Thanks to Montgomery County Community College’s Karen A. Stout Start-Up Accelerator Fund, alumnus Jeremiah De Leon is on the verge of achieving his lifelong dream of launching a successful start-up.

The Fund, established earlier this year to provide funding to promising business ventures, chose De Leon’s company, Align Team LLC, as one of four winners during its pilot round of competition.

Now, the Fund is calling on aspiring entrepreneurs to submit applications for its second round of competition, which will disburse up to $72,000 by mid-winter to the winning projects. Interested parties should apply online at mc3.edu/startup by the deadline of Oct. 9.

“Growing up, I always had great business ideas, but I didn’t have the connections to make them happen,” said De Leon, a 22-year-old native of Plymouth Meeting. “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.”

Named after MCCC President Emerita Karen Stout, the Fund provides grants of roughly $1,000 to $20,000.

Made possible by a generous anonymous donor, the Fund is run by the Montgomery County Community College Foundation and the College’s Division of Business and Entrepreneurial Initiatives. Winners work with the College’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and community mentors to set key milestones and deliverables, and to monitor their progress and outcomes.

“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.”

Qualifying applicants will be invited to pitch their business concepts to a review team at MCCC’s Central Campus in Blue Bell in November. The College encourages all emerging entrepreneurs to apply, especially military veterans, women, and members of minority communities.

For more information or to apply, visit mc3.edu/startup.