News and Events
September 08, 2010
Applicants Sought for 2011 Florida Companies to Watch
Growing second-stage businesses statewide have the opportunity to join an elite group of nationally recognized companies as part of Florida Companies to Watch, an awards program that celebrates second-stage companies throughout the state of Florida. Florida Companies to Watch is presented by GrowFL and the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation. Sponsors for the event include the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Florida Business Incubation Association and the University of Central Florida.
Companies to Watch is a unique awards program developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation to honor second-stage companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace, exhibit innovative products or processes, or otherwise make those companies “worth watching.” Companies to Watch operates statewide in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and the northeastern region of California.
To be eligible for the award, a company must be a privately held, commercial enterprise that is currently in a stage of growth and past the start-up phase. Qualifying companies must also be headquartered in the state of Florida, employ between six and 99 employees, and have between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue. Companies in all industries are invited to apply.
Companies may apply directly to the program, and professionals who work with qualifying companies such as attorneys, accountants, bankers, public relations representatives and economic development professionals are also encouraged to nominate businesses they believe should be recognized. The deadline to nominate a second-stage company is September 17, 2010. All companies vying for the award must submit an application, which will be accepted until October 8, 2010.
The companies selected as 2011 Florida Companies to Watch will be recognized at a special ceremony set for Thursday, February 17, 2011 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.florida.companiestowatch.org or call Christa Santos at 407-882-1576.
September 08, 2010
JMI to Host Entrepreneurship Week Sept. 20-24
The Florida State University College of Business and the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship will host the Fourth Annual Entrepreneurship Week (E-Week) September 20-24, 2010. Events held throughout the week will provide students with the opportunity to network with other students who share a desire to one-day be their own boss.
“Innovation and new business creation is the engine of economic development that fuels job creation and growth in our community and beyond," said Dr. Tim R. Holcomb, executive director of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship in the Florida State University College of Business. "The Jim Moran Institute designed Entrepreneurship Week to be a celebration of entrepreneurship across the campus. Students are encouraged to embrace imagination and creativity and to think of innovation as a vehicle that can take them anywhere. Our goal is to inspire students to think beyond geographic and socioeconomic boundaries and reach for creative solutions with meaningful and lasting impacts.”
These events also feature one-on-one and group discussions with successful entrepreneurs and experienced business leaders from the local community. For more information about the Jim Moran Institute Entrepreneurship Week and events scheduled, visit www.jmi.fsu.edu. To register a team to compete for $1,500 in prize money in the Jim Moran Institute Challenge, please contact JimMoranInstitute@fsu.edu or (850) 644-3372. Registration is open to all students.
September 08, 2010
LearnSomethng Makes Inc. 5,000 List
Tallahassee-based LearnSomething was one of 261 Florida companies to make the latest "fastest growing private companies" list by Inc. Magazine. Inc.'s list measures revenue growth from 2006 through 2009. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by June 30, 2006, and be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent.
Companies that made the list with a presence in Tallahassee include:
Carlton Fields
Tropical Smoothie Café
Greenberg Traurig
Akerman Senterfitt
