Unleashing Innovation in Orlando

Orlando Devs

This event is designed to offer insights and guidance to startup founders facing challenges in their innovation journey.

Full Sail Building Auditorium 3B Room 106 (Entertainment Business Auditorium)

Welcome back, Innovators!Join Startup Weekend Orlando and Orlando Devs for a thought-provoking pre-event to Startup Weekend Orlando. This event is designed to offer insights and guidance to startup founders facing challenges in their innovation journey.Following our speakers, we'll have a moderated panel of local innovators, business leaders, and entrepreneurs.Hosted in the vibrant city of Orlando, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and expand your network. You'll gain valuable insights, practical advice, and inspiration to help you navigate the startup journey and overcome the challenges that come with it.Whether you're a startup founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply interested in the world of startups, this event is not to be missed. Join us for an engaging and informative evening that will leave you inspired and empowered to take on the challenges of entrepreneurship.ALL attendees of this event will receive a discount code to use for Startup Weekend Orlando tickets!

As Mayor, <a href="https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Mayor-City-Council/Buddy-Dyer/Mayor-Buddy-Dyer-Biography" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Buddy Dyer</a> has been focused on making the promise of Orlando – ensuring a great quality of life for residents and expanding opportunity for all – a reality. By choosing collaboration and unity over partisanship and division, Mayor Dyer has worked to increase partnerships between Central Florida’s government organizations, businesses, non-profit groups and residents to help shape Orlando into a vibrant, inclusive community that is focused on the future.Mayor Dyer is leading the efforts to diversify Central Florida’s economy and create a new breed of high-wage careers in cutting-edge industries like life sciences and technology. Innovation hubs have been created at Medical City in Lake Nona and in downtown’s Creative Village, a 68-acre site with the UCF Downtown, Valencia College Downtown campus and the new Orlando studio of Electronic Arts.Orlando has also become one of the best places nationally to start a business. The city’s Orlando Main Streets program is helping small businesses succeed, while offering residents unique goods, services and experiences. Recent Orlando accomplishments also include new community venues – the Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Exploria Stadium - and the renovation of Camping World Stadium. The venues have brought world-class entertainment and sporting events to the city, and even more visitors to the region.Mayor Dyer is determined to ensure that all residents are treated equally, are equally protected and have equitable access to opportunities that help them thrive. Recent City of Orlando actions to support that mission include expanding successful youth programs like the Parramore Kidz Zone and My Brother’s Keeper Orlando so academic support, mentoring and career training can be offered to more young residents. Under Mayor Dyer’s leadership, a Community Response Team was created so trained behavioral health professionals responding to some non-violent 911 calls, connecting those in need to treatment and support.Prior to being elected Mayor, he served in the Florida Senate. Mayor Dyer earned his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Brown University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida College of Law. He was born in Orlando and raised in nearby Kissimmee. Mayor Dyer is married to Susie and is the proud father of two sons, Trey and Drew, and a beloved dog, Sammie.

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/phelefante/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Phoebe</a> worked at the intersection of education and emerging technologies for nearly two decades before joining Full Sail University in 2021, where she currently serves as the Program Director for Game Design and Interactive Technology. She has worked as a Game Designer, Writer, Creative Director and Producer for a diverse array of projects, including the Games for Change sponsored Wonder City, ATLT’s math learning game The Lost Function, and Melissa Auf Der Maur’s rock album/multi-media epic “Out Of Our Minds”. Ms. Elefante founded Mastermind Media in 2003, through which she created boundary-pushing multimedia and cross-platform content for print, web, games, film, and television, including the “Tom Tooman” Alternate Reality Game, with CBS Interactive. As Department Chair for Animation &amp; Game Design at the New York Film Academy, she contributed to the design and launch of their Virtual Reality curriculum in 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and a Master of Science in Media Studies &amp; Creative Management, both from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Keynote Speaker: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rivers-33260216a/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">John Rivers</a>Following a 20-year career in healthcare, John Rivers retired as President of a billion-dollar company to pursue a lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. Opening in 2009, 4 Rivers Smokehouse quickly grew to a portfolio that includes 23 restaurants and a national retail and wholesale presence. 4 Rivers went on to be named “The South’s Best BBQ” by Southern Living and ranked the “#1 BBQ Restaurant Chain” by MSN. Born out of John’s garage, the “Barbeque Ministry” remains at the heart of the company’s mission to lift up those in need and help build better communities. The culmination of the 4R Foundation’s work, the Orlando-based 4Roots Farm serves as an Orlando icon to inspire revolutionary change in Florida’s food system through education in sustainable farming practices, advancements in agriculture technology, and research in culinary health, and the proud support of Central Florida Arts. John has been named one of the Restaurant Industry’s Power 20 Leaders by Restaurant Business &amp; News, Restauranter of the Year by Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Orlando Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful, 15 to Watch”. John had the honor of cooking at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City and was twice named a finalist for the Ernst &amp; Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. John serves on the Boards of Florida State University and the Rosen School of Hospitality at UCF. John is a member of the Florida Department of Food Security Advisory Council and the Department of Agriculture Innovation Committee and is a member of the Florida Governor’s Council of 100. John lives in Winter Park with his wife and two children and is involved in numerous school, church, and local charity organizations.

Speaker: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquesfu/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Jacques Fu</a>Jacques Fu loves solving problems by building products and bringing them to market. As the co-founder and founding CTO of Stax Payments, he was part of the first startup from Orlando to reach Unicorn status!He's thrilled about his new software startup, Senseily, where he assists individuals and businesses in creating, selling, and engaging their audience with courses, coaching, webinars, and more to grow their online ventures. He co-founded Orlando Devs, the largest developer meetup in Orlando, and The Assistance Fund, the second-largest charity in the city according to Guidestar.In addition to his work at Stax, he's a community advocate who speaks at a multitude of local events. His expertise is in product strategy and scaling out product teams and infrastructure for growth.

P﻿anelist: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidadelson/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">David</a> serves as the CEO of INNOVATE ORLANDO, a non-profit organization based in Florida dedicated to its core mission of uniting Central Florida's technology and innovation ecosystem with the aim of transforming Orlando into a global tech hub. David is a highly accomplished C-level business leader, entrepreneur, and investor, widely recognized for his expertise in brand development, customer acquisition, and relationship management within the global corporate landscape. Prior to his current role, David held the position of Founder/CEO at INTELITY, a global company that revolutionized the guest self-service experience in the hospitality industry. David has consistently demonstrated his entrepreneurial prowess, excelling in the conceptualization, execution, and delivery of top-tier services and products to a worldwide audience.

Panelist: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezekiel-brooks-551b9313/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ezekiel Brooks</a> is the Chief Technology Officer at U.S. Hunger (formerly Feeding Children Everywhere), a global nonprofit feeding families today and uniting them to a healthier tomorrow. In total, U.S. Hunger (USH) has provided over 150 million meals to families in need.Ezekiel has 30+ years of experience designing, developing, and implementing software solutions for companies in medical, entertainment, military, retail, and nonprofit organizations. He has built software solutions for Fortune 500 companies such as Disney, Sony-Ericsson, and NCR. He is now focused on fighting Hunger and Food Insecurity alongside U.S. Hunger.Ezekiel attended North Carolina State University where he studied Electrical Engineering. He has been married 27 years to his loving wife, Monica, and together they have raised 3 daughters in Central Florida.

Panelist: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandividal/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Sandi Vidal</a> is just a girl trying to change the world one day at a time. She serves as the Vice President of Community Strategies and Initiatives for the Central Florida Foundation. Within her role at the Foundation, Sandi works on a variety of initiatives including the Sustainable Development Goals, Poverty Alleviation, and Social Justice, and is the Staff Liaison for the 100 Women Strong Giving Circle. Sandi is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Business with a degree in Business Administration and a die-hard Cane in a house full of Noles. She has over 15 years of nonprofit leadership and over 20 years of Business Management experience.Sandi has a passion for public speaking, advocating for solutions to complex social issues. She is also a local Jefferson Award winner for volunteerism, and currently serves on the Nominating Committee for the League of Women Voters of Orange County, as an advisor for the Health Equity Advisory for the East Orange Regional Planning Council, is a member of Mayor Dyer’s Multicultural Board, and serves on the board of ProNet. She has worked on many projects and initiatives in the community including THRIVE, BBLI, and leads an international cohort of foundations working on the SDGs.

Panelist: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivrmenon/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Rajiv Menon</a> is an entrepreneur, speaker, and mentor. He is the Founder/CEO of Informulate, a software development and innovation consultancy that employs Lean Startup and Agile methodologies. He launched Talent4Startups.org, a free, non-profit portal for startup founders to collaborate with students and professionals, in 2014. He is also the organizer for Lean Startup Orlando and Startup Weekend Orlando. He mentors at local accelerators notably VentureScaleUp and Central Florida Social Enterprise Accelerator (aka Rally). He was the Chair of the Orlando Tech Council under the Orlando Economic Partnership.Rajiv enjoys working on challenges that intersect business and technology - validating value creation models, understanding user behavior, and spurring teams to come up with creative solutions to challenges. He helps leaders simplify business needs, build an innovative culture, and boost performance. He has worked with diverse, remote teams to deliver multi-million dollar software solutions, Digital Transformation, and culture change. He has served in a variety of technical and management roles in organizations from Fortune 500 companies to pre-funding startups that span the spectrum of scale, technology, and types of teams.

Panelist: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-white-098ba3104/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Kyle White</a> is a serial consumer packaged goods (CPG) entrepreneur, advisor, and sales executive based in Orlando,FL. Kyle co-founded Yaupon Brothers American Tea where he was able to bring the first large-scale american grown tea product to the market. He was able to help bring Yaupon Brothers to outlets such as Whole Foods, Walmart, QVC and hundreds of independent retailers. Yaupon Brothers was also a top 10 global trend for Whole Foods in 2023. Yaupon Brothers has been featured in Forbes Magazine, Bon Appetit, Men's Health, Inc Magazine, The Washington Post and Fast Company. Kyle now works for Builders+Backers. A VC studio and fund that is geared towards democratizing entrepreneurship. They do so by hosting creative events, running idea accelerator programs rooted in low- fidelity experimentation, generative AI and low-code tools, and investing from a full stack of philanthropic and investment funds. So far Builders+Backers has helped over 400 new entrepreneurs launch over 300 new ideas that are still operating today. The program currently runs in 21 states with hopes of bringing it to Orlando Kyle also ran the Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship (CFAE) at the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. The CFAE was centered around helping companies in the second stage ($1m+ in revenue) scale. Kyle advised 200+ founders while he was at the CFAE, and also served on the board of directors of the VenVelo Angel Fund and The Athena Powerlink Women's Entrepreneurship accelerator program.

Directions: The Auditorium is in Building 3, off Driggs Drive/University Park Drive past the Miller’s Ale House and the Live Venue heading south. It is in the rounded, glass-fronted building, and to the left of the reception desk once you enter building 3.

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Unleashing Innovation in Orlando

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