U.S. MARKET ENTRY
Bootcamp Program
Our mission is to create a bridge between the markets of the United States of America and Hungary for Hungarian startups and small and medium-sized enterprises.
What happens when you answer the call??
The first ten companies have already taken the first steps towards entering the American market, and indeed they answered the phone when the opportunity called! The participants were able to immerse themselves in the American business culture in the form of an intensive training and networking program in Florida. The focus of the program was the acquisition of business, cultural and development skills typical of America, at the end of which there was an opportunity to form valuable partnerships during the Hungarian Summit event in the last few days.
US MARKET ENTRY BOOTCAMP PROGRAM
Is your business ready to enter the American market?
Why enter the American market through Florida?
What financial and legal conditions are necessary to enter the market?
Why is the right business strategy important for success?
What are the typical pitfalls to face when entering the USA?
These questions were answered this year by the 3-day intensive USAAccelerator training program, which we organized in cooperation with the incubator of the University of Central Florida and the business consultants of MandoLab!
3-day Entering the American Market Bootcamp Program
The participants were able to gain professional knowledge
They were able to get to know the landscapes of Florida
They could practice preparing business agreements
2 days old Hungarian Summit business event
Networking
They were able to learn from business professionals who are already in the US
They were able to take part in a truly diverse event
CHOOSE A OUR PROGRAMS BECAUSE
You want real and authentic knowledge from professionals
Several years of experience in the entry of Hungarian companies into the American market
Experts in company development, startups and SMEs
Help in breaking through cultural barriers
Support for the first challenges
1-2 year soft landing mentoring program
ARE YOU READY? 3…2…1…
Meet the speakers of the first Bootcamp
Mrs. Logue serves as Director of the University of Central Florida's nine-site Business Incubation Program and Innovation Districts. Four incubators are located in the three UCF Innovation Districts anchored around UCF campuses focusing on early-stage companies in specific clusters of technology and industry that are key drivers of Central Florida's economy. Five others are located in other areas of Metro Orlando serving a wide range of fast-growing companies.
Mrs. Carol Ann Logue is also Co-Founder and Director of the Central Florida Tech Grove which is a unique virtual and physical innovation collaboration hub established through a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) between the UCF Research Foundation and the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division. Additional PIA members and funders are the simulation & training acquisition commands of the Army (PEO STRI, STTC) and Army Futures Command (STE CFT), Air Force (AFAMS), Marine Corps (PM TRASYS), Defense Health Agency, OSD's Advanced Distributed Learning, and Office of Naval Research through the NavalX Central Florida Tech Bridge.
Prior to joining UCF, she was a member of the University of Florida faculty serving as Associate Director for the Southern Technology Applications Center supporting NASA and other federal laboratories and universities across nine southeastern states in their technology transfer and commercialization activities as well as the companies commercializing the federally-funded technologies.
She has served as Vice President of Information Services for Technology Strategic Planning Inc. (a spinout from the Defense Intelligence Agency) providing global competitive technology analysis for Fortune 50 clients, and as an Information Specialist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Carol Ann serves as the UCF representative on the Executive Board of the Orlando Tech Community. She represents UCF on the Boards of Team Orlando, NDIA Central Florida Chapter, VRARA Central Florida, and the Florida Photonics Cluster. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Central Florida STEM Education Council.
She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BS in Biology and from Louisiana State University with an MS in Library and Information Science.
Gabor's expertise extends beyond his rich background in senior management and leadership. With a keen eye for market entry strategies, he has orchestrated successful expansions for global firms into new territories across three continents. His nuanced understanding of diverse markets has been instrumental in implementing soft landing programs, easing the transition for companies into unfamiliar business landscapes.
His educational background in Mechanical Engineering, complemented by a Master's degree in Business Administration with a Finance Concentration, equips him with a holistic perspective in navigating both technical and financial aspects of business ventures.
Having navigated the complexities of fast-paced, high-stress, multi-cultural environments in Europe, the United States, and numerous countries in Latin America, Gabor is deeply committed to fostering workplace cultures that prioritize employee well-being and drive high performance. He thrives on coaching and developing talent, ensuring that organizations not only meet but exceed their objectives.
Gabor's dedication to supporting leaders in realizing their visions of success is matched by his proficiency in designing systems that optimize both individual and organizational effectiveness. Whether it's streamlining operations, enhancing communication channels, or implementing innovative strategies, he continuously seeks out opportunities to elevate performance and drive sustainable growth.
Rafael Caamano is an integral member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program management team, a key player in the economic development initiative aimed at fostering job creation, sustaining employment, and driving economic growth in the community. With a focus on mentoring, coaching, and supporting innovative technologies and scalable startups, Caamano has contributed over 20 years of expertise to mentor and coach over 100 businesses and entrepreneurs, guiding them towards financial stability and transforming them into high-growth and impactful enterprises.
Internationally, Caamano has provided valuable consulting and guidance to institutions such as Loyola Business Institute in Guatemala, the Autonomous University of the Occident in Colombia, the Institute of Science & Technology in the Dominican Republic and the Development Bank of Jamaica. His commitment extends to various charitable and economic development committees.
Having served honorably in the US Army, Caamano holds an MBA from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and industry certifications from prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, the Kauffman Foundation, Corporate Coach International, and the National Business Incubation Association. His unique blend of military and entrepreneurial experiences, coupled with his education, equips him with the essential skills, expertise, and practical knowledge to effectively advance the program's mission, goals, and objectives. His commitment extends to various charitable and economic development committees. With a passion for empowering veterans and entrepreneurs alike, Rafael Caamano has channeled his expertise and dedication into founding the Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative (VEI). Through VEI, he has provided invaluable support and resources to help veterans navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship and succeed in their business ventures.
In recognition of his achievements, Caamano was nominated for Orlando's 40 under 40 in 2012. He received a nomination for the UCF Gabor A&P Excellence Award in 2017 and was honored with the Orlando Business Journal Veteran of Influence Award in 2019. Additionally, in 2024, Caamano's organization VEI was selected as the Florida Community Partner of the Year by the United States Small Business Administration.
Mindi Hertzog is also a senior international trade specialist with the US Commercial Service, where she has worked for 11 years. She works with colleagues in US embassies and consulates all over the world to provide unique solutions and strategies to help US manufacturers and service providers grow their sales, thus increasing jobs in the US
Mindi is also a SelectUSA Regional Champion, supporting foreign companies to establish businesses in the USA.
Mindi has a Biology degree (Bachelor of Science) from Cedar Crest College and an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Mr. Sloane is also a tax and corporate attorney who focuses primarily on complex commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, general corporate matters, and federal and state taxation. He advises emerging growth, middle market, and public companies, as well as private equity and venture capital groups, in connection with the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of high stakes transactions spanning a variety of industries.
Mr. York's prestigious world-class career spans over 40 years in the branding and graphic design industry. His primary responsibilities have been developing the creative vision, management, presentation, marketing and implementation of public and private, domestic, and international branding and design projects. In addition, as a skilled design educator, he was chairman of one of the largest and most successful college graphic design departments in the world.
Howard has held senior creative positions at numerous top-tier firms, including TranSystems, Bechtel, Enterprise, Lippincott, FutureBrand and Addison where he was responsible for numerous high visibility projects for both Fortune 500 companies, like: Exxon, Sanyo, TransUnion, McDonald's, Household and Taco Bell as well as transit branding projects for both the New York, Nashville, and Washington Area Metropolitan Transportation Authority's.
The York Branding office is located in Orlando, Florida. Our core group of experts combined with local and national affiliations has a virtually unlimited capability to deliver award-winning, results driven branding and graphics solutions.
Mr York has won over 200 National and International awards for his creativity and design. His work has been included in the Permanent Design Collections of the Cooper Hewitt and Museum of Modern Art in New York
L. Harrison 'Hal' Thayer is an Associate Director and the Director of Communications at the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF).
With expertise in strategic planning, marketing and communications, for more than 10 years Hal has been delivering the FSBDC's consulting services, business training and market research resources to entrepreneurs and business owners in Central Florida. He is also the program manager of the FSBDC's CEO XChange, an award-winning peer-to-peer CEO roundtable counseling group and leads the FSBDC's marketing and communications efforts.
In addition, he is currently an adjunct professor at the College of Business Administration at UCF teaching a course in small business development.
Before joining the FSBDC, Hal was a marketing consultant to small businesses after a 20-year career in marketing, communications and branding in corporate America at HBO, General Electric and Novell, among others. He earned an MBA from Columbia University and a BA from Amherst College.
Rick Rotondo currently serves as the Vice President of Corporate Development for Lifebridge 10000, a medical device company bringing an innovative Cancer therapy to market based on its patented Adaptive Tumor Treating Field (ATTF™) technology.
Prior to Lifebridge 10000, Rick was the founder and principal of Chronos Leadership, where he provided one on one and group coaching to mid-level, C-level and founders at start-ups and not for profit organizations.
Prior to starting his coaching practice, Rick gained over 20 years of marketing and leadership experience from such companies as xG Technology, Motorola, Lucent, Nortel and P&G. Some highlights include: co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Spectrum Bridge, Inc. where he was responsible for planning and implementing the company's marketing and communications strategy. He was also VP of Marketing for MeshNetworks, which he established as a distributed wireless networking brand leader before the company was successfully acquired by Motorola in late 2004 for $215M. He previously served as Marketing Director for Excel Switching, then was promoted to AVP when Excel was acquired by AT&T for $1.7B in 1999.
Rick earned a Professional Coaching Certification from the University of Miami and an Associate Coaching Certificate from the International Coaching Federation. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (awarded one of five full merit scholarships), and a Masters of Telecommunications Management from the University of Dallas (where he subsequently recruited to become an associate professor for graduate level studies).
Rick has served as Scoutmaster for Troop 100 in Oviedo, and actively trains and holds a Second-Degree Black Belt in traditional martial arts.
Wendy Taylor is also a seasoned marketing professional. She started her career in the digital marketing space in 1997 upon finishing her undergraduate degrees at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Wendy launched her career with Southwest Airlines Vacations where she managed their online booking engine for package travel. While working full-time in this position she was accepted into Rollins College Crummer School of Business where she earned her MBA in marketing and e-commerce in 2002. In 2010 Wendy left her position with CBS Radio in Orlando, Florida to start her digital marketing agency. Through her agency, Strategic Online Marketing, Wendy and her team focus on SEO, SEM, reputation management, social media and email marketing.
Ian is an attorney at Losey PLLC, where he leverages his background and experience across technology, business, and law to help business leaders tackle the legal challenges that arise in founding, funding, and growing their companies. As a former entrepreneur, Ian understands the balance of relationships that make a successful business run and works with clients to provide appropriate legal solutions to reflect various stakeholder interests. He routinely counsels clients on corporate and intellectual property matters as well as advising on a variety of unique legal issues. Ian holds a JD from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Purdue University.
Denise is a trusted business developer passionate about networking, marketing, and communications to drive business growth - historically into the triple digits. With over 30 years' experience in business development and operational analysis, she is successful at generating and closing multi-faceted business opportunities. She is a connector at heart and is known for her strong networking and relationship building skills.
Outside of work, Denise serves on the boards for the Central Florida Gator Club, the Maitland Area Chamber of Commerce and is the Director of Membership for the Central Florida Women of Leadership in Finance organization.
Connie is also a Start-up Ecosystem Builder, and an expert in Business Development, Entrepreneurship, and International Business. She has nine years of experience in the banking industry and many years of work with multinational organizations and start-ups around the world.
Connie has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs to raise millions of dollars from investors and banks helping them to grow multimillion dollar companies. She has won several awards in the Central Florida region including a State-wide award “Education Partner of the Year” by CareerSource Florida, and she was recognized in 2009 as the Best Business Consultant for Central Florida by the Florida Small Business Development Center Network. As an entrepreneur, Connie is the founder of the Volusia Tech Hub and wrote several e-books about healthy living. She was a professor of International Entrepreneurship at Stetson University and Entrepreneurship at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Bilingual Spanish/English
I believe we can all make a difference and have a positive impact on the world around us.
Living in Volusia County since 2011, I founded my marketing company in 2015, leveraging my 15+ years of international marketing experience with a roster of clients in both Florida and Europe, and then launched the non-profit HungarianHub to foster networking between innovative business and community leaders from Hungary and the United States.
I represent the interests of the local Hungarian communities, strengthening commercial and economic relations between Hungary and the United States of America, and promoting cultural and academic relations including tourism, internships and student trips.
I was inaugurated as Honorary Consul of Hungary in Daytona Beach, Central Florida in 2019.
Adam Toth, CEO of Konverted, an award-winning web agency, specializes in crafting compelling messaging for tech firms. With 8 years of US business experience, he's a global speaker on product positioning and conversion optimization. His method, Scrollytelling, has achieved transformative results and outstanding conversion rates at over 500 businesses simply by altering their website messaging.
Imre has been a practicing Certified Public Accountant since 2004. Born and raised in Hungary, he moved to the United States to complete his studies at Florida International University. As he began his career in public accounting two decades ago, his "think outside the box" and results-oriented approach immediately resonated with entrepreneurs he worked with. With his international background and understanding of various cultures, Imre, along with his team of almost 20 people, now represents clients from all corners of the world, helping both start-ups and existing businesses get to the next level.
Adam Bacso has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He is the founder of the thriving Mobuen Digital Agency, specializing in American and European Amazon Sales. With over four years of dedicated experience working with Amazon, Mobuen has developed a deep understanding of the intricate dynamics of online retail.
The agency has successfully collaborated with a diverse range of European and American companies, being able to enhance their presence and sales in both European and US marketplaces.
Adam himself has also managed a successful US market entry in the past 6 years and built a B2B system for an emerging Hungarian brand, Tickless. Under his leadership, the company was able to list their products across several US online marketplaces, distributors and key brick and mortar companies. He has sales experience in North America, Latin America and Europe. Their own Amazon listings include Europe, North America, and Australia.
Adam's expertise in navigating the complex Amazon ecosystem has positioned his agency as a key player in the field, driving growth and innovation in the digital marketplace.
Laszlo is also a senior executive with broad experience in the business service, financial and venture capital sector. He gained comprehensive knowledge of corporate banking, asset and receivable based financing, venture capital investments, asset and fund management, capital investments and mergers & acquisitions.
Get a look at the US Market Entry Bootcamp program's first launch report. This documentation is more than a simple description; provides a lifelike overview of how the participants' team's journey to conquer the American market began.
How to proceed?
The first Bootcamp program ended in May 2024. We thank all our participants for their trust.
Did you miss it? No problem, as in the future we will offer more opportunities for you to get to know the American market!
Our currently planned Speedway to America program offers you the opportunity to expand your knowledge of the US market in a multi-month hybrid course. Here, compared to the Bootcamp program, you will gain more specific and in-depth knowledge!
First Bootcamp program FAQ
The US Market Entry Bootcamp Program gave its participants the opportunity to get a comprehensive view of the US market, thereby deciding whether their business is ready to start expanding.
During the 3-day intensive training, lecturers from the UCF University and external experts held lectures in the fields of strategic planning, marketing, law and taxation.
The US Market Entry Bootcamp Program jointly launched by the USA Accelerator and the UCF Business Incubation Program was held between May 20 and 24, 2024, in parallel with the Hungarian Summit event. The first three days provided intensive training for the participants, followed by networking events in the second half of the program.
The early bird ticket sales were available in the first registration phase, their price was 1190 dollars, the discount period lasted until April 22.
Later, the price of the ticket increased to $1,599.
If two people came from the same company and bought their tickets at the same time, the second person received a 50% discount.
The first three days of the program were primarily for education, but our participants had the opportunity to rent an exhibitor's table and distribute a promotional package of flyers at the Hungarian Summit event.
- Expo Table: At the Hungarian Summit 2024 event, on May 23 and 24, we provide an opportunity for a table where you can present your products or services.
- Flyer Inserts: Place your company's flyer in the Hungarian Summit 2024 welcome package.
At both locations (Orlando, Daytona Beach), we provided our participants with discounted accommodation at at least one of our partners. It was possible to travel in groups from these locations to the day's programs.
Feel free to write to us if you have any questions info@usaaccelerator.com and our colleagues will answer your questions as soon as possible!
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