Synapse Summit 2024 | Synapse | 28 February 2024 | Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602, USA

Join the innovation movement where enterprise leaders, entrepreneurs and early-stage investors from across Florida join forces to Connect, Catalyze, and Create. Designed to cultivate strategic opportunities and immersive experiences, accommodating a wide spectrum of engagement levels, ranging from VIPs to corporate executives. Attendees have the opportunity to disseminate their expertise through keynote addresses, workshops, and specialized programs, thereby optimizing the visibility of your brand. This platform not only amplifies your level of engagement but affords the potential to augment return on investment (ROI) through channels including forging new paths for client acquisition, assuming a more responsible position of community leadership, elevating local brand awareness, and facilitating real-time interactions with partners and stakeholders.

2024 Speakers

Shirl Penney
President and CEO, Dynasty Financial Partners

Lauren Weiner
Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, WWC Global

Andrew Koenig
CEO, City Furniture

Rhea Law
President, University of South Florida

Rachel Feinman
VP, Innovation, Tampa General Hospital

Preston Dunlap
CIO, Arkenstone Ventures

Claudia Duran
Managing Director, Endeavor Miami

Evan Leaphart
Kredit Academy

Simon Philips
President, Falcon's Beyond

Kelly Reeser
Managing Director, TechFarms Capital

Aaron Burnett
Founding CEO, Spaced Ventures

Eduardo Sotomayor
VP, Executive Director, TGH Cancer Institute, Tampa General Hospital

Bridgette Bello
CEO & Publisher, Tampa Bay Business & Wealth

Shilen Patel
Principal, Drs Kiran & Pallavi Patel Family Office

Jon Davila
President, Vu

Ebony Vaz
Founder, Black Innovation Leaders of Florida, CEO, Above Promotions

Paul Lopez
Co-founder, 11-11 Ventures

Lisa Sanders
Director for Science and Technology, USSOCOM / SOF AT&L

Thomas Stanton
Partner, Bochner PLLC

Stephanie Markese
Co-Founder, NextPath Career Partners

Gary Flowers
CIO, Year Up

Jamie Grant
CEO, RedLeif

Katie Palencsar
Partner, Anthemis - Female Innovators Lab Fund

Ernest Hooper
Chief Communications Officer, United Way Suncoast

Matthew Anderson, MD
Director, College of Medicine Obstetrics & Gynecology, USF Morsani College of Medicine

Chuck Martin
Author, Net Future Institute

Veronique Zayas
Founder, Strategy, HatchMark Studio

Doron Merdinger
Founder & CEO, Doroni Aerospace

Santh Sathya
Founder & CEO, LuftCar LLC

Brian Alvarez-Bailey
CEO & Co-Founder, Allison

Brandy Jackson
CEO, Scoutlier

Dennis Hartin
Founder, HUB International

Michelle Jewsbury
CEO, Unsilenced Voices

Usha Menon
Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health Dean, USH Health

Jordan Walker
Co-Founder, Backtrack

Amelia Fox
Chief Strategy Officer & Chief of Staff, Lutheran Services Florida

Michael Falato
CEO/Founder, Full Throttle Falato Leads

Ryan Duffy
Head of Commercial BD, Array Labs

Rose LeJiste
CEO, RL Engineering and Tech Solutions

John Wensveen
Chief Innovation Officer, Nova Southeastern University

Taylor Johnston
COO, Institute of Applied Engineering University of South Florida

Luis Novella
Founder, Tech Florida Advocates

Ora Tanner
CEO & Founder, Black Unicorn Education

Sean Borman
CEO, Aeroauto

Jim Stallings
CEO, PS27 Ventures

Mark Haywood
President, Marvelous Ways International

Pam Miniati
Co-Executive Director, Florida-Israel Business Accelerator

Steve Wilson
Chief Product Officer, Docubee

Cherise Wilks
Board Member, Black Innovation Leaders of Florida

Wes Lehman
Founder, Urban Buffalo Marketing

Eric Follstad
USCENTCOM Science Advisor, HQ, USCENTCOM

Kathy Chiu
Managing Partner, DeepWork Capital

Ryan Schneider
Co-Founder/CEO, Thrive25

Michael Wiemer
Director, USF Fintech Center, University of South Florida, Muma College of Business

Teresa Grandal
Founder & CEO, Grant-ify, LLC

Nitin Rai
Founder & Managing Partner, Elevate Capital

Trevor Clark
Founder & CEO, ShyftOff

Sammy Tuffaha
Co-Founder, Tech Florida Advocates

Martika Jones
Founder and CEO, BŪP

Brandon Taugner
Director of ITS Operations and Client Services, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority

Candace Williams
Associate Director, Cybersecurity Leadership, Raytheon, An RTX Business

Robert Hyde
Vice President of Community Impact, Suncoast Credit Union

Cordes Owen
CEO, Bake More Pies

Lauren Benbassat
COO & Co-Founder, Realm

Jeff Gigante
Next Level Brands

David Goldberg
Alpaca VC

Dan Meretsky
Ciccio Restaurant Group

Eric Knott
PDQ

Chon Nguyen
Proper House Group

Saxon Baum
Partner, Florida Funders

Jatarra Warren
Senior Manager, IT Cybersecurity, The Mosaic Company

Aaron Froug
CEO, Grifin

Taylor Villegas
CEO, Twelve Tables & Sunny Collabs

Aaron White
CEO & Co-Founder, Outbound

Wanda Eugene
DEEP Designs LLC

Roy Kirchner
CEO, Ultimate 3D Printing Services

Mike Swesey
President & CEO, St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation

Elaine Myrback
EMS Consulting

Hannes Bend
breathing.ai

Shelby Thomas
CEO/Founder

Kevin Munley
Vice President, Customer Success, KASH Tech, LLC

Brad Kugler
CEO/Co-Founder, DirectMail2.0, LLC.

Leslie Babich
Director, SOFWERX

Benjamin Pearman
COO & Lead Scientist, SynMatter LLC

Ben Sever
Phoenix Portfolio Partners

Allison Aubuchon
WellConnector

Courtney Barnard
Government Affairs Director, Verizon

Santos Martinez
Microsoft

Gary Hatfield
CEO, Serenity Village Insurance & Consulting

Brad Meriwether
Chief Marketing Officer, Vū Technologies

Storm Dickson
RN, Healthcare Engagement Consultant, Microsoft

Marlee Strawn
Head of Education and Co-Founder, Scholar Education

Dawn Haynes
CEO, StarterStudio

2024 Sponsors

PLATINUM SPONSORS:
• Duke Energy
• Florida High Tech Corridor
• Florida Polytechnic School
• FPL
• DCE Productions
• Dell Technologies

DIAMOND SPONSORS:
• JABIL
• Lee Health
• Phoenix Portfolio Partners
• Tampa General Hospital

GOLD SPONSORS:
• Bochner pllc
• Grow Financial
• Hillborough County Florida
• NextPath Career Partners
• Verizon
• Vu
• 35Mules
• Outbound.com
• University of South Florida
• Cyber Florida

SILVER SPONSORS:
• Bup
• DAS Informedia
• Docubee
• Kiteman Group
• Smart Start
• Suncoast Credit Union
• Tampa Bay Chamber
• TD Synnex

SILVER SPONSORS:
• Trenam Law
• Ultimate
• The University of Tampa

BRONZE SPONSORS:
• Adventum
• Allison
• Burr Forman llp
• Florida Funders
• Nickelytics
• NIX
• Select Florida

COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
• City National Bank
• Economic Development Corporation Sarasota County
• JP Morgan Chase & Co.
• Pinellas County
• PS27 Ventures
• RG&Co CPA's and Advisors
• Tampa Bay Economic Development Council
• Truist HH