New date set for TechXpedition

A new date has been set for the inaugural TechXpedition startup challenge at Babcock Ranch. Originally slated for November, the competition was postponed to allow prospective competitors and event volunteers to focus on recovery in the wake of Hurricane Ian. With the competition now set for April 14-16, organizers have reopened registration.

TechXpedition will give up to 60 budding entrepreneurs an opportunity to compete for $10,000 in preseed startup investment to help get their innovations to market. The 54-hour event is being organized and presented by MoAloo Ventures, a venture capital firm led by Babcock Resident Priya Ahluwalia. Sponsors include Babcock Ranch, Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation, Chuck Ketteman and 35 Mules, the innovation hub launched by Florida Power & Light.

“My husband and I have participated as mentors in numerous startup challenge weekends all over the country and have seen how effective they are in helping entrepreneurs take their startup up ideas from concept to the marketplace in a very short period of time,” Ahluwalia said.

Immokalee Foundation receives $15,000 grant

Suncoast Credit Union Foundation recently awarded a $15,000 grant to The Immokalee Foundation to support its career-focused educational programming and training through Career Pathways, the Foundation’s comprehensive curriculum that prepares its students for in-demand, well-paying careers in Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Education & Human Services, Engineering & Construction Management and Healthcare.

“The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation is active in promoting the education, health and emotional well-being of children in the communities we serve, so this program is the perfect fit,” said Kourtney Berry, executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. “With this grant, we hope that The Immokalee Foundation will be able to impact more children in their community by fostering lasting relationships to serve them for a lifetime.”

Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union

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Master of Ceremonies John Huffman, of Huffman Construction Group, also showcased the stories of the young entrepreneurs in the area that are a part of the Biz Kidz, a local student expo that provides 7- to 17-year-old students an opportunity with experience and mentorship to encourage and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of young people.

headquartered in the state of Florida, the 10th largest in the United States based on membership, and the 10th largest in the United States based on its more than $15 billion in assets. Chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union currently operates 75 fullservice branches and serves more than a million members in 40 counties across Florida.

“From the beginning, Suncoast has been focused on education and educators,” said Noemi Y. Perez, president and CEO of The Immokalee Foundation.

“Today, we share a goal of placing the youth of Immokalee on a path toward future careers and financial independence. The Immokalee Foundation is honored to be a part of Suncoast’s rich history of care and support.”

Since its founding in 1990, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has raised and donated more than $36 million to organizations and initiatives.

Student stories came from Kaci Richardson, winner of the 2022 expo with a $1,000 cash prize, who started Kaci’s Cakes and Bakes in Cape Coral. Also highlighted were Emily Hamilton of Emily’s Baked Goods and Izzy Gallegos of Big Boy’s Peanut Butter Treats.

Through The YEARS Foundation, Biz Kidz Expo will be hosting an event on Saturday, April 15, at the Coastland Mall in Naples. Registration is open at bizkidzexpo.com.

“The startup challenge weekend is really just the beginning for us. We’re already looking toward creating an incubator so that new businesses that come to life here at Babcock Ranch stay here and help grow our community.”

The competition weekend will kick off with oneminute idea pitches from each of the competitors. All of the competitors will cast votes for the ideas they believe have the greatest potential, and then form teams around the top-ranked ideas. With guidance from an impressive team of volunteer mentors, and the opportunity to iterate their concepts in Babcock High School’s state-of-the-art Make Tank, the teams will create product prototypes and develop comprehensive business plans under a very tight deadline. The event culminates Sunday evening with five-minute presentations by each team to the judges who will determine which startup merits investment.

“Babcock Ranch’s focus on sustainability, combined with an innovation mindset, creates a ‘living laboratory’ environment for piloting exciting new technologies,” said Lucienne Pears, vice president of Business and Economic Development for Babcock Ranch. “When we were approached with the idea of creating a tech startup challenge to foster innovation at its earliest stages, we realized this type of event was a perfect fit for our community.”

There’s no charge to apply, and the competition is open to Innovators of ALL ages who have ideas for launching a new business that leverages technology to deliver products and services in new ways. In addition to the grand prize, competitors will have the opportunity to network and establish relationships with sponsoring organizations.

The application is available to complete online at www.babcockranchforbusiness.com/TechXpedition.