A morning speaker series seeks to inspire and educate the community on new technologies and possibilities for the city of St. Petersburg over the next three to five years. Hosted by the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and USF St. Petersburg’s Kate Tiedemann College of Business (KTCOB), Sunny Side Up will focus on re-imagining St. Petersburg during this age of disruptive and emerging technology.
The series will explore an array of topics, including how local governments and public-private partnerships across the country are using new technology to improve education, healthcare, transportation and public services for their communities. The series will convene twice a quarter, with the first talk scheduled for January 30 featuring William Wallace, executive director of US Ignite, and the next scheduled for March 20.
“We wanted to collaborate with the Downtown Partnership to bring speakers that help the community re-imagine what the future of St. Petersburg and its economy can be,” said Sridhar Sundaram, Dean of the Kate Tiedemann College of Business. “The discussions will have much ‘food for thought’ for our audience with its focus on disruptive technologies and new opportunities.”
The first talk in the series is titled “Re-Imagine Technology.” Wallace will discuss the principles guiding the future of tech, explore recent trends in smart cities and share solutions to better connect communities. US Ignite spurs the creation of next-generation applications and services to build smarter, more connected communities from cities to rural areas.
“We are actively trying to shape the future of St. Pete through big thinking and transformational projects,” said Jason Mathis, CEO of the Downtown Partnership. ‘We’re partnering with the Kate Tiedemann College of Business on this series to spark conversations about embracing change and making purposeful choices for our shared future.”
The Sunny Side Up speaker series is open to the public. The first talk in the series takes place on January 30 at USFSP’s Lynn Pippenger Hall auditorium at 7:30 a.m. At the conclusion of the talk, there will be a special announcement of a new national collaboration starting up in the city. This new effort led by the St. Petersburg Innovation District will create opportunities to further technology exploration, foster entrepreneurial growth and connect St. Petersburg to like-minded communities around the country.
RSVP to reserve your spot by January 27.