Instead of rushing out announcements, she spent her first six months reworking the strategy, the support model and what the center should actually deliver.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we are doing now is incubating early-stage technology companies,\u201d Brown told TBBW<\/a>. \u201cBut we\u2019ve redefined how that incubation works.\u201d<\/p>\n That reset led to a rebrand. <\/p>\n The organization, formerly known as the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, now operates as SpARK Labs by ARK Invest. The building itself remains the Ark Innovation Center in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n \u201cThe name of the building stays the Ark Innovation Center,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe organization running the incubator is SpARK Labs by ARK Invest.\u201d<\/p>\n Rejecting the Silicon Valley script<\/p>\n Brown is careful about how she talks about Tampa Bay\u2019s role in tech<\/a>. <\/p>\n She does not like comparisons to Silicon Valley and says the region does not need to borrow another market\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t actually like to use that analogy,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re defining who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n READ: TAMPA BAY BUSINESS NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n Instead, Brown points to Tampa Bay\u2019s existing strengths. <\/p>\n She cited the business climate, quality of life and the region\u2019s long ties to defense technology through MacDill Air Force Base.<\/p>\n If there is any comparison to Silicon Valley, she said, it comes from history, not imitation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe roots of the Silicon Valley that we know today did originate out of the Department of Defense,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n A different definition of incubation<\/p>\n At the center of the overhaul is a move away from short accelerator programs toward longer-term support.<\/p>\n Traditional accelerators often run 12-week programs with the same curriculum for every company. <\/p>\n SpARK Labs is taking a different approach, working with companies for 12 months or more, depending on each business\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing more of a high-touch, customized support model,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n She defines that support around what she calls the three C\u2019s: capital, customers and community.<\/p>\n SpARK Labs does not deploy capital or take equity. Instead, Brown said the focus is on helping founders navigate fundraising.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not writing checks,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re helping them in the capital-raising process.\u201d<\/p>\n READ: TAMPA BAY REAL ESTATE NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n Customers are the second pillar. That includes helping startups clarify their value and find real traction in the market.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery business needs customers,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n Community is the third. Brown said it is often the reason founders keep going when momentum slows.<\/p>\n \u201cCommunity is what keeps a founder going when things get tough,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd things will get tough.\u201d<\/p>\n The physical space matters, she added, because it creates daily interaction, shared learning and accountability.<\/p>\n Brown acknowledged that part of the reset required recalibrating expectations after earlier timelines and outcomes did not always align, a gap she said can quickly turn into skepticism if not addressed directly.<\/p>\n Brown said part of the reset involved recalibrating expectations after earlier timelines and outcomes did not always align, a gap she said can quickly turn into skepticism if not addressed directly.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything worth doing takes longer than you want it to,\u201d she said, framing patience as a response to experience rather than hesitation.<\/p>\n How companies are selected<\/p>\n SpARK Labs also evaluates companies through ARK Invest\u2019s research framework, which focuses on five core innovation themes: artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, blockchain technology and multi-omics sequencing.<\/p>\n Brown described the framework not as branding, but as a filter that determines which companies belong in the incubator and which do not.<\/p>\n READ: New Infrastructure & Development<\/a><\/p>\n She described multi-omics sequencing in particular as a long-term opportunity, pointing to technologies that work across DNA, RNA and proteins to improve how diseases are treated and understood.<\/p>\n Because ARK Invest is a partner, Brown said SpARK Labs can align its work with broader research already shaping capital flows and technology adoption.<\/p>\n Innovation shaped by place<\/p>\n Brown sees Tampa Bay\u2019s geography as an advantage, not a limitation.<\/p>\n She pointed to the bay itself as a real-world testing ground for autonomous transportation and mobility technology.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to get across the bay,\u201d she said. \u201cTampa needs to come to St. Petersburg.\u201d<\/p>\n READ: <\/a>Tampa Bay Tech<\/a><\/p>\n She also cited Florida\u2019s exposure to hurricanes as an opportunity to lead in faster rebuilding and permitting innovation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we can do is be faster and more efficient when we have to rebuild,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n Making innovation visible<\/p>\n Brown said innovation needs to be seen to matter.<\/p>\n \u201cThe best way to bring attention is to actually show the world what technologies we\u2019re deploying here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n![\"Exterior](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-8-31-728x410.jpeg.optimal.jpeg\")
The Ark Innovation Center in St. Petersburg serves as the home of SpARK Labs by ARK Invest, providing space and infrastructure for early-stage technology companies building in Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n