Kate Stewart, founder and president of Jacksonville Community of Entrepreneurs Inc., admits that when she introduced her nonprofit in April 2015 at the Jacksonville Public Library, she “had no idea” what she was doing.
The announcement that day was a partnership with the Main Library Downtown to provide a space where budding entrepreneurs could gather for a few hours each week to discuss ideas and share resources.
Now 18 months later, JAXCoE, as it has come to be known, will present Innovation Week from Friday-Oct. 21 at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, Hemming Park and other venues.
“It has taken on a life of its own,” she said Tuesday. “It’s Jacksonville’s innovation spirit and we’re following it wherever it wants to go.”
The week of speakers, panels and workshops is the next step in the evolution of Innovation Day, which Stewart’s nonprofit presented at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront on April 7, the day after One Spark.
About 500 people attended the keynote addresses, panel discussions and breakout sessions.
There also was a trade show for companies that provided resources and services for people who wanted to start and sustain a small business.
Innovation Week will be all that, but a lot more of it, Stewart said.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. Saturday for the Innovation Connection Conference at the convention center.
It will start at 9:15 a.m. and will include speakers and presentations on subjects such as business processes, sales and marketing, product design, finance and risk management.
At 1:30 p.m., Randall Pugh, head of Smart Device Technology at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, will deliver a keynote address about transhumanism (artificial intelligence).
Also on Saturday’s agenda is Ita Ekpoudom, a former American Express and Goldman Sachs executive who founded Tigress Ventures, a nonprofit that helps women start and develop small businesses.
The conference will conclude with a community action planning session, during which attendees will brainstorm ideas that could improve Jacksonville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Saturday is focused on startups and small business,” said Stewart.
What she described as a “week of innovation” will begin Friday with lectures and workshops presented at the Main Library, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville University, Veterans United Craft Brewery and Unity Plaza.
At 4 p.m. Friday at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, JAXCoE and Florida Angel Nexus will present a panel of venture capitalists who will explain what they look for when deciding to invest in a startup or a growing business, how entrepreneurs should prepare venture capital presentations and what they should avoid doing when seeking investors.
Innovation Week will conclude 8-10 p.m. Oct. 22 at Hemming Park with closing ceremonies and the TEDxJacksonville after party. Stewart said there will be live music, food trucks and beverages available.
As she was putting the final touches on her latest production, Stewart said while the events JAXCoE has presented so far have become larger and more diverse, the number of speakers she can book or how many people register to attend aren’t the benchmarks for the local innovation movement.
“Having events is not the measure of success,” she said. “Success is launching ventures and growing the economy. We hope the attendees get the knowledge they need.”
Registration for the Innovation Connection Conference is $35 in advance, $70 at the door. Most other Innovation Week events are free and open to the public.
For the complete schedule and more details, visit jacksonvilleinnovationweek.com.
(904) 356-2466