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CEO: MetaCenter Global Week a sign ‘We’ve made it’

Marco Santana

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September 7, 2023

CEO: MetaCenter Global Week a sign ‘We’ve made it’

When Angela Alban first moved to Central Florida in the mid-1980s, the region was known for tourism and citrus groves.

But there was something else brewing in the community – a bubbling tech ecosystem that could change the region’s landscape but just had the timing off a bit.

Florida Tech University had long been renamed University of Central Florida.

Martin Marietta, which had opened in the 1950s, would not merge with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin for another decade or so.

However, fast forward 35 years and Alban says the time for the city’s tech community to step forward might be now.

“We have continued to evolve and that growth justified revising our message,” said Alban, CEO of Simetri, a company that uses technology to create realistic mannequins for medical and military training. “That eventually improved our ability to attract talent and notoriety across the globe as a high-tech region.”

A high-profile event next month called MetaCenter Global Week represents a showcase of the long-expected emergence of technology in the region, Alban said.

“We’ve made it,” said Alban, a board member of Innovate Orlando. “We are delivering on what was promised.”

MetaCenter Global Week a hard-charging effort

MetaCenter Global Week represents a hard-charging effort to unite, reshape and direct the region’s technology ecosystem in one direction.

During the course of several days starting Oct. 16, MetaCenter Global Week will put global technology leaders alongside regional experts on stage to dig into the transformative technologies Orlando specializes in.

Thus far, the effort has brought on partners that include Meta, Unity, Sony, Snap and several others.

The showcase will spotlight and highlight the community, Alban said.

“This will offer like-minded attendees the opportunity to meet and potentially collaborate to grow together,” she said. “This event will allow those of us who are already here to celebrate our successes and the future opportunities ahead.”

MetaCenter Global Week has been in the making for the better part of the last year. You can still grab GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS HERE or VIP ACCESS HERE.

The effort has brought in leaders from a number of tech sectors that have some heft in Central Florida. These include gaming, simulation and health.

The big week will offer an opportunity to show off just what has been brewing in the region.

“The week symbolizes Orlando’s status as a prominent global tech hub, demonstrating its top-tier standing,” said David Adelson CEO of Innovate Orlando and one of the lead organizers of MetaCenter Global Week.

Community supporters

While board members have certainly come on board to support Innovate Orlando, others in the community have, as well.

Innovate Orlando had been part of Orlando Tech Community until it spun off this summer.

“I have been a fan of what the Orlando Tech Community has been doing since it started,” said Tim Hill, former commander of NAWCTSD in Orlando who now serves as director of Central Florida operations and Florida innovation for Intuitive Research and Tech Corproation. “This notion of coalescing all of these factions is a really big thing. When you start to get a central branding campaign, that’s a big deal.”

Armed Forces Jam an innovation boom for military

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September 6, 2023

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Armed Forces Jam an innovation boom for military

Tyson Griffin has seen the evolution firsthand.

The long-held belief within the military that innovation must come from the Department of Defense has slowly been relinquished.

Instead, he has seen more embrace the notion that innovation that helps the U.S. Armed Forces can come from other sources, namely, the private sector.

“We recognize (now) that technology and the world itself has moved much quicker than our Cold War-based world can move,” said Griffin, the director of science and engineering for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines Orlando-based research, development and training site, known as NAWCTSD. “It’s taken us 20 years to understand that.”

As part of that process, the Orlando military community two years ago embraced Armed Forces Jam. The hackathon brings private sector professionals into a room for a weekend to build products for the military.

The Armed Forces Jam returns to Central Florida Tech Grove on Friday. Tickets remain available for those who want to attend, either as a developer, community supporter or team member.

Griffin appreciates This partnership with the public because it can offer solutions for real problems the military faces.

“We are now communicating to the world that we need to open our aperture,” he said. “The solution is not always living within our ecosystem but in other areas, like game development and other enterprises. To innovate, you have to open that aperture to bring in talent, ideas and invite them in rather than keep them at arm’s length.”

The mechanics of a hackathon

Armed Forces Jam starts Friday with military leaders letting those in attendance know some of the problems they face.

Teams form around specific projects and spend the weekend building, testing and showing off what they built in 48 hours.

“It really concentrates innovation in a short amount of time,” said Kunal Patel, cofounder of Indienomicon Foundation, which organizes Armed Forces Jam. “People always talk about what they want to do or achieve. But here, in 48 hours, you can have something visible and tangible.”

Indienomicon Foundation has hosted hackathons since its first event in January 2013. Ever since, it has become astaple in Central Florida’s technology community.

The results and attendance numbers have varied from year to year.

However, indienomicon continues to host hackathons that partner with the area’s space and health industries.

Indienomicon’s presence in Orlando received a jolt when it partnered with Orlando’s defense industry and launched Armed Forces Jam in 2021.

“There is a center of excellence in Central Florida with the Armed Forces,” Patel said. “But, like a lot of places, everybody has their heads down, working, almost living in a bubble. This acts as a bridge between bubbles.”

The event has found quick support among Orlando’s defense community.

“It’s a cool opportunity to get the rest of the community an understanding of what the DoD is up to and what problems they face,” said Tim Hill, former commander of NAWCTSD who expects to actively participate in the Armed Forces Jam for the first time this weekend.

Hill now serves as director of Central Florida operations and Florida innovation for Intuitive Research and Tech Corproation.

“This can open doors and minds to folks who maybe don’t think of defense as a business they’d thrive in.”

It’s Year 3 for Armed Forces Jam

Griffin has been involved with the Armed Forces Jam since its inception.

He said a mark of success has been seeing teams and participants return year after year.

In addition, he said the event has become one of his most anticipated events at the Central Florida Tech Grove because, among other things, it can expose the military to potential partners.

“That communication back to us allows us to be better decision-makers and challenge our preconceived notions about what your talent can bring to our mission,” he said. “Maybe the government is a scary thing to work with. But a game jam is an awesome opportunity to get in there, have fun and show what you are capable of.”

Editorial: MetaCenter Global Week worth supporting

Marco Santana

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September 1, 2023

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Editorial: MetaCenter Global Week worth supporting

(PHOTO BY STEVEN SEIDMAN)

If you have read my coverage here and on social media of MetaCenter Global Week, you know my thoughts. I really don’t hold back, do I?

As far as I’m concerned, MetaCenter Global Week in October could become a pivotal moment in Orlando’s tech history.

At the very least, it’s going to be a high-energy, jam-packed showcase of what Orlando tech does.

The organizers are rightfully crowing about this, reminding everyone that the sponsorships and partnerships are there to make this a special event.

Meta (or the artist formerly known as Facebook).

Unity.

Sony.

That’s a nice starting point.

I’m here to tell you that those crows are absolutely right.

Now, let’s get some context.

I have been embedded within this tech community since I arrived in Orlando in October of 2014.

Understand what that means, though.

As a reporter, you are constantly pitched the stories that are next-generation technology, young startups looking for crucial attention and researching the community to dig up those diamonds in the rough.

So you inadvertently get a look at what is being developed within the community.

Well, the sophistication of the companies that pitch me has consistently improved since I got here.

No exaggeration: We have got some diamonds in some socially relevant sectors.

This is where my confidence in MetaCenter Global Week comes from.

By the way, before you read on, you really should consider getting a ticket AT THIS LINK.

I don’t often lend my formal support to events in Orlando.

Don’t get me wrong.

I think it’s important that any event with the right approach and right motivations succeeds in Orlando.

That’s how this community will achieve its potential.

However, as a journalist, I have never picked winners and losers because, I mean, who the heck am I to do that?

I merely report what’s going on through the lens of a good story.

So don’t take this as a declaration that the Global Week should be the only thing in town.

However, what I will say is that I would love to write “5th annual MetaCenter Global Week” in 2027.

Now, I’ve seen these kinds of events come and go periodically.

We don’t have to rehash some of those that no longer exist.

But this does feel different.

Going back to what I said earlier, it’s nice to have the sponsors already on board.

Outside validation is just as important in an event as it is in a startup or young tech company.

However, the rocket fuel for an event like this is community buy-in, support and messaging.

OTN lands UCF Business Incubation Program as key partner

OTN
OTN PR

Marco Santana

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September 1, 2023

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ORLANDO, Fla. (September 1, 2023) – The push to increase dedicated news coverage of Orlando’s robust tech innovation community took a big step forward today as Orlando Tech News brought on the UCF Business Incubation Program as a key partner.

With this partnership, Orlando Tech News will be expanding its coverage of entrepreneurs and tech businesses who have roots in the region or who expand to Metro Orlando.

“When you look at competing markets for innovation and technology, they nearly all have a few key news outlets devoted to telling the stories of its entrepreneurs and its businesses,” Carol Ann Dykes Logue, director, programs & operations, Innovation Districts & Incubation Program, University of Central Florida said. “Orlando Tech News can make a key difference for entrepreneurs and innovators in Central Florida. We look forward to working with OTN to tell the story of our dynamic Incubator clients and graduates and their growth.”

The relationship with the Business Incubation Program will result in more consistent content related to the businesses the Program supports, as well as the entrepreneurs behind them as well as events it hosts.

Beyond that, it will allow Orlando Tech News to devote more time to telling other stories within the overall Central Florida tech community.

“I have become re-energized by the energy and growth in Central Florida’s tech community,” Marco Santana, Orlando Tech News’ publisher and creator. said. “Receiving support from such a prominent organization makes me feel like I’m pursuing what I am supposed to pursue, putting my skills to use in a way that helps the tech community.”

Santana arrived in Orlando in October 2014, spending nearly eight years as the technology reporter for the Orlando Sentinel. He launched Orlando Tech News in August 2020.

Ever since he arrived in Orlando, Santana has spoken with countless startup founders, along with numerous tech CEOs and high-profile tech figures like Tim Cook and Elon Musk.

While at the Sentinel, Santana became the go-to tech reporter in Orlando, netting him a series of scoops, including SpaceX’s desire to land rockets and an exclusive invitation to follow Cook during a visit to a local Apple store to award a student scholarship in person.

Orlando Tech News focuses on the people who drive Orlando’s tech and innovation ecosystem, using the skills honed during Santana’s 15-plus-year career in journalism.

To learn how to support Orlando Tech News, visit the website here.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program: The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program is a community resource that provides early-stage companies with the tools, training and infrastructure to become financially stable, high growth/impact enterprises. Since 1999, this award-winning program has provided vital business development resources resulting in over 300 local startup companies reaching their potential faster and graduating into the community where they continue to grow and positively impact the local economy.

With eight facilities throughout the region, the UCF Business Incubation Program is an economic development partnership between the University of Central Florida, the Corridor, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia Counties, and the cities of Kissimmee, Orlando and Winter Springs. In 2022, current incubator clients supported over 1200 employees and generated over $120 million in revenue. Nineteen companies graduated from the program and remained in the local community. For more information, visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Limbitless Solutions lands new grant from Epic Games

Marco Santana

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August 29, 2023

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Limbitless Solutions lands new grant from Epic Games

The good news has kept on coming in 2023 for Orlando’s Limbitless Solutions.

After landing a grant from Unity in April, the UCF-grown company announced this week that it had followed that up with a grant from Epic Games.

The grant will support Limbitless’ development of a video game-like trainer that helps children with “limb differences” learn how to use prosthetics.

Limbitless has become one of the top businesses producing functional 3D-printed prosthetics for those who are missing limbs since it launched out of UCF in 2014.

“We have some of the most creative and amazing undergraduate students in the world,” said Matt Dombrowski, head of creative arts and media at Limbitless Solutions.

“It is icing on the cake to continue to achieve the funding to help them help others,” he continued.

The Limbitless team

Limbitless Solutions works with a core team of four, including Dombrowski and cofounder and president Albert Manero.

However, the company also offers experience to a group of interns every semester.

This fall’s class of 53 interns was also announced this week, with the students studying in a variety of majors, including game design, health and science, engineering and animation.

The Limbitless story has been well documented, ever since Robert Downey Jr., Hollywood’s “Iron Man,” sat down with a child who received an Iron Man-themed prosthetic in 2014.

The company relies heavily on grant funding, so landing the grant from Epic will support its mission.

“My validation comes from seeing the success of my students,” Dombrowski said. “I feel so much pride when I can take the funding and support a young creative.”

Epic Games, known for developing the blockbuster game Fortnite as well as the Unreal game engine, has awarded more than 1,800 Epic MegaGrants since it launched the program in 2019.

The grant will support the development of a party-style game in Unreal Engine. The multiplayer experience will allow gameplay with friends and family.

The goal is to help kids learn how to use their so-called “bionic arms” using gamification methods.

Since 2015, Limbitless has worked with more than 300 interns. Alumni have gone on to work at companies like Electronic Arts, Naughty Dog and Sony.

Student, mother launch platform to connect youths to business mentors

Marco Santana

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August 28, 2023

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Student, mother launch platform to connect youths to business mentors

Arman Hunanyan recognized a recurring theme among him and his classmates at Olympia High School in Orlando: choosing a career path was not easy.

So he decided to use his “Learn to Start” entrepreneurship class to pursue an idea he had that might help overcome that challenge.

Out of that class came Career Scoops, an AI-based platform meant to introduce high school students to mentors and careers that interest them.

Arman said the fact that others shared his worries about starting a career validated his idea.

“This wasn’t just my concern,” he said. “Many of my peers felt the same way.”

Career Scoops has had an ongoing crowdfunding campaign as Arman and his mother, Tatsiana Sokalava, work to build the platform.

Although still early in its development, the platform has already managed to attract some mentors.

Meanwhile, Arman continues to interview others and post content related to careers.

The exercise has helped Arman in more ways than one.

“I have learned to open up and engage in more effective conversations,” he said. “I am forging connections with individuals that I aim to build closer relationships with.”

Internships crucial to businesses

The value of a good internship program has gone up in recent years, as businesses look to develop talent that can often turn into full-time employment.

That is especially crucial in the tech industry, where a workforce shortage continues to be one of the main concerns. Career Scoops could put a dent into that as it grows.

Instead of businesses reaching out to find interns, the platform flips that around.

Students on the platform connect with professionals to get a taste of what a specific career looks and feels like.

As she watches her son develop an interest in entrepreneurship, Sokalava has seen Arman’s passion grow.

“Watching your child discover a passion is one of the most rewarding experiences as a parent,” said Sokalava, who has a background in data science and operations and is building the platform alongside her son. “Seeing my son invest time and energy into something he’s deeply passionate about fills my heart with pride.”

The platform uses a combination of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to create a recommendation engine for students seeking a career path.

Once a student gathers recommendations, they connect with mentors in a given field.

“Mentorship, in my experience, serves as a guiding light for anyone stepping into a new field or role,” Sokalava said. “Throughout my journey I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by several amazing professionals. The insights and lessons I garnered from these mentorship relationships were invaluable They influenced not just my professional decisions but also my personal.”

Academic platform lands Black Orlando Tech pitch off’s top prize

Marco Santana

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August 24, 2023

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Academic platform lands Black Orlando Tech pitch off’s top prize

Shawntia Lee had a goal when she entered Black Orlando Tech’s recent virtual pitch competition.

She wanted to network more with Orlando’s tech community.

Exposure to a panel of experts would give her valuable feedback on her business.

However, once she won the competition, she received something else that will push her edtech platform forward.

“The $5,000 is going to help, too,” she said with a smirk.

Black Orlando Tech’s recent “Battle of the BOTs” pitch competition awarded $8,500 in prizes to three businesses.

Artificial intelligence travel platform Concorde won $1,000 for its third-place finish.

BuildUp, a digital wallet that supports local businesses, finished second place and won $2,500.

We wanted to put skin in the game to propel our commnity and the surrounding tech community
Jehue Francois, Black Orlando Tech

But it was Lee’s platform College Thriver, a cloud-based platform that personalizes college guidance for minorities, that took home the top prize.

“She presented an answer to an ever-present need,” said Jehue Francois, BOT’s partnership and committee lead. “That is, how to help students in their pursuit of higher education. She showcased a large opportunity and potential for real staying power in edtech.”

Black Orlando Tech launched its virtual pitch competition as a way to showcase its mission of enabling financial mobility.

For many young startups, gaining traction early can be the difference between a long-lasting runway and quick failure.

“We wanted to put skin in the game to propel our community and the surrounding tech community,” Francois said.

Thus far, Lee’s prototype of College Thriver has been running a pilot with a Junior Achievement program in Orlando and Rollins College’s Upward Bound program.

The app walks students through the process of seeking, choosing and applying for college after high school.

For Lee, the effort behind the platform has been somewhat personal.

Her father never graduated from high school, earning his GED later in life.

Her mother, meanwhile, was pursuing her GED when she passed away about two years ago.

Watching her parents struggle motivated her to complete her higher education.

“That’s the woman who raised me,” Lee said. “I was determined because I saw the life my mom was going through.”

“I wanted to break the cycle,” she continued. “The only option for me was, I need to go to college.”

One differentiator of the platform is the potential to earn financial assistance through the app when certain milestones are met.

“This is a way to create and show the way to the American dream,” Lee said.

Lee’s personal academic path was a challenge, having taken seven years to finish up at Kaplan University.

At one point, she got emotional because she did not understand her statistics course and thought it would derail her education.

“Had I known my strengths in writing and communication, it would have saved me time and money,” said Lee, who grew up in Live Oak.

As she prepared for her pitch, she knew the experience would be beneficial, whether she took home the top prize or not.

“I love pitching because you learn about strategies and start to understand how the community will receive your company. But you also see the blind spots. I am too close to see them sometimes because I’m in it every day.”

Visit Orlando, SeaWorld veteran exec joins Falcon’s Beyond

Marco Santana

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August 23, 2023

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Visit Orlando, SeaWorld veteran exec joins Falcon’s Beyond

There is some shuffling of the executive deck going on in the big picture of Orlando tourism.

Toni Caracciolo, a longtime veteran of the city’s iconic tourism industry, will take over in the newly created role of VP of marketing and branding for Falcon’s Beyond Global in Orlando.

Previously, she had served as VP of global marketing for Visit Orlando and VP marketing and sales for SeaWorld.

Toni Caracciolo, formerly of Visit Orlando and SeaWorld, has joined Falcon’s Beyond.

Falcon’s Beyond Global has had a series of wins of late as it pushes harder into the entertainment world.

The firm opened a high-tech theme park, Katmandu, in Punta Cana, launched its first mobile game and animated series and established its own Roblox land within the last two years.

The Punta Cana park was the second Katmandu Park for the company, with the first opening in Mallorca, Spain, in 2007.

Falcon’s Beyond Global in 2021 became a spinoff from Falcon’s Creative Group, an experience and theme park design business launched in Orlando in 2000.

“I’m excited to leverage my deep and diverse industry experience and relationship building to develop marketing programs that elevate the brand’s remarkable story across travel, theme parks, consumer products, entertainment content and so much more,” Caracciolo said in a news release.

Falcon’s Beyond CEO Cecil Magpuri said Caracciolo’s addition significant.

It “represents a deep commitment to invest in our global marketing organization during this time of rapid growth,” he said in the release.

Caracciolo has been a part of Orlando’s theme park indusry since she joined SeaWorld in 1990 in public relations.

Innovate Orlando’s TenX Tech adds ‘big bump’ to attendee’s reach

Marco Santana

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August 23, 2023

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Innovate Orlando’s TenX Tech adds ‘big bump’ to attendee’s reach

The results were clear for Rajiv Menon and his tech group Orlando Innovation League.

After being a highlighted organization for Innovate Orlando’s TenX Tech June event, his organization saw more members and general inquiries.

Menon called it a “big bump” and said the hits keep on coming.

“The concept of it was really powerful,” said Menon, founder of Orlando Innovation League and CEO and founder of Orlando-based Informulate. “We need more of that and it’s great that we are getting on a regular cadence of events.”

TenX Tech was an in-person networking event created by Innovate Orlando and held in June. The group took over downtown Orlando’s Wall Street Plaza, an entertainment district ringed by several restaurants and bars.

The closed-off event, which returns to Wall Street Plaza on Thursday, created an environment for the community to network.

An organization showcase

However, it also highlighted four organizations, including Orlando Innovation League.

The groups had a chance to show off what they do for the community.

“Having this be a recruiting event that highlights the different aspects of Orlando is a wonderful way to showcase Orlando tech,” Menon said.

The inaugural event in June drew nearly 1,000 RSVPs and was generally packed throughout the event’s three hours.

Feedback has been positive, with a good number relaying to Innovate Orlando that collisions were important.

“It left a lasting impact, fostering meaningful connections and sparking insightful discussions,” Innovate Orlando CEO David Adelson said. “This demonstrates the need for unity within our tech ecosystem.”

Orlando tech has seen a relatively quick rebound from a pandemic-driven slowdown.

An interconnected effort has fueled that rebound.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THIS WEEK’S TENX TECH EVENT

Connecting with community

Tyler Reinholt, a regional representative for the human resources and benefits giant TriNet, said he attended TenX to engage closely with the tech community.

“TenX has helped me meet and connect with a lot of amazing people in the Orlando tech region,” said Reinholt, who has been helping small and medium businesses for five years. “There is a collaborative atmosphere at TenX that is sometimes difficult to find in other networking groups.”

For this Thursday, Innovate Orlando recruited four different groups to showcase, in an effort to expand the community’s understanding of what we have in the tech ecosystem.

Showcasing will be Downtown Orlando Partnership, SIM Central Florida, Full Sail University and Women in Tech and Entrepreneurship.

As the event grows, leaders meet slivers of the community who perhaps would not have known about them.

“I created Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship to tear down barriers and fuel collaboration,” said Raechel Canipe, CEO of Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship. “Events like TenX Tech unite our diverse tech community, creating spaces where affinity groups of all kinds can work together to drive remarkable innovations and build a more equitable future in technology.”

For Menon, seeing events like TenX Tech represents momentum in the tech industry.

It’s a culmination of the work that has been done in the community for several years.

Each event and group comes together to create a thriving startup and business community.

“There are a lot of positive aspects of momentum now that are all pointing in the right direction,” Menon said. “We are continuing to make noise and bringing people together and making sure those collaborations happen, that is an important function (of TenX Tech), too.”

Orlando’s MyRadar lands $650K NOAA grant to develop weapon against wildfires

Marco Santana

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August 22, 2023

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Orlando’s MyRadar lands $650K NOAA grant to develop weapon against wildfires

Orlando-based MyRadar has been given the green light by NOAA to continue to develop a satellite system that would help track, collect data on and ultimately mitigate wildfire damage around the world.

The company received a two-year, $650,000 grant to bring its project into a second phase.

MyRadar has one of the most-downloaded weather apps available, with more than 50 million downloads since its 2008 debut.

Urgency after Maui

The importance of this technology has become more widely understood after wildfires killed more than 100 people in Maui earlier this month. That represents the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years.

MyRadar’s Orbital Wildfire Resilience project will increase the availability for its consumer, business and governmental alert products.

In 2022, the company received a $150,000 grant from NOAA to fund research and development of an orbital data platform that could provide data to improve wildfire resilience.

That project will launch several satellites to gather specific data about areas that would provide insights into land and vegetation of specific regions.

The company would develop risk maps for wildlife-related damage using its network of smaller satellites in orbit, known as CubeSats.

The gathered data would be fed into the company’s applications to provide actionable information. The new grant pushes that project into the second step.

A growing Orlando startup

MyRadar, which employs 31, plans to hire during the next six to 12 months, thanks to the grant.

NOAA has been one of the more active organizations in terms of building public/private partnerships for technology advancements.

MyRadar has become one of Central Florida’s most successful mobile apps and one of the most popular weather apps on the market.

When completed, the company’s HORIS constellation will include 150 satellites that will orbit the Earth, offering global coverage and data.

“HORIS will be capable providing a full range of earth observational data sets and features, but the NOAA grant is a significant validation in the confidence of the science behind our unique approach to monitor the earth for wildfire risks,” CEO Andy Green said. “The alerting and data capabilities of the constellation should give us a really good opportunity to help save lives and mitigate the effects of wildfires in general.”