Applications Now Being Accepted for Summer 2015 Classes
Fort Walton Beach, Fla. – The City of Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Miami-based Venture Hive are partnering to create a new home for the veteran entrepreneurship movement with the launch today of a customized national accelerator for veteran-owned businesses.
Through this public-private partnership, Fort Walton Beach will enable Venture Hive to provide select veteran-owned tech businesses with access to their entrepreneurship education and training programs, and a relevant network to scale their ventures, driving the economic growth of the region. The City of Fort Walton Beach has allocated $500,000 to the initiative and will provide renovated space to house the Venture Hive Fort Walton Beach Accelerator.
Benefits of the program include a $25,000 non-equity grant, a world-class curriculum of highly practical workshops and training sessions, access to a collaborative working space in Fort Walton Beach for a year, mentoring from a vetted network of local, national and international entrepreneurs and experts, exposure to qualified investors and a Demo Day celebration on Veteran’s Day.
The first 12-week accelerator class will run from August 17 – November 11 in Downtown Fort Walton Beach. Applications for the class will be accepted from April 21 – June 1. The members of the first accelerator class will be notified on June 22.
“We are excited to partner with Venture Hive to launch this veteran business accelerator,” said Mike Anderson, Mayor of Fort Walton Beach. “Our area is home to Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and the 7th Special Forces Group, among other specialized military-related organizations, so we have long been a center of innovation and cutting edge ideas tied to our military. With the launch of Venture Hive we will expand that innovation to cutting edge veteran owned businesses as well.”
This new effort will join exceptional veteran entrepreneurship programs from across the nation in supporting military veterans in their business endeavors. Unlike other programs, Venture Hive aims to help vetrepreneurs build large scale and global market companies that can take advantage of the innovative research already being conducted in the Fort Walton Beach area.
In addition to the full accelerator program, Venture Hive Fort Walton Beach will offer a unique pre-accelerator program to help veteran entrepreneurs begin to develop businesses that are still in their early phase of development. The program is made possible by the support of Gulf Power and other regional business leaders.
The first 12-week pre-accelerator class will run from July 18 – October 12. Applications for the class will be accepted from April 21 – June 1. The members of the first pre-accelerator class will be notified on June 22.
Venture Hive’s existing programs in Miami have shown a $7.3 million economic impact in less than two years of operation, with support from Miami-Dade County and the Miami Downtown Development Authority. The new Fort Walton Beach partnership will bring that impact to the city and to Northwest Florida, ultimately creating entrepreneurs, business growth, and job opportunities. A unique offering of this initiative is access to international opportunities, such as collaborations with entrepreneurs from more than 30 countries currently in other Venture Hive programs.
“We take great care in building individuals to reach their potential so they can execute on their visions – no matter how impossible it may seem,” said Susan Amat, Ph.D., founder of Venture Hive. “We are thrilled to support Fort Walton Beach’s economic development goals by doubling down on the incredible existing talent and resources of a city that offers both a wonderful lifestyle and great opportunity.”
The program is open to any veteran-owned business developing innovative web, mobile or technology product solutions to address a clear market need. To apply and learn more, visit http://veterans.venturehive.com.
ABOUT THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH
Revealed as one of 2014’s 10 Happiest Cities in America according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Research, the city of Fort Walton Beach rests in the heart of Florida’s famed Emerald Coast. Serving roughly 20,000 residents, city leadership and staff maintain a commitment to providing high quality, personalized services to visitors and residents while actively supporting the advanced technological pursuits of its military and business communities. To learn more about the coastal melting pot of Fort Walton Beach, visit http://fwb.org/ or follow at http://www.facebook.com/CityofFWB.
ABOUT VENTURE HIVE
Venture Hive exists to energize, educate, and cultivate entrepreneurs at three levels of engagement. Venture Hive Accelerator and Incubator programs focus on connectivity and guidance for entrepreneurs and startups to maximize regional economic development impact. The Venture Hive Prep and Venture Hive U programs foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at the K-12 and university levels. We offer institutions and communities efficient and effective turnkey solutions to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem based on sound educational principles. Learn more at http://venturehive.co/.
