At the close of the St. Pete Innovation District’s State of Science event, executive director Alison Barlow presented the results of a project that has been a long time coming: the Tampa Bay Innovation Ecosystem Map. It’s a single-sheet, two-sided guide to the resources available to entrepreneurs in the area, and the tool is available to anyone online.
Barlow said, “Whether they’re relocating or already here, the diversity of support resources is spread along multiple cities and multiple counties and it’s daunting. A simple question they might ask me or anyone else is, ‘What’s available to help me?’ That question can become a convoluted journey for them—of misdirection and confusion. The resources often depend on the company’s state of growth, the industry focus, the target customers or even the founder’s background.”
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Creating a simple resource has long been a goal for the Innovation District. Barlow pitched the idea to Ben Friedman, Economic Development Specialist with Duke Energy.
Friedman said, “When Alison first told me her idea for this innovation ecosystem map my immediate reaction was, ‘This is great. I love it. I want to give you money.’ This is something that we’re so proud of because it’s hard enough being an entrepreneur to begin with. It’s such a cool tool that in the next grant cycle, I will encourage our other cities—I’m not going to say ‘copy your work’—but be very heavily inspired by the work that was done.”
The Innovation Ecosystem Map helps sort the resources available by what stage of growth a company is in, what services they seek, and identifies providers. And the accompanying website has links to all of them.
Even though anything printed is likely to quickly need changes, they felt that not printing it would lessen the impact. Barlow said, “I wanted it to work in a coffee shop because that’s where all the conversations happen.”
The tool is also meant to be shared freely. “If you have a website and you want a copy, take it. Download it. Get it out there. Get us feedback. I hope it’s a really good asset for all of us. Not only in St. Pete but across Tampa Bay.”
Hard copies are available at the Innovation District’s Maritime and Defense Technology Hub at 450 8th Ave SE, from 8 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday. More on the map and other St. Pete Innovation District initiatives: stpeteinnovationdistrict.com/initiatives
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