Peoria partners with GCU for entrepreneurship program

Photos by Ralph Freso

The city of Peoria wanted to improve its economic profile even after earning the Large Organization of the Year award from the Arizona Association for Economic Development last spring.

So city officials looked to Grand Canyon University's Colangelo College of Business to help them boost that economic profile. The college has gained national recognition through Canyon Ventures, which helps startups in their development and houses companies at GCU's complex on Camelback Road and 27th Avenue that have appeared on the hit television entrepreneurship competition show “Shark Tank.”

Peoria and the university's business college have launched the GCU Entrepreneur Training Program, which will help startup and small businesses and enhance economic development.

“If there's ever a time to be an entrepreneur, I believe now is the time,” said Robert Vera, founding director of Canyon Ventures. “I think that it's a really great time for the city of Peoria and for the country, so we’re really excited to be able to deliver this.”

He shared he's also thrilled to meet the entrepreneurs in the program.

“Entrepreneurs are the ones that take all the risk to solve all the problems so everybody else can benefit. It's an honor to work with these types of people that are willing to take that risk and put their time, resources and money in to solve problems.”

Vera, a former entrepreneur, will teach the classes. He teaches at GCU and has taught at other universities around the world, including the University of Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia, last summer.

The Peoria program is free and will include 90-minute sessions every Tuesday and Thursday in April, June, August and October at the city's community center.

A maximum of 30 local entrepreneurs will be chosen for the program, and priority will be given to those with a Peoria business license. Several entrepreneurs from outside the city have applied for the program, Peoria Deputy City Manager Mike Faust said.

The program is designed to help entrepreneurs at distinct stages, spanning from starting a business to seeking a buyer. The stages of the start-up process include:

“Peoria is a beautiful area,” Vera said. “It's such a well-run city and community. There's spring training, and there's Taiwan Semiconductor. I want Peoria to be the place where entrepreneurs say, ‘I'm coming here,’ and that's exciting to be part of the ground floor opportunity.”

GCU’s familiarity with Peoria officials started before entrepreneur talks started.

Faust was former director of the Arizona Department of Child Safety, which partnered with GCU in starting its Fostering Futures Scholarships program that awards full scholarships to Arizona children who age out of foster care.

“The most appealing thing to me about GCU is the goal around practical direct application,” Faust said. “I have found from everyone, from President (Brian) Mueller down, the goal is to create more immediate tangible activity and action than it is about the curricula or theoretical approach.

“When I look at GCU, I have a great appreciation for mobilizing the community and the various specific activity that goes along with it. We see it clearly with Canyon Ventures and everything positive that has come out of that. It just told us that GCU was the right partner to do this deployment with.”

At the end of each stage, entrepreneurs will present their progress during Demo Day presentations, where they will have the chance to pitch their businesses and attract clients.

Cash prizes will be given after each stage for Venture of the Year, Most Innovative and Greater Value categories.

GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at Mark.Gonzales@gcu.edu

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