In 2010, Jim Brannen, Dr. Ray Benedetto and Austin Dempsey wanted to help local businesses thrive. They identified three key elements to success: financial capital, knowledge and human resources. They formed the Fox Valley Entrepreneurship Center (or FVEC), an Illinois non-profit organization, which puts these three elements together into a resource for business owners. Working with the FVEC, local entrepreneurs tap into a robust suite of services to help them build sustainable businesses. The premier service of the FVEC is our Business Accelerator. This program is entirely focused on supporting small businesses. The mission is to increase local commerce, increase (or retain) local jobs and provide access to the capital needed for these companies to succeed. Now approaching ten (10) years of existence, the FVEC is proud to have many successful companies amongst our alumni. We couldn’t have done this without the on-going and tremendous support from various individuals and organizations.