floridacreatives

Catalyst — a 7,000-square-foot collaborative shared workspace for entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers — is opening late this summer in downtown Orlando in the Yowell-Duckworth Building at 1 S. Orange Ave. Catalyst will offer a combination of open workspace with shared and dedicated desks, private office space, conference rooms with video-conferencing capability, a craft coffee bar and lounge, as well as high-speed Internet connectivity. Those interested in working in a shared workspace environment will have access to the site for a monthly membership basis with no long-term contract.

And why has Ben ended up in Orlando, a land better known for its affiliation with Mickey Mouse than Steve Jobs? Ben landed there in 2005 on a job assignment, and likes the climate. And with retirement communities ringing the city, there’s no shortage of demand for healthcare--and healthcare innovation. Apple and Google recently acquired startups from the region, and perhaps someday central Florida will become known as a hub of innovation that Ben would like it to be, with The Garage one of its important spokes.

Orlando now has a tech and startup community directory: Orlando.io. Created by Orrett Davis, the directory lets users add their own names, a brief bio, photo and list of skills. As of this writing there were 39 members, but with the February 18th screening of the documentary Orlando Rising and the coming of the SXSW-like Orlando Interactive Digital Conference in 2015, one can only assume this list will grow.

U.S. Route 441 is a north/south highway that runs over 400 mile long from the north border of Georgia down to Miami. For a short section in Central Florida, US 441 becomes Orange Blossom Trail or “The Trail” Though OBT technically runs from Tangerine to Kissimmee, FL most people consider “The Trail” the 7 mile stretch from HWY 50 in the North to Sandlake Road in the South. Lined with pawn shops, strip clubs, sleazy motels, and sketchy bars, The Trail is a hotbed for seedy characters and criminal activity.

Orlando is known for its tourism and service industries, but there's another side to "The City Beautiful" that's picking up national attention: the tech industry. CNBC called Orlando a "turnaround town" for its efforts to bounce back after the recession. Now, the city is embarking on a rebranding campaign to bring attention to its business and technology potential. This week, the Orange County Commission is scheduled to vote on funding for that campaign.