St. Petersburg EDC Partners with USFSP College of Business to Engage Data Analytics Community
The St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC) hosted its first Data Analytics Executive Roundtable in partnership with the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) Kate Tiedemann College of Business (KTCOB). The forum provided the opportunity for KTCOB leadership to present current curriculum related to data analytics and assess how course offerings are meeting the needs of existing St. Pete companies. Raymond James, FIS Global, Tech Data, The Penny Hoarder and Intrinio were among the nearly 30 companies represented at the event.
“We are encouraging to see the EDC and higher education entities committed to growing and supporting existing St. Pete companies,” said Rachel Carpenter, Co-Founder & CEO of Intrinio. The [Data Analytics Executive] Roundtable had a clear purpose and very tangible next steps came out of the event, which is not something you always see at community functions.
Dr. Sri Sundaram, KTCOB Dean along with faculty members kicked off the breakfast at Lynn Pippenger Hall, with a presentation outlining the business school’s data analytics course offerings, skills developed and potential career paths. This was followed by an engaging roundtable discussion that revealed industry-specific workforce needs and defined the steps USFSP can take to develop a local talent pool suited to meet the current and future needs of companies thriving in St. Pete.
Attendees noted the EDC-USFSP partnership and appreciated the opportunity to voice the needs of their organizations to Dean Sundaram and the KTCOB team. Manhattan native and SVP Data Solutions & Analytics at iQor, Bryce Engelbrecht, felt the robust discussion reflected St. Pete’s continuation to foster the growth of the local tech community.
I left the roundtable convinced that the climate here for people interested in advanced technology and [data science and analytics] is compelling, Englebrecht said. When I moved here with iQor, after we relocated our corporate headquarters from Manhattan, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I have been pleasantly surprised by the strength of the technology community and talent. The academic ties with USFSP, the EDC, and a growing recognition of St. Petersburg as an up and coming place to live and work should present a powerful message for folks in traditional tech hubs.
To continue the momentum, USFSP is organizing follow-up events and creating an on-going advisory role opportunity to ensure the group is involved as the university builds out the program.
“Discussions at the Executive Roundtable between the business community and our educational institution is a great example of aligning educational programs with the skills needed by the future workforce,” Dean Sundaram said.
The KTCOB is also responsible for powering the EDC’s website data center and plans to continue the strong collaboration. The industry-specific roundtable discussions are a critical component to the EDC’s mission not only in attracting outside organizations, but supporting and growing St. Pete’s existing businesses.