Five Reasons I love Tampa Bay
I’m packing up for my annual journey to Gasparilla Interactive March 10th-11th and I can’t wait to be in your lovely city. I always leave inspired by your budding entrepreneurial ecosystem, sun kissed and refreshed. In the hopes that you’ll take a moment to appreciate where you live, and consider joining me and some incredible talent at Gasparilla Interactive, here are Five Reasons I love Tampa:
Tampa Bay is Tight:
Your entrepreneurial ecosystem is community based, and is largely supported by IRL events. It’s small enough that everyone knows each other, and most importantly can help each other out through co-promotion, trades, referrals and resources.
Tampa/St. Petersburg are Affordable:
According to PayScale, I would need to earn ~50% of my current salary to maintain my current SF-quality of life in Tampa Bay (find out yours here). Even more dramatic, housing would cost me 74% less than it does here. Tampa and St Petersburg’s cost of living compares to cities like Phoenix, Knoxville, and Dallas, which all lack your beaches and pirate vibes.
Tampa Bay Residents Rock:
You all seem to know and value that you live in a place people vacation. Everyone is incredibly friendly and eager to show me around, every time. You are a lovely group of genuine people.
Tampa Bay’s Resources Are Growing:
People are noticing Tampa and the money is soon to follow. This comprehensive Tampa Bay Startup Week guide to funding is a great place to start. Speaking of, the networking in Tampa is powerful. This resource and event map is a great way to start. Gasparilla Interactive has a lot in store for the area as well…
Tampa Bay Attracts The Best:
Many of the smartest people I know are from Tampa, do Tampa part-time, or have recently moved there. The universities pour out fresh young talent, and the climate attracts brilliant folks craving a higher quality of life. The Gasparilla Interactive lineup is a great example of the global talent Tampa Bay is ushering in.
Bonus: Tampa Bay is Fun
You have a 1,000 ft waterslide coming in May: you party like pirates annually, and you have a plethora of personal outdoor and professional sports to enjoy.
The Catch: Tampa/St.Petersburg is far from Silicon Valley
Tampa admittedly serves as a great portal to NYC, I agree with Sean Burke of KiteDesk regarding the lack of direct flights between the Bay and Tampa. It would be easier to build and fuel more entrepreneurial activity if the journey between was more attractive.
Proximity matters when it comes to money. There’s also only 10–15 VC deals done in the area annually, adding up to $112 M in 2014, that’s a fraction (.2%) of the 58.8 Billion invested in the U.S. in 2015. This is less significant when you factor in the cost of getting a company off the ground in Tampa, but still needs to grow to get Central Florida on the greater Startup map. The 456 Tampa startups listed on AngelList are a great sign of where momentum is headed.
Hope to see y’all next week!
Savannah Peterson, San Francisco, @SavIsSavvy
