Solving the Problem of Failed Startups: How John Wensveen and The Levan Center Are Redefining the Entrepreneurial Journey (Plus: 3 Key Elements That Make an Entrepreneur Successful)

Gain a better understanding of what the entrepreneurial journey looks like from start to finish with John Wensveen, PhD. How can a startup founder tell when it’s time to stop planning and start building? And at what point do most startups fail—and why? John explores the answers to these questions and shares the 3 key elements that make an entrepreneur successful. He also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the unique facilities of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation, which include a military-grade cybersecurity range, an AI digital cities lab, and a volumetric capture studio, among others. He also discusses how any startup founder can take advantage of the Levan Center’s resources, even if that founder is not located in Florida. He also discusses how the center is focused not on quick profits, but on supporting the heart of the entrepreneur, ensuring that every startup gets the necessary support, resources, and opportunities to thrive. In this episode, you’ll learn about: innovation, entrepreneurship, startups, a public-private partnership, the 4 elements of a successful startup, instituting a “no rules” policy, south Florida’s innovation ecosystem, creating a successful environment for startups, the first ever theme park for innovation, innovation center access, angel investors, venture capitalists, and pivoting. Follow The Funding Blueprint, hosted by award-winning podcaster Cody Gough, on YouTube or your favorite podcast app, to be notified about new episodes for free every week. And get involved in the conversation by joining StartHub's community of engaged startup founders, VC investors, and other entrepreneurs on Discord: https://discord.gg/4MjDJS8wsR  John Wensveen is Chief Innovation Officer at Nova Southeastern University and Executive Director of the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation. He has incredible academic leadership experience from working in some of the best higher education institutions for aviation, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Dowling College, and Purdue University. He’s also the author of two leading industry books (Air Transportation: A Management Perspective and Wheels Up: Airline Business Plan Development), including one of the best-selling books on air transportation management ever. The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation is a public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University and Broward County acting as an economic and education development engine linking the South Florida innovation ecosystem. The Levan Center supports the Founder’s Journey from birth of an idea through successful exit or global expansion providing programs, events, and wraparound services to entrepreneurs and early-stage startups for the buildout and scaleup of their business. Connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwensveen/   Learn more about the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation https://www.nova.edu/innovation/index.html  Music track: "Cinematic Funk" Source: https://www.lokhmatovmusic.com/  Free Background Music by Yevhen Lokhmatov If you're impressed by the incredible editing in this episode, then get in touch with our tremendous editor Sean Petell for your sound design or audio/video production needs. Special thanks to Sean for making this episode look and sound so good! You can reach Sean at https://seanpetell.com/