BROWARD COUNTY, FL - The Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD) has announced its 2022 cohort of FastTrac® NewVenture™, a free ten-week program designed to guide aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs on the path to success.

OESBD will host an orientation on Wednesday, June 29th from 6-7:30PM, providing details about the program. The orientation will be held in person at the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation, inside the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and IT Center on the 5th floor, located at 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr Blvd in Davie. The public is invited to register online to participate. 

As a Kauffman FastTrac® affiliate, OESBD presents the NewVenture™ business plan development program to help aspiring entrepreneurs refine their business concept, identify the components of a strong business plan and access the appropriate resources for launch. Course participants are provided with assistance, resources and tools to craft their business plans over the duration of the course. At the end of the program, participants will submit their completed business plans for evaluation by a panel of industry experts. The program culminates with a graduation and pitch competition of the top three rated business plans for seed money grants to fund their startups.

New for 2022, the program will focus on entrepreneurs in the innovation and technology industry. "This year's cohort is designed for anyone interested in starting a business in Emerging Technology. Whether you are exploring concepts related to tech trends or looking to develop a new mobile app, we want you to attend the orientation and find out how to apply for the competitive application process," said OESBD Director Sandy-Michael E. McDonald. "The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation, where we are pleased to be hosting the orientation and all course sessions, provides the perfect environment to engage Broward's growing tech and innovation ecosystem."

Broward's NewVenture™ program has provided seed money grants of more than $135,000 to graduates since its inception. OESBD has conducted six NewVenture™ courses resulting in 93 graduates, 67 finished business plans and 22 graduates currently in business in Broward County.

Since affiliating with the Kauffman FastTrac® Entrepreneur Development Program in 2013, OESBD has provided training to more than 500 early-stage and aspiring entrepreneurs through a total of 69 half-day FastTrac® Entrepreneur workshops including Listening to Your Business for existing businesses and The Intentional Entrepreneur for early stage and aspiring entrepreneurs.

NewVenture™ is open to Broward County residents and is free. Space is limited. For more information on programs and services for entrepreneurs and business owners, contact OESBD at 954-357-6400 or visit Broward.org/EconDev under Educational Programs. Individuals requiring accommodations to participate must make a request at least ten business days in advance.