South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub

By Nikki Cabus

Palm Beach Tech & South Florida Manufacturers form Strategic Partnership

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WEST PALM BEACH, FLA – The South Florida Manufacturing Association (SFMA) and the Palm Beach Tech Association (PBTA) signed a new partnership to promote the growth of the manufacturing and tech industries in South Florida.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes a collaboration to provide greater interaction and effectiveness between the two organizations to heavily promote manufacturing and technology companies in South Florida. The partnership comes from a shared desire for a dedicated effort to build membership and grow the mutual impact in both organizations.

The SFMA advocates for manufacturers across the South Florida Region covering 8 counties that include: Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee, and Indian River. This territory serves over 6,000 manufacturers.

“We are so proud of all our manufacturers throughout South Florida”, said Matthew Rocco, President of the South Florida Manufacturers Association. “It’s a testament to the strength of manufacturing in Palm Beach County.”

 

Palm Beach Tech’s mission is to build South Florida into a Tech Hub, by working with software, engineering, digital, and information technology companies. South Florida has over 150,000 technology oriented jobs in the tri county area.

“I’m excited to join forces with Matthew Rocco in building South Florida into a Tech Hub,” said Joseph Russo, CEO of Palm Beach Tech Association. “Technology and Manufacturing exponentially drive our economy, and our collaboration will pay dividends for our members and our region.”

 

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About the South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA): The SFMA has held the distinction of being the dedicated resource for manufacturers in South Florida since 1961 saving its members time and money through advocacy, networking and resources. SFMA prides itself on being member driven – creating new products and services as members’ needs change. The mission of the SFMA has remained constant though out its history: To Serve Manufacturers. The SFMA advocates for manufacturers across the South Florida Region covering 8 counties that include: Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee, and Indian River.  This territory serves 6,000 manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.sfma.org.

About the Palm Beach Tech Association (PBTA): The PBTA is a non-profit 501(c)6 membership association building South Florida into a Tech Hub. They work with software, engineering, digital, and information technology companies throughout Palm Beach County. As a countywide trade association, Palm Beach Tech promotes industry growth by working with educational institutions, government entities, and business groups to support the goals of member companies. Our core focus is fixed on producing long-term economic impact by attracting new business, supporting startups, and building the talent pool.

By Nancy Dahlberg

Palm Beach Tech hires VP, announces FPL Exec to chair Board

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The Palm Beach Tech Association announced several key leadership appointments as the organization continues to execute on its mission to build South Florida into a Tech Hub.

Nikki Cabus joins Palm Beach Tech as Vice President of Development, a new position for the non-profit industry association of over 150 companies and 8,000 professionals.  In this role, she will oversee membership, including member councils, peer groups, exclusive events, and sponsorship opportunities.

“Palm Beach Tech is just four years old, but we’re growing up fast,” said Palm Beach Tech’s CEO and President Joe Russo “I’m proud that Nikki shares our vision of having a dynamic impact on the South Florida Tech Industry – we’re aiming to have an exciting year.”

Cabus brings experience in leadership, sales and marketing to the organization. She is the founder of getITgirl, an initiative focused on bringing more women into leadership and technology roles. She most recently served as client services manager for Consultis, an IT staffing firm. To promote tech community development, Cabus served as a board member and marketing chair for TechLauderdale and was chief marketing strategist for the South Florida Technology Alliance. She attended Palm Beach State College and The King’s Academy in West Palm Beach. 

Nikki Cabus

“I’m looking forward to building the Palm Beaches and South Florida into a tech hub by connecting the community with the right resources in order to bring real scalable growth, which spotlights the region as a tech hub,” Cabus said. “This includes closing the cultural and gender gap to include people from all walks all life to create an ecosystem full of innovative solutions and a real digital transformations for all in our community.” 

Palm Beach Tech also announced Joe Russo was promoted to President and CEO, along with leadership changes to its board of directors. Current Co-Chair Cam Collins of DockMaster is stepping down after two years but remaining on the board. David Bates of Gunster will remain as Co-Chair.

Board member Michael Fowler, Vice President of IT for FPL, takes over as Board Chairman.

“I look forward to continuing to scale PBT around our core initiatives of talent, brand and community to reach our ultimate goal of building the Palm Beaches into a Tech Hub,” said Fowler. “We’ve grow significantly over the past few years and now have the ability to have an even bigger, more meaningful impact in the community.”

Board member Frank Barbato, CEO of Third Wave Technology, will be Vice Chair of the board and oversee member engagement efforts. 

“This year I believe Palm Beach Tech will hit a tipping point in terms of membership, success of our programs and economic benefit in which we begin to achieve the impact on Palm Beach County as a vibrant Tech area,” Barbato said.

Palm Beach Tech is adding 7 new Board Members this year for a total 21, with an emphasis on education and diversity. Mike Conway & Mihai Fonoage sit on FAU advisory boards; Sheela VanHoose leads advocacy efforts for Code.org; and 33% of the Board is represented by women, including former GE CTO Cathy Miron and RedVentures / BankRate Director April Fulton.

The Full Board Roster can be found by Clicking Here

What’s next for Palm Beach Tech? “We must unite the South Florida Tech Industry to have the impact we all desire, and our Board intends to be aggressively collaborative to do just that,” said Russo.

By Nikki Cabus

Palm Beach Tech releases public Analytics Dashboard

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Palm Beach Tech releases public Analytics Dashboard

Internal Communications Data now open to all

Palm Beach Tech takes pride in our dedication to Build the Palm Beaches into a Tech Hub.

Our community and our communications network are a major part of this effort, which is why we’re today releasing our internal analytics dashboard to our community.

Click Here to See our Data

Through this behind the scenes transparency, we at Palm Beach Tech are hoping to showcase how impactful our communication network truly is. With technology being our business, we deemed it not only relevant, but also necessary to highlight the impact of our work.

“Palm Beach Tech takes pride in serving our members and our community, and this tool allows us to showcase our success in that to all,” said Executive Director Joe Russo

Palm Beach tech also hopes to showcase the impact of our Corporate Memberships throughout our Community.

This data includes analysis of our social media accounts, email campaigns, and website traffic. The internal data will showcase the diverse and valuable platform that our members have through the Palm Beach Tech communication network.

Members that are featured on our emails, directory, and blog spotlights will especially have access to the numbers and the corresponding data of the people we reach through our features.

We hope that through the transparency of our internal communication data pages, we are better able to provide our members with information regarding their investment, but also showcase the exponential growth of Palm Beach Tech!

By Nikki Cabus

Palm Beach Tech Doubles in Size, Announces Board for 2018 – 2019

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Palm Beach Tech Doubles in Size, Announces 2018 – 2019 Board

Cam Collins & David Bates to Continue Co-Chairing Board of Directors

West Palm Beach, Fla. – The Palm Beach Tech Association has announced its new Board of Directors for 2018-2019, which will continue to be led by Co-Chairs Cam Collins (Dockmaster Software) & David Bates (Gunster).

“Palm Beach Tech has achieved more in the last three years then anyone could’ve imagined, and I’m proud to say we have quite a lot in store for this year,” said David Bates, Chair of the Technology and Entrepreneurial Practice Group at Gunster.

The nonprofit organization grew from 75 members in July 2017, to 158 members in July 2018. They doubled both in revenue and staff size, while counting both NextEra Energy & Office Depot as active members, both of Palm Beach County’s Fortune 500 Companies.

“Palm Beach Tech’s success is not about numbers, its about bringing people together and building our community,” said Executive Director Joe Russo. “Most importantly we’ve built strong working relationships toward building our talent pool with Florida Atlantic University, Lynn University, Palm Beach State College, and the Palm Beach County School District.”

New additions to the Board include Andy Parry (Office Depot), Kevin Scott (PGA of America), and Cristina Escalante (The SilverLogic), Chris Craft (ScriptSender), Sarah Lucas (New World Angels). Officers include Adam Steinhoff (Dedicated IT) as Vice Chair, Audrey Hammonds (Microsoft) as Secretary, and Paul Vedder (VXIT) as Treasurer.

Click Here to See our Board of Directors

Ex-Officio Board Members representing education and economic partners include Dean Stella Batalama (Florida Atlantic University), Dean Kimberly Allen (Palm Beach State College), Kate Arrizza (South Florida Science Center), Rhys Williams (FAU Tech Runway), Andrew Duffell (Research Park at FAU), and Shawn Rowan (Business Development Board).

Founded in July 2015, the Palm Beach Tech Association now has 158 Corporate Members in the fields of Software Development, Digital Media, Information Technology, and Engineering. They also founded the Palm Beach Tech Space, a 3,500 square foot coworking space in downtown West Palm Beach, thanks to a grant from the James S. & John L. Knight Foundation.

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DROPBOX: (Link Here) Association Logo, Space Logo, Headshots, and Stock Photos.

The Palm Beach Tech Association is a non-profit membership association established in 2015, building the Palm Beaches into a Tech Hub. Members include Office Depot, Levatas, Florida Power & Light, Digital Resource, PGA for America, ScriptSender, and Dedicated IT. For more, visit www.PalmBeachTech.org

By Nikki Cabus

Junior Achievement, Palm Beach Tech, and HotelPlanner.com Partner

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Junior Achievement, Palm Beach Tech, and HotelPlanner.com Partner

Groups to provide JA Job Shadow Program and Internships to Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Bob Cawood | 561.242.9468 | bcawood@juniorachievement.com

West Palm Beach, Fla.Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast (JAPBTC) has formally partnered with HotelPlanner.com and the Palm Beach Tech Association to expand their JA Job Shadow program.

JA Job Shadow encourages entrepreneurs and business owners to commit their time, share stories of their entrepreneurial journey, and open the eyes of high school students to future opportunities. This gives local students opportunities to experience office life, participate in internships, as well as advice and next steps for students to make the most beneficial choices for their future.

In 2018, the JA Job Shadow program was hosted by West Palm Beach based HotelPlanner.com and the Palm Beach Tech Association, and resulted in students receiving employment and internships.

Palm Beach Tech hosted the program at their downtown co-working space, educating high school students on the principles of technology entrepreneurship, and helping them develop startup ideas of their own. Palm Beach Tech has since hired two of those students as summer interns.

HotelPlanner.com decided not only to offer the program again to the students, but to also sponsor it. The HotelPlanner.com staff will spend time mentoring the students, educating in soft skills, and introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities in the field. They also plan to offer internships to the students who are interested and qualify.

“Junior Achievement is asking all local businesses, big or small, to open their doors and allow local students to see the endless possible career paths our County has to offer,” said Bob Cawood, JAPBTC’s Business Development Manager. “Our vision is to help build a better Palm Beach County by keeping our students local after they graduate.”

Those interested in offering or sponsoring the JA Job Shadow program to local students can visit www.juniorachievement.com or contact (561) 242-9468.

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About Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast (JA): Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast (JA) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on preparing young people to succeed in a global economy through programs that center on work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.

About Palm Beach Tech:  The Palm Beach Tech Association is a non-profit 501(c)6 membership association building the Palm Beaches into a Tech Hub.

About HotelPlanner.com: HotelPlanner.com is the leading provider of online services in the global group hotel marketplace, and an established resource for group event planners and hotel partners alike.

By Nikki Cabus

Palm Beach Tech building Mentor Network

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Palm Beach Tech building Mentor Network

 

Meet UNION, the software behind our new mentor network!

First developed by the 1776 Accelerator in Washington DC, it’s now used by organizations as local as the regional Tampa Bay Wave, and as large as the global 500 Startups.

Led by our intern Brandon Cohen, Palm Beach Tech will be formally adopting this program and scaling it in the Fall to benefit our entire community.

 

 

How it works?

Founders face some pretty difficult questions. How do they get access to resources they need to start, grow, or scale their companies? And, who should they turn to for advice & expertise?       

Our goal? Become the primary outlet for founders that fosters both mentorship & company growth. By utilizing UNION, we can help finally bridge the gap between connecting relevant mentors & mentees here in our community.

Mentors have the ability to create recurring office hours, create personalized curriculums, and connect with local founders either in person or virtually.

What are the benefits?

UNION allows us to provide a accessible pool of mentors for local founders, .

Mentees will have the opportunity to learn one-on-one (in person or virtually) from successful entrepreneurs who’ve built companies in the Palm Beaches, getting advice on business plans, team building, marketing, raising capital, and more.

We will utilize metric tracking (KPIs) to identify every minute of mentorship. This will allow us to identify company growth and measure consistent progress.

Why Mentor?

Mentors have the opportunity to provide invaluable advice to others, many facing the same hurdles faced by others at one point or another. All in all, helping others is a great way to support your community.

We’re on the lookout for the best and brightest entrepreneurs, technologists, and business executives in the Palm Beaches.

If you’re interested in mentoring, Click Here to Apply!

By Vanessa Calas

Introducing the New Palm Beach Tech Speakers Bureau

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Introducing the New Palm Beach Tech Speakers Bureau

We’re excited to announce the launching of our new Speakers Bureau program for the Palm Beach community!

We at Palm Beach Tech decided to launch the Speakers Bureau to better educate our community about the booming tech industry, and it’s exponential growth.

This program links different professionals from a variety of industries to speak to classrooms, businesses, clubs, and community organizations. Our goal is to provide speakers to teach, share, and spark a conversation.

About the Speakers Bureau

Speakers Bureau is our new initiative in conjunction with our partners Junior Achievement and the School District of Palm Beach County.

Through the Speakers Bureau, Palm Beach Tech finds and pairs speakers in tech and business with organizations, classrooms, and groups.

We’re especially proud to have have entrepreneurs, coders and tech wizards available able to speak about how to utilize and implement tech in business.

For classrooms,  they inspire and excite students, sharing with them the infinite number of jobs you can have — and create.

Why a Speakers Bureau?

The Speakers Bureau gathers our community around a single uniting factor: learning.

You can submit a request for a speaker online. You can request speakers for your group from different industries or with knowledge in different topics. From there, our staff goes through to identify the best speaker for your event.

You can be a teacher, civic leader, or anyone with an audience; we welcome all to send in requests. Each speaker aims to provide quality knowledge, valuable insights, and even a bit of fun!

Moving our community forward

The Speakers Bureau will allow Palm Beach Tech to bring our industry’s talent to our community. Our organization is a part of Palm Beach County, and we want to help further connect the community around us.

Whether speaking in classrooms to empower the youth or with community organizations who want to grow their understanding, we welcome all to learn about technology.

Are you interested in having a speaker talk to your group? Click here to learn more and request your speaker.

By Nikki Cabus

Wyncode & Palm Beach Tech Partner on new Coding Bootcamp

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Wyncode Academy and The Palm Beach Tech Association are partnering to bring the first of its kind Part Time Coding Bootcamp to Palm Beach County.

“We’re excited to bring Wyncode Academy’s world-class education program to the Palm Beaches,” said Joe Russo, Executive Director of Palm Beach Tech. “We’re focused on building a sustainable talent pipeline for our tech companies, and with Wyncode we’re doing just that.

The part time Front End Web Development course, focused on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, will be offered in the evenings at two locations in West Palm Beach & Boca Raton.

Students will learn to build front-end web applications using the latest web development technologies. The course requires no previous coding experience, taking students from zero to front-end developer using JavaScript and the React library in just twelve weeks.

“We’re proud to stand with Palm Beach Tech in supporting South Florida’s flourishing tech industry,” said Tim Reen, Wyncode’s Head of Product Development.

The courses will take place at Palm Beach Tech Space  (313 Datura Street #100, West Palm Beach) and Lynn University (3601 N Military Trail, Boca Raton).

The Palm Beach Tech location will be led by Jeremy Lawson, who has over fifteen years of experience in the industry as a developer, instructor, and more. The Lynn University location will be led by Andrea Bailey who has over ten years of experience as a talented front end engineer and instructor.

The course will begin at both locations on Monday, June 25th and take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM for twelve weeks. The technologies and frameworks covered will include JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Git, ReactJS and JQuery.

Palm Beach Tech will be hosting an introduction  workshop  for those interested in the program:

Tuition is $4,000, with financing options for individuals available through Climb and workforce development grants available for companies through CareerSource Florida.

For more information or to register please email joe@palmbeachtech.org

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ABOUT WYNCODE:

Wyncode Academy is the premier accelerated learning destination in South Florida. Wyncode currently offers in-person courses for Full Stack Web Development, User Experience & User Interface (UX/UI) Design, Front End Web Development, and Digital Marketing in Wynwood, Miami, Florida in addition to the two new Front End Web Development courses in Palm Beach.  

Wyncode also has the ability to create custom cohorts and corporate training programs. Wyncode’s newest venture, Wyntalent, is a consulting service for mid and senior level dev talent. Wyncode’s network reaches far and wide with over 500 alumni and more than 220 hiring partners including CareCloud, Watsco Ventures, and KIPU Systems among many others. Wyncode’s full stack web development course is independently audited by MBAF and in 2016 had a 91% job placement rate within 120+ days of graduating, 93% of whom obtained a technical role.

ABOUT PALM BEACH TECH ASSOCIATION:

The Palm Beach Tech Association is a non-profit 501(c)6 membership association uniting and Building the Palm Beaches into a Tech Hub.

As a countywide trade association, Palm Beach Tech promotes industry growth by working with business groups, educational institutions, and government entities to support the goals of member companies. The core focus is fixed on producing long-term economic impact by attracting new business, supporting startups, and building the talent pool. With a scope of services that meets the needs of a wide range of industry professionals, from corporate CEO’s to freelancers, Palm Beach Tech believes in fostering the industry through a unified and holistic approach.

By Nikki Cabus

Russo: Palm Beach Tech will adopt Code of Ethics

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The Palm Beach Association represents the very best of talent and innovation in the Palm Beaches.

Each day, I lead a full time staff of two wonderful ladies (Stephanie & Tyler), in addition to a team of talented interns each semester. These people reinforce my faith in the future, but remind me that we always need to be doing more.

In 2016, one of our community members came to me and said, “I’m going to do a meetup of women before the Palm Beach Tech Meetup so no one feels like they’re going alone.”

That took me a little aback, for as much as we promote inclusiveness and positivity throughout our organization, we must constantly engage and work to include others in all of our activities.

Recently, an organization similar to Palm Beach Tech was closed down in another state after its leader resigned in response to their misconduct. This has more than ever brought to light our responsibility as leaders to promote the highest standard of character.

I’ve asked our staff and Board of Directors to immediately draft and adopt a Palm Beach Tech Code of Ethics. We must acknowledge that we have a greater duty to assure everyone feels welcome, safe, and at home within our community.

This document will be applied to our organization, our members, and to every person we work with. It will serve as a zero-tolerance policy, outlining our intent to work only with those who value others, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, race, or beliefs.

Additionally, we will call on other technology, innovation, and startup organizations throughout Florida and our country to follow suit. As the gender and ethnic gaps in our industry’s workforce are behind national norms, the actions of some beneath our moral capacity. It’s our duty to lead this change.

We are the embodiment of the future we envision – lets make it one we’re proud of.

By Nikki Cabus

Palm Beach Tech hires Nancy Dahlberg as Contributing Writer

Read Time < 1 MinutePalm Beach Tech is proud to announce Nancy Dahlberg will be joining our team as a Contributing Writer.

Nancy has been a professional journalist since 1981, when she graduated the University of Florida, spending most of her career with the esteemed Miami Herald.

“I love to tell the stories of entrepreneurs and I’m looking forward to getting to know and writing about Palm Beach County’s vibrant tech community and its players,” said Nancy Dahlberg.

For the past six years, Nancy has built up the Starting Gate Blog for the Miami Herald, featuring hundreds of South Florida’s entrepreneurs, startups, and investors. For the past 9 years, she’s also coordinated the Herald’s annual Business Plan Challenge.

In her new role, Nancy will oversee Palm Beach Tech‘s written content, focusing on a weekly column highlighting successful tech & innovation companies in the Palm Beaches.

“We’re ecstatic to have Florida’s most accomplished & respected technology journalist joining our team,” said Joe Russo, Executive Director of Palm Beach Tech. “Nancy shares our passion for entrepreneurship, and we’re honored that she’ll be sharing that with us.”

By Nikki Cabus

Announcing our 2018 Legislative Priorities

Read Time 2 MinutesThe Palm Beach Tech Association’s Board of Directors and Public Policy Committee are pleased to announce our 2018 Legislative Priorities!

As the Florida Legislative Session begins, we ask our industry, members, and community to support these pivotal projects. You can do so my contacting your legislators by email or phone toexpress your support, as each of these will positively impact the Palm Beach County technology industry:

The 2018 Florida Legislative Session convenes on January 9th in Tallahassee and lasts for 60 calendar days. Click Here to download PDF Version of these priorities to share.

 

2018 Legislative Priorities

HB 2855  – Palm Beach State College – Coding & Cognitive Technologies Program | Request: $250,000

This turnkey-ready program would align with the industry and be directly transferrable. Potential areas included in the curriculum are Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Predictive Analysis, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, etc. It will appeal to those with and without degrees, is STEM focused, and will remain flexible by providing a marketable skillset through credentials with the opportunity to lead to a degree. PBSC has agreed to a $250,000 match, which includes funding for software license fees, computer lab materials, wiring and network server expenses. The total cost to establish the program is $500,000.

 

HB 2365  – Florida Atlantic University Tech Runway | Request: $3,000,000

Tech Runway is based on best practices developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University, and combines the resources of FAU with the local business community to create an ecosystem that is conducive to the development of successful technology startups. Since its inception in 2014, Tech Runway has launched 29 startup companies, which collectively have raised $17.976 million in capital and created more than 239 jobs.

 

SB 180 – Computer Coding Instruction

Authorizing, but not requiring, high schools to offer students opportunities to take specified computer coding courses beginning with a specified school year; requiring the Commissioner of Education to identify such courses that satisfy two credits of sequential foreign language instruction under certain circumstances; requiring each student and his or her parent to sign a specified statement, etc.

By Nikki Cabus

New Year, New Perks: Introducing Our New Councils

Read Time 2 MinutesIt’s a new year, and as we head into 2018, Palm Beach Tech’s Team is ready to bring forward new opportunities for our members; membership councils.

Starting this month, we’re introducing a new format for our membership councils: namely the Startup Council and the CIO Council.

Introducing Member Councils

“These councils will provide new value for members in the form of exclusive opportunities to meet like-minded individuals, network with other member businesses, and discuss common interest,” said CIO Council Frank Barbato, who’s also the President of Third Wave Technologies

The new format for councils is a departure from the prior council format. Palm Beach Tech already has a Startup Council, for example, but in its previous format it functioned as a task force discussing potential opportunities & initiatives for Palm Beach Tech.

The new purpose of the Startup and CIO Councils is to adopt a roundtable format, where members will be able to meet, discuss issues, brainstorm ideas, and influence Palm Beach Tech’s strategies for the future.  All this in an environment that is more intimate than monthly meetups.

Bringing new value to Palm Beach Tech Members

“We want to offer a new, more personal setting for our members to interact with each other. This is the driving force between the new councils — to better engage members, together,” said Executive Director Joe Russo

The members of each council will be able to suggest speakers they would like to see at each meeting. These speakers will include industry and company leaders, who can provide insight for both individual members and their companies. Each meeting will have a speaker, but the council meetings will be interactive discussions and not a speaker series, as the monthly meetups are.

Getting involved and next steps

The first council meetings will take place in January, and are recurring monthly.

  • CIO Council: First meeting will be January 9 and feature Alex Rudloff, former chief digital strategist of TEDx & Vice President at AOLIf interested, contact Chair Frank Barbato
  • Startup Council: First meeting will be January 11 and feature Alex Furmansky, founder of Budsies and a participant on Shark Tank. If Interested, contact Chair Daniel Lofaso

Council Membership will be by invitation and referral, and is only available to Palm Beach Tech members. If you’re interested in becoming a member or have any questions, be sure to visit PalmBeachTech.org

By Nikki Cabus

Palm Beach Tech Hires 1, Promotes 2 Staff Members

Read Time 2 MinutesThe Palm Beach Tech Association announced its hiring of Tyler Tornaben (Community Manager), and the promotions of Stephanie Buzano (Communications Manager) and Kellie Ames (Community Coordinator).

“I’m proud that we’ve assembled such a talented and passionate team, dedicated to our mission of building the Palm Beaches into a Tech Hub,” said Palm Beach Tech’s Executive Director Joe Russo.

This staff team will oversee the day-to-day operations of Palm Beach Tech, including all of its programs and initiatives.

“Our Board is laser focused on building a strong, sustainable organization to fulfill our mission and this team will take us there,” said Palm Beach Tech Board Co-Chair Cam Collins


Tyler Tornaben | Community Manager

Tyler is a native South Floridian, formerly of the international coworking company Impact Hub, and now Palm Beach Tech‘s new Community Manager! She oversees PBT’s following programs:

She has a Masters in Social Entrepreneurship from Goldsmiths College of London and researched Microfinance and Reverse Innovation at the Yunus Social Business Center in Florence, Italy.

When she’s not with Palm Beach Tech, Tyler dedicates herself to her own startup; Snapgood. For fun, she enjoys cooking, traveling, Italian neorealism, going to the beach and researching puppies to adopt.

 

Stephanie Buzano | Communications Manager

Stephanie has risen from Hackathon participant, Web Development Intern, to her recent full time promotion as Communications Manager! She oversees PBT’s following programs:

  • Palm Beach Tech Website
  • Email Communications
  • Member Services

Stephanie holds a BS in International Business from Florida International University. She has spent the past year learning how to code on Free Code Camp, with her ultimate goal of being a front end developer.

When not working, Stephanie watches Manchester United games, goes to yoga, and plans her next travel destination.

 

Kellie Ames | Community Coordinator

Kellie joined Palm Beach Tech as a Digital Media Intern and now serves as Community Coordinator! She oversees PBT’s following programs:

Kellie earned her BS in Business Administration from the University of Miami. For the past year, Kellie has also developed her own eCommerce company Mantra Active, an e-boutique, bringing you the trendiest, newest designers in activewear and athleisure wear.

In her free time, Kellie spends time with puppy Kade, traveling with her husband Scott, exercising, and boating.

By Nikki Cabus

Pitch Competition to feature 8 Local Startups

Read Time 2 MinutesPalm Beach Tech is proud to announce the eight (8) Palm Beach Startups to participate in the Inaugural Palm Beach Tech Pitch Competition!

The 7 preselected startups come from throughout Palm Beach County, from Jupiter to Boca Raton. The companies include mobile apps, augmented reality (AR), internet of things (IOT), and online platforms. The founders themselves are experienced, diverse, and skilled in a variety of disciplines.

WHEN: Wednesday, Nov 15 @ 6:00pm

WHERE: West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion

 

PRESENTING STARTUPS:

1ST PLACE PRIZES:

All prizes are services based, wth applied values by the offering companies

By Nikki Cabus

Announcing the Palm Beach Tech Pitch Competition | $10k in Prizes

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Palm Beach Tech hosting Startup Pitch Competition on November 15th

Join us on November 15th for an evening of live, venture judged pitch competition of 5 minute demos from emerging startups here in the Palm Beaches!

Apply to Pitch —> Click Here

PITCH | Palm Beach Tech is currently looking for up to eight (8) startups to pitch for $10,000 in services! Companies must be early stage and headquartered in Palm Beach County.

ATTEND | The Pitch Competition is free and open to everyone, especially entrepreneurs looking to raise funding, network with their peers, and anyone interested in expanding or opening a business.

SUPPORT | This event is part of Entrepreneur Week Palm Beach, a seven day showcase featuring cutting-edge technologies, disruptive startups and leading innovators across the Palm Beaches!

1st Place Prizes:

Pitch Competition will be held November 15th at 6 pm!

     

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Palm Beach Tech & South Florida Manufacturers form Strategic Partnership
Palm Beach Tech hires VP, announces FPL Exec to chair Board
Palm Beach Tech releases public Analytics Dashboard
Palm Beach Tech Doubles in Size, Announces Board for 2018 – 2019
Junior Achievement, Palm Beach Tech, and HotelPlanner.com Partner
Palm Beach Tech building Mentor Network
Introducing the New Palm Beach Tech Speakers Bureau
Wyncode & Palm Beach Tech Partner on new Coding Bootcamp
Russo: Palm Beach Tech will adopt Code of Ethics
Palm Beach Tech hires Nancy Dahlberg as Contributing Writer
Announcing our 2018 Legislative Priorities
New Year, New Perks: Introducing Our New Councils
Palm Beach Tech Hires 1, Promotes 2 Staff Members
Pitch Competition to feature 8 Local Startups
Announcing the Palm Beach Tech Pitch Competition | $10k in Prizes