Do you remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow sang about "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"? That came to mind as I was reflecting on the past month in the Innovation District. There have been gatherings of dozens, hundreds and thousands of people to celebrate the phenomenal science and technology ecosystem in St. Pete.
Earlier this week several dozen attended the 1st Anniversary of the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. Hundreds were in attendance at the beginning of February when I had the opportunity to share our work at a national summit in Washington DC on Digital Transformation hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce. And over 12,000 attendees came to the St. Petersburg Science Festival and MarineQuest on Saturday, February 18th.
Its great to see the different ways that science and technology is flourishing in St. Pete and the engagement of all ages in these efforts.
(This article was first featured in our February newsletter -to subscribe to our monthly newsletter click here)
There are many quotes about innovation and how it is fostered. I have several hanging in my office. We recently looked to these as we were deciding the name for our new breakfast series. Our brainstorming kept coming back to the concept that ideas are the beginning - they create the "spark" that fuels innovation.
Congratulations to Sarah Gilbert, Chief Operating Officer of Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital for being named a 2024 BusinessWoman of the Year honoree. We are also thrilled that Sarah has recently joined the Board of Directors for the Innovation District.
Even with an extra day in the month, I am running late with the February newsletter. Its been a busy and exciting time. Last Tuesday we announced a new project - Catching the Blue Wave: Accelerating America’s Ocean Economy.