Starting a new business can be challenging, but it’s a whole lot easier with help from a friend. That’s the idea behind this December’s Trep Talks, which is all about startups. Whatever you consider them to be.
“We want to celebrate our startups in Tampa and the progress they’ve made,” says Jennifer Whelihan, manager of Hillsborough County’s Development Department, the event’s organizer.
The event features a panel discussion on what is a startup, how panel members funded their businesses, and how they define startup success. The audience will have an opportunity to ask questions as well.
“We want to always, of course, include tech because that’s important, but also be inclusive of other successful startups in our community that we can learn from as well,” she says.
On the panel are Todd Belveal, founder and CEO of Washlava; Marvin Scaff, co-founder of Adjoy; Jacqueline Darna, founder and CEO of NoMo Nausea; Brent Kraus, CEO of Ella Bing; and Tracy Povolny, co-founder of Fresco Foods. Carlton Fields is partnering in the program.
The free event is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center at 2101 E. Palm Ave. in Ybor City. Reservations, which are encouraged, can be made online. Free parking is across the street.
The quarterly Trep Talk meetings give people a chance to connect with key businessmen and businesswomen in a friendly environment. The meetings are usually held the third Tuesday of the month.
“Our economy is growing here,” she adds. “The startup growth is a big part of that.”
Read on for more tech-related events in Tampa Bay.
- Latino/Hispanic tech business founders and co-founders are invited to co-work for free on the first Wednesday of the month with Tampa Bay WaVE, a tech incubator in downtown Tampa where tech businesses can build, launch and grow. The next opportunity is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or later if you get in before the doors close) on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at FirstWaVE Venture Center, 500 E Kennedy, Suite 300. Check it out.
- Failure can be part of your business’ success story. That’s the message of Chad Nuss, founder and chief revenue officer of InsideOut, a sales innovation lab, who is featured at the December Diary of an Entrepreneur program. Part of the Tech Talk series by the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, the free program will be held at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, at Microsoft Headquarter offices, 5426 Bay Center Dr., Suite 700, Tampa. Reservations are encouraged.
- Code for Tampa Bay is holding Open Hack Saturday! from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at Tampa Bay WaVE, 500 E. Kennedy Blvd. #300, Tampa. Group meetings are open to people who are interested in making government services and information more user friendly. Get the lowdown here.
- Code Katas, a monthly get-together to do code challenges, is scheduled at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, at Bank of the Ozarks' Innovation Lab, 100 5th St. S., St. Petersburg. Reserve a place.
- If you run an innovative growth company, this may be your big chance. Florida Venture Forum is seeking applications for a $100,000 Accelerating Innovation Grand Prize Award to be given in late January. The application deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 20. Entrepreneurs will be applying to compete at the 2018 Florida Venture Capital Conference in Fort Lauderdale, where they will make presentations before equity investors. Eligible companies will be considered for the $100,000 cash prize given by Space Florida. Conference fees apply. Learn more.
- It’s time to mark your calendars, Apple fans. Apple computer inventor Steve Wozniak is part of the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business Thought Leader series. He’ll be featured at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the USF Sun Dome Arena on the Tampa Campus. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Register here
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