On this episode of SPX, Tanner Loebel, founder of FOODNOW, joins us to talk about his experience in bootstrap entrepreneurship and how a city of St. Petersburg initiative helped grow his gritty idea into a flourishing business throughout the region. After the recent sale of his business, FOODNOW to BiteSquad, a Minneapolis based company, Tanner is focusing on his health and his family. But this 30-something entrepreneur is nowhere near finished. Tanner is poised and ready to continue feeding his appetite for building business in St. Petersburg with even bigger and better opportunities on the horizon. He talks with our host, Joe Hamilton, about the highs and lows of business ownership, reputation management, and the many impressive local entrepreneurs thriving in St. Petersburg as we speak.

Twenty years ago, Kevin Hohl never thought he’d be playing video games for a living. Now, as the Chief Strategy Officer at HD Interactive, the long-time St. Pete resident is doing just that. Hohl sits down with our host, Joe Hamilton to talk space, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence; with a good bit of St. Pete business sprinkled in. They’ll discuss how HD Interactive’s radical and innovative solutions have caught the attention of one of the biggest names in technology today, and how they may be changing the world as we know it.

On the cusp of the rising tides of innovation in St. Petersburg’s business community, Jeff Hearn, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Raymond James Financial, is a veritable trove of St. Petersburg knowledge. Jeff sits down with our host, Joe Hamilton, to swap St. Petersburg stories, talk philanthropic ventures, and share investment wisdom for a start-up friendly city. Join us as we take a look at Hearn’s indelible mark on St. Petersburg’s business community - including his current venture with the St. Pete Downtown Partnership, his past with Foundations for a Healthy St. Petersburg, and the road that lies ahead.