This week in the Orlando region, we see renewed vaccine urgency, welcome two new companies, and recognize the incredible work of our Council members. That and more in the Weekly Tech Round Up.

Featured Headlines | Upcoming Events | News from the Orlando Region

Message from the Orlando Tech Council Chair

Happy Friday, all.  

Just as we started to feel normal again, spikes in COVID-19 cases are halting that confidence. This week, Orange County’s 14-day positivity rate was reported to be over 15.58 percent. As a core component of the Orlando Economic Partnership, this Council supports Mayor Jerry L. Demings’ Executive Order 2021-24 to address the health and safety of our residents and visitors. For those who are undecided, I urge you to get vaccinated to ensure our region’s progress toward full economic recovery. 

In business news, we welcomed two new companies to the region this week. InnovaCare Health will relocate from New York to Lake Nona, bringing 60 high-wage jobs. Conti Federal Services has moved into Central Florida Research Park, bringing over 40 new high-wage jobs. You can read more about both announcements in this week’s Headlines below. 

I also wanted to take a moment to thank our Council members for their commitment and dedication to our community. Thanks to them we are an extremely active group – made up of leaders with diverse experiences – working shoulder-to-shoulder towards the shared goal of organizing and aligning our region’s resources to accelerate progress towards an innovation-based economy. Our Ecosystem Committee is diligently mapping our tech and innovation community to provide insights on where to focus our energies. Our Programming Committee is bringing to life new programs and supporting partnerships that foster tech initiatives across the community including Orlando Tech Connect and other initiatives launching soon. Our Marketing Committee is telling the stories of our region and working hard to raise awareness of our various programs, initiatives and partners. And the entire Council is coming together to support Synapse Orlando to make it an incredible day of innovation-focused programming. This is a great time to join, so if you or a leader you know are interested in becoming a member, please reach out to Lindsey

Stay tuned for more news, events and ways to connect with the Orlando region’s tech and innovation economy. Also, feel free to share this newsletter with friends and colleagues who can get on our mailing list here

Cheers, 
Rajiv Menon 
Founder/CEO, Informulate
Orlando Tech Council Chair 

Headlines

InnovaCare Health moves headquarters from New York to Orlando’s Lake Nona 

InnovaCare Health announced it will relocate its headquarters from New York to Orlando’s Lake Nona, creating 60 high-wage jobs. The company chose Orlando for its healthcare ecosystem, cluster of medial assets, density of qualified talent and affordability compared to high-cost markets like New York. The Partnership worked closely with the City of Orlando to make the business case for the region and assisted the company with its successful application to the STRIVE Orlando incentive program. As companies increasingly weigh the benefits of affordability and a great quality of life here compared to high-cost alternatives, Orlando comes out on top for both the company’s bottom line and employee satisfaction. Please join me in welcoming InnovaCare Health to the Orlando region. You can learn more about this regional win here. Read more here

Federal construction contractor relocates headquarters, adds 40+ new high-wage jobs 

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The Conti Federal executive team in new Orlando office location in Central Florida Research Park.

Another win this week, Conti Federal Services, a federal construction and engineering contractor that has executed some of the most complex construction projects for the U.S. Federal Government, chose Orlando for its new headquarters, bringing in 40 new high wage jobs. Conti Federal was attracted to Orlando’s strong ties to the U.S. defense sector and history in aerospace innovation, which presented the company with access key resources and community partnerships. The company is actively hiring in the region and has plans to partner with the region’s local universities to create a direct pipeline for engineering and construction talent to enter the industry. Please join me in welcoming Conti Federal to the ranks of innovative companies in our business community and we look forward to being part of their continued growth. You can read more about the company’s relocation here. 

Raising our profile as a world-class business destination and tech hub

The ripple effects of Disney’s announcement that its Parks, Experiences and Products Division will relocate to Orlando are making waves across the country. In a recent video, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer reiterated support for the relocation and highlighted how the region’s affordable cost of living, abundant and highly skilled workforce, affordability and all-in support for growing businesses act as pull factors for national corporations’ relocations. To further drive this point home, I recently joined Greg Warmout of WFTV Channel 9’s Central Florida Spotlight to discuss how the aftershocks of Disney’s move will reverberate throughout our regional economy in the form of more high-wage jobs, more real estate revenue, more restaurant and hospitality revenue and more businesses that will follow Disney’s lead. Meanwhile, as more established businesses consider Orlando, homegrown startups are flourishing. Florida is home to 11 companies that filed for IPO’s over the last year and, in a recent articleCrunchbase named Florida as one of the top three states with the fastest increases in venture funding. It seems it’s no longer a secret that Orlando is more than a great place to visit—it is a profitable place to business.

Save the Date | Upcoming Events

Events for the Weeks of August 2

Wednesday, August 4
9 a.m. – 1 Million Cups
10 a.m. – Foundation for Orlando’s Future – SKILLFUL® Talent Series presented by JPMorgan Chase begins

Events on the Horizon

August 8-15 – North America Championship and Programming Camp (NAC-NAPC)
August 17 – GrowFL – East Central Florida Finalist Celebration
August 19 – Orlando Regional Chamber – All Women Empowered (AWE) Impact Forum
September 16 – GrowFL – East Central Florida Chapter Membership Mixer
September 29-October 1 – VR/AR Global Summit
October 9-15 – Innovation Week
October 15 – Synapse Orlando
October 15-17 – Creative City Project – Immerse
October 22 – GrowFL – Statewide Membership Meeting

ICYMI | News from the Orlando Region

*Have a story you would like OTC to feature? Email Lindsey.Sandrin@Orlando.org

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The Orlando Tech Council is composed of private industry, resource organizations and public partners that work to develop new programs with the core objectives: strengthen the Orlando region’s innovation resources, create new opportunities for companies to scale, and to amplify the region’s success stories, raising the global profile of Orlando as a leading community for entrepreneurship and innovation.

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Special thanks to our Orlando Tech Council Members

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