Texture Vol 7 Issue 1 2010

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VOL 7 ISSUE 1

TEXTURE 2010

O R L A N D O ’ S

T E C H N O L O G Y

L A N D S C A P E

GLOBAL

DOMINATION ORLANDO AT THE FOREFRONT OF ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY

TECH TOUGH HOW LOCAL FIRMS KEEP GROWING

Official Publication of

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Be ready for WHAT’S NEXT. ?d jeZWo½i cWha[j" _j½i j[cfj_d] je jho je mW_j _j ekj$ 8kj Yec_d] je W ijWdZij_bb med½j ][j oek Wdom^[h[$ Dem _i j^[ j_c[ je ijh[d]j^[d oekh Xki_d[ii WdZ oekh ijW\\" ie j^Wj oek Wh[ h[WZo \eh m^Wj½i d[nj$

Introducing the Centers for Advancement from Valencia Community College.

Each center provides the continuing education, training and employee development services you need to take your business to the next level.

For more information or to schedule a corporate assessment, call David Lowell, Client Development Specialist, at 407-582-6730 or request information online at valenciaenterprises.org/whatsnext

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contents

ORLANDO’S TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE

Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission President & CEO Texture Executive Publisher Raymond Gilley Vice President, Marketing Texture Editor & Associate Publisher Maureen Brockman

Texture Project Support Lisa Addy Director, Publications & Web Design

TEXTURE SPRING/SUMMER 2010 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1

Departments

Gloria LeQuang Director, Technology & Entertainment Development

FROM THE PUBLISHER 5 Orlando’s entertainment technology industry goal is “global domination.”

Suzy Spang Vice President, Technology & Entertainment Development Eric Ushkowitz Director, Technology & Entertainment Development

PEAK PERFORMER 6 Meet Mary Spio, president of Gen2Media.

Jennifer Wakefield Director, Public Relations

TALENT POOL 8 Digital arts and media schools flourish in Central Florida.

INTERFACE 16 Q&A with Pranam Ben, CEO and founder of Visions@Work.

Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.®

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TECH TRENDS 18 Pioneering advances in airport security.

Vice President of Publications Texture Associate Publisher Deborah Kicklighter Henrichs

Publication Artist Lisa Buck Production Coordinators Elaine Hebert and Stacey Smith

INNOVATION ALLEY 28 Second-stage companies poised for growth.

Associate V.P. of Advertising Sales Sheryl Taylor 407.354.5568

OFF THE WIRE 30 Breaking news bytes

Contributing Writers Steve Blount, Michael Candelaria, Nancy Curry, Jackie Kelvington, Kristen Manieri, Jack Roth, G.K. Sharman, Sarah Sekula, Jennifer Wakefield

INTELLIGENT FORMS OF LIFESTYLE 32 Cultural offerings feed Orlando’s creative class.

Contributing Photographers Phelan Ebenhack

Features IT TAKES A VILLAGE 10

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FOLLOW THE MONEY 20 Central Florida resources funnel funds to growing companies.

TECH SUCCESS 26 How two of Orlando’s largest privately-held tech firms remain in growth mode.

On the cover: Central Florida is poised for “global domination” of the entertainment technology industry.

President Texture Publisher Gary C. Sain

Managing Editor Jessica Chapman

NEW INDUSTRIES 24 Today’s technologies blend to become tomorrow’s industries.

Birds-of-a-feather flock together to create a world-class cluster of interactive media companies.

Amy Dinsmore Director, Business Development

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This publication is sponsored in part by Orange County Government and the University of Central Florida. Texture magazine is produced by everything ink, a division of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.® (Orlando CVB), for the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Orlando CVB: 6700 Forum Drive, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32821, Phone 407.354.5568, Fax 407.370.5021. Texture magazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, negatives or transparencies. Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission 301 East Pine Street, Suite 900 Orlando, FL 32801. Phone: 407.422.7159 or 888.TOP.CITY (867-2489). Fax: 407.425.6428. E-mail: info@orlandoedc.com.

Advertising information: 407.354.5512. Copyright 2010 Metro Orlando EDC. All rights reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in part without the express written consent of Orlando CVB, on behalf of the EDC, is prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A.

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from the publisher

GLOBAL

Domination

By Ray Gilley

>>

“When the goal is to rock the whole globe; Imma be the future” —

“Imma be,”

Black Eyed Peas

Thanks to our region’s world-class theme parks, Metro Orlando is known worldwide as a leader in entertainment.

For years and behind the scenes, a $13.4 billion technology industry has grown to include sectors such as modeling, simulation and training; optics and photonics; software and hardware; and many others. The blending of these two industries — entertainment and technology — has the power to rock the globe. And there’s nowhere better positioned to be at the center of that revolution than Metro Orlando.

A study designed to evaluate our region’s prominence in this emerging field found that Orlando is already one one of the 12 largest clusters in the nation for entertainment technology.

Most notable were the four “pillars” of our digital media industry — film and television; theme parks; modeling, simulation and training; and interactive and immersive entertainment.

Realizing the potential, this community has clearly laid the foundation to achieve our goal for Metro Orlando’s digital media industry, which, simply stated, is this: “Global Domination!”

We are confident that this lofty goal is achievable. After all, each of the ingredients for success are found here — workforce, specialized education and a nurturing creative environment.

More than 400 entertainment technology companies already call Metro Orlando home, including Electronic Arts’ (EA) Tiburon studio, makers of one

of the world’s top selling video games, EA Sports’ Madden NFL , among numerous other best-selling titles.

Other up-and-coming companies include n-Space (Florida’s largest headquartered digital media company), IDEAS, Gen2Media, ZeeGee Games, and Helios Interactive — all of which you’ll read about in this issue of Texture.

To provide the necessary workforce for this industry, Orlando has extraordinary educational assets, including the University of Central Florida’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) — a graduate level interactive/gaming program; Full Sail University; the Digital Animation and Visual Effects School (DAVE); Valencia Community College; Seminole State College of Florida; and Daytona Beach Community College.

And because of the synergy and collaboration between the various industries that call Orlando home, we are seeing the continued emergence of brand new industries with close ties to entertainment technology, such as medical simulation and “serious games” development.

When you add it all up, our goal of “global domination” doesn’t seem so far off. And with continued growing assets, such as downtown Orlando’s Creative Village, it looks like “Imma be the future” for Metro Orlando.

Ray Gilley President & CEO Metro Orlando EDC

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DIGITAL DIVA

By Sarah Sekula

A former rocket scientist is setting pretty high standards for the digital media industry. And everyone is racing to catch up.

>>

As president of Orlandobased Gen2Media, Mary Spio works alongside the likes of Justin Timberlake, Elton John, even Oprah Winfrey. Consider this: how often do you see an interview with the famed talk show host as the subject?

Almost never.

“Oprah’s people are very particular about who video tapes her,” explains 38year-old Spio. However, Gen2Media’s production crew was given the green light to capture Winfrey on camera for a recent Mary J. Blige documentary.

For most, it doesn’t get much more satisfying than that. For Spio, wild success stories come as quickly as will.i.am can spit out rap lyrics. By the way, she’s worked with the aforementioned Black Eyed Peas’ rapper, too.

Likewise, it’s no surprise that Gen2Media, her Internet-oriented video production and distribution company, is growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, more than 200 Web sites, including Coca-Cola and Microsoft Xbox, use her company’s specialized online video platform to deliver custom video content.

At Spio’s 22-person office, you could say she is the Alpha Geek, although she prefers DigiMaestro. Either way, her tech savvy is undoubtable.

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Just take a look through her past for proof. In 1996, while studying electrical engineering at Syracuse University, she was also working as a deep space scientist for the Ultra Corporation designing satellite constellation and orbital mechanics.

Two years later at the Georgia Institute of Technology, she set her sights on otherworldly pursuits. As part of the SETI program (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence), she was sending out probes into outer space in search of intelligent life forms.

As thrilling as all of that was, she says her work in creating Boeing Digital Cinema tops it all. At 29 years old, she engineered the technology to deliver movies digitally all over the globe.

Hollywood blockbusters like Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones; Ocean’s 11; Planet of the Apes; Spy Kids and Monsters, Inc . were all digitally delivered to big screens everywhere using Spio’s technology.

Better yet, her ingenuity goes way beyond the techie world. As if serving as Boeing’s head of satellite communications wasn’t enough, she was simultaneously launching a matchmaking service, One2Oneliving.com.

The specialty media company provides a communications platform to singles. By 2004, the innovative site was really catching on. One2One Living, a successful, glossy magazine, was launched and partners, such as ABC’s The Bachelor, were lining up.

Clearly, she has secured her spot at the front of the digital media revolution. In fact, she holds multiple patents in digital cinema and is the sole inventor on some of the methodologies and co-inventor on others. “It is mind blowing when you think of the magnitude and impact that something that started as an idea I was playing around with, is having on the industry,” she says.

Few would disagree. Part of her astronomical success, simply put, is brain smarts and the other part is persistence. “I am not afraid of the word ‘no.’” she says. “I’ll find or make a way.”

It’s that undying can-do attitude that has propelled her light years beyond her job at 17 as a fry cook at McDonald’s.

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With each new step in her career she continues to evolve.

With that said, Spio is ready to focus on her next project: spending a few hours with her production crew on the set of John Mayer’s new video being taped at her Orlando studio.

While her schedule can get super hectic, the jet-setter, trend-setter and all-around digital diva wouldn’t have it any other way.

In fact, even on the rare evening when she finds precious free time, she is likely still on the move perfecting her hip-hop dance technique or belting out

a few tunes. On top of all that, she is putting the finishing touches on a nonfiction novel she penned over the past few years.

At the end of the day, if you think Spio can’t possibly top what she’s already done in her sterling career, you’d be wrong. In February, Spio, along with rapper Jay-Z, Olympic speed skater Shani Davie and Winfrey, was recognized by NBC News and TheGrio as one of the “100 History Makers in the Making.”

In other words, who knows what x she’ll do next.

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IMAGINING

the Possibilities

SPOTLIGHT ON CENTRAL FLORIDA’S DIGITAL ARTS AND MEDIA SCHOOLS

By Kristen Manieri

>>

THE DAVE SCHOOL When April Warren left her job as a wench at Medieval Times to enroll in the year-long visual animation and effects program at The DAVE School, she had no idea that just a few years later she’d be working alongside James Cameron on the international sensation, AVATAR. But this is exactly the sort of opportunity that awaits graduates of an educational experience that leaves 100 students each year uniquely skilled to pursue some of the most exciting opportunities in the entertainment industry today. Housed on the Universal Studios back-lot and founded by Jeff and Anne Scheetz, The DAVE School (which stands for Digital Animation and Visual Effects) provides an intensive computer animation curriculum for very specific jobs in the television, film, and video gaming industries. A cutting-

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COURTESY FIEA

Behind the multimedia innovations in entertainment today are innovators who are equipping students to accomplish the next great feats in web and cinema.

These distinguished Central Florida schools are positioning the region as a hub for the digital media industry.

Students work in motion capture at House of Moves, which is co-located with UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy.

edge facility complete with the latest in 3D technology, The DAVE School churns out a steady stream of highly employable professionals.

FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY Full Sail’s Digital Arts & Design Degree Program is internationally renown for cutting-edge innovation. Named one of the Top Ten New Media Schools in the U.S. by Shift Magazine, its graduates have gone on to become award-winning superstars in the digital media and entertainment industries. For example, eight Full Sail graduates worked alongside James Cameron on his blockbuster AVATAR. In 2008, graduate Mike Colby was recognized twice at the 2008 ADDY Awards for creating the winning logo for the Orlando-based morning show “The Daily Buzz.” Student James Rydesky recently won the grand prize in

Adobe’s 2008 Webby-In-Motion contest. Last year, Garry Jones, president of Full Sail University, was named “Leader of the Year” by ITFlorida.

“Full Sail University is inspired and fueled by innovation and we strive to merge the balance of technology and art,” says Kristin Weissman, the school’s director of public relations.

A perfect blend of technical savvy and design capability, this 21-month course takes students through the worlds of graphic design, interactive media, computer graphics, 3D, and digital video production to prepare them to work in an industry that knows no boundaries.

ORLANDO TECH The Digital Media Arts Department at Orlando Tech might not be Central Florida’s largest digital media program,

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PLANET DIGITAL Walking by the quaint and unassuming historic home on the corner of Summerlin and Washington in downtown Orlando’s Thornton Park, you’d never guess at the genius that’s happening inside. But as David J. Beatriz, president of Planet Digital, puts it, this “funky little house is a far better creative environment than any office park or sterile educational facility.”

Planet Digital offers a unique ‘contextual learning’ teaching model with a steady line-up of half-, full-, and three-day curriculums aimed at equipping participants with a specific set of skills. Inside this 3,000-square-foot, flexible space housing a video production studio, media design studio, classrooms and seminar facilities, there are no semesters or academic calendars; rather, this ‘use as you go’ form of digital media training is a quick, ‘in and out’ solution for busy professionals.

Most of Planet Digital’s students are industry professionals looking to get better at what they already do, large corporations looking to stay ahead

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of the latest trends, and small business people with a desire to manage their own media messages. Students are trained in short bursts in a la carte courses or as part of a series of certification courses for professions such as 3D artist, web developer or digital video editor.

SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA Seminole State College of Florida’s Art, Digital Cinema and Digital Media program is designed to blend critical and creative thinking with practical skill development. The college offers nine related degree and certificate options, including digital and interactive media design, a program developed in partnership with the Florida High-Tech Corridor Council; graphic design; web design; and digital cinema.

“By providing tools and resources to Florida’s students, we’re directly impacting the development of Florida’s digital media industry,” says program manager Michael Kappers.

Courses focus on the latest trends, such as 3D modeling and animation; motion graphic; digital photography; and the graphic arts.

UCF’S CENTER FOR EMERGING MEDIA Walk into UCF’s Center for Emerging Media (CEM) on any given school day and you’re certain to witness something ground-breaking. Internationally known as a platform from which the entertainment industry’s elite initially leap, CEM’s educational scope

Sun, an illustration by FIEA graduate Shaun McNeely.

COURTESY FIEA

but it’s happy with its boutique size and ability to consistently place graduates in the specific careers for which they train. “Orlando Tech is a creative nucleus for high-skill, high-wage positions,” says Digital Media Arts Department Chair Alan Lynch. “Each program has specific job titles that students train for, such as production assistant or animator.”

Having begun several years ago as a television production program, these days the Digital Media Arts program encompasses 3D animation, digital video, digital audio and most recently, game/simulation/animation programming. “By investing heavily in cuttingedge technologies, we’re able to give students a rich, real-world experience,” touts Lynch. “Just last year Orlando Tech completely retrofitted our studio for HD.” In an experiential, lab environment lead by industry-renowned faculty, students get the opportunity to not only fully entrench themselves in their art, but as Lynch puts it, “to get all their mistakes out” before heading out for the real deal.

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includes everything from filmmaking to military simulation.

One of CEM’s most sought-after components is the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), a graduate-level video game design school that entrenches a select group of exceptional students into a four semester program that boasts the best faculty and facility in the state, perhaps even in the nation.

“We had 34 companies come last year to recruit from what’s considered to be one of the best emerging talent pools in the country,” says executive director Ben Noel.

More than 90 percent of graduates are employed in the industry after graduation. FIEA’s 114,000-squarefoot facility is located downtown at the heart of Orlando’s emerging x Creative Village.

CREATIVE WORKPLACE Like a lot of creative types, John Todero was fed up with lugging his laptop to Starbucks for WIFI and a change of scenery. Aware of the ‘Co-working’ trend that emerged from San Francisco and swept the nation, he saw a tremendous need for a place where independent professionals could work and collaborate. Thus, CoLab Orlando (www.colabusa.com) was born. Located in downtown Orlando in a 1923 historic

building that once housed the Angebilt Hotel and hosted notable thinkers like Thomas Edison, CoLab is a mixed use space comprised of open areas, private suites, a lounge, and a conference room that caters to Orlando’s creative workforce of writers, web designers, and graphic designers. Monthly memberships include WIFI, good coffee, and free weekly tutorials. Day passes are also available.

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IT TAKES

A VILLAGE By Steve Blount

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ORLANDO'S BIRDS-OF-A-FEATHER APPROACH TO BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS CLUSTER OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA COMPANIES IS QUIETLY BECOMING A REALITY.

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COURTESY IDEAS

>>

While not as obvious as the sprawling back lots of L.A. or the warren of studios around Rockefeller Center, Orlando is steadily creating its own entertainment axis. With an eye on “global domination” in the realm of entertainment technology, the region known worldwide for its appeal to visitors is also appealing to creative companies that seek a foothold outside the restrictions of those more established markets. A smart strategy since the entertainment baton has been firmly passed to the upstart industry that is the focus of Orlando’s nexus: interactive digital content.

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technologies, and when those two animals started cross-breeding, we evolved this new, eclectic style [of media creation] that’s still in its early stages. Those two groups continue to rub nicely against each other,” Allen says.

COURTESY N-SPACE

N-SPACE

n-Space is the force behind the video game Hannah Montana The Movie.

Sure, everyone loves a good movie, but in 2009 interactive games outsold movies at retail, taking 57% of an estimated $61 billion in worldwide sales according to market research company Media Control GfK Inter national.

Granted, that doesn’t account for ticket sales at theaters — estimated at $21 billion worldwide in 2009 by Worldwide Boxoffice — but it also doesn’t account for revenue from online games, which reached $12 billion in the U.S. alone.

Blockbuster movies are still raking it in: James Cameron’s Avatar, the highest grossing movie of all time, has taken in about $1 billion to date. But that doesn’t bring it even with Activision’s Guitar Hero series, which had already racked up $1 billion in sales before the release of Guitar Hero III, which added another $1 billion in sales for the franchise. And a single online game, Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, took in an estimated $1 billion last year alone.

We have seen the future of entertainment, and it’s not at the local cinema.

That future is being created in part here in Orlando. Some of the companies are established and well known: EA Tiburon in Maitland is the home of the Madden NFL , NCAA Football and NASCAR games series. But there are many other players, some large, some small, and collectively they make Orlando a powerhouse not only in

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gaming, but in many forms of interactive digital visualization.

Bob Allen, the big idea behind local media/marketing group IDEAS, may be the closest thing we have to institutional memory. He says it all started with the military and the Mouse.

“The evolution of the creative industry in Orlando has some genetics,” Allen explains. “We had a native population of artists and crafts people who came here when the theme park industry came. We’re in the third or fourth generation of that now.” Allen himself came here from California as a teenager and later worked for Disney in California before wrangling a transfer back to Orlando.

Disney’s Imagineers, whose job it was to use technology to create “un/real” experiences, collided with another local group with similar goals — the modeling and simulation engineers working for the various military contracting companies that are now part of Lockheed-Martin. The establishment of the precursor to the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation in 1974 cemented Orlando’s leading role in the defense simulation business. Currently, PEO STRI executes programs worth more than $3 billion annually and manages contracts worth $17.5 billion.

“The simulation folks were very good at the adaptive use of new

One of the best examples of the synergy between defense and digital entertainment is n-Space.

The company was founded in Orlando in 1994 by Dan O’Leary, Sean Purcell and Erick Dyke. The three worked for GE Aerospace (later absorbed by what is now LockheedMartin). They got a taste of gaming when the company was contracted by SEGA to improve the game developer’s arcade cabinets. As part of the deal, SEGA wanted the company to develop an arcade game. “‘I was in simulation, but when I heard this was going on, I weasled my way onto the team and met Sean and Erick,” O’Leary recalls.

“We went to Japan and ended up doing about six months worth of work in seven weeks. We were working 100 hour weeks, on the second floor of the SEGA building in Tokyo without air conditioning, but we thought it was great.”

Afterwards, the three decided they’d take what they’d learned and create their own development company.

“Very few developers had 3D experience then. Sony was just launching the PlayStation 1, and our experience at Lockheed allowed us to convince Sony to fund us as a start-up and do a game for the launch,” O’Leary says.

The relationship went south due to inter nal politics within Sony, but n-Space quickly moved on to working for other game publishers, releasing Tiger Shark and working on the monster hit Duke Nukem.

Since then, n-Space has grown to more than 100 employees and will have released 30 game titles by the end of this year. Those include two Rugrats games done entirely by n-Space, two

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Arena, the Orange County Courthouse, Orange County Convention Center and Orlando International Airport — and nationally.

In 1998, Mehta took a leave of absence and became a partner in Modis Technologies, a virtual reality software firm co-founded with a friend

of people in this business, especially coming from California, have bounced around from project to project. We have a lot of people with more than five years with us and several with more than 10 years. They’re attracted by that stability and we think it gives us an advantage. Our teams have been together and worked together for a long time.”

Ravé Mehta of Helios

HELIOS Another gaming company with roots in defense is Helios Interactive, founded

by Ravé Mehta.

The University of Central Florida graduate is the son of Vipin Mehta, founder of Mehta Group, a prominent engineering and construction management firm with a 30-year history. Mehta followed his father into the family business, working on high-profile projects locally — including the original Amway

COURTESY HELIOS (2)

Duke Nukem games, a clutch of MaryKate and Ashley games and more recently, a Hannah Montana The Movie game, four Call of Duty titles and, last September, The Ultimate Alliance game for Marvel.

“We like Orlando because we all lived here. I’ve lived here all of my life except for the five years I was in school at Auburn University,” O’Leary says.

“The schools here are a great resource — the University of Central Florida, Full Sail, DAVE School. I think we’ve hired the bulk of the graduates from the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) and we have some graduates from the Ringling College of Art and Design (in Sarasota).”

Attracting talent hasn’t been a problem. “People come to work with us because they’re attracted to the lifestyle. We’re a family company. A lot

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The brainchild of Ravé Mehta, Helios Interactive is one of the region’s most successful local gaming companies.

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COURTESY N-SPACE COURTESY N-SPACE

Local company n-Space will have released 30 games by the end of this year.

who had left INTEL. They focused on 3D simulations for the military and were soon supplying the Department of Defense with training simulations today known as “serious games.”

“We built a training simulator that taught mechanics how to change

CREATIVE CONVERGENCE Digital Media Alliance Florida (DMAF) is a non-profit association of companies and professionals from the digital and interactive media, entertainment, arts, animation, effects and simulation communities working together to develop, grow and promote the digital media and interactive entertainment industry throughout the state of Florida.

Headquartered in Orlando, DMAF facilitates collaboration and partnerships among the digital media industry and government, educational, creative and financial organizations to strengthen the industry and workforce for global competition.

Its objectives also include helping to ensure availability of a world-class workforce, encouraging dialogue on industry issues, presenting seminars and industry networking opportunities, advocating and lobbying government on behalf of industry, as well as many others.

For more information, visit www.dmaflorida.org./dmaf.

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a tank tread,” he recalls. “So instead of having to buy 50 physical tanks for them to practice on — and break — they used our software and bought one tank, allowing them to train more mechanics at a lower cost.

“Back then 33.6K baud modems were the norm, and we were delivering virtual reality in a gaming environment over the Internet,” Mehta recalls.

Mehta rejoined the family firm and diversified it, adding entertainment to the portfolio and, ultimately, acquired a development group from Vancouver, B.C. that had a unique toolset for creating 3D games that required fewer developers and fewer hours than the industry’s standard tools.

The toolset became a game design and production engine called GameCore, and Helios is simultaneously rolling out versions for individual users for less than $100, a full-featured version for developers and a customized version, VizSimEx, for military and commercial applications. Though he’s excited about GameCore, Mehta’s passionate about the company’s browser plug-in called WEB3D, which will allow anyone with the plug-in to view 3D interactive content on the web.

Online games like World of Warcraft already stream 3D through the web, but you have to buy and install each game’s proprietary engine on your PC first. Like Flash or Adobe Reader, the plug-in will enable users to see and interact with 3D content from many producers.

In December, Mehta converted its office building — which is located in Winter Park across the street from Full

Sail University and just a few miles west of UCF — into the state’s first 3D digital technologies incubator. Already IMI Labs, ZeeGee Games and the Digital Media Alliance of Florida, an industry trade group, have moved into the incubator.

“Having a number of 3D developers together in one place means all can benefit from each other’s interaction, industry knowledge and experience,” Mehta says.

IMI LABS One of the Helios incubator’s first tenants is IMI Labs and its subsidiary, ZeeGee Games. Dustin Clingman, CEO of IMI Labs, is also coordinator for the Orlando chapter of the International Game Developers Association.

Clingman started the predecessor to ZeeGee, Zeitgeist Games, in 2001.

“Primarily we’ve been doing work for Sun Microsystems and SAP, building out virtual worlds,” he says. “We’re small, about 15 people, but eager to grow over the next couple of years to 40-50.”

Clingman is a local resident who began working in development and, when the time came to strike out on his own, Orlando was the logical place.

“We did advergames for companies including Proctor & Gamble, the WE television network and National Lampoon,” he explains.

Clingman joined fellow developer Shawn Kendall who founded IMI, and they rebranded Zeitgeist as ZeeGee with a primary focus on 3D development.

“Virtual worlds are going to become ubiquitous throughout the web. It’s going to grow as a collaboration tool as well as entertainment. I expect many colleges to offer courses taught online in virtual worlds,” he says.

IDEAS Bob Allen firmly believes in the power of place, which is why he recently moved his firm to the burgeoning Creative Village in downtown Orlando.

The concept, promoted by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, was to bring creative

companies into downtown, to use their energy to boost the revitalization his administration has fostered. The key piece was the transformation of the former Orlando Expo Center across from the Amway Arena. It now houses the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy — which is UCF’s graduate school for interactive media — and the House of Moves, the nation’s premiere motion capture studio.

According to Allen, moving downtown felt like a risk, but has turned out to be richly rewarding.

“This is a real place with real people doing real things,” he says. “Being

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and spent the last week singing in the chorus of Carmen at the Mad Cow Theater with the Orlando Philharmonic.

Backstage, I overheard a young man from UCF talking to the kids, telling them he’d made a movie here for $30,000.

He used local talent, did the post production here, just out there bravely doing it. That’s an example of what’s so cool here.”

Not being in New York or L.A. hasn’t hurt IDEAS when it comes to getting hired by companies across the country.

“Ninety percent of the time, being from Orlando is a positive. When we’re pitching original episodic TV or some

“THERE’S A DOGGED INTREPID SPIRIT AROUND CREATIVITY HERE. BACK IN THE 1970s THERE WAS ALWAYS SOMEONE STARTING A NEW COFFEEHOUSE FOR MUSICIANS OR A THEATER FOR PERFORMERS. THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT PUSH TO BOOTSTRAP OPPORTUNITIES.” — BOB ALLEN, IDEAS other high profile entertainment project, there’s still some residual market stereotyping. It’s not so much a negative about Orlando, it’s that some people feel that no place other than Los Angeles is the right place. But it comes up less and less.

“The community here is not just film-

Bob Allen

makers, not just web developers. We have that, but we have more. I like the tendency of this community not to have silos. We might be working on a resort in Mexico and we might need to pull in a dancer. And we have them here.

Nobody says, ‘That’s weird. Why do you need a dancer?’

“Our work is so diverse — healthcare, defense, entertainment — that what we see is hunger for innovation. No one is saying ‘what’s your address.’ In most of those markets, Orlando is perceived as growing and thriving,” he explains. “We wouldn’t be who we are if we hadn’t done it here.’’ x

COURTESY IDEAS

downtown has a vitality to it that creative enterprises need. My team is so happy here. They can ride their bikes to work.”

Having other creatives to interact with is an obvious boon to IDEAS, which is nothing if not eclectic. The company’s core competency is storytelling — whether that’s for a company or for a feature film or a book or website — and it puts its work into all of those media.

Allen says that being in Orlando has fostered diversity.

“There’s a dogged intrepid spirit around creativity here. Back in the 1970s there was always someone starting a new coffeehouse for musicians or a theater for performers. There’s always been that push to bootstrap opportunities.

“The community here evolved under the pressure of natural selection.

Creatives here had to be clever and resourceful for us to pursue our passions and stay in business. That made us more robust and resilient compared to places where creatives are locked into one form factor like movies or advertising.

“This is a good time in history to be light on your feet, to be flexible — adaptive — about how you do things, and even about what you do.

“My daughter goes to an arts school

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Local media/marketing group IDEAS promotes everything from feature films to books to Web sites.

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HEALTHY PRANAM BEN, CEO & FOUNDER OF VISIONS@WORK

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Amid the nationwide debate over healthcare reform, a company based in Central Florida’s Lake County has launched a system of online file sharing between doctors, hospitals and even patients that just could set the standard for patient referrals and monitoring, and lead to major cost savings for the industry.

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Clermont-based Visions@work, developer of strategic software solutions for the healthcare industry, has embarked on a yearlong program that could revolutionize patient care in Central Florida and beyond. The company is providing its Preferr physician referral software at no cost to Lake County’s four hospitals and roughly 600 physicians, and to the Lake-Sumter Community College for use in its new pilot training program for Electronic Health Records Support Technicians. This will make Central Florida the proving-ground for a technology with the potential to transform the healthcare industry.

CEO Pranam Ben founded Visions@work in 2008, building on 12 years of experience in information

Software By Nancy Curry technology, web-based product development and consulting, most recently as Director of Professional Services for NCR Healthcare.

T Texture: What inspired you to start Visions@work? pb Pranam Ben: There were three main factors. The first was a significant gap in the care delivery process — when patients are referred to different providers, their information does not flow from one point to the other. Second, there’s a tool missing in physician relationship management for hospitals and large providers. Today’s approach is very reactive, and my goal was to enable a more proactive one. Finally, I saw

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“IT’S A BLUE OCEAN SPACE ... WE’RE ADDRESSING A VERY NICHE NEED IN THE INDUSTRY.” — Pranam Ben, CEO & Founder of Visions@work

PHOTOS BY PHELAN EBENHACK

I could offer a solution to healthcare providers inundated with software that does not add value or is too expensive.

T What is Preferr? pb On a very basic level, it’s a collaborative platform that allows all healthcare providers to talk to each other in an easy, secure and seamless fashion. The foundation for all current and future applications is that the Internet is the backbone of the system.

T What does using the Preferr system mean to patients? pb The burden of arranging care goes away. Today, in many cases, patients are expected to arrange care for themselves by referral from their primary care physician. A delay in follow up could lead to potential health consequences.

The beauty of Preferr is that the patient’s information always stays ahead of the patient.

T What does it mean for healthcare providers and insurers? pb On Preferr, not only are providers going to save on paper costs and staff time, but they are also significantly improving process efficiency, which enables them to see more patients and impact their top and bottom line.

If you’re a primary doctor, you want to know whether your patient scheduled and had an appointment with the specialist. Now you know. In the past, the doctor had no clue until he heard from the hospital. Today, the hospital has no idea which doctors are sending the highest number of referrals. We can track volume, patterns and status of referrals, and that’s a key factor for the hospital because their financial health is driven by referrals.

There is also a natural partnership with insurance companies in sharing patient health information, real-time eligibility verification for the patients, and real-time authorization on the services requested.

T Streamlining communication of medical records is such a good idea.

Why are so few doctors and hospitals already doing it? pb The industry today is top heavy.

Small- to mid-size providers are challenged with issues around cost, productivity, maintenance, data integration, data security and regulatory compliance.

From a continuity of care perspective, this impacts the hospitals and larger providers too.

There are only four other commercial products out there offering what Preferr does, but competition is not my concern. It’s a blue ocean space ... we’re addressing a very niche need in the industry. Our challenge is delivering more features on the platform to empower our customers to do more with it and benefit more from it.

T Can you quantify the potential cost savings? pb There are both quantitative and qualitative savings to the healthcare refor m agenda. The savings are centered around paper costs, staff time, accounts/receivable cycles, Medicare and Medicaid spending, administrative costs and streamlined operations. We can quantify savings in each of these categories. For example, the average paper handling cost is currently around 80 cents per page.

That includes all the tasks associated with paper — printing, filing, staff time, shredding, etc. The volume of paper forms handled by a provider varies from hundreds to thousands a day, depending on the scale of the operation.

T What do you see as the biggest challenge? pb The biggest challenge that all technology solutions face in healthcare today is adoption — users embracing automated solutions and exploiting them to do things better, faster and cheaper. Eighty-five percent of health care providers are using paper records for referrals, so there is tremendous opportunity. There never has been a better time to usher in a fundamental change in the thought process and approach to providing care.

T What made you choose Lake County for the pilot program? pb Our corporate offices are here, and Lake County employs the largest number of healthcare professionals in Central Florida — one in every six workers. So, it made all the sense to start here, bring the benefits of Preferr to local providers and then use the program as case study, with the ultimate goal to be a worldwide x platform.

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TakingFLIGHT by Michael Candelaria

INCREASED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION ON AIRPORT SECURITY IS PUSHING LOCAL INNOVATIONS FARTHER AND FASTER.

Local companies work behind the scenes to bolster security at Central Florida airports.

>>

Tr a v e l t h ro u g h almost any airport a n d y o u ’ re l i k e l y t o encounter enough new technology to make your head spin. Particularly as it relates to security.

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In recent years, while everyone must still walk through the ubiquitous metal detector, passengers also face advanced X-ray systems, biometrics, bottle liquid scanners, cast scopes, image projection and even explosives trace detection. While an obvious nuisance, it’s all good, as the saying goes (although no one really wants to

remove their shoes), since the intent is to safeguard lives in a time of true terrorism threat.

Yet, lost amid this techno blitz are other innovations — many developed right here in Central Florida — that largely go unnoticed. And, in an industry where “detect” joins deter, delay and detain as the most critical words,

Tavares-based G&T Conveyor Co. specializes in manufacturing and installing airport baggage handling systems.

that obscurity is exactly what makes them so successful.

“There’s lots of stuff happening behind the scenes that passengers aren’t aware of,” comments Robert Reynolds, president of Altamonte Springs-based Solis Energy, a privately held provider of outdoor power generation, connectivity and emergency/secondary back-up solutions for low-voltage applications.

Consider Solis’ collaboration with another Metro Orlando company, Sanford’s SiteSecure, at Orlando Executive Airport.

Heightened security measures were required to prevent the entry of unauthorized vehicles and aircraft onto airport property. Monitoring night time airfield activity continues to be a priority for all general aviation airports across the country. Orlando Executive Airport, however, realizing the importance of general aviation security, enlisted the help of high technology to aid an existing 24-hour manpower presence at the airport. Adding to the challenge, electronic gates along the perimeter of the airport often lost power, which disabled the keypad and gate.

SiteSecure, a systems integrator, was brought in to provide the security solutions.

To identify unauthorized personnel on the airfield, SiteSecure recommended the use of infrared cameras to ensure consistent, reliable, identification-level video during night hours. The

problem was getting power to the best location for the surveillance equipment.

The closest power source was a quartermile away, too far to provide clear detail for accurate suspect identification.

Trenching new fiber to all of the camera sites wasn’t economically feasible. In addition, SiteSecure needed to address the problem of lost power and gate functionality. Since those gates used electronic keypads and magnetized locking mechanisms, any interruption in power would cause the keypad and mechanism to freeze up, leaving the gate in a locked position until power was restored.

SiteSecure turned to Solis Energy to deliver solar power to the tarmac cameras. With power available, the equipment could be positioned exactly where it was most effective, right next to the taxiways. Solis’ Solar Power Plant (SPP) 12220 was installed to drive the infrared cameras and wireless video encoder system. The powersupply system uses a solar power plant, which incorporates a deep-cycle battery array that provides uninterrupted power to the cameras and transmission equipment for up to seven days of cloudy skies. Because of the equipment’s strategic location, airport security were able to view clear, detailed video of airport traffic and better monitor unauthorized aircraft landing on the airfield.

At the back gates, to alleviate the concern over unreliable power, Site Secure installed an Uninterruptible

Power Supply (UPS 12030) from Solis to ensure continuous power. As a result, if power outages, dips or spikes occurred throughout the airport, the UPS could power the gate and keypad, keeping them functional until full grid power was restored.

Problems solved.

Solar power, cites Andy Bowman, vice president of SiteSecure, is making new friends among airport officials across the globe. “If they really want a return on their investment, wireless [solar] is the only option for remote locations,” says Bowman, adding that funding through the federal Transportation Security Administration has spurred recent new business at domestic airports and abroad.

While SiteSecure and Solis Energy are helping to broaden the boundaries of surveillance, G&T Conveyor Co. has a different focal point: speed. As the industry’s largest American-owned, privately-held, turnkey manufacturer in the United States, the Tavares-based company has an established reputation for engineering, manufacturing and installing both durable and cost-effective airport baggage handling systems.

Since 1987, G&T has delivered more than 400 turnkey airport projects worldwide.

Now, G&T is faster. In January, it introduced a new Vertical Sorter/ Merge (VSM), a product that transports all sizes of conveyable luggage then diverts or merges as required for proper sorting within a baggagesecurity or baggage-handling system.

The VSM surpasses previous technologies by increasing sort-speed performance by 30 percent and load capacity by 90 percent, as compared to competitive products.

The product is being installed at one of the 25 largest international airports in the nation, as part of a comprehensive baggage security screening project. The system supplied by G&T promises to make travel safer — and easier — for customers by increasing screened baggage throughput.

Thanks to advancements made by these Metro Orlando companies, airport security will never be the same. x

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By Jack Roth

HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, A VARIETY OF FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO HELP COMPANIES THROUGH VARIOUS STAGES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH.

>>

Almost all companies, regardless of how innovative or well run they are, need capital infusions at various points in their life cycle. Fortunately for businesses in Central Florida, economic growth is a regional priority and a variety of funding opportunities exist to help companies reach their goals.

Part of Florida’s overall strategy to ensure economic growth is providing Florida businesses with the resources needed to succeed at every stage of growth. In Central Florida, local leaders, economic development organizations and various learning institutions have embraced this philosophy for years. The unique presence of both legacy industries and evolving high tech clusters makes the region primed for economic growth. Ensuring such success, however, requires the presence of a network of resources that address capital needs at each point of a company’s growth cycle.

“Innovation requires capital,” says Robin Kovaleski, executive director of the Florida Venture Forum. “It’s imperative and incumbent upon us to provide a conduit for emerging growth companies to come together with capital resources. These companies help

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regions evolve, and they also hire our workforce. Often, these growth-stage companies cannot attract ‘traditional’ sources of funding. They need help to develop their technologies, both with money and with talent, business know-how and advice.”

Since its inception in 1984, the Florida Venture Forum has helped ensure the success of entrepreneurial ventures by offering expert counsel, educational advice and managerial assistance. The business leaders involved in developing the forum learned quickly that most entrepreneurs had sound technical expertise but many needed assistance in the areas of marketing and finance.

“We’ve created an ecosystem where companies can succeed from early-stage through maturity,” adds Kovaleski. “We literally provide a football field for these entrepreneurial teams to come to, bring their game plan and their team, and ultimately win their game.”

As companies evolve, so do their needs. Kovaleski and other business pundits will tell you that entrepreneurs often overlook this fact, as they are (understandably) too focused on the product or service they’re providing to understand the changing business dynamics associated with growth.

THE EVOLUTION OF CAPITAL NEEDS Understanding the growth cycle of companies is as important as understanding the inner-workings of the companies themselves. During the gestation, inception, prototype and rollout periods of a company, also known as first-stage growth, entrepreneurs usually turn to friends, family and venture capitalists to help finance their endeavors. Also known as business angels, these private investors help young companies with both finance and know-how. Venture capital is high-risk, high-return investing in support of business creation and growth. Startups often operate with minimal support staff and struggle to survive.

Most businesses fail in their early stages due to lack of financing and cash flow problems. Fortunately for local Orlando businesses, venture capitalists are taking

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a keen interest in what is fast becoming a constantly expanding high tech hub with serious growth potential.

“Venture capitalists are aware of the innovation and other attributes associated with the Central Florida region,” explains Kovaleski. “Regional universities have prepared a well-trained and qualified workforce, and local officials understand the importance and the need to expand growth in various industry sectors, including semiconductors, robotics, simulation and optics. The life and biosciences initiatives taking shape in Lake Nona have created an engine for continued growth and a good investment for venture capitalists.”

The life sciences cluster Kovaleski is referring to is forming a new ‘Medical City’ consisting of various UCF College of Medicine facilities, East Coast operations of the Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Orlando VA Medical Center, Nemours Pediatric Health Care Campus, M.D. AndersonOrlando’s Cancer Research Institute, and University of Florida research laboratory facilities. The conservative estimate of investment being made on the ‘Medical City’ site at Lake Nona is $2 billion, and the UCF College of Medicine alone is slated to create 30,000 jobs in the region.

Eric Ushkowitz, director of technology and entertainment at the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC), has seen first-hand how the region has come such a long way in a short period of time when it comes to luring venture capitalists. “You still see more venture capital in traditional high-tech hubs such as San Diego and Boston, but since the launch of ‘Medical City’ we’re starting to see interest from venture capitalists who are considering this region much more seriously. The strong support structure created for emerging companies — including the UCF Technology Incubator and dozens of other facility, funding and commercialization support programs — has created a buzz not only in the biosciences community but also in the venture capitalist community.”

A large technology hub has existed in Central Florida since the 1960s, when NASA and a plethora of support and

ECONOMIC GARDENING PILOT LOAN PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY PRE-QUALIFICATIONS The Economic Gardening Pilot Loan Program was created in 2009 within the Florida Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. The program supports those small businesses that are best qualified to use the loan to continue making a successful longterm business commitment to Florida.

Applicants must be business eligible for assistance as provided in Florida Statute 288.1081. >> The business must be a for-profit business legally authorized to do business in the state of Florida. >> The business must employ at least 10 but less than 50 employees. >> The business must generate at least $1 but no more than $25 million in revenues annually. >> The business must have maintained its principal place of business in the state of Florida for at least the previous 2 years. >> The business must qualify for the tax refund program for qualified target industry businesses. >> The business must have increased both its number of full-time equivalent employees and gross revenues in the state of Florida during 3 of the previous 5 years.

Such business loans will be a minimum of $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000 and may be used for working capital purchases, employee training, or salaries for newly created jobs. One job must be created for every $50,000 borrowed.

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Eric Ushkowitz

sub-contractors made the region home.

Most of these high-tech companies were, and still are, military contractors, so the need for venture capital in the region wasn’t needed.

“Our legacy centers have been rooted in Department of Defense contracts, but with the growth of our new high-tech sectors, we are now making the switch to venture capitalist funding,” Ushkowitz explains. “As these new businesses branch out and sometimes combine specialties to form brand new industry sectors — such as simulation and life sciences, or optics and photonics — we’re attracting more venture capital to the region because these represent cutting-edge technologies with enormous upside.”

SECOND STAGE GROWTH Ushkowitz and the EDC act as conduits between emerging companies and the support system they need in order to succeed. Incentive programs, training grants and partnerships constitute just some of the resources available. The EDC identifies these emerging companies and guides them to the appropriate sources depending on their needs.

“We have experts in every industry sector who oversee the entire region,” says Ushkowitz. “We’ve identified and established relationships with the companies who are here, so when they move from first stage to second stage in their growth cycles, we know they will require various resources they’ve never even considered before.”

Research shows that second-stage

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businesses — when products have been developed, sales increase exponentially and financing future growth becomes imperative — are at both the fastest and most critical growth period in a company’s history. Second-stage businesses account for only 13 to 16 percent of all businesses, yet they produce 30 to 40 percent of all jobs. Many second-stage businesses lack community support, however, because they are sandwiched between sexy start-ups and large companies that have the attention of media and economic developers.

“There was a gap in our history when we had a world-class incubator (firststage support) at UCF, which spawned companies that were way ahead of others, but when they got to their secondstage growth period, they flattened out,”

Mark Lange

that requires specific support and understanding.”

The state of Florida has recently embraced a long-term entrepreneurial strategy, known as economic gardening, designed to focus on second-stage

“WE OFTEN LIKEN SECOND-STAGE GROWTH COMPANIES TO A CHILD'S TERRIBLE TWOS. IT'S A TOUGH GROWTH PERIOD THAT REQUIRES SPECIFIC SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING.”— Mark Lange, executive director, Edward Lowe Foundation says Ushkowitz. “A whole new set of problems developed and they didn’t have the support they needed to work through it and continue to grow like they should have. The region has remedied that now with the economic gardening principles it has adopted.”

The Edward Lowe Foundation, based in southwest Michigan, was created to enhance entrepreneurship and economic growth across the country. Mark Lange, executive director of the foundation, describes the second stage of business development as a point in the business life cycle when the casual ad hoc methods of entrepreneurial ventures begin to fail. It’s a stage when the complexity of employing an increasing number of workers and the related regulatory compliance issues begin to exceed the span of control of one owner or CEO. At this stage of business development, more formal systems and processes may be required to effectively manage the business if it’s to sustain or accelerate its current rate of growth to the next stage.

“They require high maintenance and are often difficult to get a handle on,” says Lange. “We often liken secondstage growth companies to a child’s terrible twos. It’s a tough growth period

growth companies and generate new jobs from the existing base of businesses in the community. The program is a twopronged initiative to be managed by the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development.

The first component is the Economic Gardening Loan Pilot Program, which provides low-interest, short-term loans to eligible businesses for working capital expenses, employee training, and salaries for newly created jobs. These business loans range from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $250,000.

The second component is the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Pilot Program, where a third-party contractor with expertise in business outreach and development works with eligible businesses to assist them with their infrastructure, networking and mentoring needs.

“These programs are critical to the success of second-stage growth companies,” says Ushkowitz. “It’s hard to get any type of business loan these days, and especially for smaller businesses. Funding is an important piece of a huge puzzle when it comes to an overall economic development plan, and providing capital for these compa-

COURTESY EDWARD LOWE FOUNDATION

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nies, who are ready to spin out research and create jobs, is imperative to the success of that plan.”

>> Black Business Investment Fund (BBIF) Specializes in providing loans to small and minority business owners. In addition, the BBIF assists businesses in building their management capacity through technical assistance services. Currently, the BBIF administers two loan programs, the Black Business Loan Program (BBLP) and the Economic Gardening Pilot Loan Program.

MATURITY During the third, or maturity, stage of a company’s life-cycle, the business has reached the point where the fruits of labor can be realized and its contributions to the community are recognized.

In most cases, the company has done well, attacked its market, refined and commercialized its products, and may be gearing up for an initial public offering or other major progress. Funding at this stage can more easily be secured by bank loans, as banks tend to consider established entities when considering lending. Acquisitions and IPOs (initial public stock offerings) can also raise needed capital. In essence, growth is no longer a critical issue to the company’s survival.

“Growth may not be the first priority for third-stage companies, but business owners always have decisions to make,” says Ushkowitz. “Do they concentrate on continuing to run a successful venture, pursue new ventures, or devise a plan for succession of the business so they can retire? Whatever the case, we still need to provide the appropriate support systems to make these decisions easier for them.”

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH Steve Quello, known as the “Jerry Garcia of Economic Gardening,” played a major role in the adaptation of the economic gardening pilot programs in the region. Quello believes that, for community and economic development, the key is to recognize and meet the needs of entrepreneurs based on where they are in terms of the life-cycle stages.

“The complexity of serving and advancing economic development issues requires a collaborative approach,” he says. “There’s no one entity in any region that can do all the things needed to accomplish this.

Central Florida is a particularly collaborative community, and it has embraced entrepreneurship like few regions have.

Understanding continuum and meeting

Steve Quello

needs at different stages sets this region apart from almost all others. We’re lucky in this regard because we have organizations and people who understand, embrace and support these principles.

We’re seeing the benefit of this and are poised to benefit further.”

Quello believes the premise of continuum is critical as it relates to Central Florida because the pieces are in place to support the entire life-cycle of a company.

“We have a nationally recognized incubator at UCF, which is a very progressive and community-oriented academic entity. They’re doing a great job at stage one growth, and the economic gardening model helps fill the gap in stage two. The Disney Entrepreneur Center straddles these two stages, and the High Tech Corridor Council provides this continuity along the high tech track.

The EDC picks up on all of the stages and acts as a resource for all businesses.

Gardening helps put it all together, especially during difficult economic times.”

Entrepreneurs must also be proactive, putting forth the due diligence needed to know where support is coming from and how to secure it. New resources are always popping up in the form of grants, loans, venture capital and forums.

“Venture capitalists are always looking for the new thing, and we have cutting-edge technology hubs now that, when combined, create even newer and more innovative technologies,” says Ushkowitz. “The creators of these technologies must be aware of the fact that resources for funding and growth x continue to grow in the region.”

>> Florida Opportunity Fund Created to realize significant long-term capital appreciation by investing in highquality venture capital funds, businesses and infrastructure projects that will provide a lasting benefit to Florida. Established by the state to funnel more venture capital to Florida start-ups and invest part of state pension fund in growing Florida companies. >> Inflexion Fund LP Managed by Inflexion Partners, this seed and early-stage venture capital fund was organized with an emphasis on company building and harnessing regional, national and international resources of the fund's managers and strategic partners. It leverages a network venture capital model involving some of the largest institutional investors in the country. >> GrowFL Provides a suite of high-end, high-speed technical assistance and business tools to companies that have grown beyond the startup phase and need access to information and decision-making tools such as capital referrals, strategy analysis and network mapping. Working in partnership with Florida Economic Gardening Institute and the Edward Lowe Foundation, GrowFL applies lessons learned from the proven art of economic gardening.

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CONVERGENCE

Technological

By G.K. Sharman

MEDICAL SIMULATION, BIO-PHOTONICS AND ROBOTICS ARE JUST SOME OF THE HYBRID INDUSTRIES EMERGING RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

>>

Synergy, by definition, is work by two or more entities that results in more than the sum of the individual parts. In Central Florida, such convergence not only brings larger than expected results, it often goes in unexpected directions.

COURTESY IST

The Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) at UCF prepares students for jobs in Central Florida’s high-tech industries.

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Life science, simulation and photonics are particularly fertile fields for industry and research collaboration, and Central Florida, with strengths in all three realms, is a particularly fruitful location for technological convergence.

Take the growing field of medical simulation, for example. The University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) is a national leader in this emerging field. In one current project, IST is working with the Army and Chi Systems, a high-tech research and engineering company, to train soldiers in basic battlefield first aid. IST has developed what director Randall Shumaker calls “serious video games” as part of the training.

The goal is to make the experience as realistic as possible, something IST accomplishes by bringing together game developers, computer coders, creative writers, robotics experts, scientists and other experts — a process that distinguishes the “serious games” from more common entertainment-based video games.

In one scenario, a soldier has to save a buddy whose hand has been blown off. On the computer screen, blood spurts from the arm. Gunfire can be heard in the background, as well as the screams — and sometimes curses — of the victim. The trainee applies a tourniquet to a robotic ar m wirelessly connected to the computer screen to stop the bleeding.

“Everything you do is reflected in the game,” Shumaker says. So when

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placed in other, less stressful positions for which they remain well suited.

Another Central Florida simulation collaboration got some serious TV time last year when it was featured as part of a report on CBS’ 60 Minutes.

IDEAS, a digital media production company based in downtown Orlando, was hired by Rick Kramer Media to create a Website and several high-end animations for Energetics Technologies’ use in explaining its SuperWave TM Fusion, or “cold fusion” process, says the company’s vice president for innovation, Duncan Kennedy.

“The scientists and physicists working on the SuperWaveTM Fusion research at the main laboratory facility in Israel

Last year, 60 Minutes utilized animation produced by local company IDEAS in a story about cold fusion.

COURTESY IST

the trainee tightens the tourniquet, the blood flow on the computer stops — but it can start again as the fibers of the tourniquet loosen, just as they would in real life, which teaches the trainee to pay attention.

In addition to the noises, the simulation also can include smells — everything from vomit and bowel odors all the way to burned uniforms, burned flesh and decomposition. They make the simulation more realistic, Shumaker says, and also serve as a diagnostic tool: with a stomach wound, for instance, the smell can be a clue to the location of the injury.

Not all simulations are so intense.

Elsewhere on the UCF campus, tools are being developed to allow soldiers to “train” at a forward lookout post and teachers-to-be to learn how to best interact with students.

“Real life is 360º,” says Eileen Smith, associate director of the Media Convergence Laboratory at IST, pointing out that the simulations are often so realistic that people forget they’re virtual. One teacher-training participant yelled at the “students” on the screen for several minutes, she says. Better to do that in the lab than in a classroom.

Elsewhere in the lab is a prototype of another game — the test subject wears a headset and interacts with a scenario projected onto a green-screen-type curtain — that would let military medical personnel diagnose cognitive function in soldiers with brain injuries. Instead of being discharged, as is routinely done now, Smith says, this advanced diagnoses could lead to soldiers being

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UCF’s IST uses robotic arms in medical simulation exercises. were blown away by the animation and extremely excited about how it clearly explained and visualized an extremely complex and still not completely understood scientific phenomenon,” he says.

Kennedy produced the project, wrote the script and worked closely with IDEAS motion-graphics artist Greg Roux to make sure the animation was scientifi-

of this industry was the funding of CREOL, UCF’s College of Optics and Photonics, which 20 years ago spawned related industries and “enabling technology” that’s hard to find in places where technology is not in the forefront, says James Pearson, executive director of the Florida Photonics Cluster.

Today at CREOL, researchers are working on a number of projects relating to biophotonics, or “how we apply light in its many forms to biological applications,” Pearson says.

Among them is cutting-edge nanotechnology to treat cancer. Light can be used to stimulate nanoparticles in certain applications. Nanoparticles also can be heated with a laser to destroy cancer cells — techniques of interest to the Cancer Research Institute, part of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center-Orlando, which is part of the Orlando Health system.

One measure of the growing presence and reputation of biophotonics in Central Florida is the fact that the medical imaging meeting put on by SPIE, an international photonics and imaging society, is going to be held in Orlando in odd-numbered years.

Last year was the first time this major meeting was held outside southern California, where the organization began more than 50 years ago.

The power of converging industry is also being felt in the field of robotics, which is a focus at Florida Hospital’s Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement. Known worldwide for its robotics

“THE GOAL IS TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE, SOMETHING IST ACCOMPLISHES BY BRINGING TOGETHER GAME DEVELOPERS, COMPUTER CODERS, CREATIVE WRITERS, ROBOTICS EXPERTS, SCIENTISTS AND OTHER EXPERTS.” — RANDALL SHUMAKER cally accurate. When the 60 Minutes story — titled “Cold Fusion Is Hot Again” — aired on April 19, 2009, it used an amazing 30 seconds of animation in the 12.5 minute feature.

GROWING BIO-PHOTONICS Another emerging “hybrid” field that builds on Metro Orlando’s established strengths is bio-photonics. The genesis

surgery, the Nicholson Center recently received a $4.2 million Department of Defense grant to focus on telesurgery, tele-monitoring and telebroadcasting. This research investment is intended to revolutionize civilian and military capabilities in surgical robotics.

From robotics to medical simulation, when it comes to emerging technologies, Central Florida is at the forefront of new partnerships and industries. x

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SUCCESS

HOW TWO OF METRO ORLANDO’S LARGEST PRIVATELY-HELD TECH FIRMS ARE STAYING IN GROWTH MODE.

>>

While discussions about business growth remain difficult for many companies these days, two of our region’s largest privately-held tech firms have growth plans top-of-mind.

Jim Jardon and Marty Rubin have several things in common. Both lead Orlando-based tech companies. Both companies are listed among the ‘Golden 100’ in Orlando Business Journal ’s 2010 Book of Lists. And both are willing to share the secrets of success, lessons learned, management tips, and marketing tactics that are helping them defy the odds and remain focused on growth despite a tough economy.

Jim Jardon, JHT Inc. Twenty-year-old tech company that provides computer-based training, technical data management, environmental and marine sciences, and construction services for both government and commercial industries.

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Marty Rubin, Smart City Holdings National leader in advanced telecommunications and entertainment services, providing residential, business and hospitality connections for voice, data and video services.

T Texture: What is the real secret of your success? mr Marty Rubin: In 1999, we asked our client base, which was rather small at the time, which company did

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T What changes did you make in 2008 and 2009 that proved to be most valuable or profitable for the company? jj Jim Jardon: The transition to a more economical, efficient and high quality office space at the end of our previous lease, coupled with the difficult decision to make labor adjustments, managed to sustain our corporate viability.

they admire most? To our surprise, the top answer was not a technology company, it was the Ritz-Carlton.

This insight challenged us to think of ourselves as a hospitality company first and a technology company second.

We contacted the Ritz-Carlton and our staff underwent Ritz-Carlton training programs. Over the past ten years, every team member in every one of our offices spends ten minutes each day reviewing one of the Ritz-Carlton principles of customer service. I think that real success is often measured by your customers and that the lens they view your success through may be quite interesting.

T What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs — those trying to start something, just starting out, or those who have a few years’ experience under their belts? mr Marty Rubin: The perception that entrepreneurs are risk takers is incorrect. We are risk mitigators. The goal of an entrepreneur should be to understand all of the risks and develop creative ways to reduce your exposures.

That does not mean we should necessarily be conservative, but rather we should consciously strive to get the best return while lessening the risks.

T Tell us about your management strategies. What works, who is a role model for you when it comes to leadership style, and what (if any) changes have you made? jj Jim Jardon: I have always believed, due to my military training, the best mantra is: lead, follow or get out of the way. I have a very simple way of managing individuals: I delegate responsibility and authority and hold them accountable for their work. My goal is to avoid micromanagement.

The most recent change in leadership was the appointment of Ray

Malatino as president of the company.

This decision put someone highly qualified in place and allowed more time for my participation in and contributions to community organizations.

T What about your sales and marketing ... what new and successful tactics are you using? jj Jim Jardon: Our sales and marketing efforts have become more succinct over time. We now have a structured team in place to better approach our government markets and develop our commercial interests. Over the course of a month beginning in January of this year, our marketing representative created and implemented a social networking plan establishing a presence for JHT on both Twitter and LinkedIn. T What do you think are Metro Orlando’s greatest assets for tech firms like yours? mr Marty Rubin: The business community in Metro Orlando is very open to newcomers. We moved to Orlando in 2001 and it feels like we have been a part of the community for much longer.

That is important to us. The ability to quickly network with established business leaders in this community has played a significant role in our ability to introduce new services, hire talent and to solve problems.

T What are your plans for 2010? jj Jim Jardon: Our plan is to sustain

our efforts to recover from a tough economic period. My goal is to see 10 percent growth in revenue and personnel and to continue to expand our presence in the private sector. x

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HARVEST

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WITH THE AID OF THE FLORIDA ECONOMIC GARDENING INSTITUTE, TWO LOCAL SECONDSTAGE COMPANIES ARE POISED FOR GROWTH.

>>

In the past five years, they have accounted for 80 percent of the job growth in Florida.

They employ 10-50 workers, have sales in excess of $1 million annually and have experienced growth in both employment and sales in at least three of the last five years.

They are known to economists as “second-stage” companies — growth companies — and Florida has decided they are a good bet ... likely to be the engine of economic recovery and expansion.

They number 5,000 statewide. They are Central Florida companies such as Blue Orb, a major player in the video game hardware industry that makes controllers that provide game console experiences right on your PC.

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“From both the CEO roundtable and the economic gardening program, Blue Orb has grown substantially. When you have folks with companies here in Central Florida able to help you grow your own company, that’s a huge benefit,” says Pete McAlindon, Ph.D., president of Blue Orb. And they are companies such as Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. (ECS), a high-tech training company located near the Central Florida

Research Park adjacent to the University of Central Florida.

“My main concern as a defense contractor whose primary focus is advanced learning technologies is the budget for R&D. As a firm in ‘No Man’s Land,’ I need all the help I can get,” says Waymon Armstrong, president of ECS. Blue Orb and ECS are beneficiaries of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (FEGI), which was created by the 2009 Florida Legislature and is headquartered at the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research & Commercialization, the same team that has earned international recognition for nurturing start-up companies in its network of incubators. Both companies are taking advantage of GrowFL (www.GrowFL. com), a program of FEGI, to receive the attention of a unique team of analysts capable of helping them identify the road to growth. Called the “Jumpstart Team,” GrowFL brings sophisticated knowledge of tools and resources and how to use them.

What stands out to these entrepreneurs about GrowFL? According to McAlindon it was “the allure of getting help from a group of talented, dedicated professionals who really understand my business, were quick in responding to my company’s needs, and could help my company grow.” Specifically, he said the team was able to identify an effort that really helped with Blue Orb’s marketing efforts.

To ECS’ Armstrong, the speed with which the GrowFL team responds on

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Pete McAlindon

market research issues is key. “They are so fast in getting relevant information to you! It has helped us revise our business plans as we look to commercialize.”

Gardening Institute Executive Director Dr. Tom O’Neal says, “Think of this like an incubator program for grown-up companies.” O’Neal is also associate vice president of research and commercialization at UCF and an early adopter of the concept of economic gardening. “We knew we could help these companies that are very good at the basics of what they do, but need help identifying and adopting tools that can help them grow.”

GrowFL will provide in-depth techni-

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Waymon Armstrong

cal assistance to 300 companies in its first year and a broad range of growthoriented programs for as many as 1,000 second-stage executives statewide, including CEO forums, CEO peer-topeer roundtables, seminars and more.

In less than 120 days, the team at FEGI pulled together a hub-and-spoke network of regional affiliates and took the concept to market, bringing in applications from more than 100 companies to go through an in-depth interview with the Jumpstart Team, while simultaneously qualifying and training a Florida-based team of analysts to continue to provide economic gar-

dening services on an ongoing basis.

“Governor Crist and the Legislature showed great insight into the needs of private enterprise and what small business can do for our economy when they funded this program,” says O’Neal.

“Our goal is to create a rich system of resources here in the state that can energize these companies to achieve their potential.”

Seminole County Director of Economic Development Bill McDermott, who also chairs the marketing committee of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, says, “While like all economic developers I am always in search of that next great mega corporation that will instantly help create hundreds of jobs in our community, the numbers are clear.

We need to focus resources on those companies that are truly adding to our job base right now.

“These companies are the real deal.

Because the Florida Economic Gardening Act focuses on a number of high tech and related sectors, the High Tech Corridor region stands to benefit greatly from this in that we employ 70 percent of the state’s high tech workers ... many, if not most, in second-stage companies.” x

G E N E R AT I N G

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Your business will shine brighter when you relocate or expand in the Progress Energy service area. Where your business can count on: s Clean, reliable, affordable power for today and tomorrow s A strong local economy, outstanding talent pool and high quality of life s A dedicated economic development team to meet your business’ needs To learn more about Progress Energy, call 1.800.622.7562 or visit progress-energy.com/economic.

LO O K I N G

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I N

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L I G H T.

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HERE NOW and

By Jennifer Wakefield

>>

FROM AWARDS TO EXPANSIONS TO NEW PARTNERSHIPS, HERE IS WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CENTRAL FLORIDA’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

Despite the recession, the demand for qualified technical workers remains high in Central Florida. Emerging industries such as simulation and the life sciences remain poised for growth, while the area also prepares to welcome some new opportunities.

SANFORD-BURNHAM MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

bio ORLANDO UPDATE bio Orlando, a council of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC), serves as a catalyst for accelerating growth of the life science and biotechnology industry in Central Florida. Here’s the latest news about this emerging sector: >> Recognizing the potential for convergence between two of our region’s strongest industries — simulation and life science — local leaders are working to position Metro Orlando as a center of excellence in this emerging industry sector. The Med Sim Consortium — led by the Orlando-headquartered National Center for Simulation — has been established to accelerate that effort. >> Orlando’s ‘medical city’ at Lake Nona was recently selected as the national site for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Medical Simulation Center for Excellence. The center, to be located at the new Orlando VA Medical Complex, will serve as the nationwide training and planning home for the VA’s new medical simulation system, making our region the focal point for improved care and treatment of veterans across the country.

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between research in the lab and treatment at the bedside for the growing health problems related to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. >> Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute announced a partnership with Duke University Medical Center’s Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center on a new metabolic research program. The collaboration is expected to begin this fall.

>> The Burnham Institute for Medical Research has been renamed. The research organization’s East and West Coast operations will now be known as Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, renamed in honor of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford who pledged $50 million to support, further expand and accelerate the Institute’s medical research priorities.

>> bioOrlando has established a Scientific Advisory Council, which will engage scientific researchers throughout Metro Orlando in discussions focused on collaboration and shared partnership opportunities.

>> Late last year, the Florida Hospital — Sanford-Burnham Institute Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes Biorepository announced that it would open in 2012 as the gateway to Florida Hospital’s “Health Village.” The goal of this collaborative effort is to bridge the distance

SunRail — Central Florida’s commuter rail system — finally got the Legislative support it needed to become a reality as 2009 drew to a close. By 2012, the trains are expected to run on 61 miles of track that will connect Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties and provide a viable transportation

For more infor mation, www.bioOrlando.com.

visit

SPEEDY DELIVERY

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High-speed rail is coming to Central Florida.

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students to enter technical fields of study and, ultimately, to pursue hightech jobs in Central Florida. Efforts will be directed at students in Orange, Seminole, Lake, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, Polk and Flagler counties. The demand for qualified technical workers remains high in Central Florida.

R&D AWARD WINNER

alternative for commuters. Over the next 25 years, SunRail is projected to create more than 250,000 jobs and $8 billion in economic impact.

On the heels of the SunRail announcement, President Barack Obama visited Tampa in January to announce that the Florida High Speed Rail System would receive $1.25 billion in federal funding to connect Tampa to Orlando in the 84-mile first phase of the project. Stops will include Orlando International Airport, Orange County Convention Center, Walt Disney World, Lakeland and Tampa; and the system could be running by 2015. The second phase of the project will connect Orlando to Miami by 2017. Ultimately, a statewide system is envisioned.

MATH & SCIENCE TIME

UCF WINS GRANT The University of Central Florida (UCF) has been awarded a $7.5 million research grant to study ways to make photovoltaic solar cells more efficient in capturing and converting solar energy into electricity and less costly to manufacture. This research, being headed by UCF College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) professor Winston Schoenfeld, could lead to ways to produce highly flexible solar panels that can be manufactured in large quantities to support solar products ranging from solar roof shingles to portable energy.

Lewis Duncan, Rollins College

ROLLINS INITIATIVE Five years ago, Rollins College President Lewis Duncan embarked upon an unparalleled effort to provide international experiences for its faculty.

The president’s Internationalization Initiative affords professors and teaching staff at Rollins the opportunity to travel all over the world to see other countries and experience other cultures — and strives to enable every faculty member to have an inter national experience at least once every three years. Since its launch in 2005, more than 75 percent of eligible faculty have participated, many of whom cite "transfor mative" effects on their research and their lives. In 2008, Rollins received national recognition in the Chronicle of Higher Education as a leader in higher education for its efforts to internationalize its faculty. x

New research at UCF’s College of Optics and Photonics is being funded by a $7.5 million research grant.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Tech industry powerhouses from throughout Central Florida — including NASA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, Boeing, Harris Corporation, Naval Air Warfare Center, U.S. Army PEO-STRI, Disney, and Cox Marketing — have joined with the University of Central Florida, Manufacturers Association of Central Florida and Florida Virtual School to encourage study in science, technology, engineering and math.

This impressive group comprises the charter members of the Central Florida STEM Education Council (CFSEC), which will be based at the UCF Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park. Their end goal is to prepare and entice pre-college

Planar Energy Devices, a manufacturer of advanced technology batteries, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), is a recipient of the prestigious R&D 100 award. Planar’s innovation, entitled “Thin-Film Lithium Rechargeable Microbattery,” is based on a successful redesign of the traditional solid state battery technology. The R&D 100 award has been called the “Oscars for invention.”

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CULTURE

Encountering

FROM MUSIC TO FILM TO ART, CENTRAL FLORIDA CELEBRATES AND EXPANDS CULTURAL HORIZONS.

LIVING OUT LOUD

COURTESY ENZIAN (2)

The Tiger Next Door will be screened at the 19th annual Florida Film Festival in the Documentary Feature category.

Orlando hosts several prominent film and music festivals throughout the year.

From April 22-24, the 9th Annual Florida Music Festival takes place in downtown Orlando as bands from all genres perform in more than 15 venues.

Keynote presenters this year are co-presidents of Universal Republic Records, Monte and Avery Lipman.

Following the keynote is a day of industry seminars covering all aspects of the music industry, including major producers, artist managers and musicbased law firms. There will also be discussions on the future of music technology, including the latest industry trends and Web-based companies such as ReverbNation, Grooveshark, PureVolume, Activision, EA-Tiburon and more.

The 19th Annual Florida Film Festival (www.FloridaFilmFestival.com) will be held April 9-18. The 10-day event showcases the best in independent cinema, along with fine wine and cuisine, and includes movie screenings, food and wine events, industry parties, Q&As, and much more.

Celebrity chefs who will be on hand include Donna Moore, Hominy Stehling and Matt and Ted Lee. Everything kicks off on April 9 with the opening night film screening and party, No Grits, No Glory! Ticket packages and all-access platinum passes are available.

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Fish by Kurt Zimmerman will be on display at the Hannibal Square Folk Art Festival.

COURTESY CREALDÉ SCHOOL OF ART

The 8th Annual Global Peace Film Festival (GPFF) (www.peacefilmfest.org), to be held September 21-26, seeks to utilize the power of film to further the goal of peace on earth. Attendees can see films from around the world, hear educational panels, meet filmmakers and special guests, and learn about the work of local activists. The GPFF is accepting entries through May 21.

independent filmmakers from around the world.

GET FESTIVE Several major art festivals also call Central Florida home and attract top talent from across the nation.

Picturesque Winter Park is home to two well-established art festivals, as well as a new one for 2010. First, the

COURTESY FLORIDA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Taylor Swift performs at the 2004 Florida Music Festival in Orlando.

From November 10-14, the Orlando Film Festival (www.orlando filmfest.com) takes place at the Plaza Cinema Cafe. The mission of the festival is to support the cause of independent cinema and to promote culture and the arts in downtown Orlando by exposing a wide audience to the unique and diverse stories told by

51st Annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival (www.wpsaf.org) takes place each spring. The event is one of the country’s premier juried art shows; over 225 artists are invited to attend. Entry categories included clay, digital art, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, sculpture, wood and more. Artwork by Orange County middle and high school

students is also on display at the Leon Theodore Schools Exhibit. And a special Children’s Workshop Village is set up for kids ages 2-to 12, where local museums offered hands-on arts and crafts activities. This year’s festival included a performance by jazz artist Peter White and a refined food and beverage experience.

New to Winter Park this year is the first Hannibal Square Folk Art Festival, scheduled for Saturday, April 10 in front of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center.

The event offers an opportunity to meet and purchase the artwork of Florida folk artists. The festival also features soul food, live music and a hands-on KidFolk Workshop for children, led by renowned Orlando folk artist Linda Schäpper.

The 37th annual Winter Park Autumn Art Festival (www.winter park.org) is being held October 9-10.

It is the only fine art show in the state that features all Florida artists in categories including ceramics, crafts, drawings and graphics, fiber, jewelry, painting, photography and sculpture.

Annually, more than 70,000 people attend this free event.

Just up the road in Maitland, the 34th Annual Maitland Rotary Art Festival (www.maitlandrotaryartfestival.com) will feature 150 artists and take place October 1-3. This is one of the few festivals in the country that offers evening hours, beginning Friday from 6-10 p.m.

Festival hours for Saturday are 10 a.m.10 p.m. and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

With live music and sparkling lights, evenings here make for a memorable experience for artists and patrons alike.

Admission is free and proceeds from the sale of food and festival posters, as well as parking, benefit local charities.

Further north, the Winter Springs Festival of the Arts (www.wsfota.org) will be held October 16-17. This year, festival organizers are working on a participative element that will involve community artists creating public paintings. The event will also include a preseries of Artists Talk Back evenings at some of the restaurants in the Winter Springs Town Center. A specific artist will have work displayed in a particular restaurant for a few weeks in advance

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The Orlando Museum of Art showcases local as well as national and international exhibitions.

COURTESY ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART

of the festival, and the artist will make an appearance at the restaurant to discuss his or her work.

From November 12-14, Downtown Disney brings art to life at the annual Festival of the Masters. Featuring 150 award-winning artists, this world renowned show showcases one-of-akind and limited edition painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry and more.

Chalk art, live music, specialty foods and family-friendly activities round out the offerings.

The Downtown Winter Garden Merchants Guild’s 9th Annual Art Festival (www.wgmerchants.org) is November 20-21. Artists from around the state will be represented at the event, which includes entertainment, children’s activities, and food vendors. The shops and restaurants downtown will be open for business throughout the festival.

YEAR-ROUND ART No matter when you need a culture fix, a trip to one of Central Florida’s museums will not disappoint.

Founded in 1924, the Orlando Museum of Art (www.OMArt.org) strives to enrich the cultural life of Florida by providing excellence in the visual arts.

The museum collects, preserves and interprets notable works of art; presents exhibitions of local, regional, national and international significance; and develops first-rate educational programs. Each year OMA presents 10-12

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exhibitions on-site and 13 exhibitions off-site, award-winning art enrichment programs, unlimited gallery tours, teacher in-service training programs, video programs, distinguished lectures, art appreciation lectures, studio classes, lecture/luncheon programs and community outreach services.

Around the corner on Princeton Street, the Mennello Museum of American Art (www.mennellomuseum.com) offers a diverse collection of paintings and sculptures. At the heart of the museum is an outstanding permanent collection of paintings by artist Earl Cunningham (1893-1977). The museum regularly hosts receptions, Free Family Days, Evenings with the Director, lectures, gallery walks and other activities and events.

Just north of Orlando in Winter Park is the Cornell Fine Arts Museum (CFAM) (www.rollins.edu/cfam) on the campus of Rollins College. CFAM’s original exhibitions are drawn from the 5,000 objects in its permanent collection, including paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures by artists such as Albert Bierstadt, Alex Katz, John Frederick Kensett, Henri Matisse, Thomas Moran and Pablo Picasso.

The museum also welcomes traveling exhibitions and showcases a range of works from antiquity to cutting-edge contemporary. Public talks, films, and educational programs round out CFAM’s offerings.

Also in Winter Park is the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American

Art (www.morsemuseum.org). It features the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, including jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass windows and lamps, and the chapel interior he designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The museum’s also offers a collection of American pottery and collections of late 19th- and early 20thcentury American painting, graphics, and decorative art.

Get a taste for some rustic works at the Jeanine Taylor Folk Art Gallery (www.jtfolkart.com) on First Street in Sanford. The gallery promotes contemporary folk artists with exhibitions, shows, events and educational programs.

Featuring the works of 20 to 30 selftaught artists as well as eight working artist studios, the gallery is a hotbed for southern folk art in general, and Florida folk art in particular. Its Artist-in-Residence program brings in nationallyknown artists every year.

GOOD LIVING Abundant arts and cultural offerings are just part of what makes a city desirable, and when it comes to living the good life, it appears that Floridians are doing just that. Recent studies and rankings consistently placed local cities near the top of national lists of where people like to live. For instance, Oviedo was named in Relocate America’s 2009 list of Top 100 Places to Live. The city also ranked in the 2009 Money Magazine list of Top 100 Best Small Towns in America. Nearby Winter Springs was recognized in the 2007 Money Magazine list of Best Places to Live. Meanwhile, CNN/Money Magazine continue to rank Lake Mary among the best small towns in Florida in which to live, and Winter Garden was named one of the fastest growing suburbs by x Forbes.com.

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O F

C E N T R A L

F L O R I D A

5`SS\ 8]Pa When the U.S. energy oďŹƒce needed experts to train people for a new wave of “greenâ€? jobs they turned to UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), the largest and most active state-supported solar energy institute in the nation. With $2.8 million from the Department of Energy, FSEC will train workers in solar installation and generate new jobs across the Southeast.

UCF knows energy. And energy is a key driver of the new economy.

To learn more, visit fsec.ucf.edu.

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Reliable Plaza is just one example of how OUC strives to be an environmental steward while providing affordable and reliable service to our customers. Every day ǁĞ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞĞŬ and evaluate new technologies, projects, programs and services to help our customers

It’s Easy Being Green When Someone Shows You How At OUC, environmentally sound building principles are something we promote to our customers — ďLJ ƉƵƫŶŐ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ ŝĚĞĂƐ ŝŶƚŽ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ͘ Kh ͛Ɛ ZĞůŝĂďůĞ WůĂnjĂ ŝƐ 'ŽůĚ >ĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŝŶ ŶĞƌŐLJ ĂŶĚ ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ĞƐŝŐŶ ;> Ϳ ĐĞƌƟĮĞĚ͕ ĐĞŵĞŶƟŶŐ ŽƵƌ ϭϬͲƐƚŽƌLJ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĐĞŶƚĞƌ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ͞'ƌĞĞŶĞƐƚ ƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ŝŶ ĚŽǁŶƚŽǁŶ KƌůĂŶĚŽ͘͟ dŚĞ ŶŽŶͲƉƌŽĮƚ h͘^͘ 'ƌĞĞŶ ƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ŽƵŶĐŝů ĂǁĂƌĚĞĚ ƚŚĞ 'ŽůĚ ůĞǀĞů ĐĞƌƟĮĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŌĞƌ ĐŽŵƉůĞƟŶŐ Ă ƌĞǀŝĞǁ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ͛Ɛ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ͘ ZĞůŝĂďůĞ WůĂnjĂ ĂůƐŽ ŚŽůĚƐ Ă &ůŽƌŝĚĂ tĂƚĞƌ ^ƚĂƌ ĐĞƌƟĮĐĂƟŽŶ͕ Ă ǀŽůƵŶƚĂƌLJ

ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ĨŽƌ ŶĞǁ ĂŶĚ ĞdžŝƐƟŶŐ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞƐ ǁĂƚĞƌ ĞĸĐŝĞŶĐLJ ŝŶ ĂƉƉůŝĂŶĐĞƐ͕ ƉůƵŵďŝŶŐ ĮdžƚƵƌĞƐ͕ ŝƌƌŝŐĂƟŽŶ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ĂŶĚ ůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞƐ͘ /Ŷ ĨĂĐƚ͕ ZĞůŝĂďůĞ WůĂnjĂ ŝƐ ŚĞůƉŝŶŐ ƵƐ ƐƉƌĞĂĚ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌĚ ŽŶ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ŝŶ ĞŶƚƌĂů &ůŽƌŝĚĂ͘ If your professional group or organization would like to schedule a tour of the energy and water saving features at Reliable Plaza, just email your request to tours@ouc.com.

ďĞĐŽŵĞ ŵŽƌĞ ĞĸĐŝĞŶƚ in their own homes and businesses and save on their utility bills.

To learn more, visit us online at ReliablyGreen.ouc.com.

Reliable Plaza ϭϬϬ tĞƐƚ ŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ KƌůĂŶĚŽ͕ &ůŽƌŝĚĂ ϯϮϴϬϭ WŚŽŶĞ ϰϬϳ͘ϰϮϯ͘ϵϭϬϬ &Ădž ϰϬϳ͘Ϯϯϲ͘ϵϲϭϲ ǁǁǁ͘ŽƵĐ͘ĐŽŵ