To lead the next chapter of its innovation hub that serves entrepreneurs across South Florida, Nova Southeastern University has appointed Michael Burtov, a serial entrepreneur and ecosystem leader, as executive director of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation. He will also be NSU’s chief innovation officer.
Bringing more than two decades of experience in the startup ecosystem, Burtov will oversee the Levan Center of Innovation’s $3-million operating budget, its 54,000-square-feet of state-of-the-art facilities in Davie, and its extensive programming for entrepreneurs, from ideation through the growth stage. He will report to NSU’s president and CEO, Dr. Harry K. Moon, and will serve as a member of NSU’s President’s Council.
“His record of founding and scaling venture-backed companies, coupled with his deep commitment to enhancing innovation-driven economic development, makes him the ideal leader to guide our Center into its next phase of growth and impact,” Moon said, in a statement. “Mike Burtov brings an exceptional combination of entrepreneurial success and innovation leadership that perfectly aligns with our vision for the Levan Center of Innovation.”
Burtov is the founder of Burtov.com, an innovation consultancy that has worked with more than 1,000 startups. He is co-founder of the nonprofit Connecting Giants and Unicorns (CGU.org), dedicated to strengthening South Florida’s innovation ecosystem. As founder and CEO of GeoOrbital, he invented and commercialized the GeoOrbital Wheel, which was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine as a Best Invention of 2019.
He also founded Cangrade, an AI-driven hiring platform that predicts employee success while reducing recruitment bias, and served as a Venture Mentor at Harvard Innovation Labs. Burtov previously served as vice chair of the Board of Directors for the MIT Enterprise Forum Cambridge and as an Entrepreneurship Fellow at Florida International University’s StartupFIU program. Burtov authored an early-stage fundraising guide The Evergreen Startup and holds multiple patents.
“The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation represents an extraordinary opportunity to build upon South Florida’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Burtov said. “I’m excited to work with NSU’s leadership, faculty, and the broader venture capital and South Florida business communities to elevate the Levan Center of Innovation as the premier destination for entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators.”
The Levan Center was established in 2021 through a public-private partnership between NSU and Broward County dedicated to fostering innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship in South Florida. Since its inception, it has become a hotspot for new business creation and a hub for technological advancement across South Florida. Burtov replaces John Wensveen, who left the post last fall to run a space-focused university in France.
The Levan Center has made a name for itself by offering a wide range of technologies and resources, including a volumetric capture studio. The Levan Center’s facilities also include a cybersecurity range, media production studio, and pitch room. The Center organizes a wide range of community events, from innovation days to pitch nights, as well as a packed schedule of accelerator-style programs called Ideate, Incubate and Accelerate designed for each stage of the entrepreneurial journey.
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