Craigslist Founder Heads Up CoolTECH 2011 In Tampa

Craig Newmark, the founder of the popular online site Craigslist, will be the keynote speaker at coolTECH2011, an annual event designed to showcase new technologies and innovations in the Tampa Bay region.

Host the Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) will offer companies the opportunity to show off their latest work at the June 10th event. TBTF is a professional association made up of local technology entrepreneurs, educators, researchers, government/community leaders and business men and women.

Newmark “will discuss how he started Craigslist, how the website became what it is today, and his latest venture known as craigsconnect.org,” says Lori Taylor, vice president of marketing and operations at TBTF.

Taylor says several companies from around the greater Tampa Bay region and beyond will be in attendance sharing their latest innovations.

“Chevrolet will be exhibiting the new 2011 Volt electric vehicle,” Taylor says. “A local company, Altorr, Inc., has an automatic door opener which uses speech recognition. The technology allows the elderly or disabled to use their voice to open doors. Another local company, Mobofetch, has mobile technology that allows people attending local sporting events the ability to order food and drinks directly to their seat, get security or emergency care, or pay parking expenses through a mobile device.”

coolTECH 2011 will take place on June 10th at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The event is open to the public and the cost to attend is $10.

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Lori Taylor, Tampa Bay Technology Forum