Tim R. Holcomb

At a moment when companies are actively reassessing where they build and grow, Florida isn't simply attracting growth. Florida is building its future intentionally, creating the kind of market where companies choose to come and choose to stay. According to the @FLChamber, Florida's $1.87 trillion GDP ranks Florida as the 14th largest global economy after surpassing Australia and Mexico, and the state's 70% growth over the past seven years ranks Florida as "... the fastest growing economy in the world." The goal? ... Make Florida a top-10 global economy by 2030. But that's just a small example of one of the largest and most impressive economies in the world. Florida leads the nation in several other key economic categories as well. 💠 No. 1 for New Business Start-Ups 💠 No. 5 for the Volume of Venture Transactions 💠 No. 7 for Total Venture Funding Dollars Raised 💠 Top 3 State for Business 💠 No. 1 Higher Education System in the Nation (for 10 consecutive years) 💠 No. 1 State for Manufacturing Job Growth 💠 No. 1 State for Net Income Migration 💠 No. 1 State for New Business Migrations 💠 No. 1 State for Black-owned Businesses 💠 No. 2 State for Hispanic- and Women-owned Businesses Here on the Suncoast, Tampa Bay is home to one of the top startup, technology and business hubs in the nation. 💠 No. 1 Emerging Tech City in the Nation 💠 No. 1 Best Place for International Businesses in the Nation 💠 Top 10 U.S. Market for Tech Talent Growth and "Brain Gain" 💠 No. 8 Best Place in the U.S. to Start a Career 💠 No. 4 Best Place in the U.S. for Veterans to Live 💠 Top 30 U.S. Market for Manufacturing Employment 💠 No. 8 Fastest Growing City in the Nation For more information, read the Florida Chamber Foundation "2026 Florida Economic & Business Mid-Year Report" here: flchamber.com/2026-mid-year-…. The future looks bright for the Sunshine State. Let's GO! #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupFL #StartupTB @EmbarcCollectiv @FloridaC100 @FloridaTrend @TB_Times @TBBJnewsroom @FloridaEDC @FLACommerce @TB_Chamber @TampaEDC

CyberBay and @FloridaFunders are joining forces to award $100,000 in non-dilutive funding to early-stage cybersecurity startups at the CyberBay Summit Pitch Contest in March. The non-dilutive prize capital will be distributed across the two tracks to act as an immediate catalyst for growth: 💠 $30,000 Non-Dilutive Prize awarded to the most promising Pre-Seed organization. 💠$70,000 Non-Dilutive Prize awarded to the most promising Seed organization. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2026. For more information about the funding opportunity, visit bizjournals.com/tampabay/new…. To apply for the CyberBay Summit Pitch Contest, visit docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F…. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Final reminder to join us next week for @EmbarcCollectiv's final Builder Series program of 2026, featuring Jennifer Crabtree, President of the Tampa Medical & Research District (TMRD) and Senior Vice President at @TGHCares, in a fireside chat with Jennifer Burrington, Vice President of Research & Strategy at the @TampaEDC. The Q4 2026 Builder Series will be held on Wednesday, November 18 in the @ReliaQuest Auditorium at Embarc Collective. Doors open at 8:30 am ET. SPACE IS LIMITED. Register for the event HERE: luma.com/3fufa6q7. Jennifer will explore leadership, innovation, and the continued growth of Tampa Bay's healthcare and life sciences ecosystem and highlight exciting plans for the continued growth of TMRD. As arguably the most cohesive, innovation-forward, and research-anchored healthcare ecosystems in the state, the Tampa Medical & Research District offers a nationally ranked academic medical center anchored by Tampa General Hospital, the top-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay for 10 consecutive years, with 11 specialties ranked by the @USNews set in one of the nation's ten fastest-growing markets for healthcare and life sciences talent led by the #1-ranked medical school in the nation, @USFHealth Morsani College of Medicine at the @USouthFlorida. The Builder Series by Embarc Collective is a quarterly educational program that provides unparalleled access to business icons and thought leaders in Tampa Bay and across the state of Florida — each sharing the innovative leadership lessons and frameworks that led them to success in their respective careers. For more information about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #EcosystemBuilders #Startups #Founders #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Innovation #Technology #StartupTB #StartupFL @TB_Times @TBBJnewsroom @TampaBayInno @techtampabay @TampaEDC @TB_Chamber

Excited to welcome ten new early-stage tech companies from two countries (USA and Austria), four states, and eight cities — including Tampa, Miami, Lithia, Palm Harbor, Lakewood Ranch, Washington (DC), Baltimore (MD), and Cincinnati (OH) — to @EmbarcCollectiv's peer community of 150+ Florida-based tech companies. 💠 Chat Radar (Michael Notbohm, Founder and CEO). 💠 Clarivue Health (Idara Umoh, MBA, CHFP, Co-Founder and CEO, and Jinali Patel, Co-Founder and Chief Enterprise Officer) 💠 Demo Intelligence (Mike O'Donovan, Founder & CEO) 💠 Forge ERP ( Austin, Founder and CEO) 💠 GreatDay (formerly Ailuna) (Clemens Kirner, Co-Founder and CEO, and Konrad Kogler, Managing Director) 💠 Launchlings ( Adam Vicent, MBA, CFE, CAMS, CPP, Founder and CEO) 💠 PlanPaths (Ruchir Sachan, Founder and CEO) 💠 RealBooks.io (Kelsey Knight, MBA, Co-Founder and CRO) 💠 Restfully (Sarah Baldwin, Co-Founder and CEO) 💠 The Redington Group (Thomas J (TJ) Redington MD MBA FACP, Founder and CEO) Embarc Collective, a 501c3 not-for-profit and Florida’s largest and fastest growing startup hub, provides founders curated programming, on-demand coaching and mentorship, access to tech and tech-enabled talent, connectivity to corporates, universities, and investors, workspace, assigned offices, conference rooms and event space in our 32,000 sq ft hub in downtown Tampa, and engagement with a peer community of 300+ founders and founding team members that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. Member-companies have created 1,400+ Florida-based tech jobs, driving $100+M annually in direct economic returns to the state, and have raised more than $800M in funding, including $130M in seed, venture, and growth equity funding invested in Florida-based startups in 2025. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Very excited to see @FloridaFunders, a member of @EmbarcCollectiv's investor partner program, join the @AmbitionAccel program, a first-of-its-kind statewide platform that aligns Florida’s regional strengths into a unified system for innovation and startups, through its new partnership with The @FloridaC100. Launched last month and led by The @FloridaC100 with leadership from @EmbarcCollectiv, @eMergeAmericas, @babcockranchfl, @Related_Group and CEOs of more than 75 of Florida's largest corporations, the 2026 AMBITION ACCELERATED program is currently hosting forty-six (46) early-stage tech startups in healthcare, financial services, resilience, and dual-use defense from across Florida, seven other states across the nation, and three countries around the world for an eight-week program that will directly connect founding teams from each startup to real market demand, enterprise partners, customers, and capital to catalyze and advance the startup and venture ecosystem across the state of Florida. At the conclusion of the eight-week program, companies will have the opportunity to securing $100,000 in investment capital from @FloridaFunders through its Florida First Check initiative. A BIG shout out to Managing Partner @Saxonbaum and his team for their commitment to the Ambition Accelerated Program. For more information about Florida Funders commitment to Ambition Accelerated, visit fc100.org/news/florida-counc…. Embarc is anchoring the HealthTech track and is providing startup programming and coaching to startups in all four cohorts. Founders will participate in executive coaching, customer discovery sessions and meetings with investors, corporate leaders and prospective partners. At the conclusion of the program, all forty-six companies will receive continuing support as members of Embarc Collective's peer community of 300+ founders that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. For more information about the statewide AMBITION ACCELERATED Program, visit fc100.org/news/ambition-acce…. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Today, the @CommerceGov announced that the @U_Economic (EDA) had awarded $47.3 million to the Florida Oncology and Radiopharmaceutical Growth Engine (FORGE) coalition to make Tampa Bay a national hub for radiopharmaceutical development, through the construction of manufacturing facilities to develop cancer drugs, an incubator supporting biotech startups, and workforce training space. The regional efforts by the coalition address a national priority of developing, making and delivering these next generation therapies in the United States. Led by @Speros_Florida and @MoffittNews, FORGE unites @EmbarcCollectiv, the @USouthFlorida, and Pasco-Hernando State College around five connected projects spanning isotope production, drug manufacturing, startup growth and workforce training. With matching funds from coalition partners, the portfolio totals approximately $88.2 million. “Every radiopharmaceutical treatment starts with an isotope, and too much of that supply still depends on sources outside the United States,” said Josh Carpenter, president of Speros and chief integration officer at Moffitt Cancer Center. “This investment positions Florida to take on a challenge that matters to every cancer patient and family in this country. We are building the facilities, the companies and the workforce to make, test, and deliver these therapies right here in Tampa Bay.” For more information about the award, visit eda.gov/news/press-release/2… or embarccollective.com/resourc…. The award includes: 💠 130,000-sq-foot Integrated Theranostics Center, $16.9 million. Equipped with cyclotrons and radiochemistry systems to produce isotopes and manufacture therapies for research, clinical trials and industry partners. 💠 120,000-sq-foot Office and Wet Lab Catalyst Convergence Center, $15 million. 💠 14,000-sq-foot FORGE Incubator led by Embarc Collective, $4.3 million (to support up to 20 early-stage radiopharmaceutical and biotech companies). 💠 The University of South Florida CORE Select Program, $6 million (radiochemistry training for nuclear pharmacists). 💠 Pasco-Hernando State College IMPACT Program, $5 million, (associate degree programs in radiography and imaging). “By assembling a coalition of world-class partners across research, health care, workforce development and entrepreneurship, FORGE represents a transformational opportunity for the Tampa Bay region to build an end-to-end radiopharmaceutical ecosystem,” said Tim Holcomb, PhD, CEO, Embarc Collective. “It has the potential not only to generate thousands of new jobs over the next decade, but also to establish a preeminent life sciences and healthcare ecosystem for innovative startups driving the next generation of revolutionary breakthroughs for the prevention and cure of cancer.” For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

At @EmbarcCollectiv, we understand that founders of early-stage, high growth startups devote hours to attract, cultivate, and deploy their most valued resource … TALENT. Developing talent is crucial not only for Embarc Collective's community of 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech companies, but also for the growth of Florida's startup and innovation ecosystem. As Florida's largest startup hub and one of the fastest-growing hubs in the country, we understand that our region’s momentum depends on creating stronger connections between universities and the startup community, ensuring talent circulates between venture opportunities in ways that increase the optionality for talent, create density in the network, and produce real pathways for talent to build startup careers. This year, Embarc has engaged with more than 1,000 students from the @USouthFlorida , the @UofTampa, @FLPolyU, and universities and colleges across the state, providing practice-based, immersive experiential learning opportunities through internships, capstone projects, and educational opportunities for student organizations that help them understand how to apply their skills and disciplines to solve real-world problems today. That’s how USF biomedical sciences major Mel Mello first discovered Embarc. She began attending Embarc events more than a year ago, learning from entrepreneurs and industry professionals. The experience helped her envision a career combining her scientific background with business and prompted her to add a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation. “I realized that I needed to move from my comfort zone and try something new, even though that wasn't completely related to healthcare,” de Mello said. "Without Embarc, I’m not sure I’d have discovered my passion for business. I learned how to talk to people, schedule meetings, sell something and how to actually understand people." For BiaTech Corporation, a Tampa-based AI-driven platform that optimizes upstream energy and power generation operations, Dayne Guy, a computer engineering student, Justin Hominsky, an electrical engineering student, and other USF students spent last summer building a robot now deployed at an industrial pipe yard, where it uses cameras, lidar sensors and artificial intelligence to track inventory in real time. “It was a great experience,” Hominsky said. “It helped me to understand a client’s needs and what they want, how to convey that and what is feasible from a solution perspective.” For more information about how USF’s partnership with Embarc Collective is opening doors for students, visit usf.edu/news/2026/how-usfs-p…. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

I'm excited to welcome @HWHlawfirm to @EmbarcCollectiv's Shared Services Partner Program, expanding access to legal education and experienced legal professionals to our community of more than 150 Florida-based early-stage technology startups and growth-stage companies. Embarc Collective's Shared Services Partner Program gives early-stage technology companies access to best-in-class service providers in banking and treasury management; accounting and assurance; tax and tax planning; legal; commercial insurance, E&O and D&O insurance, and employee benefits; licensed cybersecurity audits and compliance reports for SOC 1, SOC 2, and internal SOX 404 readiness; GTM strategy and marketing execution; and software development to help them build 'investor-ready' businesses faster. By connecting startups with best-in-class service partners and experienced advisors well before they would traditionally engage these services, the program helps companies strengthen core business operations, reduce complexity, and scale with confidence “Strong legal foundations give founders greater confidence to move quickly and make informed decisions as their companies grow,” said Nicholas Outman of Hill Ward Henderson. “We’re excited to work with Embarc Collective to share practical guidance, help founders recognize legal considerations earlier, and support the next generation of technology companies across Florida.” Hill Ward Henderson joins @BakerTillyUS and @CLAconnect (for accounting, tax, and audit), @CogentBank (for banking services), Cooth (for GTM and marketing execution), @aligncompliance (for SOC 1, SOC 2, and internal SOX 404 readiness), and @eagerworks (for software development and AI architecture). For more info about the addition of Hill Ward Henderson to Embarc Collective's shared services partner program, visit embarccollective.com/resourc…. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

@EmbarcCollectiv Member-Company @WildlifeOS™, cofounded and led by Rodolfo Saccoman, followed his appearance on @Telemundo 31 Orlando with Arnulfo Peralta earlier this week with a live interview yesterday with Garrett Wymer on @fox35orlando. WildlifeOS™ is an AI-driven environmental intelligence platform built to create a physical-world system of record for real-time wildlife detection and risk intelligence. Traditional optical cameras struggle in murky water, darkness, or low visibility. The company's first product, CrocAlarm™, combines underwater sonar, edge AI, rugged solar-powered hardware, and cloud software to detect dangerous crocodilians before they surface. The platform provides real-time notifications via beacons, SMS, or safety dashboards when a biological threat is identified near human-occupied perimeters. For more information about WildlifeOS™, visit crocalarm.com/. WildlifeOS™ is also member of the cohort of Resilience startups participating in the 2026 @AmbitionAccel Program led by the @FloridaC100, Embarc Collective, @eMergeAmericas, and @babcockranchfl. For more information about Ambition Accelerated, visit ambitionaccelerated.com/. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Congratulations to our friends at @MoffittNews and @Speros_Florida for the grand opening of the Moffitt Discovery and Innovation Center, a 250,000-square-foot research facility that will ultimately house the Speros FORGE (Florida Oncology and Radiopharmaceutical Growth Engine) Startup incubator and marks an exciting new chapter in the growth of Moffitt's 775-acre life sciences campus in Pasco County. For more information about the opening of Moffitt's new innovation center, visit speros.org/announcements/mof…. Earlier this year, Speros by Moffitt tapped @EmbarcCollectiv to lead Speros's new Florida FORGE startup incubation program, an innovative effort to bring new precision medicine solutions for cancer treatment across different modalities to market. The collaboration includes Moffitt Cancer Center, @Speros_Florida, @EmbarcCollectiv, the @USouthFlorida, and @PHSCedu. The goal is “… to build an end-to-end radiopharmaceutical ecosystem that could generate 4,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in economic impact over the next decade” and establish the Tampa Bay region as a preeminent life sciences and healthcare hub for next-generation modalities that deliver best-in-class precision medicine. The effort is expected to generate 4,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in statewide economic impact over the next decade” and establish the Tampa Bay region as a preeminent life sciences and healthcare hub for next-generation modalities that deliver best-in-class precision medicine. Longer-term, the coalition plans to recruit top early-stage precision medicine companies across different modalities to FORGE and help them move from drug discovery through production and clinical use to full-scale launch and growth at Speros. For more information about the coalition, check out Anjelica Rubin's article earlier this summer in the Tampa Bay Business Journal here: bizjournals.com/tampabay/new…. A BIG shout out to Josh Carpenter, President at Speros and Chief Integration Officer at Moffitt, Hannah Mae Merten, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Strategy at Speros, and the entire Speros team for their efforts to not only unite a group of leading Tampa Bay institutions to build the talent, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem needed to accelerate next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapies, but also position the Tampa Bay region at the forefront of one of the most promising advances in cancer care. For more information about Speros's massive 775-acre life sciences campus, visit speros.org/. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Join us next month for @EmbarcCollectiv's final Builder Series program of 2026, featuring featuring Jennifer Crabtree, President of the Tampa Medical & Research District and Senior Vice President at @TGHCares, in a fireside chat with Jennifer Burrington, Vice President of Research and Strategy at the @TampaEDC. The Q4 2026 Builder Series will be held on Wednesday, November 18 in the @ReliaQuest Auditorium at Embarc Collective. Doors open at 8:30 am ET. SPACE IS LIMITED. Register for the event HERE: luma.com/3fufa6q7. Jennifer will explore leadership, innovation, and the continued growth of Tampa Bay's healthcare and life sciences ecosystem and highlight exciting plans for the continued growth of TMRD. As arguably the most cohesive, innovation-forward, and research-anchored healthcare ecosystems in the state, the Tampa Medical & Research District offers a nationally ranked academic medical center anchored by Tampa General Hospital, the top-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay for 10 consecutive years, with 11 specialties ranked by the U.S. News & World Report set in one of the nation's ten fastest-growing markets for healthcare and life sciences talent led by the #1-ranked medical school in the nation, @USFHealth's Morsani College of Medicine. The Builder Series by Embarc Collective is a quarterly educational program that provides unparalleled access to business icons and thought leaders in Tampa Bay and across the state of Florida — each sharing the innovative leadership lessons and frameworks that led them to success in their respective careers. For more information about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #EcosystemBuilders #Startups #Founders #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Innovation #Technology #StartupTB #StartupFL @TB_Times @TBBJnewsroom @TampaBayInno @TampaEDC @TB_Chamber

Congratulations to @EmbarcCollectiv member-company @CopeNotes®, founded and led by Johnny Crowder, CRPS, CEO. Cope Notes was one of four tech companies to be named winners of the Catalyst 2026 Innovator Award from the @CTIA @WirelessFdn and @TMobile. Catalyst is a competitive grants program for social entrepreneurs using wireless technology to deliver solutions to the challenges impacting American communities. “CTIA Wireless Foundation’s Catalyst program highlights exceptional entrepreneurs who are demonstrating what’s possible when we leverage wireless innovation and American ingenuity,” said Ajit Pai, President of CTIA Wireless Foundation and President & CEO of CTIA. “We are excited to celebrate the Catalyst 2026 winners, a group of dynamic innovators using mobile-first solutions to improve access to workforce training and development, healthcare, and counseling in their communities.” The first-place grant of $100,000 was awarded to Austin-based FreeWorld, an app that trains and places formerly incarcerated individuals into jobs in the trucking industry, helping to ease unemployment and driver shortages. San Francisco-based Oben Health, an app that trains barbers and hairstylists as certified Community Health Workers to screen clients for hypertension and connect them with ongoing care, was awarded the second-place grant of $50,000, and Empower Work, an SMS and RCS platform that provides peer counseling to vulnerable and low-income workers struggling in the workplace, and Tampa-based Cope Notes® were awarded third-place grants of $25,000 each. For more information about the CTIA Wireless Foundation Catalyst 2026 Award Winners, visit wirelessfoundation.org/news/…. Cope Notes® uses daily text messages that combine peer support, positive psychology, and digital journaling to send positive thoughts and affirmations, enabling subscribers to combat depression and anxiety and help improve mental and emotional health. As a suicide/abuse survivor, Johnny Crowder spent his formative years searching for resources to help him cope with his mental health conditions, ranging from OCD and bipolar disorder to schizophrenia. After studying psychology at the @UCF and volunteering with NAMI, Johnny wanted to combine the neuroscience principles he learned about in school with the power of peer support that changed his life in treatment. In 2017, he began sending unsolicited psychology facts, journaling prompts, and exercises to friends via text message. The response was so positive that he opened it up to the public, and the rest is history. For more information about Cope Notes, visit copenotes.com/. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Next stop? World Series. Let’s go @RaysBaseball ! #ForTampaBay

WE ARE HIRING. @EmbarcCollectiv invites applications for the Member Operations & Systems Associate position. The Member Operations & Systems Associate supports the day-to-day operations of Embarc Collective's membership: monthly onboarding for every new company, member agreements and licensing, subscriptions and invoicing, roster and access changes across our platforms, office move-ins and move-outs, and the member helpdesk. This is the work that makes our member companies and the hundreds of individual members inside them feel like a community rather than an administrative burden — and it is judged by whether founders notice it at all. A significant and growing part of this role is investor relations operations. This is an exceptional opportunity for someone who is energized by mission-driven work, who takes real satisfaction in a complicated operation running cleanly, and who is eager to play a hands-on role in Florida's fastest-growing startup community. For more info about the position, please visit embarccollective.com/careers…. To apply, submit your resume to jobs@embarccollective.com with subject line: “Member Operations & Systems Associate.” The deadline to apply is October 30, 2026. Please contact Jeremy Fritzhand, VP of Platform & Member Engagement, at jeremy@embarccollective.com with questions about the position. Embarc Collective, a 501c3 not-for-profit and Florida’s largest and fastest growing startup hub, provides founders curated programming, on-demand coaching and mentorship, access to tech and tech-enabled talent, connectivity to corporates, universities, and investors, workspace, assigned offices, conference rooms and event space in our 32,000 sq ft hub in downtown Tampa, and engagement with a peer community of 300+ founders and founding team members that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. Member-companies have created 1,400+ Florida-based tech jobs, driving $100+M annually in direct economic returns to the state, and have raised more than $800M in funding, including $130M in seed, venture, and growth equity funding invested in Florida-based startups in 2025. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/careers…. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Honored to be a member of the @Speros_Florida FORGE (Florida Oncology and Radiopharmaceutical Growth Engine) coalition that received the 2026 Most Significant Innovation Award during the Annual Awards Celebration at @BioFlorida's Annual Innovation Conference in Orlando last week. Lawrence Range II, CPA, MBA, CHFP, Business Development Director at Speros, and Jay Lebsack, Vice President of Clinical Research Operations at Moffitt Cancer Center, accepted the award on behalf of the team. A BIG shout out to Josh Carpenter, President at Speros and Chief Integration Officer at Moffitt, and Hannah Mae Merten, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Strategy at Speros, and the entire team at Speros for their efforts to unite a group of leading Tampa Bay institutions -- @MoffittNews and @Speros_Florida, @EmbarcCollectiv, the @USouthFlorida, and Pasco-Hernando State College. The goal is “… to build an end-to-end radiopharmaceutical ecosystem on the massive $1.5 billion, 775-acre Speros campus in Pasco Countyr, along with imaging technologist training at PHSC and nuclear pharmacy opportunities at USF. The effort is expected to generate 4,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in statewide economic impact over the next decade” and establish the Tampa Bay region as a preeminent life sciences and healthcare hub for next-generation modalities that deliver best-in-class precision medicine. Longer-term, the coalition plans to recruit top early-stage precision medicine companies across different modalities to FORGE and help them move from drug discovery through production and clinical use to full-scale launch and growth at Speros. For more information about the coalition, check out @anjelicamrubin's article earlier this summer in the @TBBJnewsroom here: bizjournals.com/.../embarc-s…. “FORGE represents a transformational opportunity to position the Tampa Bay region at the forefront of one of the most promising advances in cancer care,” Speros President and Moffitt Chief Integration Officer Josh Carpenter said. “By bringing together these regional partners, we are building the talent, infrastructure and innovation ecosystem needed to accelerate next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapies. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

@AmbitionAccel, a first-of-its-kind statewide platform that aligns Florida’s regional strengths into a unified system for innovation and startups, launch earlier this week. Led by The @FloridaC100 with leadership from @EmbarcCollectiv, @eMergeAmericas, @babcockranchfl, and CEOs of more than 75 of Florida's largest corporations, AMBITION ACCELERATED welcomed forty-six (46) early-stage tech startups in healthcare, financial services, resilience, and dual-use defense from across Florida, seven other states across the nation, and three countries around the world for an eight-week program that will directly connect founding teams from each startup to real market demand, enterprise partners, customers, and capital to catalyze and advance the startup and venture ecosystem across the state of Florida. Six Embarc Collective Member-Companies were selected to participate, including @GroupCertus (Jake Dyal, cofounder and CEO) in the Dual-Use DefenseTech cohort led by eMerge Americas; CaresLink (Siddu Kadi, cofounder and CEO, and Ramya Rajakumar, cofounder and Chief Strategist), and Ravel Genetics Rachel Montel Hayes, founder and CEO) in the HealthTech cohort led by Embarc Collective, and WildlifeOS™ (Rodolfo Saccoman, cofounder and CEO) and AIroraSense Jeffrey Sullivan (founder and CEO) in the Resilience cohort led by Babcock Ranch. @Thrive25Labs, cofounded and led by longtime Embarc Collective coach Ryan Schneider, was also selected as a member of the HealthTech cohort. “Florida’s next chapter will be defined by the companies we help build here,” The @FloridaC100 CEO and President Michael Simas said. “Ambition Accelerated puts that strategy to work, mobilizing our business community to help founders win customers, attract investment and build companies that strengthen Florida’s economy for the long term.” Embarc is anchoring the HealthTech track and is providing startup programming and coaching to startups in all four cohorts. Founders will participate in executive coaching, customer discovery sessions and meetings with investors, corporate leaders and prospective partners. At the conclusion of the eight weeks, all forty-six companies will be provided membership into Embarc Collective's peer community of 300+ founders that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. For more information about the statewide Ambition Accelerated Program, visit embarccollective.com/resourc…. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

@mikemarkesbery, Co-Founder and CEO @EmbarcCollectiv member-company Solarcore®, joined Patrick Shipp and Jennifer Weir Edwards on "From the Dive Shop" podcast powered by @ADSTactical, a leading provider of products, technology, and logistics solutions for the U.S. Military, to share how a college idea while an undergraduate at @miamiuniversity in Oxford OH evolved into insulation solutions for apparel, aerospace, tactical shelters, and more. Solarcore® is an advanced thermal materials company that pioneered development of @NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)-licensed aerogel-based technologies that has transformed temperature control and redefined thermal energy management. Using the same technology used to insulate spacecraft in the -450F environment of space, Solarcore® infuses NASA-licensed silica aerogel into a polymer matrix. The platform provides ultra-thin, high-efficiency insulation for consumer apparel and footwear (such as @HellyHansen, @Cabelas, @LLBean, Merrell, Skadi Gloves, others), commercial energy storage, vans and EVs (such as Remote Vans®), industrial piping, equipment, cold chain logistics, space exploration, and defense equipment (tactical shelters, extreme-cold weather gear, etc.). The company has raised more than $75M to date from top-tier investors like @Airbus Ventures, Enlightenment Capital, @Elizabeth_St_VC, @1809Capital, IQT (In-Q-Tel), @AlumniVentures, Ridgeline Ventures, Listen Ventures, IronGate Capital Advisors, Rock Gate Partners, @RedHawkVentures, and @REI’s Path Ahead Ventures, among others. To access the full podcast, visit adsinc.com/fromthediveshop. Embarc Collective, a 501c3 not-for-profit and Florida’s largest and fastest growing startup hub, provides founders curated programming, on-demand coaching and mentorship, access to tech and tech-enabled talent, connectivity to corporates, universities, and investors, workspace, assigned offices, conference rooms and event space in our 32,000 sq ft hub in downtown Tampa, and engagement with a peer community of 300+ founders and founding team members that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. Member-companies have created 1,400+ Florida-based tech jobs, driving $100+M annually in direct economic returns to the state, and have raised more than $800M in funding, including $130M in seed, venture, and growth equity funding invested in Florida-based startups in 2025. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Excited to welcome @BakerTillyUS to @EmbarcCollectiv's Shared Services Partner Program, bringing accounting, audit, tax, HR, and payroll expertise to our community of more than 150 Florida-based early-stage technology startups and growth-stage companies. Embarc Collective’s Shared Services Partner Program gives early-stage technology companies access to best-in-class banking, accounting, tax, legal, commercial insurance, cybersecurity, GTM strategy and marketing execution, and other strategic service providers that help founders build investor-ready businesses faster. By connecting startups with experienced advisors well before they would traditionally engage these services, the program helps companies strengthen core business operations, reduce complexity, and scale with confidence over time. “Great companies are built on bold ideas, but turning those ideas into enduring businesses requires the right foundation, perspective, and relationships,” said Kristen Brand, CPA, tax principal at Baker Tilly. “That’s what makes the opportunity to work with Embarc Collective and its founder community such a natural fit. We’re excited to bring Baker Tilly’s accounting, tax, and advisory experience to these companies and help founders navigate the opportunities and complexities that come with growth.” Baker Tilly joins @CogentBank (for banking services), @HWHlawfirm (for legal services), Cooth (for GTM and marketing execution), and @aligncompliance (for SOC 1, SOC 2, and internal SOX 404 readiness). For more information about the addition of Baker Tilly to Embarc Collective's shared services partner program, visit embarccollective.com/resourc…. Embarc Collective, a 501c3 not-for-profit and Florida’s largest and fastest growing startup hub, provides founders curated programming, on-demand coaching and mentorship, access to tech and tech-enabled talent, connectivity to corporates, universities, and investors, workspace, assigned offices, conference rooms and event space in our 32,000 sq ft hub in downtown Tampa, and engagement with a peer community of 300+ founders and founding team members that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. Member-companies have created 1,400+ Florida-based tech jobs, driving $100+M annually in direct economic returns to the state, and have raised more than $800M in funding, including $130M in seed, venture, and growth equity funding invested in Florida-based startups in 2025. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Excited to welcome three new early-stage tech companies from three cities across three different states — McLean (VA), Los Angeles (CA), and Boston (MA) — to @EmbarcCollectiv's peer community of 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech companies. 💠GenHealth.AI (Ricky Sahu [CEO] and Ethan Siegel [CPO], founders, and Mike Maseda, VP of Revenue & Operations), a health tech company building the next generation of healthcare automation using generative AI. The company's digital health platform provides generative AI and autonomous AI agents to automate administrative and back-office operations for healthcare providers, durable medical equipment (DME/HME) suppliers, and health insurance plans. GenHealth.ai has raised $29.5M in funding to-date, including a $16.5M Series A venture funding led by Flare Capital Partnerswith participation by Craft Ventures and others that closed in September and set the company's pre-money valuation at $59.5M. 💠Ingenee (Majiye Uchibeke, co-founder and CEO), an AI-powered programming and content operations platform designed for streaming operators, FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels, and VOD (Video on Demand) services. 💠Ravel Genetics (Rachel Montel Hayes, founder and CEO), a digital health intelligence and life sciences company that provides whole-genome sequencing combined with analysis of your epigenetics and mitochondrial health. Ravel connects whole-genome sequencing, lab results, and health history into a single integrated picture of the gene structures running your body's regulatory systems (like methylation pathways). Embarc Collective, a 501c3 not-for-profit and Florida’s largest and fastest growing startup hub, provides founders curated programming, on-demand coaching and mentorship, access to tech and tech-enabled talent, connectivity to corporates, universities, and investors, workspace, assigned offices, conference rooms and event space in our 32,000 sq ft hub in downtown Tampa, and engagement with a peer community of 300+ founders and founding team members that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. Member-companies have created 1,400+ Florida-based tech jobs, driving $100+M annually in direct economic returns to the state, and have raised more than $800M in funding, including $130M in seed, venture, and growth equity funding invested in Florida-based startups in 2025. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL

Enjoyed the opportunity to spend an afternoon with David Denor, president and publisher at @FloridaTrend, and his editorial team for a roundtable luncheon discussion earlier this year. It was also an honor to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on @EmbarcCollectiv, its mission, and the economic impact of our platform on Florida's statewide startup ecosystem on Viewpoints at Florida Trend, a video interview series featuring discussions with prominent business leaders, innovators, and public figures across Florida. To view the segment, visit Florida Trend's Viewpoints home page at floridatrend.com/viewpoints/ or directly access the video segment at floridatrend.com/viewpoints/…. Embarc Collective, a 501c3 not-for-profit and Florida’s largest and fastest growing startup hub, provides founders curated programming, on-demand coaching and mentorship, access to tech and tech-enabled talent, connectivity to corporates, universities, and investors, workspace, assigned offices, conference rooms and event space in our 32,000 sq ft hub in downtown Tampa, and engagement with a peer community of 300+ founders and founding team members that lead 150+ Florida-based early-stage tech startups and growth-stage companies in sixty sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, medical devices and robotics, cybersecurity and data analytics, AI and frontier tech, fintech and legaltech, edtech, renewable energy and climate tech, and defense and national security, among others. Member-companies have created 1,400+ Florida-based tech jobs, driving $100+M annually in direct economic returns to the state, and have raised more than $800M in funding, including $130M in seed, venture, and growth equity funding invested in Florida-based startups in 2025. For more info about Embarc Collective or to explore membership, visit embarccollective.com/. #Startups #HighGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #Technology #Innovation #EcosystemBuilders #StartupTB #StartupFL