Innovation Stories

## Innovation Stories

### About the Event

Innovation Stories is a signature event by Orlando Innovation League, designed to spotlight the real journeys behind innovation — the experiments, pivots, lessons, and breakthroughs that turn ideas into impact.
This intimate, story-driven evening brings together founders, operators, creators, and community leaders to explore how innovation actually happens in practice. Rather than polished pitches, Innovation Stories focuses on authentic experiences and actionable insights that attendees can apply to their own work.

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### What to Expect

The event features two speakers, each delivering a 15–20 minute talk, followed by an interactive Q&A.
Speakers share their personal and professional journeys through the lens of innovation, touching on topics such as:

• Experimentation and iteration
• Customer discovery and MVPs
• Data-driven pivots and non-intuitive learnings
• Storytelling, communication, and culture change
• Applying innovation principles in real-world settings

The evening concludes with open networking, giving attendees the opportunity to connect with speakers and members of Orlando’s innovation ecosystem.

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### Featured Speaker: Carol Cox

One of our featured speakers is Carol Cox, a communication strategist, tech founder, and the creator of Speaking Your Brand®.
Carol helps leaders harness the power of their voice — on stage, on podcasts, and with AI — to amplify and scale their message with clarity, confidence, and intention. With a background in software development and over two decades as an on-air political analyst, she brings a rare blend of technical fluency, media savvy, and storytelling expertise to her work.
A former tech entrepreneur, Carol has built enterprise software systems for both Fortune 500 companies and startups. She has spoken at national conferences including MAICON (Marketing AI Institute) and Teaching & Learning with AI, taught in Full Sail University’s Digital Marketing degree program for over 15 years, and hosts the long-running Speaking Your Brand® podcast with over 400 episodes.
Carol has been featured in Forbes, named one of Orlando’s Women of the Year, and serves on advisory boards supporting women in leadership and entrepreneurship. Her work sits at the intersection of human connection, emerging technology, and innovation storytelling.

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### Featured Speaker: Scott Gingold

Our second featured speaker is Scott Gingold, a business fixer, fractional CEO, and trusted advisor to family-owned businesses navigating growth, complexity, and misalignment.
Scott works with leadership teams when things feel stuck — when revenue has stalled, roles are unclear, decisions feel heavier than they should, and people issues and business issues begin to blur together. His work sits at the intersection of people, profit, and leadership, helping organizations regain momentum without damaging relationships.
With decades of experience as a CEO, president, and operator, Scott is often brought in during high-pressure moments to diagnose what’s actually getting in the way — whether that’s leadership alignment, communication breakdowns, execution gaps, or structural inefficiencies — and fix it quickly and practically.
Scott has led and transformed organizations across manufacturing, franchising, logistics, and technology, including scaling national franchise systems and resolving operational bottlenecks that directly impact bottom-line performance. His approach is known for being direct, discreet, and results-driven — no theory, no fluff, just clarity, decisive action, and measurable improvement.
At Innovation Stories, Scott will share insights from the front lines of leadership and transformation, offering a candid look at what it takes to restore clarity, confidence, and forward motion when businesses — and the people running them — feel under pressure.

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### Who Should Attend

This event is ideal for:

• Founders and entrepreneurs
• Operators, marketers, and technologists
• Students and early-career professionals
• Anyone curious about innovation, storytelling, and emerging technology

Whether you’re building a company, shaping a brand, or exploring how innovation principles apply to your work, this event is designed to inspire meaningful takeaways and connections.

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### Event Details

📍 Location: Tech Hub Orlando
🗓 Date: February 24
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Join us for an evening of insight, connection, and real-world innovation stories.