EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine May 2019 | Page 20

of opportunity for business creators focused mainly on applied
science, aviation, business, computers and technology, engineering,
the safety and security industries and space. The incubator’s most
engaging feature is the laboratory space they are able to provide
companies, space that can be ‘upgraded’ as a company starts
bringing in more revenue.
“Incubators, the big thing that we do is teach how to build a
business, how to get investment in the business, how to grow it,
and how to get their product actually to the market,” said Miller.
“At universities, we’re pretty lucky. Most of our companies come
from students, faculty, or staff members right in the university.”
PROGRAM BENEFITS
UCF Incubator Program
● Office space with flexible short-term leases
● Connections and networking opportunities with the Central
Florida business community
● Domestic market research
● Access to experts concerning import/export laws
● Access to training and meeting rooms
● Intellectual property protection assistance
● Assistance with government documents and licenses
● Assistance with meeting government regulations
● Access to press release creation and distribution
Sanjay Krishnappa, Hardik Lodaliya and Chandramouli Vadlamudi,
members of the Aerosapien Technology team, work in the Make It
Lab located in the University of Central Florida Business Incubator
in Daytona Beach, Florida
The MicaPlex also offers opportunities for its students. Kunj
Patel graduated from ERAU in 2017 and is currently working on
her master’s degree while employed by TechFit as a project
design engineer.
“Because it’s so close to my school, I know the connections here
and my professors, so when the company needs something I can
go ask them,” she said. “It’s a great relationship they have with the
school and the company.”
https://incubator.ucf.edu/soft-landing/
MicaPlex Incubator:
● Infrastructure: furnished office space with dedicated phone
and IT services
● Labs within the MicaPlex
● University resources
Conference and meeting rooms
Business/mail box address
Electronic journal collection and research librarians
Business service providers network
Fitness Center and Pool
Partners and Programming
Incubator Partners: expertise in legal, accounting, IT, and
venture capital investing offering some levels of pro bono
services to incubator client
Education and Training: tailored to each client and may
include assistance in customer discovery, market research
and intellectual property, developing business models
and plans, designing timelines and milestones for R&D,
investor pitch coaching, fundraising and business growth,
human resource management
Events: founder talks, CEO forums, investor panel
discussions, demo days, hackathons, and extensive
networking opportunities
https://erau.edu/micaplex
Aerosapien Technology team member Vinutha Km works in the Make
It Lab located in the University of Central Florida Business Incubator
in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The partnerships between the university, incubator and
companies has opened new avenues for graduates who may
consider starting up their own business, as well as providing
a skilled talent pool to companies from outside the region
considering Volusia as a place to locate their business.
| 20 | EVOLVE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE
Wilhemina Anderson is a freelance writer. She
received her Associates of Arts degree from
Daytona State College in May 2018 and continues
to study there. She plans to transfer to the
University of Central Florida in the fall of 2019.