The EquinEnt Pathway to Success

The FCDI/AMRoC Fab Lab Equity in Entrepreneurship program (Equinent) consists of three distinct early stage entrepreneurship development programs held throughout the year, with an intentional focus on helping Black, Brown and women entrepreneurs in and around the Uptown Tampa area gain the skills and expertise needed to start and sustain a profitable small business.

Across our multistage program EquinEnt participants will receive over 40 hours of Entrepreneurial Training and Business Development mentored instruction at AMRoC Fab Lab capped by a 1 Million Cups presentation final project, with support from the Hillsborough County Economic Development office and community partners.

Entrepreneurs may choose to attend all three programs sequentially or apply for any of them individually.

Big Idea Brew Club

What’s Your Big Idea? The Big Idea Brew Club is a 4-week session where participants present their idea to our Idea Development Specialists who will help them understand whether the idea is worth brewing.

Our Idea Development Specialists help you walk through the concepts needed to understand your minimum viable product vs. product extensions, your customer base, estimate your business expenses and revenue, and required personal time and financial commitment. You’ll also get a summary of what the Entrepreneurs Startup Club Launch Pad entails, including time and engagement commitments. At the end, students will be required to honestly assess whether they are committed to moving forward to formally establish their business or if it’s best to revisit their idea at a later date.

Entrepreneurs Startup Club Launch Pad

The Equinent Startup Club Launch Pad is a six-week, more in-depth business development course. Tuition for this program is reimbursable with seed funding, as well.

The goal of this program is to help entrepreneurs get their business registered, establish a business bank account, learn the necessary basics of business accounting, flesh out your Business Model Canvas, and understand any relevant legalities, pitfalls to avoid, and simple opportunities to maximize profits.

At the end of this session, your business exists, there’s money in the bank, and you’re positioned to move forward. Upon graduating, students may decide to simply begin their business operations and chart their own path to the future, or they may choose to sign up for the Entrepreneurs Cruise Club where they can learn the deeper details of how to make their business go beyond surviving and enter into the realm of profitable growth.

The Startup Club Launch Pad culminates with a 1 Million Cups presentation which will result in an opportunity to procure seed funding for your new business, based on your overall level of class engagement.

Entrepreneurs Cruise Club

Entrepreneurs Cruise Club is a more advanced six-week program. If your Big Idea is brewed to excellence and your business underway, it’s time for you to fuel your journey to ultimate success and profitable growth. It’s time to elevate your prospects and rise to the challenge and the rewards of being a true Entrepreneur!

Participants will work with EquinEnt mentors to:

Develop a deeper comprehensive Business plan
Learn solid financial planning and best practices
Understand and develop critical time management skills
Create a solid strategic marketing plan, and
Develop a long-range plan for sustainable success

Congraduations!

Upon completing the full EquinEnt Program, attending the learning sessions, assignments and activities including the 1 Million Cups presentation, participants will be well positioned to be successful enterpreneurs!