By Kelly Daubach, ACC, RD
A Unique Opportunity Awaits at the UCF Business Incubation Program!
Greetings to the community and esteemed leaders of Central Florida!
I am thrilled to share that UCF Business Incubation Program (UCF BIP) First/Enterprise Customer Program. The mission of the UCF BIP First Customer Program is to ignite powerful partnerships between emerging start-ups and forward-thinking corporations, creating a dynamic platform for mutual growth, knowledge exchange, and first-hand market access, ensuring a prosperous future for our business community.
The synergy from these connections has the potential to redefine entrepreneurial success across our region. In the past few months, I have witnessed the collaboration and receptivity of this program from both Enterprise Companies and Local Municipalities. Here are the reasons for their excitement:
- Innovative Solutions at Your Fingertips. Startups are the lifeblood of innovation, often arising from the unique solutions to complex challenges. There are waves and trends within the Incubator that are focusing on exactly the challenges that are costing enterprises time and resources.
- Agility and Speed: The New Currency. In today’s fact-paced business world, the ability to adapt swiftly is invaluable. Startups excel in this area enabling your corporation to benefit directly in pilot programs with speed to market capabilities.
- Future Investment Opportunities. Engaging with startups today opens a new window to tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Acting as mentors and providing access to the challenges and resources, your corporation gains early insight into potential collaborations, investments and talent that could lead market advancement.
- Brand Sustainability. Collaboration with startups introduces fresh perspectives and ideas. A chance to rejuvenate your brand, especially important in resonating with more dynamic demographics.
- Enhancing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In an era where CSR takes the front seat, support startups not only showcases your commitment to innovation and growth but also serves as a magnet for fresh talent looking to make an impact in their work.
The future of business is collaborative, lending favorably to the power of strategic partnerships. The collaboration between established corporations and emerging start-ups holds the key to unlocking mutual growth and paving the way for shared success.
Join us in shaping a brighter business ecosystem in central Florida! If your organization is poised to explore the vast possibilities that startup collaboration offers, we invite you to reach out. Whether it be a specific problem you are working to solve or simply want to invite in start-ups for an “Innovation Showcase”, allow us to support your vision!
Supporting creative intelligence to serve it’s purpose in the world, today and tomorrow!
Kelly Daubach, ACC, RD
Program Manager, Mentoring and First Customer UCFBIP Manager
The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program is a community resource that provides early-stage companies with the tools, training, and infrastructure to become financially stable, high-growth/impact enterprises. Since 1999, this award-winning program has provided vital business development resources resulting in over 300 local startup companies reaching their potential faster and graduating into the community where they continue to grow and positively impact the local economy.
With nine facilities throughout the region, the UCF Business Incubation Program is an economic development partnership between the University of Central Florida, the Corridor, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia Counties, and the cities of Kissimmee, Orlando, and Winter Springs. For the 2017/2018 fiscal years, the activities of these participating firms have helped to sustain more than 6,725 local jobs and have had a cumulative impact of over $725 million on regional GDP and over $1.3 billion on regional sales. During the same period, the program has returned more than $12.00 in state and local taxes for every $1.00 invested in the program. In addition, for every $1.00 of public investment, the firms also produced $118 of additional regional GDP and $226 of regional sales. For more information, visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.
