UNF hosts free Facilitated Growth Program for military veteran businesses
The Military and Veterans Resource Center at the University of North Florida and Veterans Florida are offering a free Facilitated Growth Program this spring to assist military veteran business owners in the growth of their businesses.
During the Facilitated Growth Program sessions, participants will engage in a small group setting to allow facilitators and entrepreneurial experts the opportunity to give feedback specific to their individual business ventures. During each session, participants will work on developing their strategic growth strategy and will spend time with their respective mentors to obtain extended hands-on mentoring that is critical to success.
Now in its fifth year, UNF’s Facilitated Growth Program continues to serve the needs of local military veterans at little to no cost.
“Many people have suffered major economic loss during the pandemic, and this has added to the demand for our small-business growth program,” said Diane Denslow, program instructor. “We are excited to offer this program as a service to give back to our military veteran community.”
Courses are led by Dr. Diane Denslow and Dr. Martin Luytjes. Denslow is a UNF Associate Instructor of Entrepreneurship and Certified Business Analyst for the Small Business Development Center at UNF. She has over twenty years of business consulting experience, has taught at both FSU and UNF, and previously owned a business. Luytjes has a diverse professional background that began with 10 years of corporate banking, then moved to entrepreneurial endeavors, consulting, and teaching at the collegiate level at FIU and UNF. He also built, operated and successfully sold two businesses from in the early 2000s.
This eight-week program consists of three-hour sessions that begin Saturday, Feb. 13 and end Saturday, April 3. Register by Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the UNF Veterans Florida Entrepreneurial Programs website. For more information, contact Diane Denslow at ddenslow@unf.edu.