Riding the Wave to a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Growing up in St. Pete Beach, Linda Olson watched her father run a small commercial art business out of their home. It was valuable early exposure to entrepreneurship for the woman who today is helping shape the future of entrepreneurship in the Tampa Bay region. As the founder and CEO of Tampa Bay Wave, a

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Tech Data Takes Pride in Diversity & Inclusion

When the St. Pete Pride Parade marches down Bayshore Drive, principal partner Tech Data will be front and center with a festive float and hundreds of employees and their families walking alongside. “This will be our third year in the parade,” says Cal Jackson, director of diversity and inclusion global programs at Tech Data. “Last

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AdventHealth Carrollwood is creating a better experience for its youngest emergency patients

Parents know the worry that comes with having a sick kid. But when a child ends up in the emergency room, that worry can quickly ratchet up to panic and it can be downright terrifying for the child. Child emergencies are going to happen. The question: How can the experience be less scary and more

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Energy Savings Come To Light At Hunters Point Pearl Homes & Marina

There are formative moments in every Florida homeowner’s life that stick in the memory: signing the mortgage papers, picking up the keys, opening that first August power bill. It’s the last one that most dread. Now, imagine that August bill was $0. Nada. Nothing. In fact, maybe the power company was paying you for pushing

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The 2019 Gasparilla Music Festival promises plenty for music lovers, foodies and families

The 2019 Gasparilla Music Festival is right around the corner, with two days of music on four stages, a lineup of local food booths, and activities for the whole family, during the biggest edition of the festival yet. It runs March 9-10 at downtown Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Park and Kiley Gardens. The musical lineup aims

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Full Steam Ahead for Port Tampa Bay

The statistics speak for themselves: 85,000 direct and indirect jobs, 34 million tons of cargo a year, operating revenue of nearly $60 million, 1 million cruise passengers in 2018, and a footprint that encompasses more than 5,000 acres. Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest port by tonnage and land, and the region’s biggest economic engine.

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The ladies of Florida’s growing Cannabis industry

When Florida voters approved medical cannabis in 2016, they ignited an entrepreneurial spark among women in the state. The reasons are subjective: many in the industry point to the fact that this is a compassionate field, where medical patients need time and consideration, traits that may be found more naturally in women. Others argue that this

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Girl Power: Catherine Stempien powers up the Tampa Bay area

Catherine Stempien, Florida state president of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), is proud to lead a company that has a positive impact on people’s lives every day. She points to the fact that Duke Energy powers hospitals, schools, homes, and everything in between, to help customers stay safe and comfortable. However, the company isn’t just concerned

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Catherine Stempien
Sarah MacDonald has energy for change

Sarah MacDonald, president of TECO Services and executive vice president of corporate safety and environment for Emera Inc., TECO’s holding company, is at the forefront of an exciting time in the energy industry. A recently released report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, warns that more needs to be done to cool

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Florida-grown companies Kahwa Coffee and Publix partner up

Walk into Kahwa Coffee’s corporate office and the rich scent of roasting beans hits you like a tidal wave. Tucked into an unassuming strip mall in St. Petersburg, Kahwa’s small office and roasting room belie the growing reputation and reach of this beloved, locally-grown coffee company. With 12 locations between Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota,

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Eric Newman is still rolling in Ybor City

Upon meeting Eric Newman, what strikes you immediately is his affable and humble demeanor. As the president of J.C. Newman Cigar Company, the oldest premium cigar company in the United States that is still owned by the founding family, according to a 2012 Cigar Journal story, Newman could take himself pretty seriously. But he doesn’t.

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