The 5 Hottest Events at Tampa Bay Startup Week

Despite all the individual glory, startups are nothing without their ecosystems. From mentor advice to VC funding, even the likes of Uber and Snapchat needed help from their environment to make it to the top. And while entrepreneurs tend to play the lone wolf pretty well, a little help can go a long way, which is why Startup Weeks have been such a huge success.

This week at Tampa Bay Startup Week powered by Chase for Business, hungry startups, thriving entrepreneurs, and interested investors will head to this warm Florida paradise to make connections, trade secrets, and learn more about the startup world than anywhere else. They’ll be treated to informative workshops, mentoring sessions, and celebrity talks that will make the entrepreneurial hairs on the back of their neck stand on end. Plus, with beautiful beaches, delicious food, and enough pirate lore to make your inner child jump for joy, this week will be nothing short of breathtaking.

Additionally, Chase Basecamp, the hub for Startup Week activities for Tampa Bay Startup Week, will be held across two locations this year. First, Basecamp will be held at the Rialto Theater in Tampa from Monday, Feb. 13 through Wednesday, Feb. 15. Then, the festivities will move to the Station House in St. Petersburg the remaining days on Thursday, Feb. 16 and Friday, Feb. 17.

However, with so many events on the schedule, it can be hard to decide what to pick. Fortunately, we’ve put together a must-see list of talks and workshops for each day to get your started.

Monday, February 13th Tampa Bay Startup Showcase

The Startup Showcase will take place on Day 1 (Feb 13th) of Startup Week at the Rialto from 5pm – 6:30pm. Around 20 local companies will be showcasing and all attendees will have the chance to learn more about the amazing startups in your community! Then stick around for the Official Kick Off Party where lead organizers, along with Mayor of Tampa Bob Buckhorn, will say a few words to start the party.

Tuesday, February 14thWhite House’s New International Entrepreneurs Rule

In early 2017, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced their final version of their International Entrepreneurship Rule, which will allow the brightest entrepreneurs from across the globe to grow their companies and innovate in the U.S. to boost the American economy. Join FWD.us to learn about the White House's International Entrepreneurship Rule and join our work in advancing common sense immigration reform solutions. You can also attend the Bootstrapped without being Strapped panel and read up on the latest advice on Tech.Co.

Wednesday February 15thHow to Impact Your Startup Community with Brad Feld

Cofounder of Techstars Brad Feld will be Skyping into The Hip Room, next door to Chase Basecamp, to speak about how you can impact your startup community and how the community can support you back. Also, don’t forget to get a free professional headshot at Chase Basecamp.

Thursday February 16thCreating Big Value with Big Data… The Role of Consumer Measurements

This session highlights why measurement will play an integral part in understanding and driving consumer demand for connected devices, and discusses some of the issues and challenges that need to be overcome before the true value proposition of the Internet of Things will be realized.

Friday February 17thFive Steps to Use Diversity & Inclusion to Improve Your Bottom Line

Walk away from this session with five ways to be a diversity leader in your startup & examples of how it’s impacted the bottom line of businesses. Learn how to hire, retain, evaluate pay, offer flexible benefits, and build a diverse board and/or create a diverse mentoring program for your company’s diversity efforts. Then you can close out the week at the Official Startup Week Finale Block Party with Mayor of St. Petersburg Rick Kriseman and lead organizers.

Tampa Bay Startup Week

If you’re interested in attending the Tampa Bay Startup Week festivities, check out this link to attend. You won’t want to miss out on all the entrepreneurial spirit flowing through this beautiful Florida city from February 13th to February 17th.

chase for businessThis article is part of a Startup Week content series brought to you by CHASE for BUSINESS. Startup Week is celebration of entrepreneurs in cities around the globe. CHASE for BUSINESSis everything a business needs in one place, from expert advice to valuable products and services. Find business news, stories, insights and expert tips all in one place at Chase.com/forbusiness. Read the rest of our Startup Week series.

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Written by:
Conor is the Lead Writer for Tech.co. For the last six years, he’s covered everything from tech news and product reviews to digital marketing trends and business tech innovations. He's written guest posts for the likes of Forbes, Chase, WeWork, and many others, covering tech trends, business resources, and everything in between. He's also participated in events for SXSW, Tech in Motion, and General Assembly, to name a few. He also cannot pronounce the word "colloquially" correctly. You can email Conor at conor@tech.co.
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