Growth Acceleration Program (GAP)

The Laurence A. Baiada Center offers a robust clinical atmosphere geared to cultivating entrepreneurs and companies within the Drexel University community and throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.  We provide entrepreneurs with a continuum of care as they move through business maturity. The Center has developed and facilitates a number of programs to accomplish this goal.  

The keystone of our approach is our Growth Acceleration Certificate Process.  The goal of the Growth Acceleration Certificate Process is to enhance the Baiada Center’s involvement in the cultivation of companies in a way that is unprecedented. The majority of incubators across the region and country have enjoyed moderate success, due mostly to their passive approach toward company incubation.  Even the more successful centers tend to limit their involvement to:

• Space and Physical Infrastructure
• Advice and counsel
• Mentoring
• Skills workshops
• Milestone development and measurement.

The Baiada Center is currently employing all of these elements quite successfully.  The GAP process takes company cultivation to an entirely new level.

Growth Acceleration Program (GAP)—Is an intense five month “boot camp”, employing training and development modules that drives the companies through specific disciplines to develop and crystallize their capabilities in:

1. Strategic management,
2. Cash management and preservation,
3. Marketing centered on brand / product development and communication,
   
4. Sales Training,
5. Leadership and team building

GAP offers companies a level of management consulting and training that that is typically afforded much larger companies. Unlike most training programs, GAP Certification requires the application of concepts and lessons learned. Our trainer/consultants work with the companies over a five month period to assist them in implementing what they have learned in the program. GAP is a rigorous program that is not appropriate for everyone. We offer additional training for entrepreneurs and companies not yet ready for GAP. Through a partnership with a certified Kauffman Foundation trainer, we are able to offer the Kauffman Fast Trac training modules.

To enroll or learn additional information about becoming certified through the Growth Acceleration Program contact Mark Loschiavo (mpl26@drexel.edu) or Terri McIlhenney (terrim@drexel.edu) or call 215-895-0300.