Innovation + Job News

Sri Lankan chai. Grapefruit and tarragon. Pear and ginger. Strawberry balsamic. Lemon and lavender. What do these unique combinations have in common? Well, when it comes to William Dean, the commonality is chocolate.

Based in Largo, William Dean Chocolates takes exquisite and exotic flavors and blends them into artistically crafted, handmade chocolate treats. Founded in 2007, and named after founder William (Bill) Dean Brown's father (William) and grandfather (Dean). Brown credits both his father and grandfathers as being influencers in the launch of his business.

How does one become a chief chocolate officer, as Brown is tastefully labeled? By following his dreams. Brown was in upper management at Ceridian in St. Petersburg when he started exploring the world of chocolate. While he really enjoyed his corporate job, he left his well-paying career to pursue his passion. He traveled to different cities, networked with chocolatiers and got the wheels moving on his business.

Jokingly Brown admits that sometimes the blends come about by accident, but usually he is inspired by the flavors in foods he experiences and enjoys, sometimes mixing fruits, herbs and other ingredients. "I think it's interesting to have a start and finish to it," says Brown, noting that fruit is usually the first flavor tasted and herbs provide the last, finishing taste.

Most recently, William Dean Chocolates won 12 awards at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon on March 20, 2010. Eleven of those awards were for first place out of more than 60 chocolate gurus. William Dean Chocolates has produced sweets for Teavana,  Aria Resort and Casino and Bellagio. Locally the sweets can be found in their chocolate studio at 12551 Indian Rocks Road, Suite 1; Datz Deli in South Tampa and Bella Vino Wines in Belleair Bluffs.

"Datz only carries the finest specialty food items that can be found anywhere. We were looking for chocolates in particular and were so surprised to find that one of the hottest award-winning chocolatiers in the country was right up the street!" says Suzanne Perry, owner of Datz Deli. "We knew we had made the right choice when Bill Brown called personally from Paris to ask me if my first order was OK – and then stopped in to check after landing back in Tampa. His flavors are so amazing and the chocolates so beautiful that we have customers lined up to buy them right out of the boxes as they arrive. My favorite so far has got to be the Rosemary Caramel. Savory, sweet decadence!"

In 2009, William Dean Chocolates saw revenue increases of almost 80 percent, and they expect to expand over the next few months. Brown anticipates that they'll be hiring as well, providing job opportunities for other chocolate lovers in the Tampa Bay region.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Sources: William (Bill) Dean Brown, William Dean Chocolates; Suzanne Perry, Datz Deliread on…

Business owners will have an opportunity to rub elbows and do business with the City of St. Petersburg on Friday, May 7, 2010.

The reverse trade show will allow local business owners to meet representatives from 20 city departments who are responsible for purchasing materials and services. The purchases from the City of St. Petersburg for these materials and services is valued at more than $250 million annually.

"The trade show gives the city and local business owners an opportunity to get acquainted and educated about what each has to offer and creates a positive economic environment. Cultivating those local relationships and keeping commerce at home is a win-win for everyone," says Mayor Bill Foster.

Participating departments include water resources, sanitation, parks and recreation, the Port of St. Petersburg, Progress Energy Center for the Arts, real estate and property management, and more.

Louis Moore, purchasing director for the City of St. Petersburg says that the city not only purchases the typical services and products like office supplies and computers, but also uncommon items. For instance, butterflies for Sunken Gardens, dead rodents for a birds of prey exhibit and a professional hacker who tests the security of the city's online network.

The Reverse Trade Show will be held at the historic Coliseum at 535 Fourth Avenue N. from 10am-2pm. For more information on current bid opportunities, click here.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Louis Moore, City of St. Petersburgread on…

Described as a rapid-fire, creative show-and-tell, PechaKucha 20x20 returns to Tampa on Friday, April 30, at the Armature building (the historic trolley barn in Tampa Heights) from 7-10pm.

PechaKucha (pronounced: peh chak cha) is a Japanese word for "chit-chat." The event, which originated in 2003 in Tokyo, was created by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture. The goal is to provide a forum for young designers to meet, network and quickly show their work to the public.

The "quick" part involves the format, which requires presenters to show 20 images for 20 seconds. The reasoning is simple, according to the website: "Because architects talk too much! Give a microphone and some images to an architect - or most creative people for that matter - and they'll go on forever! Give powerpoint to anyone else and they have the same problem.''

PechaKucha was launched in Tampa in 2009 by organizer Kenneth Cowart, an architect with ASD. Cowart says the rapid-fire format makes it a bit less formal. "Everyone has to be on their toes and it makes for awkward pauses and moments that are generally filled with humor, and it keeps the presentations lively and active."

The eight presenters at PechaKucha Tampa Bay V5:

-- Alfred Goldberg, mobile technology evangelist
-- Mark Hebert, design anthropology
-- Megan Hildebrandt, performance artist
-- Lauren Alyssa Howard, visual artist
-- L.A. Moore, photographer
-- Randy Van Duinen, photographer
-- Brandon Wagner, creative stylist
-- Brian Willis, local politics

The event will also be a fundraiser for Haiti relief. Proceeds will go to Architecture for Humanity 501(c) and will be used to build buildings.



Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Kenneth Cowart, ASDread on…

It is often said that one benefit of using digital documentation in place of paper is the saving of trees. Now a $6 million federal grant awarded to the University of South Florida to fund a project called PaperFree Florida, is touted as having the potential to save lives as well as create jobs.

The grant is expected to fund more than 100 jobs, with most of them being what USF Health CEO Stephen Klasko refers to as "electronic health care ambassadors." People filling these jobs will help physicians in a 20-county area transition to an electronic system of prescribing drugs and maintaining medical records.

USF Health has set up a PaperFree Florida website which provides information about the project.

The jobs will be phased in, says Project Director Dr. Jay Wolfson.

"These jobs will be the result of recruitment, training and placement of qualified individuals over a four-year period," Wolfson says. PaperFree Florida expects to hire its first electronic health ambassadors by June. People who are hired will then undergo training, which should take between 60 and 90 days.

The initial funding for the jobs is substantial, but as a grant the dollars allocated are finite. However, Wolfson sees a long-term need for electronic health ambassadors in the rapidly changing healthcare industry.

"This is a very cool project designed to create a new component of the health workforce, e-health ambassadors, who will play a permanent role facilitating the meaningful use of health information at the community level in order to improve quality, safety, access to appropriate care and reduce costs," he says.

The federal grant is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Susanna Martinez Tarokh, USF Health read on…

Geographic Solutions, Inc. is a Palm Harbor company that has found a place in a competitive industry by providing software solutions to employment and workforce development agencies throughout the United States, including the Employ Florida Marketplace job search portal.

If someone is looking for a job or if a company is searching for viable candidates, there's a good chance that a Geographic Solutions, Inc. product is part of the process.

There's also a good chance that software professionals looking for their next employment opportunity just may find it at Geographic Solutions. The company has hired more than three dozen workers with skills as diverse as programming, project management and marketing in the past year and continues to have jobs to fill.

"We normally run anywhere from two to three openings up to as many as 10-12 openings because of growth," says Michael Crosslin, who is the company's corporate recruiter.

Geographic Solutions provides its employees with a variety of benefits such as fully paid medical insurance, company-paid life insurance, paid vacation time and holidays. There are also company sports teams employees can join and the ever-popular casual dress code.

But the big attraction may be the workplace atmosphere. "Every day is different and challenging," says Crosslin. "It's still an entrepreneural spirit, client-driven environment where if people have a passion for what they do, it's a good match."

Geographic Solutions has 125 employees, with the majority of them working at its Palm Harbor headquarters in Pinellas County and a small group that serves clients on the West Coast and Hawaii out of an office in Salinas, Calif.

Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Michael Crosslin, Geographic Solutions

read on…

If you've ever wondered why an airline flight crew is adamant about passengers turning off cell phones and other digital devices during certain portions of a flight here is the answer: EMI - or electromagnetic interference. This happens when electromagnetic energy from one source, such as a cell phone, interferes with the operation of a nearby device, such as an airplane's fuel gauge or its flight control system, which may be susceptible to dysfunction by a passenger's urgent call to inform someone, "Hey, I'm taking off now."

Electronic systems and devices are an omnipresent part of our world and are routinely susceptible to EMI. Fortunately, there are companies such as Leader Tech, a Tampa-based subsidiary of HEICO Corp. Leader Tech manufactures solutions for commercial and government customers who need to incorporate EMI protection into their products and services.

This is an industry that needs engineers, supervisors and skilled technicians, such as tool and die makers, who understand terms like conductive elastomers, ferrites and BeCu fingerstock gaskets.

Laura Anderson is the human resources manager at Leader Tech and she is on a quest to find and hire such employees. Throw in a requirement to respect tight tolerances and it can be a formidable search for the right job candidate.

"Because it's such a niche industry it's kind of hard to fill those positions," she says. Anderson adds that it can take months to fill some positions. Qualifications for many of the jobs include experience in mechanical engineering, quality assurance and tool and die setup.

While the business of Leader Tech is technology, Anderson characterizes the working environment as personable. "Leader Tech is a very family-oriented company," she says.

Benefits offered by Leader Tech include medical, dental life and disability insurance as well as a 401K plan and paid vacation time.

Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Laura Anderson, Leader Tech, Inc.

read on…

Students from Tampa Bay Technical High School designed 10 bike racks made from old bicycle parts for riders in downtown Tampa.

Partnering with the Tampa Downtown Partnership, students from the school's architecture, welding and auto body programs designed, fabricated and painted the bike racks for the Tampa Bay Cycle campaign. Not only did they creatively conceptualize the design and functionality, they were also responsible for finding the location to install the racks downtown.

The Tampa Bay Cycle campaign, which got the wheels moving on this project, was founded by Karen Kress, director of transportation and planning for the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Kress. a daily bike-on-bus commuter, and Julie Bond, a daily bicycle commuter, member of the New North Transportation Alliance and co-chair for the Tampa Bay Cycle campaign, applied for a grant back in 2007 through the Florida Department of Transportation to launch the campaign. They won the grant and have reapplied every year since to keep the campaign going.

"We're just interested in making Tampa Bay a more bicycle-friendly community," says Kress.

The bike racks were designed for the urban environment and painted black to blend with the rest of downtown Tampa's street decor.

The first rack was installed on Earth Day, April 22, at the St. Pete Times Forum at 401 Channelside Drive. Others are at popular places like the Glazer Children's Museum, Sweetwater Organic Farm, Jaidee Yoga Studio, and Union Station.

"We are always searching for creative ways to enhance downtown's outdoor environment," says Kress. "This project is a win for all involved - bike riders, public art lovers and students gaining valuable experience."

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Karen Kress, Tampa Downtown Partnershipread on…

As summer draws closer in Florida, it becomes apparent why companies that install and service air conditioners are well-positioned to survive and even grow during tough economic times.

A good example of that is the announcement that Home-Tech Service, Inc. plans to hire 22 employees over the next five years. The air conditioning and appliance repair and replacement company is receiving incentives from the Manatee County government as part of the plan. The new jobs must pay more than the county's annual average wage of $33,582 to be eligible for the incentives.

Home-Tech's president Steve Marino founded the company in 1981. It now employs 115 people and serves customers in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.

Home-Tech is employee-owned and Marino says that provides benefits to the company. "Our philosophy is that you take better care of something if you own it.That's why we believe in employee ownership."

Employee training is also a big part of the company's business model. "Our technicians never stop learning. We are the only air conditioning company that has an on-site training facility and full-time trainer," says Marino.

Home-Tech is headquartered in Ft. Myers and serves customers in Sarasota and Manatee counties from an office in Venice. The company is planning to open a new facility in Sarasota.

Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Carolyn Rogers, Briggs & Rogers

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As consumers and businesses increasingly refer to the resources of the Internet to find information and transact business, the need for companies with well-trained, creative staffs to create websites and provide digital services is growing.

One Sarasota company providing those services is Glide Interactive, Inc. It provides web development, graphic design and Internet marketing services to its customers. According to the company's website, Glide Interactive's revenue rose 33 percent from January 2009 to January 2010. Because its list of clients is growing, so is Glide Interactive's staff. The company is looking to fill openings for an experienced PHP developer and Internet marketing specialist and to add more positions later.

"People across the country are finding our website and word of mouth is spreading, so we are in a rapid growth phase and are looking to add another five employees by the end of the year," says CEO and President Heath Jordan, who founded the company in 2002.

Besides technical skills and experience using them, Heath says, "we are looking for passionate people that have the ability to innovate and the social skills to get along well with a variety of different clients and co-workers."

Heath adds that his company is growing because it works hard to help its customers thrive as well. "Success in any business comes from creating winning solutions for clients that helps them achieve their goals," he says.

Writer: Brad Stager 
Source: Heath Jordan, Glide Interactiveread on…

The first official Foursquare Day was launched in Tampa and recognized in cities all over the world on April 16, 2010. What began with a small idea from Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford of Bright Eyes Vision Care, a Tampa optometrist, and a small group of friends, made international social media history.

Selecting the date for this official holiday event was fairly simple. The number four when squared is 16. So 4/16 seemed to be the ideal date to host Foursquare Day and a badge was even created for participants to earn.

More than 872 Facebook fans confirmed attendance to Tampa Bay's foursquare social gathering held on 4/16 at the Hyatt Regency Tampa. A celebration for social media around the world, the event had food and drink specials, free appetizers and, of course, free WIFI.

While Bonilla-Warford is the originator of this worldwide event, he is reluctant to take too much credit. Noting Jessica Barnett as one of the key players, Bonilla-Warford says that it was truly a group effort that made Foursquare Day possible and successful. "We assembled a group of about a dozen people who all have relatively different skillsets and networks, and they've all just contributed and it all fell in place the right way."

Friends know the good doctor as Nate. Social media friends call him Dr. Nate. And his social media handle for most things is NateBW. Bonilla-Warford said it's assumed that Foursquare Day will be an annual event, but they will sort through everything to ensure that the event remains meaningful and moves along intelligently.

While Bonilla-Warford is an active social media user, understands its value and is the reason people will say, "Happy Foursquare Day!," his real passion is improving children's lives who have visual problems that affect reading and learning.

Still a little shocked, yet equally thrilled about it all, Bonilla-Warford said, "My original goal was to help promote my business, like I do everyday and try to get a few more check-ins on Foursquare. That's literally what I was trying to do. I wasn't trying to change the world. I was trying to be a business owner."

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford, Bright Eyes Vision Careread on…

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation is accepting applications for the 2010 class of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. Participants are being sought from across the region for this three-month leadership development program.

"Our program will help leaders with individual leadership skills and then use them in the group as they grow through the class," says Teri A. Hansen, president and chief executive officer of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

The Gulf Coast Leadership Institute is made up of seven training sessions that run from May through July, and they are held in Venice. The Fanning Institute, a public service and outreach unit of the University of Georgia, will lead the training.

The seven training sessions will cover: understanding leadership, communicating effectively, valuing community diversity, managing conflict, building communities through collaboration, making group decisions and leading community change.

Up to 25 participants will be chosen from various industry sectors. To ensure a diverse group of participants, the Foundation will try to get representation from private businesses, government employees, community volunteers and nonprofit organizations, says Greg Luberecki, director of marketing and communications.

Applicants are likely to be selected from Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. The deadline to apply is April 23. Interested participants may click here.

Fifty-four professionals and volunteers already have graduated from the leadership development initiative.



Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Teri A. Hansen and Greg Luberecki, Gulf Coast Community Foundation

read on…

Keeping a business operating means among other things, maximizing value and minimizing costs. One company that tries to do that for buyers of networking and telecommunications systems is Vology Data Systems, located in Oldsmar.

Vology, which recently changed its name from Network Liquidators, sells new and pre-owned networking and telecommunications systems to businesses, service providers and the public sector. Its inventory consists of products made by Cisco, Extreme, Avaya/Nortel, HP and Kemp Technologies among others.

With $50 million in inventory and customers in 80 countries, Vology is increasing the size of its sales team, by hiring 30 additional people. Vology currently has about 110 employees.

Courtney Lawton has the title of "leads management assistant" at Vology. She helps generate leads for the sales staff, which works entirely on a commission basis. She's also a member of Vology's sales recruiting team.

"We're looking to expand," she says, adding "it's inside sales so it's hitting the phones."

Cold calling for a paycheck can sound like a tough way to earn a living, but Lawton says the rewards are there. "You can make six figures. Our top sales person makes half-a-million a year."

According to its website, Vology is a 2009 and 2010 recipient of the Tampa Bay Business Journal's "Best Places to Work" award. One reason may be the relaxed dress code.

"You can wear anything you want," says Lawton, who adds that some of the top sales producers prefer flip-flops over wingtips.

Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Courtney Lawton, Vology Data Systemsread on…

Reinventing Life After 50, the second annual Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference, will be held on April 15 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.

The conference is geared toward Baby Boomers, those born between 1946-1964, and anyone who wants to gain greater insight and capitalize on this huge demographic market that consists of 78 million people.

"In the wake of the recession, Boomers have really been hit on multiple fronts: personally, physically, professionally and spiritually. Our conference will address all of those aspects of reinvention," says Michelle Bauer, founder and chief strategist at Common Language.

Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about research trends in healthcare, marketing, employment and entrepreneurship, and hear more from 33 speakers from across the country. Bauer says that Boomer entrepreneurship and franchise ownership are two hot trends for the next decade that will help jumpstart the economy.

This year's conference also ]will unveil a study conducted by Schwartz Research in March 2010 asking Boomers about the economy and their impact on it. 

Among the findings:

• 72% of the respondents purchased vitamins or nutritional supplements in the last year
• 40% purchased organic food
• 25% purchased diet books and exercise DVDs.

"If you are a 25-year-old entrepreneur and you are looking for a business to get into that is recession proof and that is going to continually grow over the next two decades, looking at the Boomers and what they are facing is going to be your ticket to getting rich," says Bauer.

The conference will also address issues facing Boomers, such as caring for elderly parents, helping adult children and working with multiple generations of co-workers.

Registration information for the conference, which is being produced by ChappellRoberts and Common Language, is available online by visiting Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Michelle Bauer, Common Languageread on…

What you can see above ground in a major construction project, such as a shopping center, apartment building or a bridge, reveals only part of a builder's concerns. That's because differences in soil composition, water saturation and the potential for hazards like sinkholes and underground swamps can make the quest for a solid base to build upon an arduous one.

Likewise, for Coastal Caisson, a Pasco County company situated north of Tampa that seeks skilled workers to serve the deep foundation construction market in the southeastern United States.

The company employs a wide range of workers, including engineers and skilled technicians, to help provide foundation solutions for industrial, commercial, residential and government construction projects.

"We're always looking for mechanics and laborers, but we're also looking to fill some skilled and professional positions like engineers and project managers," says Tiffany Wind, human resources manager. Qualified individuals include site safety officers, site superintendents and project estimators. The abilities to read schematics and to multitask are particularly valued, she says. The company normally employs about 150 people, depending on the workload.

Wind says Coastal Caisson stays busy with projects in the Tampa Bay region and elsewhere, such as installing ductile-driven piles at the Bella Sol condominiums in Apollo Beach and helping widen Interstate 95 in Brunswick, GA.

"We hire locally and travel with our workers so the jobs stay in Pasco County," says Wind. She also says Coastal Caisson likes to promote from within as a way to help the company grow and keep expertise.

Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Tiffany Wind, Coastal Caissonread on…

As Manatee County's population grows and its business environment develops, State College of Florida in Bradenton is playing an important role in training the local workforce and providing employment opportunities for people who want to work in an academic setting.

The school began as Manatee Junior College in 1957 and initially provided college-bound students an economical way to complete the first two years of a four-year degree. By the time it became Manatee Community College in 1985, its mission expanded to providing two-year degrees that enabled students to fill the needs of the local business community. That aspect of the college has expanded to the point where it now provides Baccalaureate degrees in nursing, health sciences, public safety and early childhood education. SCF also provides specific workforce training for companies that want to improve employee business and computer skills on a contract basis.

Providing that range of educational options requires staff employees and faculty members who have a passion for knowledge. The school's educational team also includes part-time, or adjunct, instructors to teach its students. A review of the SCF website shows numerous openings for instructors to teach a variety of classes, from core academic subjects to workforce-oriented courses in health and business programs.

Drawing upon the experience and expertise within the community is one of the school's strengths, according to Katherine Walker, SCF's director of public affairs and marketing. She cites demonstrable accomplishment in a field or subject matter as an important qualification for an adjunct instructor, but the school looks for more than that.

"Here, probably more than at some institutions, an open-mindedness and willingness to think outside the box is an approach that we would want in people who join us," she says.

You can check State College of Florida's employment opportunities by clicking here.

Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Katherine Walker, State College of Floridaread on…