Miami, April 11, 2022 – The Idea Center at Miami Dade College (MDC), the College’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub, has launched a new Entrepreneur-in-Residence program that will bring experienced entrepreneurs to serve as mentors and resources for students. The program’s first resident is Doug Levine, Founder/CEO of Crunch Fitness and Big Move Properties; Co-founder and Chairman of Fridababy; and CEO of Matuse.
“MDC teaches the most deserving and up and coming young people in South Florida,” Levine said. “I hope to inspire them to think like an entrepreneur and help them grow their current ventures or start new ones.”
While their backgrounds vary, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence offer critical guidance and support to teams of all types, as well as host regular adivising sessions and events throughout the year. Levine will participate in guest lectures; virtual sessions to discuss listen to students pitch their business ideas, lunch with faculty to share insights on how what they teach in the classroom relates to industry needs, and much more.
“Doug is offering real and applicable lessons to our students that complement what they are learning in their classes,” said Alejandro D. González, The Idea Center’s Executive Director.
Originally from New York, Levine founded the international gym franchise Crunch Fitness and eLearning company Voxy. After moving to Miami Beach, he and his wife founded the innovative baby products company Fridababy. With a passion for creative design and an innovative approach, he now dedicates his time to commercial developments and delivering one-of-kind F&B, retail, warehousing and office spaces.
Levine was also a presenter in MDC’s Acclaimed Mike Fernandez Global Business Leadership Series.
About The Idea Center at Miami Dade College
The Idea Center @ MDC is the college’s groundbreaking hub of innovation, the place where students from all disciplines can gather, collaborate and take advantage of resources and training to develop their entrepreneurial ideas. Through cutting-edge entrepreneurship education, professional development and experiential learning, students and community members can acquire the tools needed to identify challenges and develop solutions. For more information, visit www.theideacenter.co.