Officials with Tampa’s Synapse Summit are inviting early-stage tech companies to compete for a $100,000 investment at the Feb. 14 event. Participating founders will receive educational sessions before a two-stage pitch competition, and the top three will advance to the summit’s main stage to compete for the cash prize. Silicon Valley Bank is offering the investment, and applications close Feb. 7. To apply, visit the website here.
Time is running out for parents to register their local middle and high school students for the upcoming St. Pete Science Festival. The event takes place Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18, at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus and Poynter Park. According to a release, the Junior Scientist Program allows kids to learn science from experts and assist exhibitors with activities. Registration ends Jan. 23, and for more information, visit the website here.
January is National Mentoring month, and Pinellas County Schools (PCS) seeks people willing to help guide hundreds of local students on a waiting list. According to a district release, PCS has just 2,500 mentors for nearly 3,500 mentees. That discrepancy leads to some mentors meeting with two or three children a week. The release states that PCS needs male mentors the most. For more information, visit the website here.
Ybor landowner Daryl Shaw has filed plans to create a 33-acre, mixed-use waterfront development dubbed Ybor Harbor, which would surround the Ybor Channel. “Ybor Harbor is a transformative new addition to the fabric stitching together our urban neighborhoods from Ybor City to the Channel District, Water Street, Gas Worx, and our downtown core. Our focus is on creating a vibrant neighborhood, enhancing connectivity, and bringing the public to our city's cherished waterfront,” Shaw said in a news release. Ybor Harbor could include up to 6 million square feet of residential, office, hotel and retail space. It also includes opening a section of waterfront to the public that is currently restricted with a boardwalk, piers, boat slips, floating docks, green space and retail/restaurant uses, according to the release.
According to a recently released study from Instacart, regional shoppers are now paying an average of $6.23 for a dozen eggs, the third highest in the nation. The online grocery delivery platform reported the cost represents an 18% increase over the past year. Miami and San Francisco, with $6.67 and $6.27 averages, respectively, are the only cities with more expensive eggs.
The National Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) named Dr. Kristie Jo Redfering, a special education teacher at Nina Harris Exceptional Student Education Center in Pinellas Park, its 2023 Teacher of the Year. According to a Pinellas County Schools release, the award recognizes excellence among teachers who provide direct services to children with exceptionalities and who best support students with disabilities. Redfering will receive a $2,000 cash prize, a $1,000 classroom grant and accommodations to the CEC annual convention in Louisville, where officials will recognize her achievements.
Officials with Pinellas County Animal Services announced they are resuming operations after all dogs recovered from an outbreak of canine pneumovirus. According to Wednesday’s release, workers sanitized all dog shelter areas and have resumed intakes and adoptions. Animal services staff members isolated the shelter’s dog population after detecting the virus last month and provided testing and care until it “ran its course.”
Byron Leftwich will no longer serve as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator following an 8-9 season and a 31-14 opening-round playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Team officials also fired five other assistant coaches, and three chose to retire. Leftwich, 43, served as the offensive play caller for the previous four seasons and was recently considered a top head-coaching candidate.
Monday night’s game between Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium set a new ESPN viewership record. The opening-round playoff matchup also drew the largest audience to ABC since the 2006 Super Bowl. While the Cowboys handily beat the Bucs 31-14, the broadcast also showcased the Tampa Bay region to 31.2 million people. The game peaked at nearly 36.5 million viewers in the first half, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said, “This exceptional number proves once again that live sports are unequaled in amassing large audiences.”
St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy Florida is giving away 1,200 trees to customers in honor of Arbor Day as part of a collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program. The giveaway begins Jan. 20, and the company will ship the one-gallon trees to homes with planting and care instructions. Available tree species include the dahoon holly, sweet bay magnolia, bald cypress and pink and red crape myrtles. To request a free tree, visit the website here.
Rossman Media, a social media agency headquartered in Portland, Oregon, recently acquired local marketing firm Hook & Blade. The merger creates a company with 43 employees and a $6 million run rate. Hook & Blade launched in Tampa before moving to St. Petersburg and specializes in outsourcing marketing professionals to fit a business’s needs. According to a press release, the two companies will operate under the Rossman Media moniker, and officials did not disclose the terms of the acquisition.
Tampa-based Florida Funders, a venture capital firm, has promoted Saxon Baum, a previous VP of investor relations; Ryan Whittemore, the previous chief investment officer; and Michael Kadow, a previous VP of finance and operations, as partners in the firm. Baum will continue to oversee investor relations and scouting startups, while Whittemore will continue to oversee the investment strategy and Kadow will primarily focus on developing the firm's financial management strategy and goals, according to Florida Funders' Wednesday announcement.
