The Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation is officially open for the fall semester. The center, located on the fifth floor of the Alvin Sherman Library, will provide space for research, training and events in various fields, primarily technology and entrepreneurship.
The facility comes with a media studio with podcast equipment and recording capabilities, a social zone, a space for technological innovation with 3-D printers and drones, a contactless café, a pitch area where entrepreneurs can pitch ideas to venture capitalists and a venue that can divide into three parts and seat 500 people.
Teresa Grandal, assistant executive director of administration and operations, said “Our overarching goal is to drive economic development in the South Florida region. Everything that we’re doing is around three themes which are: innovation, technology and entrepreneurship”
Grandal said that although the grand opening is postponed due to COVID-19 and concerns about the Delta variant, the center is up and running and already hosting virtual events.
“All of our programs are open to NSU students, faculty, and staff.” said Grandal.
Ideate, the first program in a line of four, is described as, “a four-week program that assists entrepreneurs with development of an idea through design thinking and prototyping.” The program begins in October, but applications are now open on the Levan NSU Broward Center’s website.
What is currently planned to follow Ideate is Incubate, another masterclass program that plans to, “advance the design thinking process from the Ideate stage.” followed by Accelerate and Post-Accelerate.
The center offers memberships for using their facilities and renting out their spaces. Discounts will be available for NSU students who are interested in one of the various memberships the center provides.
Memberships, detailed on their website, include: Night & Weekends, Community Desk, Reserved Desk, Private Office and Maker. Alternative memberships include: Corporate, Virtual and Supporter.
Grandel discussed future opportunities that would be available for NSU students, including an internship program.
“We have an ambassador and junior ambassador program… (They would be) manning the reception desk, conducting tours, helping us during events…,” said Grandal.
If students have any ideas that would benefit the center, Grendal says to reach out to them at generalinnovation@nova.edu and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn @SFLinnovation.
