Technology : Innovation + Job News

The annual coolTECH event hosted by the Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) in Tampa is scheduled for Friday, June 22. Every year the event showcases the latest in technology and innovations created locally.

"coolTECH is important to our region's technology community because it shines a spotlight on the innovations and technologies being developed right here in our own backyard that will change the way we live and work,'' says Kimberly Wander, events manager at TBTF. "It also gives us the opportunity to highlight the entrepreneurs in our community.''

Wander says there is a fresh lot of exhibitors at this year’s event, including a solar thermal powered air-conditioning and water pumping system, the only web-based family emergency notification system tied to the national 911 agency network and a keyless keyboard that enables individuals with special needs the ability to communicate.  Nearly 50 exhibitors will display their latest technological innovations.

In addition to the exhibits, coolTECH 2012 will also feature Dr. Kenneth Ford, founder and CEO of the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC).

"Dr. Ford will be talking about human-centered computing, which is how human thought and action are inextricably linked to technology systems,'' Wander says. "Attendees will hear what the future will hold when computational systems are designed to amplify the human and machine components together in ways that exploit their strengths.''

Now in its fifth year, coolTECH will be held at the Tampa Convention Center on June 22 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and tickets can be purchased online.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Kimberly Wander, Tampa Bay Technology Forum

As the economy rebounds, the National Mail Order Association (NMOA) is promoting American-made products through a nationwide contest sponsored by the Tampa Bay Inventors Council and JoTo PR of Clearwater.

NMOA's Made in America Hot Product Contest started June 1, and is open to American manufacturers and inventors.
 
"I know there are thousands of inventors, craftsmen and smaller manufacturers all over the USA with fantastic products that never get any exposure beyond their local area,'' says John Schulte, president of the National Mail Order Association. "Our catalog members and other retailing merchant members are always looking for new products to sell, and many of these direct merchants are willing to work with small manufacturers on a single product basis. Not like a big box retailer that demands most people to cut prices and then go through a distributor.''
 
Once a manufacturer or inventor enters his or her product into the contest, anyone can vote online for the product they like best. Voters will rate the product on a five-star system, and can also provide feedback to the creator, including a perceived retail value.
 
“It’s a win-win all around; manufacturers get exposure, retailers find new products to sell and the American public gets to have fun, and learn about all the great stuff that’s made in America,” Schulte says. “The American public will be picking what they like and want by voting for their favorite products, and that will determine the winners.”

The contest has local ties in its sponsors, Clearwater-based firm JoTo PR and the Tampa Bay Inventors Council.

As for voters, there is incentive for them as well because they will be automatically entered into a drawing for prizes. Winners will be announced in February 2013.
 
Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: John Schulte, National Mail Order Association (NMOA)

So you have the greatest idea for a mobile app and the smarts to design it, but you don't have a clue how to grow it, how to sell it, who wants it or how to share it.

Or maybe you're the best at building websites and want to share your knowledge with others, but you don't know how, when, where or whether it can make you casharoonies to buy your buddies beer next weekend much less for the rest of your lives.

Or maybe you just want to rub carpals and exchange tweets with a couple of upstarts (aka startups) who've figured out how to turn a profit online by sharing what they know.

Consider the "Less Money Conference,'' a two-day intensive workshop designed to help you think your way to success by maximizing web resources and building off the experiences of Allan Branch and Steven Bristol, founders of "Less Everything.''

The "Less Money Conference'' -- see promo video -- comes to Tampa Bay June 6 and 7 via the Courtyard Marriott in downtown St. Petersburg.

Speakers include: Geoff DiMasi of p'unkave, Carl Smith of NgenWorks and Chad Pytel of Thoughtbot.

The cost to attend: $300. Register by clicking here.

Writer: Diane Egner
Source: LessMoney.LessEverything

Change you can believe in got you feeling a little unsatisfied? How about change you can program?

Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s office (City of Tampa) is working to create open access to many of the cities systems and databases to allow ad hoc, private teams of technologists to build and develop solutions for the city, local businesses and residents/visitors.

To kickstart this initiative, they envision a hackathon.

Hackathons offer web designers and developers an opportunity to try out new ideas and collaborate with other coders in a fun and semi-managed environment.

Former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome got the ball rolling with the concept in 2010, passing the first open data law in the United States (SF led the way with openness and technology? You don’t say!).

Unsure of whether or not this would work? Here’s a detailed explanation (via TED.com) of how the intelligent, digitally-skilled, and civic-minded among us have begun to re-program our cities with novel and useful apps: TED talk on “Code for America.”

The event will be June 22-24. For specifics about location, parking, remaining sponsorship opportunities and general information on the open data movement in Tampa, visit the city's website.

Remember, nerds change the world, and you should be nice to them.

Lastly, if you think this is a good idea and want to throw another hackathon in the Tampa Bay region, here’s a list of tips and suggestions for your organizational pleasure.

“Step-by-step, ferociously,” -- Jeff Bezos.

Writer: Nathan Schwagler
Source: City of Tampa

Studio98, a technology business solutions company in Clearwater, plans to add 10 employees to its payroll by the end of 2012. The additional staffing need is due to the company's successful training application known as Rethink Training.

"Rethink Training is a simple, clean, very easy-to-use system built for business," says Rafferty Pendery, CEO of Studio98. "We have a tool that allows businesses the ability to easily create training as it happens in business. It's a fast-paced and incremental process. For example, if a company is launching a new product or service and wants to create a module to train their sales staff, they can build out that module with a few clicks and assign it to all of their sales staff, and track their progress in real-time."

According to Pendery, Rethink Training is in high demand as companies look for ways to keep training costs down, while still offering employees the training needed to do their jobs well. Also with the number of companies hiring temporary staff as the economy rebounds, Pendery says Rethink Training streamlines the training process for temporary workers so they can prove themselves quickly to an employer.

With the demand for Rethink Training growing, so will the headcount at Studio98.

"We plan to hire another 10 employees by the end of the year," Pendery says. "It's going to be a range of positions, but we know for sure we will be hiring developers and designers as well as management and marketing professionals."

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Rafferty Pendery, Studio98

Jagged Peak, an e-commerce software and services company, plans to hire up to 20 additional people in the next six months in response to rapid growth. The company recently celebrated a lucrative first quarter with revenue at $8.4 million, as e-commerce spending continues to increase.

“Clearly this is a fast-growing market, and Jagged Peak is well positioned in the market with a very robust and mature e-commerce platform,” says Marjorie Bulone, director of marketing for Jagged Peak.

The company, which was founded in 2000, is headquartered in Tampa, with 21 warehouses around the country, one of which is in St. Petersburg. Jagged Peak offers company software solutions that enable them to operate online businesses. Applications include an order management platform and order fulfillment network, as well as e-marketing services.

“No matter what a company wants to sell or ship via an online business, or which parts of the associated processes they need to support, from the e-commerce platform to a fully integrated web-to-ship solution, or any a la carte component in between we can help them build it, manage it and do it profitably,” Bulone says.

As the company celebrates is financial success, it is actively seeking talented players for its team.

“We are always looking to add good talent to our teams, especially individuals with e-commerce and supply chain expertise,” says Bulone. “Between full-time and part-time positions, we expect to add 10 to 20 new employees this year.”

Jagged Peak corporate office and technology center is located at 3000 Bayport Drive, Suite 250 in Tampa.

Writer; Kimberly Patterson
Source: Marjorie Bulone, Jagged Peak

The Suncoast Workforce of Sarasota, in partnership with WorkNet Pinellas and several other Tampa Bay area workforce organizations, will hold a virtual job fair for youth starting May 13^th and running through May 19^th. The live week-long event will be free for job seekers and is catered to the younger demographic, ages 14-24.

“Businesses can benefit from a younger worker's perspective and new ideas,” says Sally Hill, communications director of Suncoast Workforce. “They tend to be open to learning and they thrive on coaching and mentoring from others. Youth are the workforce of the future.”

This is the second consecutive year for the virtual event that spans six counties. Other workforce organizations include Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance in Hillsborough, Career Central in Pasco, Junior Achievement of West Central Florida, the Pinellas Education Foundation, and Tampa Bay area public school districts and colleges.
 
Unlike a traditional job fair, where businesses set up booths and employers and job seekers engage in formal exchanges, the virtual job fair is done completely online in a much less ceremonial fashion. Employers will post their open positions and job seekers can browse jobs and apply during the week-long event. The virtual environment also takes pressure off employers to hire on the spot.

“Employers have the option to review candidate resumes at their leisure and they can decide whether to interview candidates by phone or in person before making their hiring decision,” Hill says.

Hill says that there is still time for employers to participate in the job fair and they would like more businesses to register. Businesses interested in virtually attending the job fair can register by visiting this link.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Sally Hill, Suncoast Workforce

LED Source, a national franchise that distributes professional LED lighting products has come to the Tampa Bay region. Scott Weber, CEO of the Florida West coast franchise, known as Nitor Solutions, co-founded the operation with his friends and business partners Haitham Charles and Marc Soudijn.

“The LED lighting franchise is a great concept, in a great industry,” Weber says. “LED lighting the next big thing, with tremendous opportunity. There is a huge need with less than 2 percent of commercial lighting currently LED right now there is room for growth.”

Nitor Solutions, which is located at 402 Knights Run Avenue in Tampa, has plans to service Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties. The company supplies energy-efficient LED lighting to commercial buildings and developments, including office spaces, parks, schools, theaters, churches and art galleries.

With plans to cover such a vast territory and a market that is undeserved, Weber plans to hire 20-plus employees.

“Four sales people have been hired in Tampa, and by the end of the year we will have eight to ten more hires here,” Weber says. “By end of next year, we should have 10 sales people in St. Petersburg, and 18 months from now we hope to have at least five new hires in Sarasota.”

Due to the fact that LED lighting is so new, Weber says he doesn't expect sales people to have any LED sales experience.

“We are looking for bright, personable people with sales skills,” Weber says. “Once hired, they will get trained on everything they need to know about lighting, which shouldn't take more than a month. The most important thing is that they can sell customers solutions, because that is what we are all about.”

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Scott Weber, Nitor Solutions, LLC/Florida West coast LED Source Franchise

In the fall of 2011, All Covered, a division of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., purchased a local IT company, Vertical IT Solutions. At the time of the acquisition, All Covered was looking to expand into the Florida market, thus expanding its business. Now the acquisition is complete and All Covered is hiring in Tampa and Sarasota.

“We are organically growing, we have made three hires in the last quarter within the technical talent arena,” says Andrew Cohen, managing director of All Covered. “Now we are hiring senior sales professionals.”

All Covered, which offers managed IT services to businesses, including those in the healthcare, legal and educational industries, focuses solely on the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses. As a division of its parent company Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., the company is able to offer its employees excellent benefits.

“Konica Minolta offers amazing benefits such as 401(k) matching at six percent, tons of vacation time. It's really over the top,” Cohen says.

Cohen goes on to say that he plans to hire at least eight senior sales people in the Tampa Bay region within the next 12 months, however, experience is essential.

“I am looking for seasoned quality professionals,” he says. “They need to have a minimum of five years of managed IT services sales experience, as well as seven to nine years of overall sales and business development experience.”

All Covered has seven offices in Florida cities: Tampa, Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Maitland, Jacksonville and Gainesville.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Andrew Cohen, All Covered

MosierData, a web design firm in Lakeland, is offering a complete identity website and social media branding package to one Tampa Bay area nonprofit organization. The 2012 Pro Bono Outreach Award, which is valued at up to $6,400, is open to nonprofit organizations in Polk, Hillsborough and Orange counties.

Jim Mosier, CEO of MosierData says interested nonprofit organizations need to submit a consideration package, which can be a letter, a short video or slideshow.

“Obviously, the organization needs to be a 501(c)3 organization, and we're restricting the contest to Hillsborough, Polk and Orange counties because we want them to be here in Central Florida,” Mosier says. “Other than that, we're looking for an organization that submits a consideration package to us that really inspires us to get behind their cause. If they can do that, we can help them take their message and spread it online at a whole new level.”

Giving back to the community is not new for Mosier, who founded MosierData in 2005. A few years back, his company partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lakeland Mulberry to start a program called “Computers for Kids.” Mosier's company went out into the business community collecting used computers and then refurbished them for the Boys & Girls Club.

“It's good to support your community,” Mosier says. “I have a passion for what I do, just as the folks that lead nonprofits have a passion for their causes.”

Nonprofit organizations that are interested in the 2012 Pro Bono Outreach Award need to register by May 31^st. The winner will be announced June 8^th.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Jim Mosier, MosierData

Body armor worn by police officers and soldiers offers a degree of protection, but there are still areas of vulnerability around limbs to allow them to move freely. A professor at the University of South Florida (USF) is working on technology that may fill in those gaps.

Dr. Craig Lusk, assistant professor at mechanical engineering at USF, has been working with shape shifting surfaces -- tiled arrays of polygonal cells, each cell consisting of compliant flexures attached to thin, overlapping plates or shells.

Lusk says that the best way to describe shape-shifting surfaces is to imagine a spring and a square. "Think of a spring flattened, he says. "I manipulate it so I can determine the shape when I pull on it. Then I connect some plates to them. I have layers of plates that slide across each other and move in interesting ways.

"They don’t move unless you push on them. A square remains a square until you push on it. Imagine you squish it together to make an overlapping square, which can expand or contract. It can go from square to diamond shape held by the springs. It’s still very strong but it’s flexible enough to accommodate any shape I want to make it into."

Lusk says shape shifting surfaces hold promise for body armor. "The idea I’m going for with all this is to make these complicated surfaces work as barriers in one direction but that are flexible in another -- they can move and protect at the same time, like armor. I would love to have these arranged so they can protect better body protection for our police and soldiers." 

In addition to developing shape shifting surfaces for body armor, Lusk is working with another USF faculty member, Dr. Tom Weller of USF's department of electrical engineering, to develop flexible antennas using his shape-shifting technology. "There's a lot of freedom in the university setting. It's fun to have the opportunity to pursue my own creative ideas and see them come to fruition. They’ve done very well with patenting and licensing. They’re very supportive on that side of things."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Craig Lusk, University of South Florida

As the food truck phenomenon continues to gain momentum in the Tampa Bay region, friends and followers are presented with a unique problem: How do you keep track of them all? Enter Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Ross Resnick, 27, and his app Roaming Hunger.

Resnick, a University of Southern California grad with a degree in international business management, started the concept as a street food blog in August 2009 when the movement was just starting to pick up steam in major cities.

What began with a database of nearly 300 trucks in San Francisco, L.A., Washington D.C., New York, Portland, Seattle and Pittsburgh has blossomed into a mobile app featuring 2,228 trucks in more than 25 cities including its newest addition, Tampa Bay, which launched on April 6 and currently features 33 registered mobile eateries.

"We're here to help push this industry to make a new medium accessible to the general public," Resnick says.

Looking for the closest truck in your neighborhood? Roaming Hunger provides a map, updated hourly, of businesses in your area featuring info, photos, menus and Twitter feeds. Users even have the option to separate trucks by savory, sweet and vegetarian.

The site's main goal is to promote and build a community around street food culture, according to Resnick. Any truck with an identity can sign up for free and users can create a free login or connect via a Facebook account.

Roaming Hunger's had its eye on Tampa Bay's "exploding" street food scene for a while, Resnick says, but the timing was finally right to go live.

"Tampa's one of the best new cities for food trucks," he says. "It's been really accepting. We wanted to come out and help push the movement even further."

Writer: Matt Spencer
Source: Ross Resnick, Roaming Hunger

Used to be, bright yellow gliders patrolled the Gulf of Mexico and sent information back to marine scientists, who would then interpret the data, translating information about water conditions into English for general consumption.

But cool robots are making a big splash in Gulf waters lately. Their collective name is Tavros and they're using Twitter to communicate underwater findings, eliminating the translation step and making marine scientists' lives a lot easier. 

USF marine systems engineer and inventor David Fries worked with a team from USF's College of Marine Science Systems Technology Group to turn an autonomous underwater vehicle into a solar-powered marine observing and reporting system. TAVROS stands for Autonomous Vehicle and Remotely-Operated Sensing, but tavros also happens to be the Greek word for bull, which happens to be the University of South Florida (USF)  mascot.  

Fries explains how tavros works: 

"Tavros senses things in real time and translates it to visual information," explains Fries. "The sampler analyzes it. So what Twitter does is communicate all that by translating it from 1s and 0s for a large number of users who would benefit from that info."

Fries says Tavros is the result of combining technologies. "A solar vehicle by itself has limited ability in its ability to use sensors. So we decided that we would marry the solar with an autonomous robot. We could just load it up with technology from there. Twitter is its voice."

Fries says  his personal interest in robotics was borne from experience as a father observing his growing children. "I have four children," says Fries. "And watching them grow up, I realized they’re basically mobile robots in that they are sensorial beings -- continually taking in sensory info. Robotics operate in much the same way."

Fries' team is working on refining the process to address things that appeal to the general public such as fishing conditions, red tide bloom development, oil contamination or other suspicious underwater scenarios. 

You can follow Tavros on Twitter via @tavros02.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: David Fries, University of South Florida

Thought leaders from around the world will gather in Germany on April 5, 2012, to take a step back and look at the Big Picture. And Tampa Bay is invited to participate. 

Ted.com's Tedx Change will host the global discussion called The Big Picture from Berlin, which will feature an international panel of speakers addressing global issues such as environmental planning, healthcare, family planning, nutrition and human trafficking. TEDxTampaBayChange will stream the webcast from The Poynter Institute at 801 3rd St. S. at 10 a.m., with lunch and a panel discussion that will conclude at 4 p.m. 

Berlin panelists include philanthropist Melinda Gates, green industrialist Sven Giegold, environmental designer Jeff Chapin and Tedx's Chris Anderson. The Tampa Bay panel includes Cesar Hernandez, CEO and founder of the Seraph Foundation; Blane Friest, whole food activist; Dr. Bruce Ramshaw, founder of the Transformative Care Institute; and Erik Proulx, documentary filmmaker. 

Gina Clifford, a Ted.com licensee and organizer of the Poynter event, says Tampa is the perfect site to discuss world change, particularly economic change. "The way Tampa is fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in spite of one of the highest unemployment rates in the country makes it the perfect place to host a global discussion about world change. We have a lot to offer the debate. My thought process was to have some local people and some outside people with ideas that were relevant to this area."

Clifford, who also hosts a monthly salon in Ybor City, says her initial interest in Ted.com got her interested in becoming involved as a licensee for the Tampa Bay region. "I’ve been a TED fan for many, many years. I signed up on the website for their free membership and then I received an email that TED was offering licenses and I applied and was successful. From there I went out and built a team who was inspired to share big ideas throughout the community. I don't do it alone. I have a great team who help."

Tickets to the event at Poynter are available online. A $25 cash donation is requested at the door. 

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Gina Clifford, Ted.com

A Largo company focused on a niche market is enjoying the fruits of its smaller scale efforts.

ConMed Linvatec, a medical manufacturer of surgical products, recently invested $2.8 million to renovate a 20,000-square-foot facility on its campus to expand its surgical training efforts, which attract surgeons from around the globe on a continual basis. The expansion will create jobs for clinicians interested in training the docs on the use of Linvatec's orthopedic tools in the new facility.

Danielle Ruiz, group manager for clinical and educational services for Conmed Linvatec, attributes the company's growth to the Linvatec branch's focus on marketing its orthopedic products to sports medicine professionals.

"We invested in new product development," says Ruiz. "Sports medicine specifically and in real terms arthroscopic surgery. At this location in Largo, we manufacture orthopedic and powered surgical instruments and products. We're very specific. This has resulted in jobs across the country and moved a lot of manufacturing jobs to Largo.

Ruiz says the new facility will result in a handful of new jobs. "We're going to need clinical people," she says. "People who understand orthopedic procedures and feel comfortable training others."

Ruiz says the company is committed to investing in its employees as well. "Much of our growth can also be attributed to investing in internal employees through grants we got from the state, thanks to Pinellas Economic Development, which helped us attain those grants."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Danielle Ruiz, Conmed Linvatec