TIE TAMPA BAY’S ROOTS MAY BE FIRMLY PLANTED IN LOCAL SOIL, BUT ITS BRANCHES HAVE GLOBAL REACH.
“Born” in Silicon Valley, TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) is an organization for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs that focuses on mentoring, education, incubation, networking and funding for startups. Founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley, TiE has grown to be the world’s largest entrepreneur global network with over 60 chapters and 15,000 members around the world.
The Tampa chapter was founded in Tampa Bay in 2012. The chapter’s focus is on mentoring, networking, education, and investment. Through the mentoring program, industry leaders offer one-on-one guidance in several areas, including idea exploration, customer acquisition, marketing, finance and technology. A series of popular networking nights at Tampa’s nightlife hotspots are a popular draw for newbies and veterans alike. At TiE Tampa’s monthly speaker series, the area’s top entrepreneurs inspire and educate with topics relevant to Tampa’s emerging market needs. Even the most seasoned investors find that there’s plenty to learn by attending a speaker’s event or an annual marquee convention.
With its investment arm, TiE Tampa Angel Fund, investors have the opportunity to invest in early stage startups and can collaborate with other local venture capital and angel investors. Within just one year, the fund has invested over $1.2 million in various startups in and around the Tampa Bay area. The investments were made in the following next-generation technology and market disruptors: Knack, Molekule, Fenexio, Droplit and Morphogenic.
Community outreach is another goal of the organization, and TiE Tampa annually recognizes local entrepreneurs and startups with the TiEtan Awards at their annual day-long marquee event – TiECON. At the 2018 conference, awards were given to Super Entrepreneur, Social Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Community Champion and Startup of The Year. Another top-rated event at the TiECON is the Startup Pitch Competition. Additional to winning a cash award, the winners get an opportunity to present and pitch their ideas/startups at the Global TiE Silicon Valley’s annual pitch event.
TiE Charter members have the privilege of attending the TiE Global Retreat, an exclusive networking event, as well as meetings and annual conferences at any of the 60 global chapters. The charter members also have the opportunity to participate in the TiE Tampa Angel Fund to invest in local startups. Becoming a member of TiE Tampa Bay may be the best investment you could make for your business.
Most importantly, the mission of TiE chapters is to work collaboratively with other organizations in the region as well as providing mentoring and access to thought leaders and collaborators across the entire global TiE community to encourage and foster entrepreneurship. TiE Tampa Bay has a premier reputation for the enthusiastic vibe generated for entrepreneurship and professionalism and the quality of speakers at their events. Inspiring and riveting speakers have included Sarvajna Dwivedi – Co-founder, Pearl Therapeutics (acquired by Astra Zeneca for over $1.2B), Arnie Bellini – Founder and CEO at ConnectWise, Desh Deshpande of Cascade and Sycamore Networks, and Farooq Kathwri – CEO of Ethan Allen.