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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:reFOCUS with AIGA: Sean Walsh’s Lessons from the Swamp
DTSTART:20260913T170000Z
DTEND:20260913T200000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T063106Z
UID:10000349-1789304400-1789315200@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:education
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T063106Z
LOCATION:Melrose Center\, 101 East Central Boulevard\, Orlando\, FL\, 3280
 1\, United States
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/refocus-with-aiga-sean-walshs-lessons
 -from-the-swamp/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:VEI Business and Brews 9.16.26
DTSTART:20260916T213000Z
DTEND:20260916T233000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000329-1789579800-1789587000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,drink
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
LOCATION:Rock & Brews\, 7131 Red Bug Lake Road\, Oviedo\, FL\, 32765\, Uni
 ted States
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/vei-business-and-brews-9-16-26/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Making Apps for Everybody: An iOS Accessibility Workshop
DTSTART:20260917T220000Z
DTEND:20260918T003000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000344-1789668000-1789677000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:education
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
LOCATION:CREDO Conduit\, 1001 North Orange Avenue\, Orlando\, FL\, 32801\,
  United States
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/making-apps-for-everybody-an-ios-acce
 ssibility-workshop/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - Orlando Chapter Voter Education
  Mixer
DTSTART:20260922T213000Z
DTEND:20260922T233000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000343-1790098200-1790105400@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
LOCATION:Pilars Martini & Loft\, 146 West Plant Street\, #Suite 120 & 210\
 , Winter Garden\, FL\, 34787\, United States
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-orland
 o-chapter-voter-education-mixer/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - Jacksonville Voter Education Mi
 xer
DTSTART:20260924T213000Z
DTEND:20260924T233000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000347-1790271000-1790278200@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,education
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
LOCATION:Culhane’s Irish Pub & Restaurant\, 9720 Deer Lake Court\, Jacks
 onville\, FL\, 32246\, United States
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-jackso
 nville-voter-education-mixer/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:From First Sale to Successful Exit: The Power of Your Board
DTSTART:20260924T220000Z
DTEND:20260925T003000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000345-1790272800-1790281800@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:education
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
LOCATION:CREDO Conduit\, 1001 North Orange Avenue\, Orlando\, FL\, 32801\,
  United States
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/entrepreneurs-advisors-from-fundraisi
 ng-to-sales/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Create Your 6 Month Marketing Roadmap: Stop Guessing\, Start Growi
 ng
DTSTART:20260930T160000Z
DTEND:20260930T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260902T130025Z
UID:10000352-1790769600-1790775000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:education
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T130025Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/a-strategic-marketing-roadmap-for-fou
 nders-stop-guessing-start-growing/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:NCS Hall of Fame 2026
DTSTART:20260930T220000Z
DTEND:20261001T010000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000224-1790791200-1790802000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
LOCATION:Orange County Convention Center\, 9800 International Drive\, Orla
 ndo\, FL\, 32819\, United States
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/ncs-hall-of-fame-2026/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:SBA Veteran Small Business Certification Program 9.30.26
DTSTART:20260930T223000Z
DTEND:20261001T003000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000348-1790793000-1790800200@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:education
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/sba-veteran-small-business-certificat
 ion-program-9-30-26/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20261006T160000Z
DTEND:20261006T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000103-1791288000-1791291600@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-12/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20261103T170000Z
DTEND:20261103T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000104-1793707200-1793710800@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-13/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20261201T170000Z
DTEND:20261201T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000006-1796126400-1796130000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-4/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270105T170000Z
DTEND:20270105T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000309-1799150400-1799154000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-14/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270202T170000Z
DTEND:20270202T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000310-1801569600-1801573200@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-15/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270302T170000Z
DTEND:20270302T180000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000311-1803988800-1803992400@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-16/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270406T160000Z
DTEND:20270406T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000312-1807012800-1807016400@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-17/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270504T160000Z
DTEND:20270504T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000313-1809432000-1809435600@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-18/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270601T160000Z
DTEND:20270601T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000314-1811851200-1811854800@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-19/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270706T160000Z
DTEND:20270706T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000315-1814875200-1814878800@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-20/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270803T160000Z
DTEND:20270803T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000316-1817294400-1817298000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-21/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20270907T160000Z
DTEND:20270907T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000317-1820318400-1820322000@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-22/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20271005T160000Z
DTEND:20271005T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260828T022933Z
UID:10000318-1822737600-1822741200@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T022933Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-23/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship - New Member Orientation
DTSTART:20271102T160000Z
DTEND:20271102T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260901T190014Z
UID:10000319-1825156800-1825160400@innovateorlando.io
CATEGORIES:community,tech
DESCRIPTION:*Photo: West Orlando News\n \n \nOrlando is home to moonshot
 s and magic. I came up through creative industries\, then spent twelve yea
 rs at what was the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission\, now the
  Orlando Economic Partnership\, learning what it actually takes to move a 
 region. The slow\, structural work of building relationships that compound
 \, aligning incentives across sectors\, and creating the conditions where 
 the private market does things it would not do alone. I have worked alongs
 ide many regional leaders over the years. What I know about myself is that
  I am not done. I have more to give\, more to build\, and a clearer pictur
 e than ever of what it is actually going to take. \n\n\n\n\nAnd what it i
 s going to take is not another event. Not another building with innovation
  in the name. It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capi
 tal\, research to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of
  it to a regional strategy across cities and counties that compounds o
 ver time instead of resetting every grant cycle. The connective tissue tha
 t does not just celebrate the ecosystem but structurally advances it.  \n
 Innovate Orlando\, as it was\, was not that system. I say that with full 
 ownership. I ran it. And what I learned running it is that this work can
 not live outside the larger regional economic development infrastructure. 
 It has to be woven into it\, or it spends all of its energy trying to 
 be heard by the rooms it needs to be inside.  \nThat is why this decision
  is not hard. It is overdue.  \nI wanted you to hear this directly from m
 e: Innovate Orlando is transitioning its mission and programs back to the 
 Orlando Economic Partnership\, and I am returning with them as Vice Presid
 ent of Innovation\, effective March 9.  \nThis is about finding the right
  partnerships\, alignments\, and connected momentum to do this work at t
 he scale it deserves. Moving this work inside the Orlando Economic Partne
 rship means the mission is now backed by the full infrastructure of region
 al government\, industry\, academia\, and community partners working towar
 d the same goal. The platform is bigger. The reach is longer. The mission
  can have the infrastructure to match its ambition.  \nTech Connect\, t
 he Orlando Tech Summit and Community Awards\, and the Orlando Tech Grant a
 ll make the move. What comes next is not another program or another event.
  It is a repeatable system\, one that connects talent to capital\, researc
 h to commercialization\, founders to procurement\, and all of it to a regi
 onal strategy that compounds over time instead of resetting every grant cy
 cle.  \nThis is not a step away from the work. It is the work\, finally
  in the right kitchen. Orlando does not need more cheerleaders. It needs i
 nfrastructure that works.  \nNow scroll down. Because this week’s news 
 is exactly the argument I have been making the entire time. A Central Flor
 ida AV company is heading to the FIFA World Cup. UCF just launched a $3.5
  billion campaign\, its largest in history. An Orlando cybersecurity co
 mpany hosted a national conference in our own backyard. Space Florida open
 ed a $531M call for projects. And that is just the headline layer. The ful
 l picture is below\, and it will remind you why this region is not waiting
  to be discovered. It never was.  \n  \nSpace Coast and Aerospace  \nRe
 ad these four stories as phases of a single capital formation sequence. Pu
 blic infrastructure investment comes first and de-risks everything that fo
 llows. Private real estate comes second\, signaling long-term operational 
 commitment. International capital comes third\, validating that the regi
 on can compete globally. NASA is the backdrop that makes all three moves l
 egible.  \nBlue Origin’s $11.5M land acquisition in Cocoa is the kind o
 f move a company makes when it has already decided the Space Coast is a lo
 ng-term operating address\, not a launch convenience. That decision compou
 nds against Space Florida’s 2026 Spaceport Improvement Program\, which j
 ust opened a call for projects backed by $531M in state investment\, esse
 ntially a public infrastructure commitment that de-risks the private capi
 tal following behind it. EOS-X Space’s acquisition of Space Perspective 
 and its $650M+ combined valuation shows what happens when international ae
 rospace capital looks for a U.S. home and finds that this region has both 
 the infrastructure and the talent density to justify the bet. NASA’s Art
 emis 2 timeline\, still targeting April\, is the backdrop to all of it. Wh
 en public investment\, private real estate\, and international capital are
  all moving in the same direction at the same time\, that is not momentum.
  That is a thesis becoming infrastructure.  \n\nBlue Origin snags 20-acr
 e Cocoa site for $11.5M as latest Brevard expansion \n\n\nEOS-X Space Exp
 ands U.S. Footprint after Space Perspective Deal \n\n\nNASA repairs Artem
 is 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch \n\n\nSpace Florida’
 s 2026 Call for Spaceport Projects\, $531M in state investment\, April 22 
 deadline \n\n  \nDefense\, Drones and Cybersecurity  \nRead these five 
 stories as a demand signal map. The government signals what it needs. The 
 private sector builds the product. The universities build the workforce. T
 hen the cycle repeats at a higher level. Every story in this section is a 
 different point on that loop.  \nOrange County’s $7M drone-as-first-r
 esponder program is a local government buying what the private market has 
 already proven works\, a direct downstream effect of companies and researc
 hers in this region building real-world drone operations for years. Centra
 l Florida’s role in the missile defense planning conversation runs direc
 tly through the modeling and simulation corridor\, home to more than 15\,0
 00 simulation professionals working across systems that range from missile
  guidance and radar tracking to autonomous vehicle training and pilot read
 iness. That is the digital infrastructure missile defense architecture req
 uires before a physical system is ever built. The golden dome starts with 
 a digital twin\, and this region is where those twins get made.   Threa
 tLocker’s Zero Trust World conference just made that demand signal visib
 le to thousands of security professionals gathered in Orlando this week\, 
 and Embry-Riddle answered with both a new aviation cybersecurity certifica
 tion program and a drone-based research deployment on Lake Okeechobee. Tho
 se same hyperspectral imaging and autonomous sampling systems being used t
 o study algae blooms can be adapted for border surveillance\, maritime pat
 rol\, and environmental threat detection. Embry-Riddle is not just doing e
 nvironmental research. It is building the operational proof of concept for
  a capability the defense community is actively looking for. These stories
  are not parallel. They are sequential. The research produces the workforc
 e. The workforce builds the products. The products win the contracts. The 
 contracts fund the next round of research.  \n\n$7M approved to fund firs
 t responder drones in Orange County \n\n\nCentral Florida’s role in Tru
 mp’s missile defense system \n\n\nThreatLocker Zero Trust World 2026\, 
 Orlando\, March 4-6 \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Launches Aviation Cybersecurity Tr
 aining and Certification \n\n\nEmbry-Riddle Researchers Develop Drone Tec
 h to Study Harmful Blue-Green Algae on Lake Okeechobee \n\n  \nHealth Te
 ch and Life Sciences  \nRead these three stories as a pipeline\, not a cl
 uster. The forum sets the agenda. The research fills it. The talent expor
 ts validate it globally and come back. That is how a health tech ecosyst
 em matures.  \nLake Nona’s Impact Forum argument\, that longevity is in
 separable from technology\, is easy to endorse on a panel stage. What make
 s it credible is the research pipeline sitting behind it. A UCF researcher
  developing a new therapy for diabetic neuropathy is working on a conditio
 n that affects more than 50% of people with diabetes and has no FDA-approv
 ed cure\, the kind of gap that attracts serious capital once clinical proo
 f of concept exists. A UCF doctoral graduate heading to Harvard Medical Sc
 hool to advance AI-driven clinical tools is exactly the talent export stor
 y that benchmarks a region’s research quality on a national stage\, even
  as it feels like a loss locally. Orlando’s health tech ecosystem is not
  built on one medical city with good architecture. It is built on a univer
 sity research pipeline that feeds institutions like Harvard\, and on appli
 ed science that is moving toward the clinic. Lake Nona is the platform. UC
 F is the engine underneath it.  \n\nLake Nona Impact Forum: There can’t
  be longevity without tech \n\n\nUCF Researcher Developing New Therapy to
  Treat Diabetic Neuropathy \n\n\nUCF Doctoral Grad Heads to Harvard Medic
 al School to Advance AI-Driven Clinical Tools \n\n  \nResearch\, Talent 
 and University Innovation  \nIf you wanted to design a regional innovatio
 n ecosystem from scratch\, you would do something that looks very much lik
 e what Central Florida’s universities are doing right now. UCF’s $3.5
  billion Go For Launch campaign is the largest fundraising effort in th
 e university’s history and it is essentially a capital formation eve
 nt for the ecosystem. The proceeds flow into research infrastructure\, sch
 olarships\, and facilities that the private sector will benefit from dir
 ectly. The $4M electron microscope is a small illustration of the larger l
 ogic: UCF is not just training students\, it is building shared research
  infrastructure that companies in the region can access without owning. Ro
 llins College’s addition of the Rick Goings Institute to its $200M Innov
 ation Triangle takes a different approach\, connecting liberal arts educat
 ion to entrepreneurship and economic development\, a bet that the skills g
 ap in the innovation economy is not purely technical.   \nAnd at Full Sa
 il University in Winter Park\, my alma mater\, student filmmakers just lan
 ded finalist spots in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition\, a preci
 se illustration of what happens when production-focused education puts stu
 dents on national stages before they graduate. These institutions are not 
 competing. They are covering different parts of the same talent and rese
 arch formation problem\, and the aggregate investment this week runs well 
 past $3.7 billion. That is not coincidence. That is a coordinated instit
 utional bet on this region’s trajectory.  \n\nUCF Launches $3.5 Billion
  Go For Launch Campaign \n\n\nUCF’s New $4M Electron Microscope Expands
  Research Access Across Campus\, Industry \n\n\nUCF Computer Science Prof
 essor Recognized for Contributions to Human-Computer Interaction \n\n\nNe
 w institute to join Rollins College’s $200M Innovation Triangle \n\n\nF
 ull Sail Filmmakers Named Finalists in Prestigious Nationwide Film Competi
 tion\, Coca-Cola Refreshing Films \n\n  \nStartups\, Capital and Busin
 ess Growth  \nRead these four stories as a capital stack\, not as isolate
 d company announcements. FirmPilot’s $22M Series A-1 in AI legal marke
 ting is venture capital flowing into vertical SaaS\, a signal that investo
 rs see Orlando-area companies as credible bets at growth-stage check sizes
 \, not just seed experiments. Kore.ai’s strategic growth investment fr
 om AllianceBernstein is institutional private credit entering the enterpri
 se AI story through an Orlando-headquartered company\, a different flavor 
 of capital\, from a different part of the market\, validating a differen
 t stage of growth. RSG Security’s California expansion and Laser Photoni
 cs’ consolidation to Lake Mary are operational scaling stories\, not fun
 draising announcements. They represent companies that have already raise
 d and are now executing. Together\, the four companies span early growth\,
  scale-up\, and operational maturity. That is what a functioning startup e
 cosystem looks like when it is working: multiple companies at multiple sta
 ges\, attracting multiple types of capital\, and still calling Central Fl
 orida home.  \nOne gap this newsletter never fully closed is the capital
  formation story itself. Who is writing the checks in Orlando? What does 
 the fund landscape actually look like? Where does a founder go when they 
 need a Series A and do not want to fly to San Francisco to get it? That is
  the story I am most eager to tell from inside OEP\, where the relationshi
 ps between capital\, institutions\, and founders can be mapped and connect
 ed at regional scale.  \n\nFirmPilot Secures $22 Million Series A-1 \n\n
 \nKore.ai Secures Strategic Growth Investment from AllianceBernstein \n\n
 \nMatthew Sierra\, Founder of RSG Security\, Scales Orlando’s Fastest-Gr
 owing Private Security Firm as Company Expands Into California \n\n\nLase
 r Photonics Announces Strategic Consolidation of Manufacturing Footprint t
 o Lake Mary\, Florida \n\n  \nTech Infrastructure and Economic Developme
 nt  \nRead these three stories as a market validation sequence. First ten
 ant\, first mobility operator\, first AV deployment at global scale. Eac
 h one lowers the risk for everything that follows.  \nTerracon signing as
  the first tenant at the Lake Mary Technology Center is significant not fo
 r the lease itself but for what a first tenant signals to every tenant tha
 t follows. The anchor has arrived\, the risk has been absorbed\, the addr
 ess is legitimate. Freebee’s EV rideshare launch in Lake Nona works the 
 same way: it is a Miami company choosing a Central Florida innovation di
 strict as its expansion market\, which tells you something about how that 
 district is perceived by operators making real capital allocation decision
 s outside of Florida. Beep is the furthest along of the three. An Altamo
 nte Springs company that built the first permanent AV deployment by any U.
 S. city is now carrying 150\,000 kilometers of verified real-world opera
 tions into the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. That is a Central Florida compan
 y writing the operational playbook for autonomous mobility on a global sta
 ge. The infrastructure layer of this ecosystem is not background. It is th
 e proof of concept that makes everything else fundable.  \n\nLake Mary Te
 chnology Center lands engineering firm as first leaseholder \n\n\nMiami r
 ideshare company brings electric vehicles to Lake Nona \n\n\nBeep AV depl
 oyments launching in Altamonte Springs and Atlanta World Cup \n\n  \nIn 
 Case You Missed It  \nSpaceX’s March 3 Starlink launch from Cape Canave
 ral produced a jellyfish atmospheric effect visible across Central Florida
 \, striking enough that it trended locally\, routine enough that it barely
  made the business press. That tension is itself a story: Florida’s spac
 eport is now launching so frequently that rocket plumes have become regi
 onal weather. NASA’s separate announcement of a major change to its long
 -term lunar architecture adds policy context to the Artemis 2 repair timel
 ine. Watch this space as the downstream implications for Kennedy and the S
 pace Coast supply chain come into focus. Team Orlando’s SERDP and ESTCP 
 wildland fire safety tabletop exchange is the quietest story of the week\,
  but it is exactly the kind of cross-sector defense research collaboration
  that keeps the connective tissue of this community intact between the lar
 ger headlines. And an Orlando-area studio launches Everwind\, a sandbox s
 urvival RPG\, on Steam Early Access March 17\, a Central Florida game goin
 g live on one of the world’s largest gaming platforms.  \n\nSpaceX ‘j
 ellyfish’ launch recap: Live updates from Florida Starlink mission \n\n
 \nNASA Announces Major Change to Plans For Putting Humans on The Moon \n\
 n\nSERDP and ESTCP host wildland safety\, fire PPE tabletop exchange \n\n
 \nSandbox Survival RPG Everwind launches on March 17 via Steam Early Acces
 s \n\n  \nThank You  \nThis newsletter was never the point. It was evid
 ence.  \nEvidence that this ecosystem had stories worth telling. Evidence
  that the founders\, researchers\, operators\, and investors building in O
 rlando deserved the same attention as the regions that simply had better P
 R. Evidence that connective tissue\, the unglamorous\, unsponsored\, unsex
 y work of linking people and ideas and capital across a geography\, is the
  difference between a collection of companies and an actual ecosystem.  \
 nThat evidence is now substantial.  \nDavid Adelson built the foundation
 . Ashley McMullan built it with me week after week. Our sponsors and board
  made the long bet. This community showed up and proved it was worth makin
 g.  \nThe next chapter of this work continues at the Orlando Economic Par
 tnership. Stay connected. Keep submitting. Keep showing up to the summits
 \, applying for the grants\, and making the introductions that move this e
 cosystem forward. The connective tissue holds because you hold it.  \nA
 nd if you have a story worth telling\, you already know where to find me.
   \n  \n— Sheena Fowler  \n\n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n							
 		\nCheck out upcoming events here\n\n\n  \n \n 								\n				\n				\n			
 	\n									\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the movement by becoming an invest
 or in Innovate Orlando to propel Central Florida’s tech and innovation 
 ecosystem \n\n\n\nJoin Now\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \
 n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									Investor Highlight
 \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nFlorida High Tech Corridor
  is a vital force in Central Florida’s innovation ecosystem\, bringing 
 together world-class research institutions like the University of Central 
 Florida and a collaborative network of industry\, academia\, and economic 
 partners to grow high-tech industries and opportunities across a 23-county
  region. Anchored by Orlando’s thriving technology community\, \nThe Cor
 ridor fuels innovation through strategic research partnerships\, workforce
  development programs\, and initiatives that help startups and established
  firms alike advance cutting-edge technologies and talent pipelines. Its d
 edication to boundary-breaking collaboration and community-driven innovati
 on accelerates economic growth\, strengthens Orlando’s role as a regiona
 l tech hub\, and fosters long-term prosperity across sectors from aerospac
 e to life sciences.  \n\n\nLearn more at: Florida High Tech Corridor 			
 					\n				\n				\n				\n									Innovate Orlando News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAMPLIFY CENTRAL FLORIDA CONSORTIUM: VISIBILITY FOR T
 HE REGION’S INNOVATORS\n\n  \nCentral Florida is emerging as a nation
 al hub for technology\, simulation\, space\, health innovation\, and clea
 ntech but small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the resources to com
 pete with global brands shaping online narratives. The new Amplify Centra
 l Florida Consortium provides shared-investment marketing infrastructure 
 for forward-thinking companies\, delivering enterprise-grade branding\, mu
 ltimedia production\, and strategic communications.  \nMembership tiers 
 (preferred rates through March 2026):  \n\nVisibility Package: $450 (Blin
 kCo. Mag feature reaching 1M+ viewers) \n\n\nVideo Essential Kit: $2\,975
 /mo (monthly production session\, 3-mo commitment) \n\n\nLifestyle Story 
 Kit: $4\,025/mo (30-day content plan + cinematic video) \n\n\nPrestige Fe
 ature Kit: $5\,075/mo (8-12 short-form videos + BlinkCo. distribution) \n
 \nLed by Amóre Marketing & Productions\, the Consortium elevates indivi
 dual companies while strengthening Central Florida’s competitive profile
 . Perfect timing ahead of the Orlando Tech Summit\, contact Soyini Chang (
 soyini@blinkcomedia.com | 646-932-0907) to explore membership. \n  \n\n\n
 \n\n More Info\n\n\n\n  \n\n  								\n				\n				\n				\n									Orla
 ndo’s tech scene\, all in one place.\nFrom meetups to moonshots\, if it
 ’s happening in innovation\, it’s on our calendar. \n \n\n\n\n\nEvents
 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n 								\n				\n				\n				\n									\n \n\nNeed a venu
 e for your next event or workshop? Host at Tech Hub Orlando!\n \n\n \nConv
 eniently located in Downtown Orlando\, we offer rental spaces including  
 conference rooms\, breakout rooms\, auditorium\, reception space\, and mor
 e!  Tech Hub Orlando is more than just a space\, it’s a home for Cent
 ral Florida’s tech and innovation community. Designed to foster collabo
 ration\, growth\, and connection\, our hub is here to support startups\, e
 ntrepreneurs\, and businesses looking to make an impact. \nContact us for
  more info!\n \n \n\n\n\nCheck us out!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T190014Z
URL:https://innovateorlando.io/event/women-in-tech-entrepreneurship-new-me
 mber-orientation-24/
X-SOURCE-NAME:Innovate Orlando
X-SOURCE-URL:https://innovateorlando.io
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR