Big 3: Orlando Magic hackathon, Orlandopreneur, Kissimmee’s time?

Orlando Magic Innovation Challenge returns Friday

Perhaps one of the best examples I have seen in Orlando where a huge local company takes advantage of the talent that exists around it. Orlando has so many talented developers thanks to schools like UCF, Full Sail, Rollins, Valencia and others churning them out. So their hackathons have real potential to make a difference. Enter the Orlando Magic Innovation Challenge, a third-year event that returns this weekend.

Orlandopreneur reconvenes following huge 2024

We will find out more about Orlandopreneur in the weeks to come as we explore the organization more. However, in 2024, the group’s Meetup community quickly grew to more than 1,000 strong, providing a great base for networking that continues to meet regularly. Especially intriguing is its ability to partner with local venues to create a dynamic atmosphere every time. You can check them out tonight.

Kissimmee and Osceola County’s industry efforts

With all due respect to Buffalo Springfield (look it up, kids), “there’s something happening here.” For the last several years, Kissimmee has been somewhat quietly making moves to grow its technology industry, mostly within sensors. They seem about to get a little bit louder. The region was recently awarded a huge amount of dough from the Department of Defense to keep building, specifically in developing next-generation microchips. We will have more down the road but, for now, it’s something to keep an eye on because there is a lot of money in this and, if executed well, could represent a shift in momentum for the region.

So, there you have it. Our first Big 3. Let me know what I’ve missed.