The St. Petersburg Science Festival and MarineQuest celebrated another incredibly successful event. The multi-day program began with a proclamation by the St. Pete Mayor and City Council, included sold out school tours during the week, and concluded on Saturday with a public festival. Thirteen thousand attendees, 1500+ students and teachers, 140+ exhibitors, and 100+ volunteers made this possible. Kudos to everyone!
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.
The University of South Florida (USF) has announced its intention to create a college focused on the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and computing, with the goal of positioning the Tampa Bay region and state of Florida as a national leader. USF is the first university in Florida and among the first in the nation to announce plans to create a college dedicated to AI and cybersecurity.