NBIA Announces Enhanced Certificate Program and New A La Carte Course Offerings

ORLANDO, Fla. - June 25, 2015 - PRLog -- The 25^th Training Institute, hosted by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) at the Rosen Centre Hotel,  is expected to bring over 200 entrepreneurial support professionals to Orlando, Fla. NBIA, an international non-profit organization and global advocate for stakeholders within entrepreneur-driven economic ecosystems, today announced that registration is open for its 2015 Training Institute. For 25 years, NBIA’s Training Institute has brought incubation and entrepreneurial ecosystem professionals the most in-depth industry programming available. Regional entrepreneurial support ecosystems have incorporated a variety of innovative new models in recent years, including technology accelerators, coworking spaces, niche incubation centers, maker spaces, and hybrid incubators that blend multiple platforms within a single business incubation facility. NBIA has made significant enhancements to its course catalog to address these rapid and exciting changes that are occurring globally within entrepreneurial ecosystems.

A key focus this year is the revamped Business Incubation Management Certificate Program curriculum, which introduces two new courses. The first new course covers best practices in building sustainable entrepreneurship platforms such as business incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces. The second new course covers effective revenue and financial models for building profitable entrepreneurship platforms. These two new courses will replace the Fundamentals of Incubator Management and Entrepreneurship courses. The new NBIA certification program also includes extensive updates to the two other required courses, which address working with client companies and managing entrepreneurial support facilities. In addition, for the first time ever, all four courses will be offered during NBIA’s 2015 Training Institute, enabling participants to complete all certificate requirements within the same week.

NBIA is also launching a new “Train-the-Trainer” course catalog at the Training Institute. These courses provide participants with curated course materials they can use to teach entrepreneurs and client companies the necessary essentials to be successful.  Three train-the trainer courses will be offered by the NBIA at the 2015 Training Institute:

·         A two-day boot camp that teaches entrepreneurs how to deploy Lean Startup, Business Model Canvas, and value proposition design into their business planning. The boot camp incorporates approved content from Eric Reiss’ Lean Startup and Alex Osterwalder’s Value Proposition Design models.

·         Fundamentals of venture capital, angel, and crowdfunding funding for startups covers equity investment models, convertible debt, valuation basics, term sheets and developing investable pitch decks.

·         Building investable pro forma statements and business models walks client companies through tools and best practices for developing profitable business models and pro formas, and connects these to company valuation.

Finally, an additional series of courses will be offered on relevant topics for managers of business incubators, accelerators and other entrepreneurial support programs. Sample courses include digital marketing, deploying hybrid entrepreneurial support models and developing strong mentoring programs.  These courses provide expanded knowledge for building sustainable entrepreneurship support programs. There are also specialty courses for program managers in rural areas, university entrepreneurship programs, food incubators and biotech incubation/research centers.

Peer connections and networking round out the Training Institute agenda with planned tours to showcase Orlando’s entrepreneurial support ecosystem. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit downtown Orlando’s technology and innovation hub where the Canvs coworking space and Starter Studio technology accelerator both reside. The other tour will feature the University of Central Florida’s College of Engineering and Computer Science Maker Labs and College of Business Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, along with a reception hosted by the NBIA Award-winning UCF Business Incubation Program.

To learn more about the 2015 NIBA Training Institute courses available, or to register, click here. Any questions should sent via email to education@nbia.org.

###

About NBIA:

The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) is an international non-profit organization and global advocate for incubators, accelerators, educational institutions and regional economic development stakeholders. With more than 2,100 members in over 60 nations, NBIA provides its members with essential information, education, advocacy and networking resources to bring excellence to the process of assisting early-stage companies succeed. Visit www.nbia.org to learn more.