Unleashing Innovation in Orlando

Welcome back, Innovators!

Join Startup Weekend Orlando and Orlando Devs for a thought-provoking pre-event to Startup Weekend Orlando. This event is designed to offer insights and guidance to startup founders facing challenges in their innovation journey.

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Keynote Speaker: John Rivers

Following a 20-year career in healthcare, John Rivers retired as President of a billion company to pursue a lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. Opening in 2009, 4 Rivers Smokehouse quickly grew to a portfolio that includes 23 restaurants and a national retail and wholesale presence. 4 Rivers went on to be named “The South’s Best BBQ” by Southern Living and ranked the “#1 BBQ Restaurant Chain” by MSN.

Born out of John’s garage, the “Barbeque Ministry” remains at the heart of the company’s mission to lift up those in need and help build better communities. The culmination of the 4R Foundation’s work, the Orlando-based 4Roots Farm serves as an Orlando icon to inspire revolutionary change in Florida’s food system through education in sustainable farming practices, advancements in agriculture technology, and research in culinary health, and the proud support of Central Florida Arts.

John has been named one of the Restaurant Industry’s Power 20 Leaders by Restaurant Business & News, Restauranter of the Year by Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Orlando Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful, 15 to Watch”. John had the honor of cooking at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City and was twice named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

John serves on the Boards of Florida State University and the Rosen School of Hospitality at UCF. John is a member of the Florida Department of Food Security Advisory Council and the Department of Agriculture Innovation Committee and is a member of the Florida Governor’s Council of 100. John lives in Winter Park with his wife and two children and is involved in numerous school, church, and local charity organizations.

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Speaker: Jacques Fu

Jacques Fu loves solving problems by building products and bringing them to market. As the co-founder and founding CTO of Stax Payments, he was part of the first startup from Orlando to reach Unicorn status!

He's thrilled about his new software startup, Senseily, where he assists individuals and businesses in creating, selling, and engaging their audience with courses, coaching, webinars, and more to grow their online ventures. He co-founded Orlando Devs, the largest developer meetup in Orlando, and The Assistance Fund, the second-largest charity in the city according to Guidestar.

In addition to his work at Stax, he's a community advocate who speaks at a multitude of local events. His expertise is in product strategy and scaling out product teams and infrastructure for growth.

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Panelist: Ezekiel Brooks is the Chief Technology Officer at U.S. Hunger (formerly Feeding Children Everywhere), a global nonprofit feeding families today and uniting them to a healthier tomorrow. In total, U.S. Hunger (USH) has provided over 150 million meals to families in need.

Panelist: Sandi Vidal is just a girl trying to change the world one day at a time. She serves as the Vice President of Community Strategies and Initiatives for the Central Florida Foundation. Within her role at the Foundation, Sandi works on a variety of initiatives including the Sustainable Development Goals, Poverty Alleviation, and Social Justice, and is the Staff Liaison for the 100 Women Strong Giving Circle.

Panelist: Rajiv Menon is an entrepreneur, speaker, and mentor. He is the Founder/CEO of Informulate, a software development and innovation consultancy that employs Lean Startup and Agile methodologies. He launched Talent4Startups.org, a free, non-profit portal for startup founders to collaborate with students and professionals, in 2014.

Directions: The Auditorium is in Building 3, off Driggs Drive/University Park Drive past the Miller’s Ale House and the Live Venue heading south. It is in the rounded, glass-fronted building, and to the left of the reception desk once you enter building 3.