There was a new look with new energy at STAR TEC's most recent IDEA Camp, offered in collaboration with Tampa Bay WaVE.  Held at Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College, the daylong event was targeted to early-stage web innovators who were interested in refining their business model, gaining real-time feedback on their concept and developing an effective 90-second pitch for prospects, investors, business partners and other key audiences.

"We were pleased that STAR TEC was adding a topical focus to IDEA Camp where the participants could be paired up and coached by the area's most experienced entrepreneurs in their field," says Linda Olson, CEO of Wombeat! and founder of Tampa Bay WaVE.   "Some clusters of startups like web-based ventures have unique challenges to get their ideas built and launched.  Our WaVE members have all been through that before, many of them as recently as in the last year or two, so they could provide practical, real-world advice to help these ambitious entrepreneurs build their ventures faster, smarter and cheaper with industry best practices and personal lessons learned."

To read the entire article, click here 

For more information and to register to attend, click here.

When Ana Abraham and her husband

Steve moved to New   Tampa in 2004,

she felt isolated. Having lived in Ann Arbor, Mich. for a number of years, they had known their neighborhood businesses and were a part of their community. "After moving here, I longed to feel connected to my community.  I wanted to feel like a 'regular' and wanted to make New Tampa my new home," she says about her move to the Tampa suburb.  

To read the entire article, click here    

Entrepreneurs at all stages are invited to attend the next StartUp Xchange from 8-10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 19 at Panera Bread at Feather Sound, 2285 Ulmerton Rd., Clearwater.  This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs, talent in transition, scientists, funders, innovators, technology professionals and engineers to make connections in the Tampa Bay area innovation marketplace and learn from each other and from the STAR TEC mentors whose experience can help further their idea or startup company.   

Twenty entrepreneurs attended the last StartUp Xchange at Kahwa Cafe South in St. Petersburg, which featured Mike Eitler of Blue Lion Consulting and Chris Paradies of Fowler White Boggs as mentors. 

Follow the StartUp Xchange Meetup Group here.