The Tampa Bay entrepreneurial ecosystem has been in full bloom over the past year with the continued development of the Channelside district, the explosive growth of several local start-ups, and the advancement of academic programs focusing on entrepreneurship at the University of Tampa and the University of South Florida.
The big take away of last week's inaugural Millennial Impact Forum was "Stay Hungry, Stay Persistent."
The event, held at Amalie Arena, was fueled by a diverse panel of successful local entrepreneurs that included Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, Tim Moore from Diamond View Studios, Cesar Hernandez from HART, Roberto Torres of Blind Tiger Coffee, and Xuan "Sing" Hurt of Anise Gastrobar, among others.
Panel members highlighted their personal experiences and implored attendees to embrace what Tampa has to offer in order to find their own success. Each panelist spoke of the need to be hungry for success and stay committed to your dreams in order to be successful.
Cesar Hernandez, for example, shared his inspirational journey of being homeless and destined for incarceration to becoming a pivotal political figure and advocate for transportation and infrastructure in Tampa. The desire to do more, be more, and to give more is what sparks the passion in millennials like Hernandez.
The Ark Applications team had the opportunity to learn from each of the panelists firsthand, which provided great insight to the future of Tampa and the journey that led us here.
The event was a great success—nearly 1,000 people attended and heard thoughts about a wide range of issues and personal experiences. Our friends over at New Town Connections did a wonderful job of organizing the panelists for the event.
It was truly an inspirational night that provided insight into the minds of our local millennial entrepreneurs. Hearing success stories and the enthusiasm that emanated from the speakers truly shows why Tampa is one of a kind.