As a guest judge of the Exploratory Lab Boot Camp and frequent reviewer of business plans, I continue to be amazed by the quality of the business plans the baccalaureate students produce at the conclusion of this innovative and entrepreneurial boot camp program.
Hosted by Tech Data, the innovative program is planned in partnership with St. Petersburg College, Agile Thought, ValPak and the Tampa Bay Technology Forum. Learn more about this year’s Exploratory Lab Boot Camp.
As the students presented their business plans at the Exploratory Lab Boot Camp Graduation on July 15, it is clear that they have far exceeded their goals beyond presenting a technological business solution. They have personified the true meaning of utilizing creativity and team work to develop a solid business model.
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“Our students represent seven state and local colleges and come from diverse backgrounds. They are asked to work together and for some, this is the first time they have ever worked in a team” explained Angie Beltz, Vice President, Cisco Solutions Group, Tech Data and Exploratory Lab (ExLab) Co-Founder.
The strength of the teams was apparent with the professionalism of the presentations and the demonstration of the contribution to the knowledge from each team member. I enjoyed all of the presentations and believe they are right on par with industry standards. In fact, in my experience with some local teach start-ups, some prove to be more creative and realistic than what is currently being developed in the tech market.
Exploratory Lab competition winners
In my opinion, all of the teams were winners. However, the judges were provided a robust rubric for reviewing the business plans and the presentations. It was a close race, but first place was awarded to the team “Creative Warriors” for their technological approach to event and stadium parking. It was clear they had a strong team spirit and truly believed they could add value to the Internet of Things (IoT) market.
I look forward to seeing what the teams create for the next Exploratory Lab Boot Camp. For more information, please contact Angie Beltz. A collaborative effort, the program is always looking to promote new partnerships. The more technology companies and education institutions that are involved in this effort, the more students we can place in jobs locally to continue to build and support our extraordinary technology hub in Tampa Bay. Tech Data will host the next ExLab the week of January 16, 2017.