"Incubation is a proven economic development tool for companies in early stages, when they're particularly vulnerable," she said.
Mike Levy, founder of the Fort Lauderdale-based Open Sports Network fantasy sports community, gave the keynote address. Levy, a serial entrepreneur who started SportsLine.com during the dot-com boom, dispensed some general wisdom.
South Florida technology companies are hoping for a boost from a $250 million state investment fund designed to spur innovation. The Florida Growth Fund, an arm of the state’s pension fund, is opening its main office in Fort Lauderdale and will be investing in companies throughout the state.
“Jane just does a very masterful job,” says Mehta. “It’s a great gathering place for entrepreneurial companies.”
BlackBox moved from the Las Olas Boulevard area to the Enterprise Development Corp. (EDC) of South Florida’s technology incubator about a month ago.
Now in its 15th year, the EDC is “seeing an increase in entrepreneurial activity as many people who find themselves without work decide to start their own businesses,” said Jane Teague, the EDC’s executive director for the past five years.
"The size of Florida, combined with the diversity of its industry sectors and public institutions has made it difficult in the past for investors to uncover promising investment opportunities," Teague wrote in a letter to Skidmore.
