Bianca Peynado

1.61 is known as the golden ratio — naturalists claim it is the most efficient ratio for growth to occur. Inspired by the ratio, we are building a community for startups to grow organically and efficiently. Pablo Casilimas and Justis Mendez met at the University of Florida in 2016, where they recognized a significant gap in early-stage capital across Florida. Despite UF’s robust talent pool—over 60,000 students and 13,000 engineers—resources for learning how to build startups and secure funding were scarce. Witnessing many talented peers leave the state to pursue their ventures elsewhere, they took action by hosting meetups, workshops, and roundtables to strengthen the local startup ecosystem and support founders. By 2020, OneSixOne had become the hub for the largest startup events between Orlando and Atlanta. When the pandemic shifted the world to virtual, they adapted by launching a Zoom-based accelerator, helping 40+ startups raise over $13M in just two years, with one startup being acquired. In February 2022, OneSixOne Ventures launched its flagship fund, focusing on early-stage startups in AI and cloud infrastructure, dual-use technology, and standout founders across industries. Today, OneSixOne Ventures manages over $3M in assets with a portfolio of 15+ active companies. The firm continues to build communities through curated events, hosting 150+ gatherings across 8 cities and connecting over 6,000 founders, tech leaders, and investors.

Embarc Collective, a globally recognized 501c3 ranked as the top startup platform in North America by UBI Global, is a central landing zone for the most driven startup builders in Florida and contributes almost $200M annually in wages and growth capital to Floridas economy. We understand that growth isn’t one-size-fits-all. Neither is our support. Our team meets you where you are and evolves alongside you with a startup platform includes: 1) on-demand coaching and mentorship in business model design, customer discovery and growth, innovation and design thinking, PR and media relations, product engineering and development, fundraising and investor relations, talent strategy and acquisition, and leadership development from talented experts and successful startup operators; 2) curated programming and access to an constantly-growing repository of startup resources and frameworks; 3) membership in a community of driven startup builders with a shared mission to solve meaningful problems for large markets and scale rapidly; and 4) access to corporates for customer validation and industry expertise, to universities for access to talent and technology (IP), and to investors for early-stage funding to launch and scaled the business, all amongst a peer community of more than 275 founders of 135+ early-stage tech startups and growth companies operating within our 32,000-square-foot startup hub in downtown Tampa. As the leading platform for early stage tech startups and growth companies, Embarc Collective helps accelerate Florida’s startup and innovation economy, hosting 300+ events that draw 10,000+ participants each year into conversations about entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation. Annually, more than 18,000 professionals visit for meetings with Embarc Collective member-companies. For more information about Embarc Collective, to join our community of early-stage tech startups and growth companies, or to host an event, please visit https://embarccollective.com/.

Our mission is to provide youth organizations around the world the help they need in order to positively influence the lives of children. We accomplish this by helping open their minds to new experiences, inspiring and motivating them, providing facilities that help support nourishment and enrichment, and by giving them hope that they truly matter in the world and can make a difference.

Florida has all the right elements for a thriving innovation ecosystem and a growing community of “ecosystem builders” – tech hubs, incubators, accelerators, higher-education-based programs, and nonprofits – developing initiatives to support the growth of new businesses across the state. However, there is limited connectivity between and among these organizations. Too many innovators rely on serendipity to find ecosystem builders they need or to even share what they have. But serendipity doesn’t scale; that’s why we created Synapse. MISSION: Our mission at Synapse is to connect and catalyze Florida’s vibrant and diverse innovation ecosystem to drive economic growth and social impact. A 501c(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 with the launch of our flagship event, Synapse has become synonymous with Florida’s staggering growth and innovation across industries and technologies by bringing together enterprise innovation leaders, startup entrepreneurs, investors, and resources to accelerate the growth of innovation in Florida. Synapse knows that true collaboration breeds stronger communities that benefit the entire ecosystem. Synapse brings it all together - fostering innovation and making a profound impact through programs that: - Creates spaces that connect the ecosystem in a way that maximizes opportunities for growth.  - Provides greater visibility and access to essentials that facilitate innovation: Resources, Talent, Investors, and Corporations. - Expands the definition of innovation as more than tech. - Integrates traditional siloes of industry, persona, and geography.

spARK Labs by ARK Invest strives to be Florida’s leading hub for disruptive innovation, where visionary founders and startups gain access to the Capital, Customers, and Community they need to build transformative companies. Powered by ARK Invest’s world-class research and expertise across Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Energy Storage, Blockchain & Digital Assets, and Multiomics, spARK Labs brings together entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, universities, and public-sector partners to accelerate breakthrough technologies. Supported by the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, and in collaboration with local organizations, businesses, and civic leaders, spARK Labs leverages the unique strengths of the Tampa Bay region to help build companies that shape the future and drive lasting economic impact.

1.61 is known as the golden ratio — naturalists claim it is the most efficient ratio for growth to occur. Inspired by the ratio, we are building a community for startups to grow organically and efficiently. Pablo Casilimas and Justis Mendez met at the University of Florida in 2016, where they recognized a significant gap in early-stage capital across Florida. Despite UF’s robust talent pool—over 60,000 students and 13,000 engineers—resources for learning how to build startups and secure funding were scarce. Witnessing many talented peers leave the state to pursue their ventures elsewhere, they took action by hosting meetups, workshops, and roundtables to strengthen the local startup ecosystem and support founders. By 2020, OneSixOne had become the hub for the largest startup events between Orlando and Atlanta. When the pandemic shifted the world to virtual, they adapted by launching a Zoom-based accelerator, helping 40+ startups raise over $13M in just two years, with one startup being acquired. In February 2022, OneSixOne Ventures launched its flagship fund, focusing on early-stage startups in AI and cloud infrastructure, dual-use technology, and standout founders across industries. Today, OneSixOne Ventures manages over $3M in assets with a portfolio of 15+ active companies. The firm continues to build communities through curated events, hosting 150+ gatherings across 8 cities and connecting over 6,000 founders, tech leaders, and investors.

Embarc Collective, a globally recognized 501c3 ranked as the top startup platform in North America by UBI Global, is a central landing zone for the most driven startup builders in Florida and contributes almost $200M annually in wages and growth capital to Floridas economy. We understand that growth isn’t one-size-fits-all. Neither is our support. Our team meets you where you are and evolves alongside you with a startup platform includes: 1) on-demand coaching and mentorship in business model design, customer discovery and growth, innovation and design thinking, PR and media relations, product engineering and development, fundraising and investor relations, talent strategy and acquisition, and leadership development from talented experts and successful startup operators; 2) curated programming and access to an constantly-growing repository of startup resources and frameworks; 3) membership in a community of driven startup builders with a shared mission to solve meaningful problems for large markets and scale rapidly; and 4) access to corporates for customer validation and industry expertise, to universities for access to talent and technology (IP), and to investors for early-stage funding to launch and scaled the business, all amongst a peer community of more than 275 founders of 135+ early-stage tech startups and growth companies operating within our 32,000-square-foot startup hub in downtown Tampa. As the leading platform for early stage tech startups and growth companies, Embarc Collective helps accelerate Florida’s startup and innovation economy, hosting 300+ events that draw 10,000+ participants each year into conversations about entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation. Annually, more than 18,000 professionals visit for meetings with Embarc Collective member-companies. For more information about Embarc Collective, to join our community of early-stage tech startups and growth companies, or to host an event, please visit https://embarccollective.com/.

Citis mission is to serve as a trusted partner to our clients by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress. Our core activities are safeguarding assets, lending money, making payments and accessing the capital markets on behalf of our clients. We have over 200 years of experience helping our clients meet the worlds toughest challenges and embrace its greatest opportunities. We are Citi, the global bank – an institution connecting millions of people across hundreds of countries and cities. For information on Citi’s commitment to privacy, visit on.citi/privacy.

Our mission is to provide youth organizations around the world the help they need in order to positively influence the lives of children. We accomplish this by helping open their minds to new experiences, inspiring and motivating them, providing facilities that help support nourishment and enrichment, and by giving them hope that they truly matter in the world and can make a difference.