Orlando Business Development Center Welcomes Clients to New and Improved Space at Colonial Drive Facility

ORLANDO – Clients at the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program’s Orlando Business Development Center are busy getting settled into the newly renovated offices at 3218 E. Colonial Drive, which debuted recently.

The OBDC, a partnership between the City of Orlando and the UCF Business Incubation Program, opened nearly two years ago in the 2,400 square foot office across from Fashion Square mall with plans to eventually take over a neighboring office of nearly 4,000 additional square feet.

The move – Phase II of the original plan for the busy center – is a much anticipated one for existing clients, new clients and those moving from other incubator locations, as well as for Melissa Wasserman,  (top right photo) the OBDC site manager.

“It’s something that has been in the planning stages since the inception of the center,” said Wasserman, who recently was named site manager for the center after serving as interim manager for the past six months. “We are very excited to be transitioning into the larger space which will allow us to serve more clients.”

The center’s current residents – Social Security Advocates, OC Grant Consulting Associates, SeaQuarius and Therigy – have been joined by Perceptive Technologies, VideoProof, MyDocHub, Excelsior Communications, MTK Sports Training LLC and Learn to Learn.

OBDC is one of six such facilities in the university’s Business Incubation Program. Others are in Seminole and Lake counties, and throughout Orange County.

The Incubation Program serves approximately 70 full-time client companies and provides a wide range of services, including affordable office space, as well as access to a receptionist, a site manager, business mentors, educational classes and necessary business equipment like multi-line phones, FAX and high-speed Internet. The center also has one virtual client, who may utilize all of the services with the exception of actual office space.

For more information about this release, please contact:

Melissa Wasserman, Site Manager/OBDC, UCF Business Incubation Program, 321-281-8384 or mwasserm@mail.ucf.edu

Thomas O’Neal, (bottom left photo) Executive Director, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407 882-1120, oneal@mail.ucf.edu

Charlene Hager-Van Dyke or Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications, 386-532-8862, 407-644-4142 Lvershelco@aol.com  or chagervandyke@yahoo.com

Dr. Tom O’Neal, founder of UCF Business Incubation Program receives award from Florida Small Business Development Center Network

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Dr. Tom O’Neal, (top right photo) founder and executive director of the UCF Business Incubation Program, recently received the “Regional Outstanding Resource Partner Award” from the Florida Small Business Development Center Network at its annual meeting.

The award was in recognition of the unique partnership between Dr. O’Neal of the UCF Business Incubation Program and Eunice Choi, (middle left photo)  Director of the UCF Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the new UCF/Leesburg Business Incubator site.(bottom left photo) 

 The 4,000 square foot building at 600 Market St. that serves as the Incubator will also function as an office for the SBDC, who will share staff and facilities with the Incubator to maximize productivity and economic impact within the community.

“By offering the UCF Business Incubation Program along with the SBDC, we can more efficiently and effectively serve the needs of more small businesses in Lake and Sumter Counties,” said James Spencer, new site manager for the Leesburg Incubator, who joined the program in July.

Another example of one of the many partnerships between several organizations that Dr. O’Neal has been involved in creating is the new 3,800 square foot UCF/Sanford Business Incubator, which opened recently at 110 W. First St. in downtown Sanford.

The UCF/Sanford Business Incubator (middle right photo)  is a partnership among City of Sanford, UCF Business Incubation Program and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, the founding partners, who have formed an additional partnership with the local SBDC, SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) and volunteers in a joint effort to assist entrepreneurs in building successful companies that will create new jobs in Sanford and Seminole County.

“At the UCF Sanford Business Incubator everyone has stepped forward to help create a partnership that ranks as one of the most cost-effective strategies to stimulate local economies," Dr. O'Neal said.

The new incubator facility offers office space, along with coaching, training, and meeting space, and the daily point of contact from UCFBIP will be, Rafael Caamano, Dr. O'Neal said.

For more information about this release,  contact:

Gordon Hogan, Director of Operations, UCF Business Incubation Program 407-882-1577, bizdev@mail.ucf.edu

Dr. Tom O’Neal, Executive Director, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407 882-1120, oneal@mail.ucf.edu

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142 or LvershelCo@aol.com