Entrepreneur Shares Strategies to Launching and Growing a Successful Startup in Florida

(Florida) – GrowFL has just released their line-up of speakers for The CEO Forums in South Florida, Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area. The CEO Forums are a partnership program of GrowFL and The University of Tampa The John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center in Tampa Bay, Florida Atlantic University Tech Runway and Research Park at Florida Atlantic University in South Florida, The Rollins College Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship and CEO Nexus in Central Florida. This series brings together leaders of established growth-stage businesses in a confidential setting to meet and learn from CEO peers who have grown their companies into more advanced stages of business development.

Steve Schwartz who is speaking at The John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center on June 20th in Tampa Bay has been a member of the GrowFL program, including Strategic Research and CEO Roundtables since 2012. When asked about his experience with the programs, Steve commented, “GrowFL has given us a good sense of community, and has given us the right leadership and guidance to make the right decisions for our company.” Steve has also had a very rewarding experience as a roundtable participant, and remarked that it is “easier to make decisions when you can talk to someone who has been there before.”

Simon Kay, a 30-year veteran of the business aviation industry will speak at Florida Atlantic University Tech Runway on June 14th in South Florida.  His primary focus is on providing the strategy and vision that will enable ATG to be the leading manufacturer of power shade systems in the aviation industry.  In his previous role he was the Director of Completions Team for B/E Aerospace where he managed a team of sales, engineering and program management personnel, and was responsible for $15+ million in annual revenues.

Waymon Armstrong is founder and chief Executive officer of Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS) and will be speaking on June 14th in Central Florida where his firm is based. ECS defines innovation in the leading-edge field of modeling, simulation and training. Armstrong started ECS 20 years ago with a vision, a lot of passion and his personal life savings. Today the company has more than 100 employees and has expanded into private health care, transportation, energy, and other industries which triggered the opening of new markets for the greater MS&T industry, contributing to its overall growth.

The CEO Forum Agenda:
6:00pm – 6:45pm – Registration/Networking
6:45pm – 8pm – Program/Q&A
Cost: $15 per person

Upcoming Schedule:
June 14 – Central Florida – Alfond Inn, Conservatory
June 14 – South Florida – Florida Atlantic University Tech Runway
June 20 – Tampa Bay – The John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center

GrowFL’s CEO Events are designed specifically for second-stage CEOs, presidents and business owners of second-stage growth companies with $750,000 to $50 million in revenue and employing between 6 and 99 employees.

For questions, please contact Tammie Sweet at [email protected] or 407-823-0388.

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About GrowFL: GrowFL was created in 2009 to assist second-stage companies thrive in the state of Florida. GrowFL’s Strategic Research, Peer Learning and Leadership Development programs are designed to help scaleable growth companies overcome obstacles and lead them towards prosperity. Certified by the National Center for Economic Gardening through the Edward Lowe Foundation, this statewide economic development organization is a critical component to the state’s economic development strategy and Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem resources. For more information visit www.GrowFL.com.

About CFAE: The Rollins College Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship, located within the Crummer Graduate School of Business, is a catalyst and thought leader in the acceleration of successful entrepreneurship. Core to its mission is to prepare the advanced students of the Rollins MBA program for entrepreneurial thought and action. The center connects students in a meaningful way with advanced entrepreneurs, and likewise, brings together entrepreneurs for peer-to-peer networking. This results in real-world insights providing advanced action learning for both students and entrepreneurs which is critical to the Center’s success. CFAE.

About CEO Nexus: CEO Nexus is the Florida-based public-private initiative dedicated to helping second-stage CEOs take their companies to the next level. It is a collaborative effort comprised of second-stage CEOs; business-owner mentors in the third and fourth stages of growth; knowledgeable subject experts; and entrepreneur support organizations. Visit CEO Nexus.

 About FAU Tech Runway: A South Florida public-private partnership, FAU Tech Runway serves as a hub to accelerate technology development and incubate start-up companies. This incubation and acceleration happens in a 28,000-square-foot collaborative workspace that provides entrepreneurs with a complete ecosystem to house, educate, mentor and fund their companies from origination through venture funding. Since its inception in 2014, FAU Tech Runway has launched and supported 29 start-up companies, which collectively have raised over $19 million in capital, created over 239 jobs and generated over $8.3 million in sales revenue. Visit FAU Tech Runway.

About Research Park at Florida Atlantic University: The Palm Beach and Broward county commissions took the visionary step to create the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority (FARDA) in 1985, to create and sustain research parks in the two counties. The Research Park at Florida Atlantic University, with campuses in Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton, exists to provide a supportive environment in which companies engaged in the research and development of new and innovative products can thrive. Many of the essential resources necessary for the success of the Research Park’s tenants can be found in our neighbor, Florida Atlantic University. Visit FAU Research Park.

About The John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center: The John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center in the Sykes College of Business teaches skills that are critical for today’s entrepreneur. Learning to identify opportunities, prepare executable business plans and hone skills through a combination of classroom study and applied learning, makes our program unique. Entrepreneurship education is the fastest growing field of study in the United States, with entrepreneurs projected to be the group that creates vigorous and sustained economic development worldwide. Visit UT

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