Montgomery County Community College Offers Start-Up Fund For Entrepreneurs

BLUE BELL, PA -- Montgomery County Community College is calling on aspiring entrepreneurs to submit applications for their funding program, which will disburse up to $72,000 for winning projects.

According to the school, the fund has helped Montco alumnus Jeremiah De Leon to launch his lifelong dream business,, Align Team LLC, during a pilot round.

Now, a second round of competition is asking for applications online at mc3.edu/startup by the deadline of October 9.

“Growing up, I always had great business ideas, but I didn’t have the connections to make them happen,” said De Leon, part of the class of 2015. “That’s why I created Align, an app that connects entrepreneurs. We were thrilled to receive an award from the Accelerator Fund, which is helping us launch the app globally and promote it through video and at conferences.”

In addition to Align, the Fund has granted awards to three other ventures:

• oLIVE Devices LLC manufactures “smart eyeglasses” that translate speech to text for the hard of hearing.
• Through Guide U, small businesses that offer a free Wi-Fi hotspot can advertise to the consumers who use their Wi-Fi.
• An MCCC Foundation endeavor, Eat to Educate seeks to raise scholarship money by selling retail food items to the community, alumni, and friends of the College.

“This is an opportunity for anyone in the community who has a great idea to get one step closer to making it reality,” said Philip Needles, vice president of student services, who oversees the program. “Like the education that the College provides, the Accelerator Fund opportunity puts success closer within reach.”

Patch file photo.