“So, what are you going to do about the alligators? You know, when you are out walking, driving, or walking the dog and the alligators chase you down the street?”
This was a real question from my future father-in-law in 2009. He lives in Los Angeles and must think that alligators in the Tampa Bay area are as prevalent here as paparazzi are in Hollywood. At first, I didn’t think about the deeper meaning behind this bizarre question.
As I became more of a leader in the region, I started to think of my why, and I kept going back to this question.
I realized that this is the external perception of Tampa Bay and Florida. We are a great place to vacation, so long as you avoid hurricane season. We are perfect for a punchline, as “Florida Man” probably just did something else that makes for a great headline. I came to the conclusion that one of the most important things that I can do is change the narrative of the Tampa Bay region that we are a place for cultivating innovation, not just alligators, hurricanes, and sensational headlines.
How do we start?
How does this community truly build itself together so the rest of the world can no longer ignore us or use us as a punchline? First, we must tout our successes. We have seen many 8 and 9 figure exits in the last 24 months, such as Tribridge and MyMatrixx. We have seen valuations in companies such as Magic Leap and Peerfit growing at exponential rates. We have seen investments in companies in order to move them to Tampa Bay, particularly by Dr. Kiran Patel. We see talent moving here to join startups, rather than looking for their first chance to cut and run.
One example is publications such as American Inno, which is now live in Tampa Bay.
By bragging about our wins, we can help uncover our unnecessarily hidden secrets. We can tell the world what we already know – the true story of how incredible it is to build and grow a business here in Tampa Bay. We should be proud of our accomplishments. We should be patting ourselves on the back that Inc. 500 rated us as a “Top-30 Place to Build a Business.” We should scream at the top of our lungs that some of the best technology behind defense, medicine, IOT, and blockchain lives in our backyard. Once we overwhelm the world with what is behind the curtain, we’ll have helped change the narrative and prove that innovation truly lives here. We will have proved that innovation thrives here.
Perhaps instead of calling a local, privately owned, billion dollar business a unicorn, we can call it an alligator. This way, when I do get chased down the street by our local alligators, I will know exactly what to do. Plus, I can honestly and properly answer my father in-law’s question.
Run zig-zag….right towards it!
About the Author:
Brian Kornfeld is President and Co-founder of Synapse Florida, creating the nexus for entrepreneurs, investors and businesses to connect with the resources they need to accelerate success and drive Florida’s economic growth.
Brian, a Tampa Bay native and accomplished CEO and founder of several startups, is the President of the USF Executive MBA Alumni Advisory Council and supports many local missions and companies as an advisor or partner. He is a Six-Sigma Black Belt, Lean Expert, and Certified Scrum Product Owner. Brian is a 2018 recipient of the prestigious Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Business Up and Comers of Tampa Bay. He is also nationally recognized in The Business Journals’ Influencers: Rising Stars as one of the top 100 business executives across the country who are having a positive impact relatively early in their careers on their companies and their communities, and who could be shaping how business gets done for years to come.
