Innovators and entrepreneurs from across Florida and the Southeast will attend the two-day Black Founders’ Innovation Summit on April 19-20 in Pensacola. The summit brings together like-minded individuals and organizations committed to empowering and uplifting the Black community through the power of innovation.
“We are part of Innovation Leaders of Florida, and we’ve been, over the past year almost, been touring cities like Tampa, Orlando, and Miami. And now it’s time for Pensacola,” said Lloyd Reshard, who is hosting the summit with his wife Robin. “Black innovation leaders are literally trying to help more blacks get into innovation. It’s a really neat organization just getting off the ground, but we hope to have a lot of impact here in Florida.”
Entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders will gather in-person to learn, network, and get empowered to innovate and scale their businesses, develop and promote their ideas, and foster connections and partnerships.
The summit kicks off with a welcome reception at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 19 at the Kukua Institute, 300 N. Reus St. Speakers, workshops, and panel discussions will begin at 9 a.m. the next day at DeVilliers Square, 321 N. DeVilliers St. Registration begins at 8 a.m.
The keynote speaker is Dr. LaTanya White, president of Concept Creative Group in
Tallahassee and Washington, DC. Her substantial research and scholarship on racial equity and entrepreneurship culminated in developing “Dynastic Wealth.”
“She’s built a framework to show people how they can achieve and close the wealth gap through entrepreneurship,” Lloyd Reshard, the Kukua Institute’s board chair. “She’s also going to do a workshop on the mindset of innovation.”
Following the keynote, Ms. Rose Lejiste, the CEO of RL Engineering and Tech Solutions in
Orlando, will present a workshop on data management and artificial intelligence (AI). A former Kennedy Space Center engineer, Ms. Lejiste is an expert in data analytics, AI, performance management, process analysis and improvement, reliability engineering, and strategic planning.
“The afternoon will be filled with interactive panels of entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders from across the state,” Reshard said. “It is exciting to partner with the Florida Black Innovation Tour and awe-inspiring to host these innovators and learn from their experiences.”
The first panel will feature successful black founders. Reshard said, “For anybody that’s aspiring to be an entrepreneur, a founder of a startup, these founders are going to share their best practices for building their startup. Following that, we’re going to do a panel discussion on capital and investor readiness.”
He added, “Entrepreneurs have skills you can learn, and so we want to make sure people learn those skills and learn the best practices for building a startup.”
The summit is free and open to the public with required registration at bfis.kukuainstitute.org.
