1st Quarter 2009

TRDA Helps Clean-Energy Company Take Center Stage at National Forum

In early 2008, TRDA Energy Program Manager Ryan Greenough began canvassing the southeastern United States in search of companies developing tomorrow's alternative energy sources. His goal – to help at least one advance to the Industry Growth Forum, the largest venture event focused solely on companies developing clean-energy products.
That search paid off when Greenough discovered Climax Global Energy, an early-stage, alternative energy company in South Carolina.

“Climax developed patented technology to convert low-value waste – such as plastics, oils and biomass – into high-value oils, transportation fuels and industrial petrochemicals which can be sold to refineries,” Greenough said. “I knew the company would be a perfect fit for the Forum.”

Sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Industry Growth Forum allows start-up clean energy companies, venture capitalists and senior business executives to share business growth strategies and form strategic business partnerships.

Seeing the company’s potential, Greenough rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He helped Climax prepare a Forum application in the “seed and early-venture category.” Shortly thereafter, the company was selected as one of 35 U.S. companies to present at the prestigious event, which took place in Denver in October 2008. The event attracted more than 500 investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and policymakers.

“It was so exciting to see this small start-up company get such prominent national exposure,” Greenough said. “And knowing we played a part in making that happen is very rewarding.”

The search for potential Forum participants was part of the TRDA’s Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) initiative with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide assistance to small, clean-energy businesses in rural regions of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. In addition to Forum recruitment, the RBOG initiative also provides these companies with valuable technical assistance to help them solve engineering-related issues.

“Qualified companies in these four states can receive up to 40 hours of free assistance from some of the best engineers and scientists working in U.S. based aerospace companies, technology corporations, and universities,” Greenough said. “So far, six companies have taken advantage of the service, but there is room for 10 more requests.”

For more information on the TRDA’s RBOG initiative or other energy programs, contact Ryan Greenough at ryan@trda.org or visit www.trda.org.

Teacher Quest expands to Tampa Bay for special three-year pilot program

And the quest continues for Florida teachers!  Helios Education Foundation recently awarded the TRDA with a $314,000 grant to extend its highly successful Teacher Quest program to the Tampa Bay area for the next three years.  The extension has the potential of positively impacting thousands of students in the region.

TRDA’s Teacher Quest initiative is a multi-week, paid summer professional development program in which K-12 teachers go to work at select science- and technology-based businesses in Florida.  Teachers gain valuable industry knowledge and take it back to the classroom to expose students to potential career pathways and to develop lessons that make science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies more exciting and challenging for students.

The Tampa Bay pilot program of Teacher Quest will operate a little differently.  It will only take place during the summers of 2009, 2010 and 2011; and will be limited strictly to 6th through 8th grade science, math and technology teachers working in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk and Manatee Counties.  Teachers will work for six-week periods.  Finally, the program will include additional professional development workshops for teachers and provide competitive mini-grants that teachers can use to enhance their units of study.

“Supporting the Tampa Bay program will help strengthen teacher professional development in math and science and potentially reach 6,000 students,” said Paul Luna, president and chief executive officer of Helios Education Foundation, the largest nonprofit organization serving Arizona and Florida focused solely on education.  “We are excited about sparking student interest in the science, technology, engineering and math fields by connecting classroom experiences to real-world applications.”

Currently, the TRDA is recruiting businesses to serve as sponsors of the Tampa Bay program during summer 2009.  Participating businesses benefit by integrating a motivated, temporary education professional into their workforce during the summer months at a fraction of the actual cost.  All teachers are screened, hired and paid as temporary employees of TRDA, thereby alleviating any hands-on administrative duties for the sponsor business.

“This is a turn-key solution for businesses to participate in the education process and impact the future workforce,” said Diane Matthews, TRDA’s education director.  

Targeted businesses for summer of 2009 include companies in the following sectors:  agritechnology, biotechnology, energy, finance, high-tech manufacturing and information technology.

For more information on becoming a sponsor for the Tampa Bay Teacher Quest pilot program, contact Diane Matthews at dmatthews@trda.org or call (866) 263-9564, ext. 106.

TRDA selects 22 Florida Technology Companies for New DoD Commercialization Assistance Program

In October, the TRDA selected 22 Florida technology businesses to participate in the agency’s new Department of Defense (DoD) Commercialization Assistance Program. Under this initiative, participant companies will receive specialized business and technical assistance to better connect their products with potential government and industry-wide customers.

The TRDA DoD Commercialization Assistance Program focuses on Defense Department Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant recipients, mentors them on key business strategy decisions and commercialization tasks, and then prepares them for a technology showcase taking place in Spring 2009.

"There was great interest in this project from around the state," said TRDA's SBIR Commercialization Manager Bernie Zuzo. "It's a unique opportunity to receive hands-on assistance with technology marketing to industrial and federal markets, prepare technical marketing materials, identify market segments and share their products, investments or licensing opportunities with potential investors and strategic partners."

The 22 Florida companies represent the biotechnology, energy, communications, materials, sensors, lasers and information technology sectors. The full list includes the following:


TRDA is collaborating with the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce to mirror Florida program activities in New York. In October, the Chamber identified 27 New York-based, DoD SBIR recipients to help with company growth and technology commercialization needs.

For more information on this program, contact Bernie Zuzo at 321-872-1050, ext. 108 or via e-mail at bzuzo@trda.org.

Roadmap to Success workshop continues to mold successful start-up companies

Since spring 2007, the TRDA Business Innovation Center has conducted Roadmap to Success, a six-week workshop dedicated to helping promising entrepreneurs with all aspects of planning, starting and expanding a business. In November 2008, the TRDA completed one of its largest and most successful installments of this workshop, distributing certificates of completion to 14 entrepreneurs representing 10 different companies.

“The workshop poses all the annoying questions that must be answered in order for a business to be successful”, said TRDA Executive Director Chester Straub, Jr. “It is intensive and there are outside assignments. But, we know from experience that it lays the foundation for a successful business.”

The 14 entrepreneurs represented a broad spectrum of high-tech and service- related concepts—from optical cancer detection to recycling animal waste to improving golf a swing.

One participant, Erick Moody, said the workshop far exceeded his expectations.

“I was certain I knew everything I needed to know and that my vision was clear. Boy, was I wrong,” said Moody, president of Moving Target, Inc. in St. Petersburg. His company develops interactive, Web-based television shows and delivers them through their video portal, DyneTV.com. “The constant admonishment to focus, hone the financials, develop a coherent and sensible message, and to polish that message to a fine sheen was invaluable.”

Other companies completing the workshop in November 2008 include the following:

3.2.1PUTT produces a highly-effective, personal golf putting training system for golfers of all skill levels.

Aerospace Technologies, Inc. uses its industry expertise and associations to market excess uplift capacity on commercial launch vehicles. This excess capacity can be used to launch small payloads less than 2,400 lbs. into Earth orbit or to the Moon.

FishBid, Inc. is launching an online auction system that allows fishermen anywhere in the world to sell their catches directly to wholesalers and supermarkets.

OEMS LLC offers clients technology consultancy services to increase levels of success with new product development, supply chain management and manufacturing.

Pulse Imaging, Inc. is developing an optical tomography system that will aid in early detection of small tumors. The real-time, non-invasive diagnostic technology system uses an ultra-short pulse laser to unveil three-dimensional skin tissue views.

Syed Murshid (a Spin Off company from the Florida Institute of Technology) has a patented technique that can significantly increase optical fiber communications bandwidth.

Telemedicine & Telehealth Technologies specializes in the integration of high-tech health equipment and establishing telemedicine programs for the medical community.

Sigarca, Inc. uses a patented waste-to-energy solution that produces renewable energy and biofertilizer byproducts from horse muck.

Tom Gorsuch is a provider of professional, commercial painting services.

TRDA will host three new sessions of the Roadmap to Success workshop series in 2009. Classes are set to begin on Feb. 18, May 20 and Oct. 14. The workshop is a pre-requisite to be considered for tenancy at the TRDA Business Innovation Center in Melbourne, Fla.

For more information on the workshop and other TRDA business development services, contact Bonnie O’Regan at boregan@trda.org or visit www.trda.org.

Business Innovation Center: Upcoming Events, Q1 2009

January

Jan. 16, 2009
CEO Roundtable
"Debt Financing”
Gordon Tunstall, President, Tunstall Consulting
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

February

Feb. 5, 2009
Procurement Technical Assistance Center
Small Business Development Center Government Workshop Series
“Introduction to Federal Government Procurement: Where Do I Start?”
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Feb. 6, 2009
S.O.S. for Women Entrepreneurs
"Communication Skills in the Workplace"
Sherry Acanfora, President,  Facets
1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 12, 2009
Procurement Technical Assistance Center
Small Business Development Center Government Workshop Series
“GSA and Multiple Award Schedules”
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Feb. 18, 2009
Roadmap to Success Workshop
Feb. 18 – Mar. 25, 2009
7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Wednesdays

Feb. 19, 2009
Procurement Technical Assistance Center
Small Business Development Center Government Workshop Series
“Subcontracting and Teaming”
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Feb. 20, 2009
CEO Roundtable
”How to Grow your Business in the Recession”
Brian Quintec, Quintec Capital
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Feb. 26, 2009
Procurement Technical Assistance Center
Small Business Development Center Government Workshop Series
"Bids & Proposals”
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.