You have the idea. We help you build the plan.
New Venture Academy supports aspiring entrepreneurs with structured, expert-led guidance from concept through business plan development.
New Venture Academy (NVA) is an immersive entrepreneurship training program offered through Waubonsee Community College in partnership with the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Designed for aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage business owners, NVA provides structured, hands-on guidance to help participants move from idea to action. Learners gain foundational business knowledge, practical tools, and expert coaching to validate concepts, develop business models, understand finances, and prepare for launch or early growth.
While offered at no cost to participants, New Venture Academy is an intensive, ten-session series designed to build knowledge cumulatively. Each session focuses on a core business component, intentionally stacking concepts and tools so that by the end of the program, participants have developed a cohesive, fully formed business plan.
Waubonsee is a proud affiliate of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which has been helping entrepreneurs since 1993.
Their FastTrac® curriculum is a flexible course with a proven framework to help support you and begin your journey on the road to success.
Is your business not yet launched and/or has less than $250,000 in sales? Then New Venture Academy is for you! Through our 10-session cohort, test the feasibility of your business concept, assess opportunities and identify those with the greatest potential, and fine-tune the processes of an early-stage business. You will walk away with a solid business plan that takes your concept from an idea – to reality.
Meet Your Instructor:
Patricia "Patty" Hernandez
Patricia Hernandez is the Founder and Creative Director of FiredUp Creative, bringing over 20 years of expertise to this 10-week entrepreneurship program. As a bilingual instructor leading both English and Spanish cohorts, she specializes in empowering founders to confidently bridge the gap between business strategy and creative execution.
Patty’s passion for small business is deeply personal. Growing up immersed in her hardworking mother’s various ventures, she witnessed firsthand the daily struggles of building a business without the right support system. This lifelong experience drives her mission today: to help new business owners skip the guesswork, struggle less, and build a profitable foundation from day one.
As an active business advisor for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Patty understands the rapidly changing needs of modern start-ups. She deeply believes that when the founder grows, the business grows alongside them.
What Patty Brings to the Program
Throughout this 10-week cohort, Patty provides students with a holistic, actionable toolkit designed for early-stage success:
- Strategic Expertise: Leverage proven frameworks backed by her MBA in Marketing and Finance, and a BS in Entrepreneurial Management from DePaul University.
- Brand Innovation: Translate your big ideas into clear, tailored creative solutions, supported by her studies at Columbia College Chicago.
- Mindset Coaching: Overcome early-stage mental blocks and step into a confident leadership role, guided by her expertise as a Certified Neuro-Identity Evolution® Practitioner
Patty is dedicated to expediting the "figuring out" process so you can enjoy more success and have more time for your family. She is thrilled to help you build a launchpad for your dream business!
Sound interesting, but already have an established business?
As the entry point in a broader SBDC-supported learning pathway, New Venture Academy prepares participants for continued advancement through the Business Growth Academy (BGA)—a complementary, next-level program for established business owners focused on scaling, strategy, and long-term sustainability. Together, NVA and BGA offer a cohesive continuum of support for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
