Innovate Jax

Latest Episodes:

Maria Hane is Making Culture Inclusive Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

Like Shark Week on TV, anything with big teeth is a barnstormer at the Museum of Science and History of Jacksonville (the MOSH to locals). But talk with MOSH’s president, Maria Hane, and you’ll soon discover her mission isn’t just to foster learning about science and history through immersive experiences. It’s equally about helping the people of Jacksonville understand more about ourselves and each other. In this divisive age, Maria has made MOSH a place where curiosity is welcome, free of agenda or third-party persuasion. Walk through the doors at MOSH and you won’t just learn about dinosaurs, you might just leave with a new lens to see the world.

For full show notes, visit https://www.forcura.com/innovatejax.

Vic Nole is Creating Jacksonville’s Front Door for Innovation Aug 19, 2019

Show notes

No one would contest that the Jaguars put Jacksonville on the map in 1993, but long-time residents will also recall the electricity that pulsed through the city in 1986 when The Mayo Clinic opened its Jacksonville campus, still one of just two US-based locations outside their Minnesota headquarters. With its new Life Sciences Incubator, this globally-ranked brand is investing even more heavily in our city. And incubator director, Vic Nole, believes that not only will the incubator help Mayo’s 6,500 local employees launch game-changing new businesses, but it can also act as our city’s “front door” for life science innovators near and far.

For full show notes, visit www.forcura.com/innovatejax

Dwight Cooper is Transforming the Workplace Environment Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

If you work for a company that values employee culture above all else, you might have Dwight Cooper to thank. In 2016, Dwight exited PPR Talent Management, a recruiting company he founded in 1996 and grew to $100 million in revenue, to focus his entrepreneurial talents on Hueman People Solutions, a small division that he was passionate about building into his next award-winning human resources company. Now Hueman, like PPR before it, sweeps the workplace culture awards and earns accolades from the likes of Great Place to Work Institute, Fortune Magazine, and Gallup. It’s a formula that Dwight is putting to work for clients across the country, transforming the workplace environment, his mind firmly set on creating the best workplace experience in the world.

Donna Orender is Leveling the Playing Field Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

When Donna Orender was growing up in the 60's, if you were a girl who played sports, you had to wear boys’ shoes -- because who expected girls to play sports? Perhaps not even Donna’s father, who dismissed her afterschool stick-ball games as “unladylike”. Not one to bow to conventions, Donna Orender went on to blaze trails not just by playing three years for the first women’s professional basketball league, but in redefining sports casting and production, negotiating how golf was marketed and covered globally in her 17 years with the PGA Tour, and then in championing women’s sports as a six-season president of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Perhaps Donna’s greatest legacy is in her role today, wielding the power of connectivity and relationships, inspiring and empowering women in Jacksonville and beyond as founder and CEO of Generation W and Orender Unlimited.

For a complete list of show notes and all our episodes, go to www.forcura.com/innovatejax.

Gwen Griggs is Making Law Practice Agile Jun 27, 2019

Show notes

At ADVOS, Gwen Griggs' law practice she co-founded in Ponte Vedra Beach, forget chasing billable hours - really toss all the stereotypes that you typically conjure when you think “law practice". Replace it with an entirely new paradigm (not hyperbole) that sees this cutting-edge group of ten people operate using a system that mirrors the high-growth entrepreneurs her firm exclusively serves. Think agile. Think strategic. Think speed to scale. This is the DNA of a law practice that has consistently earned a Net Promoter Score in the high 90s. When the average NPS for the legal profession is 19, you know Gwen has cracked the code on making law practice not just agile - but extraordinary.

Brian Kornfeld is Building a Better Future for Florida Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

When it comes to creating a new center of gravity for entrepreneurship and innovation in the U.S., Brian Kornfeld isn’t just going to stand by and let Florida be left in the proverbial dust. As co-founder and president of Synapse Florida, Brian is working to change the way we network, what stories are told, how corporations solve problems, and elevating the core skills non-traditional investors need to fund burgeoning sectors like technology and healthcare. A man of massive talent, vision and determination, Brian has big dreams for Florida.

Craig Mandeville on the 'Why' behind Innovate Jax Jun 20, 2019

Show notes

Forcura's founder and CEO isn't lukewarm about his adopted city - he's a full-on evangelist who wants everyone to know that Jax is ready for its close up! In our first episode, Craig shares how Innovate Jax will feature the city's change-makers across business, academia, culture and technology. Join us as we meet the fantastic, innovative people who are making our city a true contender as most innovative in the southeast (and beyond!).

For a complete list of show notes and all our episodes, go to www.forcura.com/innovatejax.