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FAU Secures Another Partnership with Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program

For First Time, FAU Entry Wins Statewide Competition 

Boca Raton, FL – Florida Atlantic University’s Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, in the College of Business, has been awarded a partnership with the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program (VFEP) for the sixth consecutive year. 

The Adams Center will receive funding from VFEP, which offers qualified veterans the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive entrepreneurship/business education and mentorship program through the center.

“Being involved with the program since its inception in 2015, I’ve witnessed firsthand how it has evolved and expanded every year, and how it genuinely helps veterans start or grow successful businesses,” said Kevin Cox, Ph.D., assistant director of the Adams Center and the lead instructor for the program. “I look forward to another successful year.”  

Additionally, for the first time, FAU’s entry in the Veterans Florida statewide virtual pitch competition won first place. FAU alumnus Steven Edwards founded Premier Virtual, a company that created a software platform designed to facilitate hiring. He secured $3,000 through his win.

“His example tells a positive message for veterans throughout the state of Florida and shows the great work being accomplished with our partners at Florida Atlantic University,” said Joe Marino, executive director of Veterans Florida.

Edwards explained that the competition showed him a different way to look at and grow his business.

“Seeing that other people saw in my organization what I saw, was a great feeling,” he said.

Earlier in the year, veterans competed in a local business pitch competition. In addition to Edwards, winners of that competition were Max Burwick, whose company, BizPsych, developed a machine-learning tool, and Arthur Freemon, who started SOF Designs, a company that created a pillow for sleep apnea patients and the general public. Edwards, Burwick and Freemon each won $1,000 to support their ventures. 

FAU has been recognized as one of the top programs for entrepreneurship studies, according to the latest rankings from The Princeton Review/Entrepreneur MagazineFAU ranked No. 39 among undergraduate programs in the 14th annual survey. Named in recognition of FAU alumnus Scott H. Adams in 2001, the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship prepares students and entrepreneurs in all disciplines who are looking to become successful business owners. 

Veterans Florida is a nonprofit created by the State of Florida to help military veterans transition to civilian life and to promote Florida’s status as the nation’s most veteran-friendly state. Veterans Florida provides powerful tools for veterans to take advantage of the benefits of living and working in the Sunshine State. For more information about Veterans Florida, visit www.veteransflorida.org.

About the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship

The Adams Center for Entrepreneurship at Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) College of Business brings students, faculty, and the community together to fuel the innovation needed to create new venture opportunities in the ever-changing global marketplace. The mission is to create and educate entrepreneurial leaders who will find sustainable solutions to economic and social problems. The Adams Center is named in recognition of FAU graduate and entrepreneur Scott H. Adams.

About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit fau.edu.

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