June 3, 2024 – The Alan B Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center of Innovation) celebrated two amazing years of groundbreaking advancements with an exciting 2nd Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The event, which had over 200 attendees, highlighted the Levan Center of Innovation’s significant impact on the South Florida community and beyond, marking an evening filled with connections and reflections on the incredible achievements made by the Levan Center of Innovation’s team and its members.
Frank Peluso, Mili Peluso, Wendy Abdulmesh, Lee Anne LeBlanc, and Robert Schwartz
A dynamic public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Broward County, the Levan Center of Innovation has swiftly become a catalyst for innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and economic development in the region. In just two short years, the Levan Center of Innovation has served 210 founders who created 100 companies, filed 16 patents, supported 27 licensed technologies, and launched over 60 products. The center’s entrepreneurs have secured $5.6 million in investment funds—an impressive start to what promises to be a continuing legacy of success and innovation.
“Celebrating two years of groundbreaking innovation at the Levan Center of Innovation is a testament to the incredible progress we have made and the unwavering support of our community in South Florida,” said John Wensveen, Ph.D., NSU’s Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation. “With the sky as our limit, we are honored to witness the Levan Center of Innovation’s growth and impact, and we are excited to continue establishing South Florida as a premier innovation ecosystem supporting technology and entrepreneurship.”
The celebration kicked off with a vibrant networking session and the program officially began with welcoming remarks from John Wensveen, NSU’s Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation, followed by words from Alan B. Levan, Chairman, Board of Governors, Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation. The evening also included presentations from three promising entrepreneurs — Andria Beal with EpiPaws, an epigenetic pet age testing kit; Beth Elletson with Abe, an HR technology platform to securely track, store, and leverage your data; and Rick Hensbergen with Esther.ai, a SaaS platform using generative AI to automate software testing and debugging, helping teams efficiently manage the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Each entrepreneur shared their innovative projects and visions, showcasing the diverse and forward-thinking initiatives supported by the Levan Center of Innovation. A special video message from U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz underscored the Levan Center of Innovation’s national relevance and impact, adding to the night’s celebratory atmosphere.
ABOUT ALAN B. LEVAN | NSU BROWARD CENTER OF INNOVATION (LEVAN CENTER OF INNOVATION): The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center of Innovation) is a public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Broward County. The Levan Center is “The World’s First Theme Park for Entrepreneurs™”, for entrepreneurs and supporting stakeholders located in a 54,000 sq. ft. purpose-built facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Levan Center of Innovation is focused on three themes (innovation, technology, entrepreneurship) and four pillars known as the Founder’s Journey (Ideate, Incubate, Accelerate, Post-Accelerate). The Levan Center of Innovation serves the NSU and South Florida communities resulting in breakthrough ideation, new technologies, talent skills pipeline, company formation, job creation, and scaling of early-stage and young startup companies. Each of the four pillars are supported by customized programs, events, and wraparound services. The Levan Center of Innovation is an economic and education development engine for linking South Florida with local, regional, national, and international impact. By powering the innovation ecosystem, the Levan Center of Innovation is a major stakeholder in the establishment of an innovation hub for South Florida. For more information, please visit nova.edu/innovation.
