INNOVATE® Jacksonville

WHO WE HELP Bold City Bots was founded in 2017 to provide solutions for small businesses in Jacksonville that struggle with or are too short-staffed to answer each email or message from their customers and prospective customers on platforms like Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or LinkedIn. 39% of people that message...

“Artificial intelligence (AI) has made its mark and has begun transforming every industry, government, and the lives of everyone on the planet,” states Ted Willich, NLP Logix Chief Executive. Ted is one of three founders of the company. He, along with Matt Berseth and Robert Marsh, started the company in...

The Essential Culture Podcast Network (ECPN) is a podcast-based media platform for Northeast Florida. Through strategic collaborations with Jacksonville-based media institutions, our network provides a series of cultural programs available to be downloaded on multiple streaming platforms. Listeners can subscribe to shows dedicated to subjects centered around business, advocacy, entertainment,...

The Northeast Florida Regional STEM2 Hub was chartered in 2015 by the Jacksonville business community under the leadership of Gary Chartrand. These leaders noticed that there was a disconnect between the skills that students would need to be ready for the careers of the 21st century, and the experiences that...

WHO WE ARE Phase Eight Theater Company is the latest arts organization to be formed in Jacksonville, Florida. It is recognized as a boundary-pushing and socially progressive theater group. They’ve presented fourteen productions in its first two and a half years of existence having performed for hundreds of audience members....

OUR STORY Chef Tom Gray is one of North Florida’s most lauded and respected chefs, with two James Beard Award nominations as well as countless awards and accolades. He began his career in his hometown of Jacksonville at the age of 15 at a local country club, with culinary school...

Electricity is a vital component of the American economy and way of life. The Powering America team supplies the determined, dependable talent that all this critical work requires. Between our 16,000 electrical contractors and 300,000 skilled construction professionals in the U.S., we have established a track record in virtually every...

Our team has embraced the challenge of bringing the TEDx experience to Jacksonville because we believe our city’s greatest assets are the ideas and dreams of its citizenry. Ideas have the power to reshape minds and change the way people act. Dreams are the birthplace of the possible. But, too...

Office Evolution provides flexible shared workspace to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startup companies. This is done by providing turnkey workspace solutions in the form of coworking, private offices, meeting space, and other business services. Office Evolution plays a key role in building Jacksonville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through creating a collaborative community...

Ours is a story of true innovation, perseverance, and grit, which eventually led the company to be one of the two dominant forces in workforce management. ,     Beeline is a Jacksonville-based company just exiting its teenage years. Beeline isn’t a household name; in fact, most of the Jacksonville...

Clay County District Schools has a proud tradition of excellence. We have established our school system as one of the best in the state, if not in the country. Clay County District Schools has truly become an educational environment for which everyone can be proud. We have embraced a culture...

The Police Athletic League of Jacksonville, Inc. (JaxPAL) enriches the lives of children by creating positive relationships between law enforcement officers and the youth of our community through education, athletic, leadership, and outreach programs.   THE STORY It only takes one moment to change the trajectory of a life. Years...

Each year in November, teams come together to invest their time in themselves to better their companies. Emotional intelligence, public speaking and teamwork are all elements that go into creating a successful leader. When small businesses begin to tackle big issues, PS27 Ventures, a Jacksonville venture capital firm, works with...

Our unique recipes combine tradition and creativity with superior ingredients and finely curated flavorings. We promise true love with every bite. We are a small-batch, handcrafted, artisan toffee maker, creating uniquely flavored, all-natural toffee. Our incredibly indulgent dark chocolate almond toffee is made with ingredients such as orange, key lime,...

As the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital transformation sweep rapidly across the globe, people often focus too much on the technology. Sometimes we need to ask the question … “Why?” Why are we doing this? Just because we can do something with technology isn’t always a good reason that...

A dedicated group of seasoned financial advisory professionals who coordinate the various skills and background of each team member to meet the needs of their client base. The Forbes Gilham Group of Wells Fargo Advisors takes a different approach to the needs of business owners and families. They have ability...

ValueMapping® is a GPS for clarifying human and business value and then authentically communicating that story to the world. ValueMapping’s foundations were established in the late 1990s when founder Al Emerick first began working with clients in broadcast advertising and brand development. His exploration of how people defined value was...

BLUEWAVE Technologies is a healthtech startup and the creator of the BLUEWAVE, a device that can deodorize items with its proprietary ozone infusion technology in as little as 5 minutes, without using any water, detergents, or added  chemicals. The device is completely closed loop and filters out all of the...

That Lyfe, LLC was founded around the simple idea that having a great nightout should be easy and transparent. Our focus is on democratizing the nightlife experience through our iOS application, NOCTURNAL ,     This idea originated from an evening in a city none of us are from. The...

The UNF Step Lab, housed in the UNF College of Education and Human Services, positions UNF to continue to be a major contributor to the STEM Education ecosystem in the Northeast Florida community. It is a place where regional preK-12 students, teachers, university faculty and students, and community/business partners can...

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is an independent state agency serving Jacksonville (Duval County), with limited services in Clay, Nassau, and Baker counties. In addition to providing public transportation options in Jacksonville, the JTA designs and constructs bridges, sidewalks, and highways through the JTAMobilityWorks and Safe Routes to School program....

ELEVATOR PITCH Rethreaded provides a second chance at life through employment for survivors of human trafficking. Women have employment opportunities in different facets of the company, including production, inventory, sales, marketing and finance/admin. Through its own enterprise and its distribution company that partners with like-minded businesses, Rethreaded’s mission is to...

Kamana brings workflow efficiency and security to an antiquated industry, connecting healthcare employers with qualified professionals to fill contract staffing needs. The contract healthcare staffing industry is fundamentally flawed. Travel healthcare professionals, who change locations (and employers) every three months, consistently complain about the lack of continuity across the industry....

ELEVATOR PITCH “Every woman deserves to feel beautiful; every woman deserves to feel safe; every woman deserves to feel happy.” is the motto at Sparkle & Sabre, a small jewelry company specializing in stylish pieces that boost wearers’ sense of security and well-being. With a majority of available self-defense products...