News

St. Pete City Council backs ‘Million-Dollar Mission’ to buy local

Ester Venouziou, founder and president of LocalShops1, wants to be sure the Tampa-St. Petersburg area’s smallest merchants aren’t forgotten amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Venouziou started an online marketplace, buylocaltampabay.com, to help make it easier for consumers to connect with and ship directly from local makers and small businesses.

Read more

Jeff and Penny Vinik join Fairgrounds founder Liz Dimmitt as investors and partners

With a large investment from philanthropists Jeff and Penny Vinik, Fairgrounds – the “immersive art experience” proposed for the Warehouse Arts District – took a giant stride towards build-out and eventual completion.

Read more

Pinellas County restricts boating at part of Fort DeSoto Park

Swimmers will soon have one part of the water at Fort DeSoto Park all to themselves.

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners voted this week to restrict all watercraft — including boats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and jet skis — from entering a lagoon that’s formed just to the west of the popular North Beach shoreline. The restriction is intended to prevent collisions between swimmers and watercraft.

Read more

Media

Startup Report #60 - Synapse Converge & SeedFunders

SeedFunders founder Dave Chitester joins Brian Kornfeld of Synapse to announce a new pitch competition to be held at the forthcoming Synapse Converge virtual event.

Read more

Culture

Novelist Michael Connelly on his new book, ‘Bosch’ and the Florida connection

Connelly, the 63-year-old journalist-turned-bestselling novelist, has lots to be confident about these days. The University of Florida graduate and part-time Tampa resident is riding high with Amazon Prime’s Bosch, a series based on his books about hard-nosed Los Angeles detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch.

Read more

The Shuffle

Elliot Large
TrueFire Studios

Zaps

Impact

CASA launches Covid-19 relief fund

CASA, the official domestic violence center for Pinellas County, had to cancel a major fundraising event and temporarily close its thrift store due to the Covid-19 crisis.

But the organization averted what could have been a major hit to its bottom line, when Tech Data, a Clearwater-based IT distributor, converted its presenting sponsorship for the spring gala into the champion sponsorship for a newly established CASA Covid-19 relief fund.

Read more

Catalyst Sessions

‘Catalyst Sessions’ recap: Ronny Elliott

Friday on The Catalyst Sessions, self-proclaimed “hillbilly songwriter” Ronny Elliott took us down the long and winding road of the 1960s in Tampa Bay, when every kid seemed to pick up a guitar, or a pair of drumsticks, and kick-start a band in the family garage.

Read more

Covid Map

Covid Cases by Zip Code

Focus: Meat [Vox]

America’s meat shortage is more serious than your missing hamburgers

The meat supply chain is breaking down, but that’s only part of the story.

Read more

Events

May 26

May 28

May 28

ICYMI: Joe Hamilton and Margie Manning explain the ‘St. Pete Catalyst’ model

We celebrate episode 50 of the Chamber Insights by featuring Finance Editor Margie Manning.

After the daily update of Covid numbers, Manning shares her journey to joining the Catalyst. Hamilton also shares his thoughts on Social News and the Catalyst as a platform for sharing St Pete's good ideas.

Read more

Share on Facebook | Share on Twitter

Click here to unsubscribe from our mailing list