In October, PS27 Ventures CEO Jim Stallings and Director of Communications Christine Caven traveled from Jacksonville to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for this year’s Synapse Orlando Innovation Conference. Below are our top five highlights from the event and photo gallery.
1. Catching up with the Man Behind the Magic, Brian Kornfeld
We arrived at Synapse just in time to grab a photobooth picture with Brian Kornfeld, CEO & Co-Founder of Synapse. Brian gave us some tips and tricks to making the most of the Synapse experience, including where to find the latest interactive technology in a hidden speakeasy behind a dark curtain on the fourth floor – check it out in our TikTok recap video.
2. 3D-Printed Yoda
If you know PS27, you know that we love our Star Wars characters. From our office mural to our collection of miniature and life-size characters, visiting the PS27 office is like walking through a mini-Star Wars Museum. We were delighted to see 3D-printed Yoda and learn more about 3D printing applications. Earlier this year, we learned that you could print a rockstar-worthy trophy at the startGNV Battle of the Bands. We are excited to see where 3D printing goes in the HealthTech and E-Commerce industries.
3. Seeing Female Founder Maryann Kilgallon, of POMM Demo Her Life-Saving Solution
We first met Maryann Kilgallon in 2021 through the social media app Clubhouse and have been connected ever since. Maryann is the founder of POMM (Peace of Mind Monitor), a Health and wellness platform that uses technology and data to transform the total safety experience for families. With her wearable device, a connected mobile app sends a user’s profile and location directly to 911 in an emergency.
Earlier this year, Maryann had a mic-drop moment at the PS27 Female Founders Forum when she openly asked our VC panel to fund her company with a 30-second elevator pitch during a Q&A session. The 300 women in the room clapped and cheered at her confidence and action. At PS27, our goal is to invest 50% of the Rhea Fund in women, veterans, and founders of color. We applaud the female founders in our community for building wealth and making the world a better place. If you’re a founder with a big idea – contact us here to apply for funding.
4. Waiting in line for autographs from Jordan Walker
We’ve been fans of Jordan Walker since his SoFriendly days at the University of North Florida. He is a Jacksonville native who represents what happens when you innovate, disrupt, and change an industry for the better. Jordan currently sits on the PS27 Foundation Board of Directors, where he helps guide the organization that serves entrepreneurs. He’s also the co-founder of tech startup Yac, which has raised over $7.5M with VC investors, including the Slack Fund.
At PS27, our team has used Yac to end useless meetings, wish happy birthdays, and update our team with their asynchronous voice chat solution. It’s like an at work walkie talkie.
During a panel hosted by Deepwork Capital, Jordan shared his experience from the stage, talking about raising his first round of funding by messaging Angel Investors through their DMs on Twitter. Today, Yac is getting ready to launch its newest feature, Backtrack, which will allow people to capture brilliant meeting moments. If you’ve ever wished you could go back and hear how you sounded on your team call, use Backtrack, the meeting time machine.
5. Joining the Synapse Summit planning committee for 2023
We love seeing entrepreneurs in action and supporting founders with capital, connections, and community. We are excited to share that PS27’s Christine Caven has joined the planning committee for Synapse Summit, coming to Tampa on February 14, 2023. Synapse Orlando has become the region’s marquee innovation event. This opportunity will allow us to see behind the scenes and learn how Synapse builds community while giving our team a worthy cause to volunteer for and support.
If you loved Synapse Orlando, reserve your space now for Synapse Summit.
