The Tampa Bay business community now has a new networking group. Momentum Partners Exchange (MPX) officially launched in September.
Anne S. Bruce, Diane Buckley-Altwies, George Minogue, Connie Driscoll, Chris Caffera and Dawn Marie Bornheimer oversaw the creation of MPX. All of the founders came from different industries and disciplines. However, they all realized that opportunities happen when people make the right connections at the right time.
The idea was straightforward.
“We want to create an environment where founders, advisors and strategic partners can find each other, learn from one another and accelerate their goals,” Bruce said. “Entrepreneurship is a catalyst for the future.”
MPX has been in development since this summer.
Entrepreneur Scott Riley spoke at MPX’s inaugural Founder Conversations event Sept. 15. The gathering, which took place at Centre Club in Tampa, brought together more than 70 individuals.
Riley co-founded multiple media and marketing companies and helped launch the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. He also served as the CEO of Fintech, a payment company that processes more than $30 billion annually.
“He spoke very genuinely and candidly to the audience about what makes a startup successful and his major learnings,” Bruce said. “It really, I think, brought to life Momentum Partners Exchange’s core mission, which is not about exchanging business cards. It’s about trust and relationships that continue long after the event is over.”
“Tampa Bay has the talent and the drive to build great companies,” Riley said in a prepared statement. “What founders need most is access to people who have been there. MPX is creating that access, and I was proud to be part of the first conversation.”
Events will not be the only aspect of the organization’s work.
“It is really based on the conversations we’re having with all of the folks that we are meeting with now to find out what’s really needed and wanted,” Bruce explained. “We’ll move forward with the Founders series and then there’s lots of other things in the strategic plan.”
All of the founders are based in the area. Bruce believes that Tampa Bay is an ideal region for the group.
“There are lots of great ideas, but progress starts with people who are willing to act on those ideas,” she said. “I think when you accelerate those ideas, the benefit is the ripple effect throughout the entire community, and I think that’s what makes it really exciting here in Tampa because we already have a great foundation.”
The goal of MPX is to help business leaders build on “all of the strength in Tampa.”
“Innovation isn’t limited to technology,” Bruce added. “It happens when people with different experiences and perspectives come together to solve problems or create new opportunities or build new ventures.”
MPX will host its next event in December.