receiving this grant will help us deliver on the Founder’s Journey,” said John Wensveen, Ph.D., NSU’s Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Levan Center. “Our goal is to nurture an innovation ecosystem right here at NSU that puts Broward as the hub of innovation for South Florida, and this grant will go a long way in helping us do just that.”
NSU’s grant, which totals $742,787, is part of the “Build to Scale” program, which is administered annually by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). The program aims to accelerate technology entrepreneurship by increasing inclusive access to business support and startup capital. The Build to Scale program was comprised of two competitions – the Venture Challenge and the Capital Challenge., with NSU’s grant falling in the Venture Challenge category. These grants are designed to help leverage regional competitive strengths to accelerate innovation and job creation through high-growth technology entrepreneurship and fostering inclusive access to proven entrepreneurship support models.
The Levan Center Founder’s Journey programs range from four to 16 weeks in length, with a special focus on Broward County’s defined targeted industries as these have been identified as the high-wage/high-growth sectors. These targeted industries include aviation/aerospace, financial services, global logistics, headquarters, life sciences, manufacturing, marine industries, and technology. Funding will be used to secure facilitators for the various modules, provide wraparound services (i.e., legal, marketing, finance, accounting), Gust software tool, and for personnel to oversee the project. The goal of the Founder’s Journey is to produce breakthrough ideation, new technologies, job creation, new company formation, and scaling of early-stage and young startup companies.
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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don’t just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 15 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, the private JK-12 grade University School, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida’s largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. With nearly 200,000 alumni across the globe, the reach of the NSU community is worldwide. Classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 59 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.
About Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation: The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center) is a public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Broward County. The Levan Center is focused on three themes (innovation, technology, entrepreneurship) and four pillars known as the Founder’s Journey (Ideate, Incubate, Accelerate, Post-Accelerate). The Levan Center serves the NSU, Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County, South Florida communities resulting in breakthrough ideation, new technologies, job creation, talent skills pipeline, new company formation, and scaling of early-stage and young startup companies. Each of the four pillars are supported by customized programs, events, and wraparound services. The Levan Center is an economic development engine for Broward County and South Florida with potential for local, regional, national, and international impact. By powering the innovation ecosystem, the Levan Center is a major stakeholder in the establishment of a tech hub for Broward County and South Florida. For more information, please visit nova.edu/innovation.
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