Dunedin : Innovation + Job News

Do you work independently and want a way to connect with others for ideas? Are you wondering if it's possible to make a living as an artist or designer? Or maybe you're a musician or actor who wants to meet others in your field. Now there's a way for creative professionals in Tampa Bay to find camaraderie and support to help them make a living doing what they love.

Creatives' Alliance is a professional membership organization for established and aspiring creative professionals such as writers, musicians, painters, actors and actresses, dancers, film makers, tattoo artists, designers and photographers.

The group appeals to all creative disciplines, something that makes it unique in the Tampa Bay region. Strong professional circles exist for those in advertising, photography, architecture and the like. The new multidisciplinary alliance brings together everyone working in a creative field in order to form a more cohesive, collaborative community.

"I love the arts and have built my life on creative endeavors,'' says Aris MacInnes, countess of creativity for Imaginary Mind productions and founder of the Creatives’ Alliance. "I get so inspired by the culture we, as artists, create, and I am bothered by watching the struggles we face to be appreciated, supported and paid well.''

Offerings include mentoring, professional guidance, group brainstorming, coaching, training, industry benchmarks and collaborative tools.

The group's first event is a LaunchPad Workshop on January 19 from 9 am till noon at Keiser University in Tampa, which focuses on launching a freelance career, improving your focus and making contacts with like-minded people.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Aris MacInnes, Creatives' Alliance

Young professionals in Tampa Bay recognize that regional cooperation helps advance the strength of our communities and future opportunities for everyone.

In an effort to promote this cooperation and further the conversation, several young professionals groups are coming together for the second annual Tampa Bay Young Professionals Summit on Friday, October 12, from 1 to 5 pm at Hillsborough Community College's Ybor City campus, room 204 in the Ybor Building.

The event is presented by Emerge Tampa Bay and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, with Clearwater Young Professionals and St. Petersburg Chamber Young Professionals.

The interactive Summit will feature a slate of local guest speakers and presenters as well as breakout sessions to energize participants about the future of Tampa Bay.

Presenters and participants will answer questions like:
-- How can we improve the current business climate and encourage rapid growth?
-- How can young professionals take an active role to improve the region?
-- What would be a game changer for Tampa Bay?

The focus will be on five industry sectors: urban growth/environment, medical tech and healthcare research, entrepreneurship and high tech, cultural impact and education.

"The main goal of the Summit is to educate, engage and gather ideas from Tampa Bay's young professionals for improving the regional economy,'' says Brian Seel, public policy chair for Emerge Tampa Bay and chief organizer of the event. "This is a unique collaborative opportunity to advance the priorities of our generation.''

The Summit will produce a 10-item Economic Action List which will serve as a guiding framework for young professionals to continue to contribute to the regional economy in a meaningful way.

A Happy Hour will also be hosted immediately following the event at New World Brewery in Ybor City.

Cost is $25 per person. Pre-registration at this link is encouraged.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Brian Seel, Emerge Tampa Bay

According to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the number of Tampa Bay residents with a college degree increased by 1 percent from 32 percent in 2009 to 33 percent in 2010. This may not seem like a lot, but when viewed from an economic development perspective, it means a $4.6 billion increase in overall income, or close to $800 per person. 

The increase shows positive efforts compared with data from the previous two years, both of which showed a less than 1 percent decrease in overall attainment.

This data provides motivation for Graduate Tampa Bay (GTB), an initiative launched in early 2012 that aims to see an even larger increase. GTB is a collaborative effort involving business leaders, government, university and nonprofit organizations who value talent development in the region.

“If we want to be competitive, we must collaborate as one,” says Ken Atwater, president of Hillsborough Community College and chair of the Graduate Tampa Bay Advisory Council.

Tampa Bay is also competing with more than 50 other metropolitan areas for a $1 million prize that will be awarded to the region that increases the number of college degrees the most over a three-year period. The competition ends in 2013, but GTB plans to continue its efforts in future years.

Graduate Tampa Bay is gathering information about employers in the Tampa Bay region, and specifically the programs available for their employees to attend school.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

A new housing project is underway in Dunedin, which promises to be a green alternative to traditional housing. The project is being led by Planet Green Group, and according to the company’s CEO, the Eco Village at Dunedin will be the first affordable net zero energy townhome development in the nation.  

“The homes are projected to be completed early 2013 and have all the units occupied immediately,” says Paavo Salmi, CEO of Planet Green Group. “We currently have over 100 people on the waiting list to buy one of these homes.''

The development will include 25 townhomes with numerous green features.

“The home engineering began with designing an extremely tight building envelope complimented with the latest technology in insulation, low-e windows and energy efficient appliances,” Salmi says. “These homes represent every aspect of the lastest energy efficiency technologies available today.”

Salmi says the homes are part of the GE Ecomagination program, and all of the homes will be equipped with an energy management system that controls the appliances maximizing their energy efficiency. The management system is designed to lower overall household energy use, emissions on the power grid, indoor water consumption and related energy costs.

The Eco Village at Dunedin will be located at MLK and Lorraine Leland Street. Each home will be a two-story townhouse ranging from 1,100 to 1,500 square feet with a projected price of $135,000 to $175,000.

This project is going to change the way affordable housing will be built in the future,” Salmi says. “It is already gaining national attention and we are extremely excited to make this project a reality.”

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Paavo Salmi, Planet Green Group

The annual Wearable Art event and fashion show in Dunedin will take place August 11^th. The unique and innovative show is in its eighth year, and showcases wearable creations fashioned by local artists and designers. The event, which is hosted by the Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC), has historically been well attended and this year is expected to sell out with nearly 1,000 attendees.

Wearable Art is a great opportunity for experienced fashion designers to show their newest to a large and enthusiastic audience, says Ken Hannon, associate executive director of the Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd. “It’s also for artists who traditionally work in other media to stretch their creative wings down the runway.”
 
Local artists expected to participate in the show include Rocky and Kathleen Bridges, Johnny Hunt, Mark Byrne, Scott Durfee, George Medeiros, the Garden Fairies, Michael Dellas Penna and Rogerio Martins.
 
Hannon says this year will be especially fun because they have Natasha Richards, former Miss Gay USA, as an emcee, the band Woolly Bushmen performing, and a new director for the event.

“We have Meg Huntley as this year’s director,” Hannon says. “Meg came to DFAC from Disney corporate in Los Angeles and brings an exciting new aesthetic to the event.”

The pre-party starts at 7 p.m., the runway show starts at 8:30 p.m. and an after-party will follow. Tickets for general admission are $20, with reserved seating rates at $35 or $75.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Ken Hannon, Dunedin Fine Art Center

The Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) has announced a program that will help at-risk youth in Pinellas County. The JWB Quality Early Learning initiative is in the early stages of development, and is looking for partners to serve as quality providers of childcare and education to children ages 2 months to five years.

“We have been funding childcare for many years, however, we haven’t been seeing the results we would like for preparing children for school,” says Matt Spence, senior program consultant at the JWB. “Our goal with this program is to move from a childcare model to a learning model.”

According to Spence, the JWB is focused on serving five priority areas in the county. Those areas include, south St. Pete (zip codes 33705, 33711 and 33712), North Greenwood in Clearwater (33755, 33756), the High Point area (33760), east Tarpon Springs (34689) and the unincorporated area of Lealman (33709, 33713,33714, 33781).

Karen Sierra, also a senior program consultant at the JWB says that potential clients will be identified as early as possible, even before birth.

“Our nurse program that works with moms and moms-to-be, as well as the Healthy Start program in Pinellas will be partners in helping identify families that have at-risk factors that we look for.”

Spence says that the next step in the process is finding quality providers who can serve these at-risk children. Providers can submit a letter of interest via the JWB website.

“We are not just looking for one provider necessarily,” Spence says. “If there is an organization out of state that wants to come in and partner with us, or a nonprofit group in another part of Florida, we are open to considering them and splitting up the partnership. We have the funding; we just need quality partners to provide the services.”

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Matt Spence and Karen Sierra, JWB

The Suncoast Workforce of Sarasota, in partnership with WorkNet Pinellas and several other Tampa Bay area workforce organizations, will hold a virtual job fair for youth starting May 13^th and running through May 19^th. The live week-long event will be free for job seekers and is catered to the younger demographic, ages 14-24.

“Businesses can benefit from a younger worker's perspective and new ideas,” says Sally Hill, communications director of Suncoast Workforce. “They tend to be open to learning and they thrive on coaching and mentoring from others. Youth are the workforce of the future.”

This is the second consecutive year for the virtual event that spans six counties. Other workforce organizations include Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance in Hillsborough, Career Central in Pasco, Junior Achievement of West Central Florida, the Pinellas Education Foundation, and Tampa Bay area public school districts and colleges.
 
Unlike a traditional job fair, where businesses set up booths and employers and job seekers engage in formal exchanges, the virtual job fair is done completely online in a much less ceremonial fashion. Employers will post their open positions and job seekers can browse jobs and apply during the week-long event. The virtual environment also takes pressure off employers to hire on the spot.

“Employers have the option to review candidate resumes at their leisure and they can decide whether to interview candidates by phone or in person before making their hiring decision,” Hill says.

Hill says that there is still time for employers to participate in the job fair and they would like more businesses to register. Businesses interested in virtually attending the job fair can register by visiting this link.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Sally Hill, Suncoast Workforce

LED Source, a national franchise that distributes professional LED lighting products has come to the Tampa Bay region. Scott Weber, CEO of the Florida West coast franchise, known as Nitor Solutions, co-founded the operation with his friends and business partners Haitham Charles and Marc Soudijn.

“The LED lighting franchise is a great concept, in a great industry,” Weber says. “LED lighting the next big thing, with tremendous opportunity. There is a huge need with less than 2 percent of commercial lighting currently LED right now there is room for growth.”

Nitor Solutions, which is located at 402 Knights Run Avenue in Tampa, has plans to service Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties. The company supplies energy-efficient LED lighting to commercial buildings and developments, including office spaces, parks, schools, theaters, churches and art galleries.

With plans to cover such a vast territory and a market that is undeserved, Weber plans to hire 20-plus employees.

“Four sales people have been hired in Tampa, and by the end of the year we will have eight to ten more hires here,” Weber says. “By end of next year, we should have 10 sales people in St. Petersburg, and 18 months from now we hope to have at least five new hires in Sarasota.”

Due to the fact that LED lighting is so new, Weber says he doesn't expect sales people to have any LED sales experience.

“We are looking for bright, personable people with sales skills,” Weber says. “Once hired, they will get trained on everything they need to know about lighting, which shouldn't take more than a month. The most important thing is that they can sell customers solutions, because that is what we are all about.”

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Scott Weber, Nitor Solutions, LLC/Florida West coast LED Source Franchise

Fireleaf Design, a creative graphic design and marketing services company in Tarpon Springs, plans to grow and hire three additional staff in 2012. The small company was founded by Alan Brusky, who is a graphic designer and marketer himself.

“Fireleaf officially became incorporated in June 2011, however, I was freelancing for about three years before that,” says Brusky.  “We offer graphic design, branding, website design and development, as well as social media consultation. ”

Due to his company’s success, Brusky recently moved business operations from his home office into a dedicated workspace in downtown Tarpon Springs. As his business continues to grow, so will the company’s headcount.

“My goal is to stay small and continue helping small businesses but I will need more staff,” Brusky says. “This year I would like to bring on a designer, a web developer and possibly a service representative or office manager.”

His focus on small businesses is exactly what Brusky attributes to his company’s success.

“I have a real dedication to helping my clients,” he says. “We only work with four to five clients at a time and they don’t go anywhere else. I have clients who have been with me for many years way before becoming incorporated.”

Brusky is also passionate about his company’s location.
.
“Tarpon Springs is a great city for small business,” he says. “The chamber of commerce, which I am a member of, is working hard to bring in young entrepreneurs, especially in the downtown area. It’s a great place to be. ”

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Alan Brusky, Fireleaf Design

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) was recently notified that it would receive a $5 million grant to be used to replace eight of the least fuel-efficient buses in its aging fleet.

The grant money is coming from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and is a part of the Federal Transit Administration’s State of Good Repair program. The PSTA will use the money to replace its oldest buses with hybrid models.

“The hybrids are a citizen favorite because they cut emissions across the board, most by 90 percent,” says Bob Lasher of the PSTA. “The hybrids not only save taxpayers money for operational funding, but cut America’s dependence on foreign oil as well. ”

The old PSTA buses that will be replaced are 13 years old, and the new diesel-hybrid buses are expected to arrive in approximately one year. Once the new buses arrive, one out of every six buses in the 200-bus fleet will be a diesel-electric hybrid. The PSTA, which now serves 41,000 customers daily, plans to eventually have an all hybrid model fleet in the future.

“Fleet replacement is ongoing,” Lasher says. “Should the board of directors continue approving the purchase of hybrids in the years to come, and no other better technology comes along in the meantime, our fleet should be nearly all hybrids by around 2021. ”

In addition to the implementation of diesel-hybrid buses, the PSTA has purchased hybrid sedans for its supervisory and other support vehicles. Other green initiatives include recycling sludge, waste oil and metal from the fleet, using low-flow irrigation systems and reclaimed water, as well as a bus washing facility that recycles and filters water to protect the groundwater supply.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Bob Lasher, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)

It has always been Goodwill's mission to help people get to work. That mission is alive and well today as Goodwill-Suncoast, the local branch of Goodwill Industries, is looking to put people to work in the Tampa Bay region.

"We currently have about 50 openings in the Tampa Bay area," says Chris Ward of Goodwill-Suncoast. "We are filling various positions, everything from retail sales manager, retail associate and donations processing staff to skills trainers and IT staff. We are looking to fill these positions as soon as possible."

In this economy, where jobs and growth are scarce, Goodwill has experienced considerable success. "We opened three new superstores since 2008, these stores opened in Wesley Chapel, Oldsmar and Spring Hill," Ward says. "We also opened a residential work-release center in Largo."

Ward says that most of the jobs with Goodwill-Suncoast are in Pinellas or Hillsborough counties, however, there are a few in other parts of the area. "We have a few jobs in Pasco and Hernando County, where Goodwill is the lead service provider at Career Central employment offices," Ward says. "The list of jobs on our website will give the location of each position."

For potential employees interested in applying, Ward explains what Goodwill is looking for. "We are looking for dedicated, hard-working people who take pride in the work they do," Ward says. "A customer service mindset is especially important for retail and donations staff. Because the nature of Goodwill's mission is helping people achieve their full potential through the power of work, staff can feel especially good about being part of the Goodwill team."

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Chris Ward, Goodwill Industries-Suncoast

The annual Wearable Art Fashion Show hosted by the City of Dunedin is not your typical fashion soiree. Forget traditional gowns, at this event models wearing balloon dresses, chili peppers or metal are the norm. To make things even more innovative, this year the event planners are looking for a new emcee.

"We are looking for someone charismatic, funny and a bit edgy," says Kaya Jill, associate curator and special event director for the Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC). "This is the first time we have ever opened auditioning to the public for an emcee. I'm not sure what to expect, but it will be fun."

Those interested in auditioning are asked to submit a short video by July 10th detailing why they should be an emcee. The videos will be voted on via the DFAC's website starting July 11th through the 21st. Once the finalists are selected, they will go before a panel of celebrity judges for an in-person audition. After the live audition, a winner will be selected.

This is the seventh year that the Wearable Art Fashion Show will take place. Historically, the event has brought in hundreds of people. "The first time we did the event, we didn't expect it to be so big, especially since it is held in the middle of the summer," says Jill. "A few years ago we moved the show to the community center so we could accommodate more people."

The event features local artists and designers who are innovative with their designs. "I like to show artists who have never done fashion before," says Jill. "I'm looking for the unusual. Pieces that are not wearable fashion, something that can only be worn in the show."

The Wearable Art Fashion Show will be held on August 13th at the Dunedin Community Center.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Kaya Jill, Dunedin Fine Art Center

If you live in Pinellas County, you may have noticed a barcode on your utility bill that wasn't there before. While this barcode may look like a block of lines that hold no importance to you, pull out an IPhone or Android, scan it and see what comes up.

Pinellas County recently implemented the use of QR codes, a barcode that can be scanned with smartphones, which will automatically direct you to a website providing more information. Tom Iovino, public information specialist for Pinellas County, explains how the technology works.

"A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode," Iovino says. "While a traditional barcode that you find on the back of a can of soda contains numbers, a QR code is scanned up, down and across holding more information."

Iovino says the purpose of the QR codes is to eliminate the need to manually enter web addresses or URLs.

While the technology has only been implemented in utility bills and printed materials at budget meetings, the county expects to apply the QR codes in more places.

"Some of the technology is not completed yet, however we envision that in the future, a visitor at Heritage Village could go up to a building, scan a tag and a video will come up with more information on that particular building," Iovino says. "In the future we hope that our neighboring counties, transportation units such as HART and PSTA as well as the Department of Health will use the technology. It helps the public get information, which is important."

Iovino says that the QR barcode scanner application can be downloaded on most smartphones.

"There are several mobile applications that you can download for free, which will give you the ability to scan QR codes," he says. "That is the beauty of this technology, it is free to download and scan, all you need is a smartphone."

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Tom Iovino, Pinellas County Communications

YMCA of the Suncoast has launched a new website designed to build communities of like-minded people.

The website, launched in March 2011, provides easy access to residents interested in the Suncoast Ys mission and programs. An interactive find-a-program feature helps visitors find classes and activities, a blog offers access to Y news and an Ask-the-Y feature allows visitors to ask questions about anything from summer camps to nutrition. The site also interfaces with Facebook and Twitter.

"Connecting with the community is critical to the Y's mission," says Alisa Jenkins of Springboard Marketing and Communications, who helped with the website. "This  site offers more ways to do this than before. The social media features allow people to choose how they connect. They can interact with their favorites or the entire Suncoast community."

The site was recently recognized by YMCA of the USA as an exceptional example of brand integration and, as a result, the Suncoast association has been invited to present the website to other YMCAs at a national event in Chicago. The Suncoast Y's primary Facebook page grew from 1,200 to over 2,000 fans within the first 30 days of the new launch.

Mandy Griffith, Suncoast Y's marketing and communications director, is excited about the results the site has produced. "This website helps us achieve our mission by making our programs more accessible and by providing more resources to our community."

Sources: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing and Communications; Mandy Griffith, YMCA of the Suncoast
Writer: Missy Kavanaugh

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Here is chance to work right on the water for a company that is hiring positions for catering.

Riverside Venue at Tarpon Springs plans to open in about a month and is already accepting applications.

The catering company is filling positions related to restaurant operations such as for staffing the kitchen.

Jobs available include chef, kitchen manager, sous chef, waiters, cooks, dishwashers ,
bartender, back bar and food runners.

Some of these jobs will be part-time and some will be full-time.

According to Stan Tipton, chief creative officer, Riverside Venue will eventually hire more the 50 employees.

All applicants should have experience in their desired position.

The company is also looking for an executive chef who should have five plus years experience in high-volume restaurants.

Riverside Venue offers catering to many events including weddings, birthdays and graduation parties.
Their events include catering for 50 to 1,000 people with a large menu to choose from and five different
rooms available for festivities.

To apply for one of these positions, go to the Riverside Venue at 10 Dodecanese Blvd. in Tarpon Springs
on the Sponge Docks.

Writer: Mandy Erfourth
Source: Stan Tipton, Riverside Venue at Tarpon Springs