"For a speaker delivering a virtual talk, the ability to create a discrete and unique virtual experience, not merely copy and paste offline talks online, can make or break everything. Virtual events are a different experience for attendees, so naturally, the talk must be a different experience for speakers to craft and deliver."

— Jay Acunzo on virtual events: what changes and how to find/be a great virtual speaker

Featured Growth Story: Rico Smith

Role: Lead Field Engineer

Organization: StemRad

Hometown: Tampa, FL

Tactical advice on building a startup: My good friend and COO of StemRad, Jack Ross, once told me, “to be successful in a startup you should never confine yourself to just one role, and we are all in this together.”

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Navigating an Unpredictable Economy
Webinar Presentation from Entrepreneurs, Investors and Finance Professionals
Presented by 500 Startups and Oracle for Startups
Tuesday, April 21 at 10:30AM PT


SaaStr Summit: Bridging the Gap
Virtual Global Event with Presentations from SaaS Leaders and Experts
Presented by SaaStr
Wednesday, April 22 at 12PM ET


Adapting and Evolving Your Events in an Ever-Changing World
Online Panel Discussion with Event Professionals and Industry Professionals
Presented by Cvent
Thursday, April 23 at 2PM ET


Produce Your Own Podcast with Jay Clouse
Virtual Workshop on Top Podcast Tools and Podcast Production
Presented by CreativeMornings
Friday, April 24 at 11AM ET

Local Banker, Entrepreneur Smooth Small Business Loan Process Under COVID-19 Stimulus
St. Pete Catalyst • Reuben Pressman, CEO of St.Petersburg-based software startup Presence, describes his experience working with Bank OZK to help navigate the Paycheck Protection Program loan application. With the help of Bank OZK, Pressman said it took three days from the time he applied for funding to be issued.


Tampa and St. Pete Launch Relief Funds for Small Businesses, Residents
TBBJ • The City of Tampa and St. Petersburg both announced earlier this week that it will provide a relief fund for residents and small businesses affected by COVID-19. St. Petersburg's fund has expanded to support business owners who live outside of the city.


PikMyKid Proposes Using its Technology to Speed Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing
St. Pete Catalyst • Tampa-based startup PikMyKid has proposed using the technology behind its school safety systems to make drive-thru testing for COVID-19 faster, safer and more efficient. The company wants to develop a DriveThruTest application that builds on its core carline automation technology.

Startups supported by Embarc Collective are seeking interns to join their teams. Check out our list of available internships for students with relevant skills/experience and skilled professionals looking to be a part of a startup.

Open Internships

Leading a Rockstar Virtual Event with Ally Gannon and Kyley Hagan of Synapse
Effective virtual events provide a platform for the broader community to connect beyond physical location and allows your company the opportunity to establish a reputable brand by developing content around thought leadership. To better understand how to host a rockstar virtual event, we interviewed Kyley Hagan, Community Manager, and Ally Gannon, Marketing Director, of Synapse. In this resource, they share key elements to focus on in the planning stages, how to market your webinar and ways to keep your audience engaged to minimize drop-off rate.


The Ultimate Guide to Zoom Virtual Events
If you're hosting a virtual event for the first time, there are a lot of unknowns to navigate from planning webinar content to using tools to help you carry out the event. In this comprehensive guide, Alexa Kutler walks through how to set up a successful event using Zoom. She lays out how to send your registration link, the video and audio setup best for recording, how to structure your event with a detailed play-by-play and a few tips to help you close out the event.

Events of The Future: How to Plan a Virtual Event
In this episode from the Endless Events podcast, host Brandt Krueger and Will Curran chat with Lori Pugh Marcum of Meeting Professionals International, the world's largest meeting planner and event planner industry association. She discusses the evolution of virtual events and how they have changed because of COVID-19.

Listen Here

2020 Startup of the Year Application
Startup of the Year has opened applications for Startup of the Year. The global competition will take place online with spring/summer virtual pitches. Startups that have a working beta product or service and have raised less than $5M in funding are encouraged to apply. Past prizes for winners have included up to $100K in investments, virtual mentor sessions, access to accelerators and more.
Deadline: April 30
Apply Here


COVID-19 Support from Hello Alice
Hello Alice, with the support of Verizon, Silicon Valley Bank, eBay, and others, is offering $10,000 emergency grants to be distributed immediately to small business owners impacted by this pandemic. If your business has been severely impacted by COVID-19, you are encouraged to apply. Additionally, Hello Alice has set up the COVID-19 Business Resource Center to help you source additional financial support, find resources and programs specific to where you live, learn how to pivot your small business and more.
Deadline: Not Specified
Apply Here


GuideWell COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative Applications
GuideWell is launching the COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative to identify and support solutions that can immediately increase the scope and scale of resources aimed at reducing the complex stress factors COVID-19 is bringing to bear on the U.S. health system. Participating companies will receive non-dilutive award funding to validate your solution’s impact and the opportunity to partner with GuideWell and other health care partners.
Deadline: May 8
Apply Here