We\u2019re asking thought leaders, business people and creatives to talk about the upcoming new year and give us catalyzing ideas for making St. Pete a better place to live. What should our city look like? What are their hopes, their plans, their problem-solving ideas? This is Catalyze 2026.<\/p>\n
The Tampa Bay Innovation Center experienced multiple changes in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Becca Brown became the organization\u2019s CEO and President in July. It launched a new incubator program in October and was rebranded as spARK Labs by ARK Invest in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Brown, these changes signify the nonprofit\u2019s future. The rebranding was \u201cmeant to capture this new chapter and new era.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said that one of her biggest goals for 2026 is to \u201cfully establish\u201d the organization\u2019s membership base.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have about 60% of our capacity filled. So, we are well on our way,\u201d Brown explained. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly a goal that\u2019s exciting because as we have more amazing founders and members, that community vibrancy increases and we\u2019ll have that much more impact.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Currently, the nonprofit is incubating approximately 25 early-stage technology companies. These businesses \u201cgenerally align\u201d with the artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, blockchain and multiomics biology industries. \u00a0<\/p>\n
As a member of the program, founders have access to ARK Invest\u2019s research team, hands-on support and a \u201ccustomized curriculum\u201d to help them grow and scale their companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Additionally, business owners can participate in pitch practices and educational modules about topics such as media interaction and financial modeling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brown said that she enjoys collaborating with the incubator\u2019s members and is inspired by their \u201ccreativity\u201d and \u201cvision.\u201d The organization hosts weekly brainstorming sessions, which she calls \u201cdynamic discussions,\u201d where founders talk about challenges, new technologies and what they are learning through the experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To exemplify, Brown explained how Florida is prone to storms and hurricanes. \u201cThe faster we can get things rebuilt when necessary, the more it will help quality of life and property values.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Technologies such as artificial intelligence-based permitting can assist \u201cevery member, resident and business owner in our area,\u201d she said. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Before joining the spARK Labs by ARK Invest team, Brown founded and ran a boutique consulting firm, Core Satellite Partners, for almost a decade and worked with early-stage \u00a0companies. She also co-founded consumer brand Solemates and appeared on TV\u2019s Shark Tank.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of why I\u2019m so excited to be running spARK Labs by ARK Invest is because I feel that it\u2019s a way for me to pull from all the experiences I\u2019ve had and combine them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Engagement for both members and guests is key. Brown and her team recently launched a \u201ccommunity-generated wall\u201d exercise. Anyone who visits the ARK Innovation Center, where spARK Labs by ARK Invest is headquartered, can write on the wall what the Tampa Bay area represents to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA brighter future for St. Pete is a better quality of life and leveraging innovation,\u201d she said. \u201cEven though we are a smaller city relative to other places in the U.S., I think we have a unique opportunity to showcase innovations and embed technology into our daily lives and communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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