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It takes a village to raise a… startup? Most entrepreneurs will tell you that an early business needs support and coddling, too. We were lucky to be joined by guests Carrie Purcell, CEO and Founder of Tech-AdaptiKa, and John Wensveen, PhD., Chief Innovation Officer at the NSU Levan Center, and TEDx speaker to discuss startup incubators, accelerators, and innovation centers. We covered it all– how to join one, which one to join, and why you should consult with the experts early on.
“It does take a village to raise kids, but it also takes a village to launch a startup, and getting your startup in the right environment is very important.”
Colin C. Campbell
First of all, aren’t accelerators, incubators, and innovation centers all the same thing? Not exactly, John explained. Dubbing the Levan Center “the world’s first theme park for startups through the birth of an idea to impactful success,” he described innovation centers as an accelerator and incubator in one, with a host of other resources. Regardless of what you decide on, John says this support is essential in providing a neutral link between the institution and the community.
Bringing in external help is beneficial no matter how far your business has come. Your right team should have an individual approach to helping your startup grow and Carrie’s take is that it’s a continuous process they should go through with you. Every entrepreneur knows that the timing is never going to be right and there’s always more work to be done, but the purpose of these resources is to guide and help you however they can. Most importantly, as much as you want to be a good fit for them, make sure you can see yourself and your business growing with them.
If you’re waiting until everything is in place, you probably won’t get there.
Carrie Purcell
The path of entrepreneurship looks different for everybody and the only commonality is uncertainty. After years in the field, John has decided that entrepreneurialism isn’t something you’re born with– anyone can become a successful entrepreneur and his job is to help them on their journey.
You can shape someone to be an entrepreneur. It’s about giving them guidance and resources and allowing them to make mistakes along the way.
John Wensveen
You don’t want to miss this session– check out the full replay above to learn more about the resources for you to grow your business!