Florida Startups: Your Guide Through the Valley of Death is Here

By Kate Warnock

Jamie Grooms, the CEO of the Florida Institute for the Commercialization of Pubic Research (here forward, The Institute) may not be known as the successful publicly-funded, Florida-based start-up’s secret weapon, but he should be. A seasoned serial entrepreneur who transitioned to leading two successful companies, Jamie leads a host of business, human resources, financial and scientific advisors at The Institute who are charged with leading nascent companies started at Florida universities or research centers through the “Valley of Death.” This real-world stage is when many start-ups lose velocity and disintegrate under the burden of a poor corporate design, inappropriate funding, improper concept execution, and the myriad traps that mine the path to success. I interviewed Jamie and Renee Finley, GuideWell’s Vice President of Enterprise Innovation, for the most recent episode of GuideWell Insights podcast series.

Listen as Jamie and Renee, who was recently named to The Institute’s Board of Directors, share why they’re passionate about keeping Florida’s start-up talent – and venture capital – in state. You’ll also learn why the free business services The Institute offers are as valuable as the funding it provides.

GuideWell is dedicated to fostering Florida’s innovation ecosystem. Learn more about our Innovation programs and the GuideWell Innovation Center, opening January 2016. Have a suggestion for our next podcast? Email me at kate.warnock@guidewell.com.