Orlando Tech News - Page 13 of 39

Young entrepreneur, DJ wants to inspire at Startup Weekend

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April 1, 2024

Young entrepreneur, DJ wants to inspire at Startup Weekend

It didn’t take long for Reese Kelsey to catch the startup bug after attending her first Startup Weekend in October.

Now, four Startup Weekend events later, the 23-year-old DJ from Windermere has become a staple at the weekend-long business-building events.

She will attend her fourth in roughly six months this weekend on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park.

“It’s not easy to meet people my age demographic who are interested in entrepreneurship and tech,” she said. “This draws them out.”

Startup Weekend starts at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park.

Startup Weekend events have become synonymous with startup culture around the world ever since they debuted in Boulder, Col., about 17 years ago.

Reese Kelsey, entrepreneur

For years, launching a locally led Startup Weekend event meant a healthy community that supported new business growth.

In Orlando, Startup Weekend has become a vehicle for creation that launches businesses twice a year.

For people like Kelsey, it has meant another outlet for her competitive but collaborative spirit.

“I love to work hard and do my best to try to win something,” she said. “But the conversations and innovation and the level of thinking it requires makes it so, by the end of it, I’m better off as an entrepreneur.”

New to this upcoming Startup Weekend is the support of internationally renowned speaker and entrepreneur Jeff Hoffman, the founder of priceline.com, who will serve as one of the judges.

Beyond that, mentors with highly diverse backgrounds will pop in throughout the weekend to guide the new companies.

“Mentors are crucial to the process,” local organizer Rajiv Menon, noting that this weekend’s event will have between 16 and 20 mentors. “They bring in different perspectives and give the teams more options on how to proceed with thorny problems.”

“It is a special kind of person who gives up their weekend to participate in an event like this,” said Cassie Muffley, acting program director for the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub program who will be a mentor. “They are hungry for a challenge and growth.”

Muffley helps lead the National Security Innovation Network, a series of innovation hubs. She is based in Orlando.

“I love learning about new ideas and watching how they change over a weekend,” she said. “My favorite part is helping teams prepare their pitches. You can have a truly transformative idea but it goes nowhere if you don’t know how to articulate it.”

As Kelsey has become interested in entrepreneurship, she has taken the same approach to networking that she did when she started to DJ several years ago.

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To reach more people then, she started hanging out at nightclubs, immersing herself in the community to get a feel for it and network.

Startup Weekend events and other so-called hackathons have become her night club to build a network in entrepreneurship, she said.

“It’s about meeting people and getting my foot in the door,” Kelsey said. “I am not someone who will wait back and wait for an opportunity. I want to go out there and do what I have to do to get where I want to go.”

As she does, she said she also wants others in her age group to look at her as an example.

“I want to inspire others to get into entrepreneurship,” she said. “It’s not easy but it’s enjoyable, it’s fulfilling.”

4Q4: Four Questions For … Tim Hill, Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation

Marco Santana

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March 29, 2024

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4Q4: Four Questions For … Tim Hill, Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation

Tim Hill has seen the depth of Orlando’s defense industry from multiple perspectives.

First, as an officer for the U.S. Navy’s Orlando-based Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) for five years.

Now, he is the director of Central Florida operations for the aerospace company Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation.

So, when he speaks about the region’s depth in defense, he comes from a background of expertise and experience. His thoughts on where one of the region’s most important sectors is headed?

“Central Florida has a strong legacy in modeling, simulation and training, both with technological advances and, more importantly, application for integrated experiences,” he said, noting that $7 billion in MS&T contracts originate from the region. “We are sitting on the launch pad for what many of us believe is an impending explosion in the application of underlying technologies.”

We chatted with Hill to get a feel for the defense industry’s presence here and what MS&T means for the region.

When you think about Orlando and MS&T, what is the economic potential here for the industry in a world where it’s so prevalent?

We’ve seen a bit of that in the entertainment space as augmented and virtual reality have become more common. As an example, many models of automobiles have head-up displays (HUDs) which are a form of augmented reality that improve safety by keeping your eyes on the road, just as we use HUDs in fighters to keep a pilot’s eye in the fight rather than inside the cockpit.

Further, these technologies, combined with advances in “big data” and cybersecurity are the underlying enablers for efficiencies that will be realized by the digital transformation efforts known as “industry 4.0 and 5.0.”

With nearly all of these technologies significantly represented in Central Florida, the narrative of Central Florida as the MetaCenter isn’t an exaggeration.

You spent 34 years in the military. What accomplishment makes you the most proud?

As you might imagine, over that time there were lots of things that stood out. My proudest accomplishment still comes from my time as the commanding officer of an operational strike-fighter squadron.

We deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in 2010, and one of our basic goals was to bring all of our men and women back home safely. We brought everyone back home to Virginia Beach safely, just before Christmas 2010, and we also brought back all twelve F/A-18F’s with no incidents, all while providing air support for our ground forces in theater.

That remains the most important accomplishment from across my entire career, but I think a close second are a couple of things that launched during my time here at NAWCTSD: the Central Florida Tech Grove and STARBASE Central Florida. Both of those have matured into flagship elements of our ecosystem today. They are both continuing to grow and provide a continuous, positive impact.

Was your recent transition from the military into the private sector easier because of this region’s robust defense industry?

There are a lot of things about transitioning from the military that are far from easy, and I would urge anyone who knows a Veteran to be sensitive to that fact.

That said, both the robust defense industry and the generally high level of economic opportunity in Central Florida at large make it much easier to find a “fit” here in our region. Both the opportunity in our local economy and the welcoming nature of our community made it really easy to stay and make Central Florida home after leaving active duty.

I think you also see that in the large number of Veterans coming to Central Florida from other locations for their post-military home. There are more and more Veterans living here and contributing to our ecosystem with the same level of excellence with which they served our Nation.

That’s a HUGE advantage that our Region has over many others.

What would you say to people from outside Central Florida about how important defense is here and how it coexists with an obvious primary industry (tourism/entertainment)?

In past years, federal spending led the way with technological advances. While that is no longer the case – and a big reason why innovation hubs like the Central Florida Tech Grove exist – defense spending provides a stable base for our economy with reasonable annual growth that isn’t subject to the same swings as other sectors, including tourism/entertainment.

It didn’t take me long after arriving here to realize that it’s not an “either/or” situation between defense and tourism/entertainment in Central Florida. Many of the underlying technologies and skillsets are shared, and the concept of applying technologies to make an integrated experience is shared.

Many have realized that and are collaborating for collective benefit. The more we do that, the more we will continue to grow and improve the resilience of our economy.

Orlando’s MyRadar to enhance eclipse experience through app

Marco Santana

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March 28, 2024

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Orlando’s MyRadar to enhance eclipse experience through app

One of Orlando’s most successful tech firms will help science enthusiasts watch the April 8 total solar eclipse in real-time using their weather app and limited-edition safety glasses.

The MyRadar app will track the path of visibility for the Great American Eclipse, which is expected to run a path northeast from Texas through southeast Oklahoma, Missouri up through Maine.

The app, which was initially built in Orlando, now has more than 15 million active users on its powerful weather and radar app. The app launched in 2008 in Orlando.

MyRadar meteorologists Matthew Cappucci and Erica Lopez will also broadcast live from within the application.

“We are excited to offer the opportunity to witness it, no matter if you are within the path of totality or elsewhere around the world,” CEO Andy Green said in a statement.

The excitement for the eclipse revolves around the rarity of a total solar eclipse, which means the moon will pass in front of the sun, temporarily making the affected areas’ sky darken as if it were dawn or dusk.

MyRadar also has safety glasses available at its online store. In addition, anyone who buys the app will get two pairs of the glasses for free.

Cappucci and Lopez will be broadcasting from San Antonio, Texas.

The total solar eclipse will begin technically at 2:27 p.m. Eastern time, when it will start to be visible from Texas. It will then run a swath toward Maine until 3:35 p.m.

Those not on the path can also see the eclipse but at different percentages of moon coverage.

MyRadar director of video and social media content Mike Linden will anchor the livestream from the company’s Orlando office.

“Total solar eclipses are the only time humans can directly observe the sun’s corona, made up of plasma streamers superheated to 2 million degrees Fahrenheit that trace loops and prominences in a surreal pattern following the sun’s magnetic field,” Cappucci said. “Day will turn to night as the moon fully blocks the sun, creating an otherworldly experience for viewers.”

For more information about the eclipse and to purchase the eclipse glasses, visit MyRadar.com.

Orlandopreneur’s swift growth a result of community, education

Marco Santana

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March 26, 2024

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Orlandopreneur’s swift growth a result of community, education

Roger Warren understands firsthand that entrepreneurship rarely goes smoothly.

By its nature, obstacles will arise.

But on those rainy days that inevitably come from starting a business, it is helpful that groups and meetups like Orlandopreneur exist.

“Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely road,” said Warren, who recently launched Huvi Gaming Center in Oviedo. “Many times it’s hard to get help because most friends are not in their own business and do not understand what we go though daily.”

“Orlandopreneur is crucial to keep the network of entrepreneurs together to help each other.”

That was kind of the point when Rupert Meghnot helped start the group in late 2022.

Ever since, it has grown to become one of the largest meetup groups in Central Florida, boasting an online following of more than 2,000 users.

The group routinely receives between 180 and 200 RSVPs online for its monthly meetup events.

“They’re hungry for personal interactions,” Meghnot said of his group’s membership. “They want new business opportunities and want to meet like-minded people.”

The model for Orlandopreneur is not a new one, nor is it the only meetup group in Orlando that brings together sectors of the business community.

The Orlando Devs meetup has more than 7,000 programmers that meet each month.

But Orlandopreneur has seen its growth come quickly primarily because of its focus on supporting startups.

“Everyone who supposedly controls the purse strings and the policies that affect us focuses almost solely on the big score,” Meghnot said. “Nobody considers that every ‘big score’ firm they try to attract (to Orlando) was once a startup.”

Instead, Meghnot said, the ecosystem should consider growing from within the city’s already existing business community.

“Attracting these larger firms to the area is important,” he said. “Creating them here is more so. This is the message that’s resonating with our members.”

The group grew out of Meghnot’s frustration with what he called a “lack of progress” in the city’s startup community.

That’s despite the city’s glowing rankings in areas like startup-friendliness, workforce availability and the cluster of entrepreneurial service organizations that already exist here.

“I wanted to create an organization that sets an example for what collaboration and innovation really means,” he said.

At each meetup, Rupert includes an educational component, usually focused on a topic that startups can benefit from.

“We made it a priority to include teaching because we want to encourage them to ask questions, develop the right mindset and plan sufficiently for their success,” he said

As he tries to build Huvi, Warren has found potential partners in as-yet-announced projects through Orlandopreneur.

He has been attending the meetup for more than a year and says he frequently walks away with some valuable contacts.

Earlier this month, the meetup showed off some of his hardware at The Vanguard, a downtown venue usually reserved for concerts and musical acts.

“I am in a much better place as an entrepreneur because of Orlandopreneur,” he said. “We find support in each other and that support leads us to many victories.”

4Q4: Four questions for … Safia Porter, Black Orlando Tech

Marco Santana

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March 22, 2024

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4Q4: Four questions for … Safia Porter, Black Orlando Tech

As Black Orlando Tech has evolved and grown since its 2016 inception, it has become a vehicle for improving economic growth in the city for minorities, a practice that will have an overarching effect on Orlando’s tech scene, in general.

Now, the non-profit organization moves into the post-pandemic world set to increase awareness and provide local resources for minorities who aspire to be entrepreneurs in tech.

From upskill classes to a forthcoming accelerator, the initiatives create an overall picture, one that Executive Director Safia Porter says aims to help launch potentially formative businesses.

“The primariy goal is to mentor and assist members in establishing a successful career in the tech industry, and start a new chapter in their lives,” she said.

We spoke to her a bit more about Black Orlando Tech.

What’s BOT’s top priority in 2024?

Our main focus for 2024 is to enhance the opportunities for people to join the tech industry. This involves offering courses such as Salesforce Administration and AWS Cloud Computing in both self-paced and coached cohorts providing guidance and support to early-stage entrepreneurs to improve their product/service offerings and pitch decks with our Startup Launchpad Accelerator Program in Partnership with KoFound.

What’s your view of entrepreneurship in Orlando and its importance to the city’s future?

Orlando is often associated with theme parks and tourism. However, it is an ideal city for entrepreneurs, rapidly emerging as a top destination for startups and investors alike. The City of Orlando offers diverse entrepreneurial opportunities with a wide range of industries, making it an attractive option for those looking to grow their businesses.

Orlando is an open city that thrives on creativity and innovation, and it will be important for the tech community to work together to
showcase why Orlando is the best place to build and grow tech startups.

It is also crucial to continue building and nurturing relationships with businesses (small and large) to strengthen our workforce with skilled and diverse talent in order to boost Orlando’s economy.

BOT recently started hosting sessions that improve attendees’ general skills. Why?

It is important that BOT continues to support the professional growth of our community. Employers are seeking well-rounded individuals with both strong general and technical skills. We aim to make our community stand out as competitive tech job candidates.

What one key topic in marketing should people know as they position themselves to grow?

Make your Personal Branding and communication style a priority. This can be achieved by enhancing your online presence, networking with like-minded individuals in your field or industry, and sharing your expertise through various forms of content media such as articles, social media posts, vlogs, and more.

FIEA nabs top spot – again – in video game school rankings

Marco Santana

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March 20, 2024

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FIEA nabs top spot – again – in video game school rankings

You would be hard-pressed to find a AAA video game that graduates of the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, or FIEA, have not worked on.

Spider Man 2.

All of the Maddens.

Diablo IV.

Last of Us.

The list goes on and on.

A new accolade announced this week gives an idea of why that is.

UCF’s graduate game design program has been named the top school of its kind in the world by Princeton Review and PC Gamer. It is the fourth time in five years that the 20-year-old program has nabbed the top spot.

Another Orlando school, Full Sail University, landed at No. 17 on the list.

The Madden series has been built in Orlando since the 1990s – with FIEA graduates contributing tremenously.

FIEA “has been good four our community,” said Benjamin Noel, FIEA’s executive director since its inception, in a press release. “We are positioned for the brightest game development future of any global media hub.”

The creation of FIEA came at a time when gaming was on the cusp of major growth in 2004.

“We envisioned an environment where students, faculty and industry practitioners explored, learned and developed the world’s best video games,” Noel said.

The program has become a source for talent of Electronic Arts’ Orlando operation, which handles the bulk of development on popular titles like the Madden series.

“We have been fortunate to benefit from that thriving talent pipeline since the program’s inception,” said Daryl Holt, EA’s senior vice president and group general manager, Tiburon Studios & American Football, in the release.

FIEA has graduated 1,000 students since its first classes in 2006. The graduates have been hired by major studios like Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Iron Galaxy, Microsoft, Universal and others.

“We’re pleased that The Princeton Review and PC Gamer recognize our exceptional faculty and how our talented graduates thrive as innovators and leaders, often right here in Central Florida, home to many of the nation’s leading gaming, film and animation companies,” said Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Hotel tech firm relocates HQ from Brazil to Lake Nona

Marco Santana

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March 18, 2024

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Hotel tech firm relocates HQ from Brazil to Lake Nona

A tech firm that counts more than 500 hotel properties as customers will move its headquarters to Lake Nona from Brazil.

The move aims to bring Erbon Hospitality Solutions closer to one of the more-thriving hotel communities in the world.

Orlando’s tourism industry helps support nearly 500 hotels located in the Orlando metro region.

Erbon’s clients include facilities in eight countries: the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Panama, Curaçao and Colômbia.

The company previously received investment from Central Florida-based venVelo and Molayem Capital. CEO and Founder Diogo Nobre Rocha did not disclose the size of that investment.

“Orlando is the city of hospitality,” Rocha said in a brief interview with Orlando Tech News. “The investment from venVelo helped us decide on Orlando. Personally, I love it and moved my residence to Lake Nona.”

Erbon has relocated two people to Florida, including Rocha, and plans to open a physical office in the Lake Nona region in short order.

Erbon’s management platform can handle a hotel’s reservation process, food and beverage ordering and other back-end functions hotels need on a daily basis.

Air Force’s innovation arm boosts funding for Red 6 technology

Marco Santana

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March 15, 2024

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Air Force’s innovation arm boosts funding for Red 6 technology

An Orlando augmented reality tech firm that has been on a roll announced Friday a contract with the U.S. Air Force’s innovation arm AFWERX that will allow it to further develop an AR system that trains pilots in real fighter jets, in real-time.

Red 6, which has partnered and been backed by large firms like Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Disney, has been developing a synthetic air combat training system.

The selection for AFWERX will result in $30 million in funding that will be matched by $30 million of private investment money.

The money will help Red 6 pursue further two of its main programs: the Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) and the Augmented Reality Command and Analytic Data Environment (ARCADE). The technology has been praised as a potential game changer in U.S. Air Force pilot training.

Red 6 CEO Daniel Robinson, in the press release: “Being chosen as a recipient of the STRATFI award is not just an honor, but a testament to the unwavering dedication and innovation of our team at Red 6. This recognition fuels our commitment to pushing boundaries in the aerospace industry and continuing to redefine what’s possible in air combat training.”

Robinson served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force.

The funding comes thanks to a program called STRATFI, which was established in 2020 and helps government partners bridge a gap between what is known as Phase II and Phase III funding stages.

Stax cofounders launch startup to grow SMB access to capital

Marco Santana

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March 12, 2024

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Stax cofounders launch startup to grow SMB access to capital

A brother-sister duo who created one of Central Florida’s most successful tech businesses in recent history has returned with a platform that could grow access to capital for small and medium-sized businesses.

Sal Rehmetullah and Suneera Madhani, who famously built Stax in Orlando to unicorn status, announced Worth AI.

They announced the new fintech platform on LinkedIn on Tuesday morning.

Worth AI is a platform that uses artificial intelligence to scan data in real time for more accurate risk assessments, quicker decisions and more standardized business credit scores when assessing underwriting and risk management.

The platform could benefit small and medium-sized businesses, in particular.

‘A desperate need’

“There is a desperate need for data transparency and accurate financial profiling of businesses,” said Madhani, co-founder and co-CEO of Worth AI, in a news release. “The credit score has been standardized from a consumer lens, but the business credit score has not – and every financial institution, lender, bank, and fintech is assessing SMBs uniquely, with outdated human decisions and risk engines causing biases in decision making and massive risk of loss.”

She continued to say that Worth will set a standard for business credit scores.

“I couldn’t be more excited for businesses to know their worth,” she said.

The patent-pending platform “fundamentally changes how enterprises underwrite the financial credit worth of small- and medium-sized businesses through one single score,” Rehmettulah explained.

The launch once again brings Rehmetullah and Madhani together to build a financial technology company in Central Florida. They successfully launched Stax Payments in 2014 as Fattmerchant .

The company found consistent success and grew to occupy three floors of a downtown Orlando building, employing hundreds.

Over time, they became one of the more-recognizable businesses in the community, frequently supporting small businesses at pitch competitions after essentially sweeping them during the early years of Stax.

Madhani and Rehmetullah left the company about a year ago. Madhani has since established CEO School, an effort to support female entrepreneurs.

Creating LEGOLAND’s Ferrari digital race board a ‘fun’ challenge

Marco Santana

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March 11, 2024

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Creating LEGOLAND’s Ferrari digital race board a ‘fun’ challenge

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – For LEGOLAND rides engineer Carl Hughes, the work doesn’t end when an installation he helps develop opens.

Real-time feedback from guests helps shape an experience even after it has undergone hours of controlled pre-launch testing.

So, as he wandered the 3,300-square-foot building that houses a new Ferrari Build & Race exhibit that launched Friday, he was watching. Listening. Observing.

Hoping to overhear guests’ thoughts at the packed exhibit that might help further shape the tech experience.

“Just like building a car, we are always fine-tuning,” Hughes told Orlando Tech News. “We take a look at it constantly and figure out how we can make it that much better.”

LEGOLAND Florida debuted a new experience that allows visitors to build a car using on-site LEGO bricks.

An educational experience

They can then run the car through a handful of tests of the car’s physics and use a scanner to create a digital version and race it on a digital replication of Ferrari’s 1.8-mile Pista di Fiorano, the iconic Italian company’s development and test track in Maranello, about two hours north of Florence.

“As they go through the exhibit, they learn how key things like speed, weight and physics play into their design,” Hughes said.

The trials include a handful of tests, including jumping from one ramp to another and building up speed in a pinewood derby-like downward ramp.

Once a creator is satisfied with their car, the car is scanned and a digital version is created.

The scanner outlines and detects the shape of the car, provides calculations that would affect the racecar’s physics, including aerodynamics, weight, speed and downforce, Hughes said.

Add in weather elements and it becomes more than just a playground.

“They get to understand and learn that the choices they make will impact design and performance,” he said. “There is a lot of education going on.”

LEGOLAND’s niche in Central Florida

LEGOLAND Florida has consistently looked to carve out a niche in a crowded Central Florida market.

In the past several years, the location has opened three onsite hotels and a theme park area that revolves around Peppa the Pig.

By targeting families with small children, the park has managed to grow consistently.

“We have these popular brands that no one else has,” said Julie Estrada, public relations director for the park’s parent company, Merlin Entertainments. “LEGOLAND is especially geared toward families and we never deter from that.”

For the fourth time, LEGOLAND partnered with Kansas-based Dimensional Innovations to create the Build & Race experience.

The firm has worked with iconic franchises like the Chicago Cubs, the Amelia Earhart Museum and the Denver Zoo.

Dimensional Innovations Practice Director Spencer Farley said one element that the LEGOLAND installation’s partnership with Ferrari does is appeal to people of all ages.

“Maybe someone’s grandfather is a big Ferrari fan and they can bring a grandson or granddaughter in here to build it and kind of have that excitement, as well,” said Farley, who spends time building with LEGOs with his 2-year-old. “Obviously, there is excitement for a 2- or a 4-year-old but you also have people 40 and 60 years old, right? It kind of brings everyone together.”

424,000 bricks of Ferrari

As they walk into the exhibit hall – even before they get their hands on the LEGO bricks – visitors are greeted with a life-size, 424,000-brick model of a Ferrari 296 GTS that took 1,850 hours to build.

They are encouraged to take pictures behind the wheel and post on social media – it is 2024, after all.

The 85-year-old Italian car company remains one of the more-recognizable in the automotive industry with a rich history and tremendous following.

“We are pulling from that history,” said Ryan Wood, LEGOLAND Florida model shop manager and Master Builder. “There is a natural story to tell there.”

A ‘fun’ opportunity

Hughes and his engineering team worked closely with Merlin to gather ideas before creating the digital experience.

The challenge, he said, was taking a physical product and building an engaging experience that would help them learn while also being entertained.

“It was a challenge,” he said. “But it was also a fun opportunity.”