Driven by an idea and willing to accept the risk, entrepreneurs are part of a group in the United States that is 31 million strong, according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Sara Blakely (Spanx), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Daymond John (FUBU) are excellent case studies that showcase founders taking their ideas to the next level.

Intrapreneurs have also assumed their place in business history, credited with the inception of 3M’s Post-it Notes, Sony’s Playstation, Sun Microsystems’ Java Programming Language, and W.L. Gore’s ELIXIR guitar strings.

Tonya Elmore, President and CEO of Tampa Bay Innovation Center (TBIC), an incubator for early-stage technology firms, specializes in working with regional innovators and entrepreneurs. Established to house and provide programming for startups, TBIC is a two-time winner of the Tampa Bay Tech’s Company of the Year.

The Pinellas Tech Network welcomes Tonya as she discusses:

• Advice and tips for prospective entrepreneurs
• Insight for budding intrepreneurs
• How TBIC serves the Tampa Bay region
• The state of the local entrepreneurial tech scene

Tonya will also discuss TBIC’s recent fundraising efforts for the organization’s new home in St. Petersburg.

In addition to her leadership role at TBIC, Tonya serves on the operating council of the St. Petersburg Innovation District, the Advisory Board for the Suncoast Developers Guild and as a board member for Synapse. She was recently recognized by Florida Trend as "One of the People to Know in St. Petersburg," and by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as “One of the 25 People to Watch in 2020."