AWC business incubator to help students develop plans
Apilot program at Arizona Western College will be bringing ideas to life. Students who think they might have a good idea for a business startup or product are invited to apply for the program by the Aug. 20 deadline.
The Matador Business Incubator will be open to enrolled students and will offer business mentoring and weekly seminars on marketing, contracts, product development and finance, just to name a few. While seminars may be weekly, business mentors will be available throughout the week to help the students with their business idea.
Students will have access to resources, professors and work space as well as handson guidance from experienced professionals who normally charge consulting fees.
The 12-week program starts Sept. 6. The incubator is being funded by AWC Innovation Fund Committee grant money and will be located at the AWC Downtown Center, 1351 S. Redondo Center Drive, Room 164, in Yuma.
“A student might have a concept for a business plan, or an invention. This is the platform for that. We encourage students with an invention or an app to apply to the resource center,” said Shahrooz Roohparvar, vice president for finance and administrative services. “This concept is new to the area, and the faculty and staff involved in the project are excited to see how creative our students can be.”
The team also includes Moses Diaz de Leon, dean of the Business Department; Marc Lafond, business professor; Randy Nelson, director of the Small Business Development Center; and Karyn VanWhy as administrator.
Up to 16 ideas will be accepted for the pilot program. Roohparvar noted that any more participants and the coach-to-student ratio wouldn’t be adequate. The goal is to give as much personal attention to each individual.