UCF Business Incubator in St. Cloud to Host Discovery Tour Open House for Entrepreneurs March 30

ST. CLOUD, Fla. --- The UCF Business Incubator in St. Cloud will host a Discovery Tour Open House for entrepreneurs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, in the Corporate Campus building at Stevens Plantation, 3201 Budinger Ave. in St. Cloud.

Jim Bowie, site manager at the UCF Business Incubator in St. Cloud, said the Discovery Tour event is open to established business owners and potential entrepreneurs who are considering new business startups.

Bowie said a formal presentation of how the Incubator can help grow your business will begin at 5:20 p.m.

“The Discovery Tour is a brief overview of the services and facilities offered at the UCF Business Incubator to see whether a new business startup is the right fit for our program,” Bowie explained.

Bowie said recent studies show that 87 percent of entrepreneurs who launch their business startups in an incubator facility are still in business after five years.

“The UCF Business Incubator offers facilities, a network of community partners dedicated to the support of emerging enterprises and business coaching,” Bowie said. “Our goal is to help promising startup enterprises accelerate their growth and flourish,” Bowie said.

No RSVP is required, Bowie said. For more information about the Discovery Tour Open House, contact the UCF Business Incubator in St. Cloud at 407-498-0432 or visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.
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For more information, contact: Jim Bowie, Site Manager UCF Business Incubator St. Cloud 407-498-0432, Jim.Bowie@ucf.edu; Gordon Hogan, Director of Operations, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-882-1157; Gordon.Hogan@ucf.edu

About the UCF Business Incubation Program: Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 assisted emerging companies (including nearly 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With eight – and soon nine – facilities opened 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, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and will be adding Volusia County. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

UCF Incubator in Kissimmee to Host St. Patrick’s Day Networking Reception for Area Entrepreneurs

KISSIMMEE - The University of Central Florida Business Incubator in Kissimmee will host a networking reception for area entrepreneurs from 5 to7 p.m. on Thursday March 17.

Rafael Caamano, site manager at the UCF Business Incubator in Kissimmee, said the St. Patrick’s Day reception is a chance for entrepreneurs with startup businesses to meet and discuss issues in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

The event is free and open to all entrepreneurs, Caamano said.

The UCF Business Incubator in Kissimmee is located on the fourth floor of the Kissimmee City Centre, 111 Monument Ave. in Kissimmee
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For more information, contact: Rafael Caamano, Site Manager Kissimmee UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-343-4300 rcaamano@mail.ucf.edu

About the UCF Incubation Program: Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With eight – and soon nine – facilities opened 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, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and will be adding Volusia County. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Mori Hosseini, Founder of ICI Homes to Speak at Entrepreneurs Lecture Series at Halifax Museum Feb. 26

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- Mori Hosseini, chairman and chief executive officer of Florida based home builder ICI Homes, will present a lecture Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Halifax Historical Museum, 252 S. Beach St. in Daytona Beach.

Hosseini’s presentation is part of the Museum-organized lecture series “Entrepreneurial Dreams That Grew.”

Hosseini founded ICI Homes in 1980 and grew to become the largest residential home builder in Volusia County, expanding in Flagler, Brevard, Osceola, Orange, St. Johns, Nassau and Duval Counties. More recently, ICI Homes established itself in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

ICI Homes consistently ranks among Builder magazine’s list of the top 100 builders in the nation.

Hosseini will be speaking at 10 a.m.

For more information about the Entrepreneurs Lecture Series at the Halifax Historical Museum, call Fayn LeVeille, Director 386-255 6976
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For more information about this press release, contact: Lisa A. Egle, Marketing Manager ICI Homes-Daytona Beach, 386-236-4273; Rosemary Messina, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, ICI Homes, 386-236-4231; Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

About ICI Homes: ICI Homes is ranked by Builder magazine as one of the top 100 privately owned homebuilders in the nation. The 30-year-old firm builds new homes and resort facilities in the Volusia-Flagler region as well as in Jacksonville, Orlando, Melbourne and Tampa.

University of Central Florida Business Incubator Hosts Round Table for Entrepreneurs, Small Business Principals

University of Central Florida Business Incubator Hosts Round Table for Entrepreneurs, Small Business Principals

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. - The University of Central Florida Business Incubator in Winter Springs is hosting the Entrepreneur Round Table to help entrepreneurs and small business owners learn how to respond to startup and organizational challenges with sustainable solutions.

Esther Vargas-Davis, site manager at the UCF Business Incubator in Winter Springs, said the Entrepreneur Round Table is a collaborative effort organized by Chad Eaves, president of Eaves Consulting in Oviedo.

The Entrepreneur Round Table is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, admission is free and open to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Winter Springs and Oviedo areas. The Round Table, which will include dinner, will be held at the Incubator’s offices at 1511 E. S.R. 434, off Hwy. 417 in Winter Springs.

“The Entrepreneur Round Table is a chance for small business entrepreneurs to engage in dialogue about their experience as small business owners, discuss challenges they are facing and gain new perspectives on developing sustainable solutions,” said Vargas-Davis. “It’s an open forum, and participants collaborate in developing solutions,” she said.

“Through the Entrepreneur Round Table, we bring together businesses that are just beginning with ones that have been operating for over ten years in different industries,” said Eaves. “This Round Table provides an open forum with diverse perspectives and experiences that support peer mentoring, targeted troubleshooting, and ultimately helps foster the entrepreneurial spirit in Oviedo and Winter Springs.

“By connecting as small businesses owners and leaders, we can help our community grow competitively and strategically,” Eaves added. “This has been a great partnering effort between Eaves Consulting, the UCF Business Incubation Program, the City of Winter Springs, the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Seminole Community College SBDC.”

The Entrepreneur Round Table meets monthly every last Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Winter Springs Incubator. See http://entrepreneurroundtable.ning.com/ for more information.

The UCF Business Incubation Program in Winter Springs is a partnership between UCF, Seminole County Government, the City of Winter Springs and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.

For more information, contact:
Esther Vargas-Davis, Site Manager, UCF Incubator-Seminole County, 407-278-4881
Tom O’Neal, Ph.D., Executive Director, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-882-1102
Chad Eaves, President, Eaves Consulting, Inc., 321-244-1788
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

About the UCF Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Incubation Program has helped more than 100 emerging companies (including nearly 70 current clients) create over $500 million in annual revenue and more than 900 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With five facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the 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, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu/.