External Newsletter Issue 17, May 15, 2025 |
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USF CONNECT at TEDx Tampa Bay
USF CONNECT Director Shannon Pastizzo had the pleasure of attending the TEDx Tampa Bay Summit on May 2 at the Tampa Museum of Art, joined by Hillsborough County’s Jennifer Whelihan.
From inspired pre-event conversations to bold TEDx talks at the Straz Center, the evening celebrated innovation, creativity, and connection. The event featured thought-provoking speakers who challenged the audience to reimagine what’s possible—both in our communities and beyond.
As the night closed with the question, “What’s stopping you from changing the world?”, we left energized—and ready to keep moving forward.
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Congratulations USF CONNECT Beth Kerly!
Please join us in congratulating Beth Kerly, USF CONNECT’s Manager of Marketing and Communications, on being named a finalist in the Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine Women Who Win Awards!
The awards ceremony, held Friday evening at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, celebrated women making a powerful impact across the region.
While Beth didn’t take home the top honor, her recognition is a testament to the leadership, creativity, and passion she brings to USF CONNECT and the entrepreneurial community every day.
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Kairos Opportunity Forum
The USF CONNECT team—Josna Mangilipudi, Beth Kerly, Leigh West, and Andrew Zides—attended the sold-out Kairos Opportunity Forum at Vū Studios Tampa, focused on The Future of Human/AI Collaboration.
From connecting with TBTI companies and community partners to kicking off the evening with a book signing by Linda Hurtado Bond, it was a night full of energy, ideas, and possibilities. We’re proud to be part of a community driving innovation forward.
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USF CONNECT Webinar: The Rise of Social Innovation Tech
Join us for an inspiring conversation on how startups are building scalable solutions to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges—from climate change and food insecurity to clean energy.
Our facilitator is Ryan Groves a seasoned entrepreneur and educator with a rich background in technology, non-profit, and social enterprise sectors. As the Co-Founder of Slyngshot, an AI-powered business-building app, and the Head of Entrepreneurship at the Singleton Foundation, Ryan has been instrumental in launching multiple ventures aimed at supporting early-stage entrepreneurs.
What You'll Learn:
- Emerging opportunities for startups in social innovation tech
- Strategies for securing funding and scaling impactful ventures
- Insights into building solutions that address pressing global issues
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and connect with like-minded innovators. Reserve your spot today!
| | TBTI, Evolve & SII Updates | COI Energy Named Finalist at Startup World Cup During SF Climate Week | |
USF CONNECT proudly celebrates COI Energy, one of our incubator companies, for being named a finalist at the Startup World Cup regional competition held during SF Climate Week on April 23, 2025. Hosted at the 9Zero Climate Innovation Hub in San Francisco, this event spotlighted ten groundbreaking startups in energy and climate tech.
COI Energy's innovative platform focuses on eliminating energy waste in commercial and industrial buildings, thereby enhancing grid reliability and promoting energy equity. Their selection as a finalist underscores their impactful work in the cleantech sector.
While COI Energy did not advance to the Grand Finale, their recognition at such a prestigious event highlights the strength and potential of our local innovation ecosystem. We commend Pegasus Tech Ventures and all event sponsors for supporting startups that are driving sustainable solutions forward.
Congratulations to COI Energy for this well-deserved honor!
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Welcome Diana Shapiro as USF CONNECT Executive in Residence!
We are thrilled to announce that Diana Shapiro has joined USF CONNECT as an Executive in Residence, bringing a wealth of expertise in scaling early-stage biotech, AI, and digital health ventures!
Diana is a biotech trailblazer and AI strategist with a proven track record of transforming scientific innovation into real-world impact. As Founder and CEO of C-Suite Partners, she has helped numerous startups navigate formation, fundraising, regulatory pathways, and commercialization—turning early-stage chaos into commercial clarity. Diana’s leadership experience spans roles such as Interim CEO of ObesityIQ, where she is advancing AI-powered solutions in obesity care, and past executive positions with companies like Dynam.AI and PeakLogic, where she led fundraising, go-to-market, and IP commercialization efforts.
At USF CONNECT, Diana will be providing strategic mentorship, support for market development and validation, regulatory strategy, and AI scale and implementation, while helping our innovators build scalable, venture-ready companies. Diana’s expertise perfectly aligns with USF CONNECT’s mission to bridge research and industry through impactful commercialization.
Please join us in welcoming Diana to the USF CONNECT community! We are excited for the knowledge, energy, and vision she brings to help propel our initiatives and our entrepreneurs to new heights.
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Student Innovation in Action!
Student founders from the USF CONNECT Student Innovation Incubator (SII) recently pitched their ventures at TIE Tampa Bay–TiE-U’s Empowering the Next Generation: Pitch. Learn. Lead. event on April 23 at the Hillsborough County Entrepreneurship Collaborative Center.
Representing SII were:
Unique Alston (Ridely) – simplifying rideshare for college students
Alisson García Hurtado & Lazaro Vilches (Efficiency) – streamlining smart home energy solutions
A special shoutout to Mathis Fürst Haugen and Rima El Brouzi, founders of SYP (with the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship), who earned 2nd place honors!
USF CONNECT’s Josna Mangilipudi and Andrew Zides were on hand to support these incredible student entrepreneurs. It was an evening of ideas, leadership, and bold futures—and we can’t wait to see what’s next!
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USF CONNECT is excited to share a unique international opportunity: the Pavilion Floride at Viva Technology 2025—Europe’s largest startup and tech event—led by the French-American Chamber of Commerce Miami and French Tech Miami.
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2025 Florida Early Stage Venture Conference June 2-3 hosted by Florida Venture Forum at UCF.
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2025 Florida Technology & Innovation Solution Summit.
August 12 from 9:00AM to 4:00PM, at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay in Tampa, FL.
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| Never miss a training opportunity. Visit the Florida SBDC at USF calendar for ALL the remarkable free training opportunities available for your business. | | | |
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The USF Technology Transfer Office is coordinating an Academic Campus registration for BIO International in Boston this June, offering TBTI companies access to discounted registration rates. If your company is already planning to attend or cost has been a barrier, this discount could help justify sending additional team members.
For more details and to explore this opportunity click below.
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Whether you're just starting with your idea or your startup is already generating revenue, the TiE University Global Competition is for you.
Visit link below for more details and get ready to showcase your entrepreneurial spirit. The Global Finals will take place on December 3–5, 2025, as part of the TiE Global Summit. Young student entrepreneurs, don’t miss this opportunity!
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Applications for the 2025 Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge are open. DEBUT, a competition offered by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and VentureWell, offers prizes of up to $20,000 to teams of students in undergraduate biomedical education developing innovative solutions to real-world problems in healthcare.
Applications Close June 18, 2025
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Medical and healthtech startups are eligible to apply for the Startup Prize 2024 to compete for a $10K cash grand prize and investment in their company.
Deadline: June 30
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The Cade Prize for Inventivity—named after Dr. Robert Cade, lead inventor behind Gatorade—celebrates inventors and entrepreneurs, who, through an innovative invention, demonstrate a creative approach to addressing problems in their field of expertise. Finalists will be awarded a total of $100,000 in cash prizes plus in-kind legal services from intellectual property attorneys!
Application Window: May 15, 2024 – July 15, 2024
Announcement of 15 Finalists: August 15, 2024
Awards Ceremony: September 25th, 2024
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Tampa Bay Investors and Innovators Meetup
Wednesday, May 21st 6-8pm at Ferg's Sports Bar in St. Petersburg.
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Online VC Fast Pitch
Pitch & network with venture capitalists, angels and accredited investors from throughout the country at the Online VC Fast Pitch
Tuesday May 22
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The Florida Entrepreneurial Nexus is designed to facilitate collaborative connections and provide invaluable support to Florida's small business community. By leveraging existing solutions and tapping into a robust ecosystem, the Nexus will empower entrepreneurial organizations with the tools and resources they need to thrive.
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