The Tampa Bay Partnership went through a dramatic rebirth in 2016. Previously a public-private regional economic development organization, president and CEO Rick Homans says the Partnership began to recognize its waning influence among thriving economic development organizations throughout the Tampa Bay region. The Partnership voted to dissolve itself and stand up something new – an regional advocacy organization fueled entirely by private money.
Its purpose, Homans described in the St. Pete X podcast, is to tackle the thorniest of thorny issues, those that can only be managed at a regional scale. “We’re the 18th largest [metropolitan area] in the country, but we often operate like a bunch of medium sized cities or medium sized counties. And in many cases, we find ourselves competing with each other, arguing with each other.
Two classic events for the Tampa Bay startup community — BarCamp and StartUp Weekend — will bookend this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week.
In between there are presentations, panels and gatherings focused on women and minority entrepreneurs, designers and blockchain enthusiasts, among others.
Eleven events currently are listed on the GEW calendar and more could be added, said Joy Randels, a board member at TechNova, a non-profit that supports the technology community in Tampa Bay, and one of several sponsors for the week.
- Median wage for new graduates was one of the benchmarks taken into account when a committee of the USF Board of Trustees granted Judy Genshaft, the university’s outgoing president, a $210,000 performance-based stipend.
- A separate report from Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) showed an uptick in wages at small businesses in the Tampa-St. Pete metro area and nationally.
- Two of the largest companies in the Tampa Bay area posted better-than-expected earnings reports early Tuesday.
Shepherd’s Village is committed to helping women in crisis for the long haul. This two to three year transitional housing program gives motivated single moms not just a roof over their head, but the skills and tools to live self-sustaining lives once they graduate.
Dr. Christopher Warren established SPRING Zone St. Pete when he realized what his true passion in life was. After teaching at local universities for years, he decided he wanted to work more directly with the people of St. Petersburg. He felt like he should be doing more to help those around him, so he founded an organization that holds the people of St. Pete in mind.
Since its establishment as the first regional higher education institution in the state of Florida, the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, offers graduate and undergraduate programs to students in the St. Petersburg area.
Should the Queen of England ever make a quick whistlestop in St. Petersburg, odds are her itinerary would include afternoon tea at the Chattaway. One of the city’s longest-lived restaurants, it’s the only place in town to combine funky Floridian roadside charm with centuries-old British tradition.
Should Her Majesty feel like a burger and a side of slaw, the Chattaway will have her covered, too.
He makes many of his public appearances as the billionaire owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, but he’s also the chairman and founder of Rock Ventures, his holding company for over 100 businesses, including the Cavs, the real-estate company Bedrock that’s transforming downtown Detroit, and the company that first brought him major success, the mortgage lender Quicken Loans.
