The newly opened innovation center at the State College of Florida will do more than help entrepreneurs and businesspeople, according to Kim Richmond, the program's director.
"We want to be the center of the ecosystem," she said. "What we see are the opportunities — we see them in our community, in our students, and this building. Our services are the perfect intersection for that; we're the catalyst for that."
The $4.4 million innovation center, dubbed 26 West Center in homage to SCF's Bradenton address, opened Wednesday. The 40,000-square-foot space spans two floors and was largely funded by a $3.6 million grant from the state's Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.
The center is intended for students, current and aspiring entrepreneurs alike in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. It has seven broad services available, which include:
- Business growth lab and incubator
- Student incubator
- Entrepreneurship academy, taught by current entrepreneurs. Classes are a pathway to SCF's associate degree in the business department.
- Personal branding lab, which will launch in the spring
- Digital collective, which allows students to create content such as newsletters and social media ads for businesses and nonprofits
- SCF coding academy
- Creative studio, which boasts a video production space over 2,000 square feet
"What we really found — and a lot of people have come to us saying — is that there are so many cool things going on and we want to be part of what you're doing," Richmond said. "The Sarasota-Bradenton area, it's almost coming of age. So it really feels the timing could not be more perfect because of all the entrepreneurial activity going on."
The center will be open to the public and offer both free workshops and fee-based classes. The school is in discussions with multiple universities including the University of South Florida and the University of Florida, along with CareerSource SunCoast, to provide a pathway for students once they graduate.
Richmond did not disclose any measurables she hopes to hit by the end of next year with the center, businesses or students served but did state she hopes the new building will bring awareness to the area that previously did not exist.
"What we really want is exposure and usage across the board," she said. "Some [services] are ready at launch, some are launching throughout the year, but we want to make sure they have awareness and access. We want to build business here, and build the people that build them."
