Events

Souper Tuesday- Trudy & Stewart Moon, Building A Business & A Family Legacy

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Making a family business a family legacy requires planning, preparation, and a thorough examination of the unique issues that encompasses the family’s goals and internal dynamics. Some successful planning strategies can be applied to nearly any situation and Trudy and Stewart Moon Jr. will reveal to us their insights and experiences as to what works and what doesn’t.

Can you give family members a reason to continue the family business before lack of interest dooms it to closure? Is there enough revenue potential to attract and retain family members that may want a different lifestyle? Can the business change or expand its geography to keep family members that may want or need to move to a different area? Have family members been given the freedom to try new services or products to make it their own before feeling alienated? If a business is to stay in the family, these issues and others need to be thought about carefully to preserve its positive legacy for the family.

The Moon family has enjoyed a long and active history of serving our community and forming rewarding connections with neighbors, customers and each other. They live, work and play here, so making Manatee County a better place for everyone is deeply important to them and is one of their highest priorities. They choose to support diverse organizations and causes as part of their community outreach and legacy for their family. Long-term team members are considered family with some employees who have been with them for more 20-30 years! Son, Stewart Moon Jr., is not only now a VP at the family owned business but on the Board of Directors for Realize Bradenton, part of the City of Bradenton Planning Commission, Leadership Manatee, and the Manatee Young Professionals.

More about the Moon Family at their website: https://www.airandenergy.biz/
Follow the company on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/air-&-energy
Connect with them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AirandEnergy

Network, learn and mingle with fellow professionals from Manatee & Sarasota counties and the surrounding area all along the Innovation Coast. We feature informative and exciting events with engaging speakers handpicked from the area’s best and brightest people, all of which will propel your skills and businesses forward.
You’ll learn fresh perspectives and about new innovations in technology, business, education, and more. Mark your calendar and be prepared at each session to learn new tools and tactics and arrive early for business networking opportunities.

Be sure to subscribe to the Station 2 Innovation newsletter which includes our events and other important happenings that you’re sure to benefit from.

Important Links:
Newsletter – https://station2innovation.com/contact-us/
Events Info – https://station2innovation.com/events-info/
Email – info@Station2Innovation.com
Phone – 941-877-1599

Holiday Celebration at Station 2

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Join us at Station 2 on Tuesday, December 13th starting at 5pm for our second annual holiday celebration and open house. Bring a dish and/or beverage to share as we celebrate together the friendships we have made. Invite a friend to join the fun!

Our Holiday Community Outreach

Our tradition at the Station is to collect books for our Grade Level Reading initiative. Bring a story that has meant something to you. Outgrown books in great condition that belonged to your kids? Wondering where they belong? Be a part of something bigger here.

Microsoft Learning Event – Transforming Your Business

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Transforming Your Business with Interactive & Integrated Tools.

Productivity. It’s all the rage for good reason. If we can get more done with the same inputs, it frees us up for other endeavors or perhaps a well deserved vacation. But how to get there? Enter, the Microsoft ecosystem of products. Their interactive and integrated tools are designed to help you store your documents, files, and notes in familiar places and have those sync to every device. And what devices! Have you seen the new Microsoft Surface? We’ve entered one into production and we love it. Surface effortlessly adjusts to the way you work, and connects seamlessly to your other devices for uninterrupted creativity. If the Surface is not your cup of tea, Microsoft has you covered there too. Learn to use OneDrive where music, photos, and files on your PCs, phones, and tablets (Android phone/tablet, iPhone/iPad, Windows Phone/PC/Tablet) automatically sync. The Phone Companion app for Windows 10 is one of t heir great tools and will help you get things set up so your content is on all your devices. Download it from the Store—it’s free.

And don’t forget Cortana, your digital agent, is always with you, ready to help. Ask Cortana from any device to remind you to grab some milk at the store, and get a reminder later on your phone when you’re on the way home. Through a Microsoft account, Cortana learns from you and works across all devices to extend the power of your devices and the cloud into a productivity solution.

We’re only scratching the surface here, come out to this free event and learn how Microsoft’s interactive and integrated tools can transform your business.

Be sure to subscribe to the Station 2 Innovation newsletter which includes our events and other important happenings that you’re sure to benefit from.

Important Links:
Newsletter – https://station2innovation.com/contact-us/
Events Info – https://station2innovation.com/events
Email – info@Station2Innovation.com
Phone – 941-877-1599

Taming the Leadership Elephant: Keys to Becoming Calm, Focused & Profitable

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Taming the Leadership Elephant: The Simple Key to Becoming Calm, Focused & Profitable

There are all kinds of Elephants in today’s world. The “Famous Five” are Avalanche (overwhelm), Hurricane (distraction), Tsunami (anxiety), Quagmire (feeling stuck), and Eclipse (feeling invisible). Any one of them can derail even the most seasoned leader.

The resulting worry can prevent you from approaching clients who actually want you and need you. The confusion created by untamed Elephants can prevent you from jumping at highly lucrative opportunities that would be perfect for you. It can even drain the enthusiasm out of serving your customers and dissolve the connectedness of any team.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. There is one simple key that will tame your “Elephants” and calm everyone else’s. Imagine having the focus and confidence to handle any situation. To not be afraid to ask for the sale. What would it be like if the familiar fear that holds you back from approaching high-ticket clients or disgruntled teammates was gone forever?

That’s the power of “Taming Elephants”. The One Simple Key is what Jackie Simmons will be discussing at our January event.

Jackie Simmons has 30+ years of business consulting working with organizations as large as John’s Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and as diverse as solo-preneurs. Along the way, Jackie came face to face with herds of “Inner Elephants”, the mental & emotional states that hold companies back and keep us playing small. It was only after taming her own Elephants that she discovered the Elephant Taming System, a fast path to becoming confident & profitable. Jackie speaks to organizations, and continues to provide individual consulting and training. Locally she is an Ambassador for both the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, and the Manasota Goodwill. She is also the founder and organizer of the 1,400 member Women Empowering Women Movement.

Network and Learn – Data Science and Your Business: Uncover Hidden Value

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Erin Craig, Senior Developer at Wolfram and a Graduate Student in Data Science at New College of Florida, comes to Station 2 Innovation to discuss advances and uses of data science in business. The applications for its use are many, but how can you leverage data science in you endeavor? What sort of business intelligence might be hiding in your data? A wide array of topics involving data science research, including insights and applications of data science in industry, will be covered and explained. Come away from this talk with a better understanding of how you can harness the power of the data you may already be collecting.
Additionally, participants can connect with other Erin and other attendees before and after the talk.
Network, learn and mingle with fellow professionals from Manatee & Sarasota counties and the surrounding area all along the Innovation Coast. We feature informative and exciting events with engaging speakers handpicked from the area’s best and brightest people, all of which will propel your skills and businesses forward.

You’ll learn fresh perspectives and about new innovations in technology, business, education, and more. Mark your calendar and be prepared at each session to learn new tools and tactics and arrive early for business networking opportunities.
Be sure to subscribe to the Station 2 Innovation newsletter which includes our events and other important happenings that you’re sure to benefit from.
For questions or further information, please contact Erin Craig at erin.craig@ncf.edu or connect with her on LinkedIn.
Important Links:
Newsletter – https://station2innovation.com/contact-us/
Events Info – https://station2innovation.com/events-info/
Email – info@Station2Innovation.com
Phone – 941-877-1599

Come Celebrate our One Year Anniversary w/ Station 2 Innovation

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Come Celebrate our One Year Anniversary at Station 2 Innovation

WHEN: Friday, October 21st, 4pm – 7pm

WHERE: 912 7th Ave East, Bradenton, FL 34208

The team at Station 2 Innovation is excited to invite you to join us at our first anniversary celebration! A community built on coworking, mutuality, support, connections, and business savvy, Station 2 Innovation celebrates a successful one year anniversary with you. And what a year it’s been – from our soft launch early last year until now, Station 2 has served over four thousand entrepreneur visits! Through a variety of offerings including our weekly Meetup, “Entrepreneurs & Startups” and onto networking events, workshops, VIP meetings, and summer student programs – we serve a variety of businesses and entrepreneurs of all ages.

Join us for hors d’oeuvres and refreshments including coffee, wine, and beer at our milestone event. Catch some of our stats from this last year, meet some of our summer student entrepreneurs, and chat with speakers, sponsors and clients who will enliven you with stories of how their businesses and ideas grew from the relationships made during this journey we’ve all been a part of. Sara Hand, Executive Director at Station 2, says of our entrepreneurial community, “When people work together, we leverage our valuable resources of time, talent and finances. Through face-to-face connections and a supportive, open atmosphere, the Station 2 Innovation community has amplified the efforts we’ve started here in Bradenton. When we connect the dots, we propel our clients, coworkers, and broader community into new opportunities, achievements, and collective success.”

At Station 2 Innovation our focus is entrepreneur education and building community. People thrive in connected communities and businesses flourish. Strong business growth impacts everyone. Statistics show most new job growth in the U.S. is happening in companies of less than 10 employees. With technology making it possible to work anywhere and live where you want – truly the entrepreneur/independent economy “is” at work. Stan Schultes, Resident Innovation Architect at Station 2, says “The Innovation Center provides a platform to network, learn, and share ideas and business acumen without feeling pressured. It is part of our local ecosystem of job growth and technology allowing startups and existing businesses to start or relocate to our wonderful area blessed with so many amenities. By helping to grow and retain businesses here in Bradenton, it produces more employment and a more vibrant area to live, work, and play.”

Entrepreneurs at all stages of development are invited to participate and to become involved in the Station 2 community. With networking, peer support, continuing education and mentorship, Station 2 Innovation provides resources to help businesses and people grow. Norman Dempsey, Station 2 Innovation’s Resident Tech Innovator & Social Media Manager, invites the public to stop in for a tour or to pick up one of the many free resources available to the community. “We’re fortunate to have the support of a great deal of entrepreneurial and technology based backers and we’ve leveraged this into free and sponsored resources to help businesses grow. Stop by and pick up our Entrepreneurial Resource Kit or any other number of useful handouts we share here at the station or online. We’re not here to collect business cards; we endeavor to create lasting, meaningful relationships that connect people in positive ways. So feel free to follow our social media channels for up-to-date news and events surrounding Station 2 and let’s drive our region forward together.”

Station 2 Innovation Social Media Links: https://station2innovation.com/contact-us/

Network & Learn – Organize Your Business for Profitable Growth

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Organize Your Business for Profitable Growth
Growing a business requires a vast array of skills and attributes…creativity, tenacity, determination, and the list goes on. One attribute is consistently overlooked – organization. Spending time to get organized is often considered to be counterproductive and detrimental to the creative process necessary for an entrepreneur to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth and Russ Barnes will show you why.

At the conclusion of his talk, you will understand
– How to establish the organizational mentality that is relevant for you to grow your business – How to apply organization design principles to grow your company – How to make your company organizationally effective
About Russ Barnes
Business Advisor at Systro Consulting and Retired USAF Colonel, MBA, MS
Colonel Russ Barnes is Senior Business Advisor for Systro Consulting, an organization design firm specializing in business scaling. He has more than 30 years’ experience drawn from military service, franchise ownership and consulting. During his military service, Russ flew combat missions and held senior leadership positions at Air Combat Command Headquarters, The Pentagon, US Strategic Command, US European Command, and US Central Command…to name a few.
He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Air Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and more than 20 other decorations. After retirement from the military, Col Barnes grew his franchise from zero to profitability in less than three years. His growth was based on a clear vision, building an effective structure, consistently delivering a quality product and having a relentless focus on customer service. Colonel Barnes received his Bachelor’s Degree from Manhattan College (NY), his MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and his Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies from Air University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Organization Design.
Connect with Russ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rcbarnes
Arrive early and network, learn and mingle with fellow professionals from Manatee & Sarasota counties and the surrounding area all along the Innovation Coast before and after the event. We feature informative and exciting events handpicked from the area’s best and brightest, all of which will propel your skills and businesses forward. You’ll learn fresh perspectives and about new innovations in technology, business, education, and more. Mark your calendar and be prepared at each session to learn new tools and tactics.
Be sure to subscribe to the Station 2 Innovation newsletter which includes our events and other important happenings that you’re sure to benefit from.
Important Station 2 Innovation Links:
Newsletter – https://station2innovation.com/contact-us/ Events Info – https://station2innovation.com/events-info/ Email – info@Station2Innovation.com Phone – 941-877-1599

Network & Learn – So, You Want Diversity in Tech?

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Many companies, like Google and Facebook reveals have challenges in developing a more diverse workforce. In July 2016, Facebook published its latest diversity report revealing that only 2% of its U.S. workforce is black and only 4% are Hispanic. When it comes to technical workers, the numbers are even worse: 1% is black, 3% Hispanic. These numbers haven’t moved since the company’s first two diversity reports, released in 2014 and 2015 despite the fact that the company has said how hard it’s working to increase diversity through partnerships and programs, both internal and external. There has been a small uptick in the number of hires who are Asian; it’s inched up 2% each year to 38% in 2016. And Google’s diversity goals haven’t fared any better matching a trend across Silicon Valley and the tech world.Can some of the blame be placed on the skills gap? With only 1 in 4 U.S. high schools teaching computer science, programs and mentors outside tradition education avenues are criticial.Tameika Reed and Women in Linux have some great ideas and locally tested solutions to offer that can move the needle toward a sustainable diversified workplace. Join Station 2 Innovation and Women in Linux for great insights and a series of practical steps that will help the tech industry’s goal of greater diversification.

Network & Learn with Marsa Truscott – Be Brilliant Bag founder takes us F

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Marsa Truscott, the Be Brilliant Bag founder, joins us at Station 2 Innovation in Bradenton to take us on her entrepreneurial journey from Startup to the Red Carpet. Marsa has had a wide array of career experiences, traveling the worlds of politics, music, image consulting and retail product manufacturing. One would not expect someone in the field of design to have had worked for a senator, a governor, a President and toured with a major music act but Station 2’s community has come to trust that any speaker we have is nothing short of amazing. Marsa has her finger on the pulse of marketing, branding and sales in today’s world and she brings varied career experiences and rock solid business acumen to Be Brilliant Bags, her current project and passion. Marsa is as much about working hard as she is about having fun. She loves to travel, and loves to travel even more with her famous circus dog sidekick, Mr. Cooper. Marsa peppers her life with window shopping, entertaining new and old friends and giving the unexpected gift. Creating new concepts, reframing existing products and satisfying the needs of today’s woman is definitely Marsa’s sweet spot.Come to Station 2 Innovation August 30th and hear Marsa take us “From Startup to the Red Carpet” with her thoughts, experiences, lessons learned, and future plans for Be Brilliant Bags.
Station 2 Innovation’s mission is “Building & Connecting the Community to Catalyze & Support Entrepreneur Growth” and is located in the historic firehouse at 912 7th Ave East in Bradenton. Don’t miss the business social before our event – network, learn and mingle with fellow professionals from Manatee & Sarasota counties and the surrounding areas along the Innovation Coast. We feature informative and exciting events handpicked from the area’s best and brightest, all of which will propel your skills and businesses forward. You’ll learn fresh perspectives and about new innovations in technology, business, education, and more. With a great lineup of valuable speakers, you’ll feel like you’re earning an MBA in Entrepreneurialism and Small Business! Mark your calendar and be prepared at each session to learn new tools and tactics and arrive early for business networking opportunities.
Don’t miss our other upcoming events including Tue, Oct 4 6:15 PM, Network & Learn – Organize Your Business for Profitable Growth. Many more events can be seen at the online Station 2 Innovation Event Calendar: https://station2innovation.com/events

Important Links:
Newsletter – https://station2innovation.com/contact-us/
Events Info – https://station2innovation.com/events-info/
Email – info@Station2Innovation.com
Phone – 941-877-1599

Network & Learn – Jon Capriola Talks About Lighting, Play & Education

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Jon Capriola, founder of Laser Pegs, comes to Station 2 Innovation to talk about “Lighting, Play & Education.” Building and construction playsets have long been popular ranging from good old Lincoln Logs to LEGOs and KNEX construction sets. Now add to the mix Jon’s Laser Pegs, a unique combination of something akin to LEGOs & Lite-Brite rolled into one. In fact, Laser Pegs can be assembled just like LEGOs and they’re even compatible and connect to LEGOs.

According to the Laser Pegs website: Each Laser Pegs set consists of tinted brick colors and bright LED lights that lets children build an array of abstract models including cars, dinosaurs, praying mantises and helicopters. Laser Pegs construction sets promote abstract thinking, motor skills and problem-solving, all while strobing with magnificence to the beat of voices and music to further the excitement of the senses and imagination!

Originally from Ferguson, Missouri, Jon Capriola dropped out of high school and moved to San Francisco/Silicon Valley before relocating to Sarasota in 2002, going on to invent Laser Pegs in his garage! Jon led Laser Pegs to a successful exit in February of 2016 and it’s now owned by the Great White Shark Opportunity Fund. According to Jon, “My name is Jon Capriola, self-made inventor and entrepreneur. Starting from nothing, I created a revolutionary toy called Laser Pegs, which in just a few years, exploded from a project in my garage to a massive brand sold in 33 countries and over 15,000 U.S. retailers. My newest creation, Lite Poppers, is set to hit the market in the coming months. Over my long (and, frankly, very hard-fought) road to success, I have learned a number of valuable lessons about innovation and entrepreneurship. I certainly received a lot of help from a number of great people, so I feel it is my duty to pass along some of these to the next aspiring entrepreneur.”

Come to Station 2 Innovation and hear about Jon’s incredible journey from modest beginnings to fantastic success merging lighting, play & education and marvel how he overcame many challenges to the finish line of this entrepreneur adventure. We can’t wait to hear what he’s going to do next!

Station 2 Innovation’s mission is “Building & Connecting the Community to Catalyze & Support Entrepreneur Growth” and is located in the historic firehouse at 912 7th Ave East in Bradenton. Don’t miss the business social before our event – network, learn and mingle with fellow professionals from Manatee & Sarasota counties and the surrounding areas along the Innovation Coast including Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, and neighboring Hillsborough & Pinellas counties. We feature informative and exciting events handpicked from the area’s best and brightest, all of which will propel your skills and businesses forward. You’ll learn fresh perspectives and about new innovations in technology, business, education, and more. With a great lineup of valuable speakers, you’ll feel like you’re earning an MBA in Entrepreneurialism and Small Business! Mark your calendar and be prepared at each session to learn new tools and tactics and arrive early for business networking opportunities.

Many more events can be seen at the online Station 2 Innovation Event Calendar: https://station2innovation.com/events
Connect with Jon in the following ways:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncapriola
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtremeInnovator
Twitter: @xtremeinnovator
Website: https://extremeinnovator.com

Be sure to subscribe to the Station 2 Innovation newsletter which includes our events and other important happenings that you’re sure to benefit from.

Important Links:
Newsletter – https://station2innovation.com/contact-us/ Events Info – https://station2innovation.com/events-info/ Email – info@Station2Innovation.com Phone – 941-877-1599