Business Incubation Program Appoints Doris (Connie) Bernal Site Manager of the New Incubator at Daytona Beach International Airport

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program has appointed Doris (Connie) Bernal site manager of the new UCF Business Incubator at 601 Innovation Way in the Daytona Beach International Airport, the ninth facility opened by the university’s business incubation program.

Gordon Hogan, director of the UCF Business Incubation Program, said before joining the UCFBIP, Bernal served as manager of the Small Business Development Center at Daytona State College for three-and-a-half years.

Bernal earned her master’s degree in business administration from Iberoamericana University in Mexico City. After a career as a banking executive in South America, she became an international business consultant who specialized in strategic planning and all facets of business development.

Hogan said Bernal has already recruited five promising start-up companies to join the Daytona Beach Airport Incubator that will be announced as soon as their application process is completed.

UCF and government officials recently celebrated the opening of the 8,000 square foot UCF Business Incubator at Daytona Beach International Airport that will accommodate up to 20 emerging companies, providing them with a wide range of marketing, administration and business support services to help them accelerate growth.

The first client company who located at the Daytona Beach airport site is I-RED (Innovation-Research Engineering & Development), an alternative energy company developing a low-cost sustainable electrical power system.

The UCF Business Incubation Program ranks as one of the leading business incubation programs in the U.S.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 200 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $200 million in annual total economic output and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. Please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu and UCFBIP on Facebook.