A burgeoning tech scene flanked by two major universities in the same city has helped usher a new generation into Tampa Bay's startup space.
We've got 11 of the region's best (and youngest) entrepreneurs, technologists and innovators below for our first ever list of Tampa Bay entrepreneurs ages 25 or under.
1. Dan Holahan (23), Customer Success Associate at Embarc Collective.
Holahan got bit by the startup bug during his time as an undergraduate in the University of Tampa.
"My community service experiences led me to understand the passion for volunteerism (which often is) parallel with the entrepreneurial spirit," he said. "(They both) rely on support organizations to reach towards success and our communities are oftentimes directly dependent on the strength of our respective support organizations. It was there — in Tampa Bay's entrepreneur support system — that I realized where I wanted to exist."
Holahan now has built the entire Embarc Collective member community from scratch, which is comprised of 100 individuals across 25 companies. He assesses the feasibility of the business model, the ability for Embarc Collective to support the prospective company and ultimately determines whether the company will be a good fit with the overall community.
"It’s been incredible building individual relationships with each member, and it’s powerful to see the progress each startup is making," he said.
2. Ingrid Harb (25), founder of both Women Ambassadors Forum and Aligned Creative Agency.
She has long had the entrepreneurial spirit. At 6 years old, she began selling her friends candy during sleepovers. At 13, she created her own jewelry and sold it at school. And at 19, while she was a student at Trinity University in San Antonio, she founded the Women Ambassadors Forum. The company, started in 2015, helps "rebuild women to go beyond: beyond statistics, doubt and fear." The platform has women from more than 150 countries and launched more than 10 five day programs, one-day summits and online webinars.
Harb realized a majority of the women she was working with at the Women Ambassadors Forum wanted to start their own business, so in 2019 she founded Aligned Creative Agency. The digital agency helps women create their brand before even launching the company, working on branding, strategy and website design.
"My story can inspire others to start young and never let anyone tell you that your are not experienced enough or smart enough to accomplish your goal," she said. "I have been able to find my purpose and I want to share how I was able to do this with others."
3. Alicia Waldner, (23), co-founder of ADventure Marketing, has a team of young entrepreneurs alongside her. 4. Zach Gresham, (23), co-founder, 5. Nate Hilt, (23), 6. Samantha Pacheco, (23), SEO strategist, creative director and 7. Julianna Yost, (21), graphic designer.
The company is stacked with young talent by design: when Waldner was an intern at a local marketing firm and then ultimately did not get a job offer, she bootstrapped her own business.
"We concentrate on hiring only those that are in college or have recently graduated,she said. "They must be hungry, coachable and passionate for marketing."
The interns undergo a three-month program and upon successful completion, become part-time employees with the hope of eventually pivoting to full-time.
"I want to bridge the gap from college student to employee, and it’s working," Waldner said.
ADventure Marketing is a digital marketing firm that helps clients boost their brand with video production, photography, social media ad management and custom-tailored landing pages/website design. The company has already racked up several high-profile companies, including Armature Works, University of Tampa and Powerhouse Gyms.
8. Andrew Michael Nguyen, (24), blockchain development lead at Pocket Network.
The company that aims to decentralize network for apps to run "full nodes," or any computer that connects to a bitcoin network.
Pocket Network, which was founded in 2017, has already been backed by many of the heavy hitters in Tampa Bay: it is one of the early partners of Embarc Collective, it is housed in the Blockspaces blockchain incubator and Florida Funders have filled the business' pockets. It also caught the attention of the national Rise of the Rest tour, which visited Tampa Bay in May.
The company raised a first seed round of $750,000, which was in large part from local Florida Funders. It also won two blockchain grants, from the Tezos Foundation and Aion Network, respectfully. It is currently in the process of closing a Series A round with funding from international venture capital firms, syndicates and local angels.
9. Jonathan Truong, (25), co-founder of Verapy.
After having meningitis at 7 years old and a stroke at 9, Truong began a journey of sustaining injuries and physical therapy.
"While I completed my therapies, I wished there was a way to keep me motivated through each difficult and challenging rehabilitation process," Truong said.
He and his co-founder created Verapy, which is virtual reality "games" that help patients improve their mobility. Verapy software is able to target shoulders, wrists and elbows, as well as the neck and lower extremities. The software is now in six clinics.
Verapy is a part of the Tampa Bay Wave Accelerator and the University of Tampa Accelerator programs. They were chosen as the best AR/VR speed pitch at SXSW 2019 and selected as a Top 100 Startup Semifinalist from Startup of the Year 2019.
10. Bo Starr, (24), 11. Aaron Froug, (25), co-founders of Grifin.
The pair met as students at the University of Florida and were looking to create an investment-related product for young people. After Froug and his sister went to Starbucks and Froug's sister mentioned, "We should really own stock for as much we spend here," Grifin was born.
Grifin is also an early member of Embarc Collective, as well as engrained in the startup community: it was a finalist for a UF pitch competition and snagged a win at a University of South Florida pitch competition. The company raised $510,000 in a pre-seed round with eyes on a Series A seed.
"We’re helping people build a positive relationship with money from a younger age," Starr said. "Not only are we under 25, but the people we’re trying to help are also under 25. We believe that if we can create positive change at a younger age, our generation will be much better off than previous ones."
