Welcome to the Innovate Orlando newsletter for September 12 to 18, 2025.  

Hey, it’s Sheena Fowler here, straight from the buzz of BOT’s ScaleUp Orlando at UCF Downtown in Creative Village. Picture this: a room full of founders, builders, and small business owners swapping real talk on AI, automation, and scaling without burning out. These are the moments that spark genuine connections and supercharge our innovation economy. Tonight, Women in Defense is partnering with Design Interactive for a special edition of their Drink & Think series celebrating those making a difference in defense and national security. Tomorrow, JoyBreak is your spot to connect and brainstorm with fellow creatives and developers. Oh, and don’t sleep on nominating for our inaugural Innovate Orlando Innovation Awards, let’s give a shoutout to the visionaries making waves in our ecosystem and the silent workhorses who have been working to unite this community.  

Look, Orlando’s innovation economy isn’t some side hustle or overlooked gem, it’s a bold, global force redefining AI, aerospace, simulation, and smart infrastructure. Our talent ecosystem is the industry’s most underrated undercurrent, flowing seamlessly from military sims to space launches. This isn’t random; it’s our secret weapon, an adaptive workforce that’s elite and evolving. But here’s the provocative truth: without a compelling story to tie it all together and tools to find the specific tech you need now, this momentum fizzles. That’s where Innovate Orlando steps in; we’re crafting that infrastructure every single day.  

AI AND MACHINE LEARNING: THE ENGINE DRIVING CENTRAL FLORIDA’S REAL-WORLD ADVANTAGE 

Forget the hype, Orlando’s AI world is all about tangible wins, jobs that matter, and talent that adapts across industries. We’re talking programs and research that turn big ideas into everyday breakthroughs. 

Picture this: our AI talent isn’t siloed, it’s flowing freely, making waves in defense, energy, and beyond. At ScaleUp Orlando and INCOSE talks, leaders drove home that AI’s real power is smart, secure implementation, not just flashy demos. Florida Power and Light‘s “35 Mules” is accelerating startups from concept to utility grids, creating roles for engineers who jump between sectors like pros. ApolloRise in Lake Nona is turning messy procurement data into gold, showcasing talent that’s as versatile as it is sharp. UCF‘s big paper on Industrial and Systems shares a set of eight key areas in which the profession can make significant contributions to society. It’s a roadmap for training the next wave. With 1,800 new tech jobs added last year, Orlando’s proving AI isn’t future talk, it’s our now. 

• Tech leaders set for conference say education key to business 
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• Florida Power and Light’s south Florida innovation program highlights startups 
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• Link Parikh on advances in applications for the DoD 
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• ApolloRise’s driven procurement platform transforms industries 
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• Landmark UCF research identifies industrial engineering challenges 
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• UCF incubator program targets Lake County entrepreneurs’ growth 
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• Orlando tech leader finds empathy brewing beer 
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AEROSPACE AND SPACE TECHNOLOGIES: BUILDING A LAUNCHPAD FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP 

Central Florida’s aerospace scene? It’s where decades of sim expertise meet bold investments, creating a talent pool that thrives on big challenges and even bigger payoffs. 

Embry-Riddle’s NASA win is proof our engineers are Artemis-ready. Daytona’s SpaceLoon grant is pushing boundaries in near-space tech, backed by talent that shifts effortlessly between labs and launches. Northrop Grumman‘s ISS missions? They’re lifting our rep as a space powerhouse. With the Space Coast right next door, Orlando’s education hubs are churning out pros who fuel this global edge. If we’re already outpacing bigger cities, what’s stopping us from owning the stars? 

• Daytona’s SpaceLoon secures competitive NSF Phase II SBIR grant 
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• Embry-Riddle student team wins NASA’s 2025 Human Lander Challenge 
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• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and NASA partnership for AR lunar training 
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• Northrop Grumman’s largest Cygnus XL spacecraft launches from Cape Canaveral 
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• Florida’s Space Perspective rebounds with European aerospace firm backing 
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• Embry-Riddle partners with Panhandle Helicopter Academy to create training pathways 
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SIMULATION AND EXPERIENCE TECHNOLOGY: CRAFTING GLOBAL TALENT AND DIGITAL FRONTIERS 

Simulation here is the ultimate crossover, blending military precision with entertainment magic, all powered by talent that’s as versatile as it is talented. 

DiSTI‘s VR is revolutionizing training, while Full Sail grads snag Emmys, talk about talent that travels. Falcons Creative‘s fresh funding is supercharging theme park tech, proving Orlando’s entertainment edge is global. From Dubsdread‘s tech upgrade to airport eVTOL sims, we’re innovating everywhere. In a world chasing virtual, Orlando’s already living it. 

• Orlando-based DiSTI transforms defense and maritime training with VE Studio® VR platform 
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• Full Sail University grads contribute to Emmy wins at Primetime Emmys 
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• Full Sail hosts rehearsals for J-Pop star Crystal Kay’s ‘CK25’ tour 
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• Falcons Creative strengthens financial foundation with key investment 
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• Orlando’s Dubsdread Golf course goes high-tech 
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• Orlando International Airport advances eVTOL simulation with FAA 
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• WWE awards scholarships to Full Sail University students 
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IOT AND SMART SYSTEMS: BUILDING RESILIENCE INTO OUR EVERYDAY INFRASTRUCTURE 

Orlando’s IoT is the unsung hero, from buses that drive themselves to drones saving lives, talent making the invisible indispensable. Beep and ADASTEC‘s buses? Game-changers for transit, crafted by engineers who pivot like pros. Airborne Response‘s drones and LightPath‘s funding show our edge in crisis tech. DefinIT‘s cloud push and UCF‘s memory innovations? They’re future-proofing us all. Orlando’s building the backbone. 

• Orlando-based Beep and ADASTEC partner for autonomous bus deployment 
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• Miami-based Airborne Response expands disaster recovery utility drone contracts 
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• LightPath Technologies raises $8 million from drone industry leaders 
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• DefinIT formalizes cloud offering to future-proof Orlando businesses 
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• UCF advances scalable, cost-effective resilient memory technology 
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TALENT AND WORKFORCE: ORLANDO’S MOST UNDERRECOGNIZED SUPERPOWER 

Look closer, and you’ll see the same technical expertise flowing seamlessly between military simulation, entertainment technology, aerospace systems, and gaming innovation. This is no coincidence. It is the most underrecognized, highly specialized talent ecosystem in America. 

Veteran engineers and emerging developers alike move fluidly between defense contractors, immersive simulation firms, space tech startups, and creative media, sharing knowledge and innovation culture. Central Florida’s educational ecosystem, including UCF, Valencia College, Full Sail University, Rollins College, and Seminole State College, builds diverse pipelines of talent. National Center for Simulation‘s STEM camps and Beacon College‘s neurodiverse women in tech training further anchor an inclusive, dynamic workforce. 

This talent dynamic not only drives employment growth but sustains an ecosystem agile enough to innovate and scale across sectors simultaneously. 

• UCF graduate secures Lockheed Martin internship
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• National Center for Simulation’s STEM-focused GEMS summer camps
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• Beacon College partners with Jonathan’s Landing to train neurodiverse women in tech
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• DeepWork Capital and Florida Funders back North Florida startups
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ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY CLIMATE: STRUCTURAL SHIFTS UNDERPINNING ORLANDO’S GROWTH 

Major tax reforms rolling out October 1 eliminate sales tax on commercial leases and foster a highly competitive business environment. Orlando’s tech sector leads with a 36% rise in median earnings, fueling wage-driven growth. Urban innovation is concentrated in projects like UCF Downtown, positioning Orlando as a national model for university-driven economic and community revitalization. Industry innovation is further complemented by infrastructure improvements and tech tools like Florida Realtors‘ Sabal Sign digital real estate platform. Meanwhile, public discourse on cleaner tech funding reflects a maturing ecosystem balancing growth with environmental responsibility. 

And let’s give a collective cheer that TEDxOrlando is BACK! The must attend speaker series returns with a brand-new crew and a 2026 space theme. Follow @TEDxOrlando for speaker calls and early ticket drops. 

Nominations for the Innovate Orlando Innovation Awards taking place this December are open. Celebrate the leaders advancing our ecosystem.

And here’s the real talk: to keep this momentum going, we need partners like you. Become a sponsor now, options from free for startups to $5,500+ for those ready to lead. Your support isn’t just funding; it’s fuel for storytelling, collisions, and tools that unite our economy. Don’t miss your chance to shape what’s next, reach out today and let’s make history. 

COMMUNITY CALENDAR: UP NEXT IN ORLANDO TECH 

• Themed Entertainment Association in-person mixer – Wed, Sept 24. Swapping ideas with the pros who design the world’s most mind-bending attractions. 

• Unreal Engine User Group – Real-estate pitch night – Thurs, Sept 25. Watch creators use Unreal to reimagine property marketing, then vote for the winner. 

• Orlando Devs Hacktoberfest kickoff – Fri, Sept 26. Fork, code, earn swag, repeat. 

• Insight to Ignite – Mon, Sept 30. I’ll share why narrative is Orlando’s most underrated economic lever. It is the official warm-up for Startup Weekend Orlando (Oct 4-6). Bring your toughest “why Orlando” questions. 

October is right around the corner, costumes, tricks, treats, and even more tech collisions. Stay tuned for spooky-smart pop-ups and pumpkin-flavored pitch nights. 🎃 

Thank you for believing in the power of narrative and innovation to reshape economies.