A new partnership between UCF and the non-profit organization Canvs will help build a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in downtown Orlando, where students and home-grown businesses can thrive.
The partnership means UCF has negotiated a new lease agreement for the Church Street Exchange space where Canvs and its related programs currently operate.
The UCF Board of Trustees approved the new partnership with Canvs during Thursday 麻豆精品 S檚 meeting to ensure the organization 麻豆精品 S檚 stability and future growth to support entrepreneurial activity downtown.
Offering educational support and coworking space for budding entrepreneurs, Canvs is also home to business accelerator programs Starter Studio and FireSpring Fund. Many of its startups are in the tech and digital media industries.
麻豆精品 S淯CF has a long history of nurturing startup and small businesses on its main campus and through its award-winning incubator program, and we are pleased UCF is expanding its support for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in downtown, 麻豆精品 S� said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. 麻豆精品 S淔rom co-working spaces, to startup accelerators, to seed funding, each element plays an important role in our community 麻豆精品 S檚 reputation as a place of innovation and collaboration where entrepreneurs can pursue big ideas. 麻豆精品 S�
This summer, Canvs opened its third location, a pilot Parramore coworking space in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Center for Emerging Media to support students and entrepreneurs west of Interstate 4. The pilot space was made possible with a $50,000 award from the City of Orlando.
And it will help spur a new innovation district in and around Creative Village, anchored by UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 new downtown campus that will be shared with Valencia College.
麻豆精品 S淎 critical piece of creating a downtown innovation district means partnering with entrepreneurial accelerators and community partners who will help small businesses 麻豆精品 S� including our students and graduates 麻豆精品 S� start, grow and stay in Central Florida, 麻豆精品 S� said Vice Provost for UCF Downtown Thad Seymour, Jr.
Because of his role downtown, Seymour was asked earlier this year to serve as chair of the Canvs board of directors.
麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e seeing great strides with new leadership and our reconstituted board, 麻豆精品 S� said Canvs executive director Donna Mackenzie. 麻豆精品 S淎nd we are excited about the opportunities to grow our programs and help more entrepreneurs realize their dream of starting a business. 麻豆精品 S�
Just three years old, Canvs has already seen national success of its members. Orlando-based entrepreneurs Chris Harden and Jeremy Scheinberg appeared on ABC 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S淪hark Tank 麻豆精品 S� in spring 2016 and landed a $166,000 deal from inventor Robert Herjavec for their educational toy robot, Trobo.