1 Million Cups goes virtual, RayJay feels the Covid-19 pinch and other info you need to know

The show will go on for 1 Million Cups, the weekly program that allows founders and entrepreneurs to connect with the St. Petersburg community.

Instead of the regular Wednesday morning meeting at The Greenhouse, 1MC will be online at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 25, using a platform provided by Lunchpool, a St. Petersburg-based startup that aims to bring people together over lunch.

With people practicing social distancing to stop the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus, Lunchpool is providing a service that allows event organizers and business activities to stay on track, said Pooja Pendharkar, co-founder. Working with its technology partner, Lunchpool is able to provide an end-to-end service that includes virtual meeting space for up to 800 people with six sponsors, attendee and sponsor analytics, pre-event and at-site event support, HD presentation recording, landing pages for events, marketing and etiquette guides for the virtual world.

“What people will be really impressed with is the way the platform is set up,” said Kim Vogel, Greenhouse manager. “It gives you the feel that you have that ability to network and connect. You actually get to ‘sit a table’ with people, and there are features to have a conversation at each table, in the same way you would in person.”

A screenshot of a recent Lunchpool virtual event (Photo credit: Lunchpool)

Wednesday’s presenters are female entrepreneurs: Ingrid Lindberg, chief experience officer of Chief Customer, and Jaime Moore Marcario, founder and managing attorney of Thrive Law. They’ll address business resiliency, Vogel said.

Click here to register for the event.

Raymond James Financial (NYSE: RJF) is giving an early signal about how the pandemic could impact its business.

The St. Petersburg-based financial services firm said client assets under administration fell 5 percent in February compared to January, “primarily attributable to the decline in equity markets, which has accelerated thus far in March,” the company said in a news release.

The entire banking industry is expected to experienced substantial increases in bank loan loss provisions, said Paul Reilly, chairman and CEO, adding that Raymond James Bank will be proactive in adding to its allowance for loan losses.

Raymond James, which has been aggressively recruiting new advisors, has discontinued in-person advisor recruiting meetings and deferred numerous advisor transitions, Reilly said.

“As we collectively navigate these challenges, our long-term focus and conservative approach to capital and liquidity management should be a source of strength during these uncertain times,” Reilly said, adding Raymond James has $1.4 billion in cash and a $500 million revolving credit facility it could tap if needed.

Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Pete Innovation District, has compiled a list of Covid-19 resources for kids, families and businesses. Check it out here. Barlow said she will try to update it twice daily.

The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County now is confirming the death of a 67-year-old man is the first Covid-19 death in Pinellas. The department initially listed a Pinellas death Monday night on its statewide dashboard, then retracted that information. Then around noon Tuesday, the department posted a statement on Twitter.

We are sad to announce the first #COVID19 death in Pinellas. Our condolences to the family as we continue to protect the community. For info on #COVID19, go to https://t.co/WMI9jH8OYY. #StoptheSpreadNow #publichealth

— FL Health Pinellas (@HealthyPinellas) March 24, 2020

Pinellas County had a total of 45 confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, with 1,412 cases in Florida. There have been 18 deaths statewide.