1. Gulf Power Economic Symposium
Entrepreneurial Development
Growing Northwest Florida’s
Entrepreneurial Tech Ecosystem
Steve Millaway
CEO, TechFarms
Gulf Power Economic Symposium
Panama City Beach, FL
October 2-4, 2016

2. - Reduce our dependence on Military & Tourism
Why Grow Our Entrepreneurial Tech Ecosystem?
Diversify our Economy
- Reduce our dependence on Military & Tourism
Create Higher Paying Jobs
- Stimulates local economies, higher tax base
Help Attract Larger Firms
- Lack of skilled workforce deters larger firms
- A Catch-22 situation: organic growth is essential
Help Retain & Attract Talent

3. - K-12, colleges, universities, tech schools, on the job
Growing Our Entrepreneurial Tech Ecosystem
STEM Education
- K-12, colleges, universities, tech schools, on the job
Hands-on Experience & Mentoring
- Incubators, coworking & maker spaces, internships
Ideas, Inventions, Intellectual Property
- Develop closer ties with colleges & universities
- Tech transfer opportunities with regional Military facilities
Access to Capital

4. Tech Transfer Example

5. - Fund I - tech startups in Alabama, Georgia, & Florida
New Angel Fund for Northwest Florida …
Two Funds
- Fund I - tech startups in Alabama, Georgia, & Florida
- Fund II - tech startups specifically in Northwest Florida
Private Equity Firm, Limited Partnership Model
- Investors invest, managing directors manage fund
Launch Date: Nov. 1st, 2016

6. Hatching Entrepreneurs