Last year challenged us. It forced us to be resilient and creative in ways we could not have imagined. Though there is work to be done, the Innovation District looks forward to the possibilities of 2021 with renewed hope and optimism. This year we will accelerate the integration of ocean and human health, expand our marine science and resiliency expertise, launch innovative tools to strengthen STEAM workforce development, and increase diversity in the District's workforce and suppliers.
Reminder if you missed it in our December newsletter - St. Petersburg Innovation District released a report at the end of 2020 that reviewed what has been accomplished over our first four years. Link to the St. Petersburg Innovation District 2020 Report.
Over the last few months I have used this space in the newsletter to create a picture of what it takes to foster innovation. November 2023 newsletter: Innovation is a team sport. It requires diverse perspectives and experiences to find a creative solutions. It requires courage to try things out and be willing to learn what won’t work as much as what will work. It requires tenacity to keep going and going and going.
Thank you to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (JHACH) for sponsoring and hosting our inaugural Morning Sparks: Innovation X-change breakfast. The event was kicked off by Alicia Schulhof, President of JHACH, and followed by an overview of the topic - Artificial Intelligence - by Dr. John Licato of USF's Advanced Machine and Human Reasoning Lab.
Kudos to the Volunteers of America Florida, City of St. Petersburg, and Pinellas County for the recent opening of the new downtown apartments, located in the Innovation District called Innovare. Innovare’s 50 apartments provide stable homes for individuals and families who earn 60 percent or less of the Area’s Median Income (AMI), including many who are transitioning from homelessness.