St. Pete X

On this episode of SPx, our host Joe Hamilton is joined in studio by local glass legend, Duncan McClellan. Nearly a decade ago, McClellan famously moved into what is now known as the Warehouse Arts District, creating the first live, work, and show gallery in St. Petersburg. At the time, people called McClellan crazy. Now, he has had a leading role is transforming the district into an arts destination. McClellan shares the origins of the gallery, his thoughts on the business of art, and how St. Pete can build its brand while staying true to its charm.

On this episode of SPx, we throw back to February with Tampa's 58th mayor, Bob Buckhorn. Our host, Joe Hamilton, sat down with Buckhorn as he contemplated the end of his mayorship, the power of the office and life after. In this rare and insightful conversation with a leader at the pinnacle of his career, Buckhorn waxes on journalism, authenticity and the new political climate in the age of Trump.

On this episode of SPx, Marcin Kleczynski, founder of Malwarebytes, breaks down the origin story of the company he started at just 15 years old, living with his parents in the suburbs of Chicago. Kleczynski shares how pirated video games led him founding a company with more than 800 employees and four offices across the world. Kleczynski talks misconceptions around malware, company culture, how the big traditional companies are failing and how Malwarebytes has stepped in to take on a greater share of the antivirus market.

On the kickoff episode of Season 2 of the St. Pete X podcast, Dr. Kiran Patel joins host Joe Hamilton in the studio to share his insights about entrepreneurship, philanthropy and wealth as a by-product of personal meaning. Patel, a cardiologist turned businessman whose estimated wealth nears $250 million, has called Tampa Bay home for decades. He shares his journey - growing up in Zambia under apartheid, going to medical school and working his way into top tier business ventures. Patel talks philanthropy, personal meaning and how his focus has shifted through the years.

On this episode of SPx, Joe sits down with Bob Glaser, president and CEO of Tampa Bay real estate titan, Smith & Associates. They compare St. Pete's Warehouse Arts District with Miami's Wynwood and talk possibilities of the Tropicana Field site. Glaser shares his expertise on hot topics like downtown development, housing, and what St. Pete needs to become a next tier city (it's probably not what you think). The conversation gets personal when Glaser shares his story: from humble beginnings to the motivations behind his hard work and philanthropy, and his own coming out story.

On this episode of SPx, renowned author and lover of cities, Peter Kageyama joins Joe in the studio for an emotional conversation about love and personal evolution, and how those have manifested in Kageyama's latest book. They share appreciation for one of St. Pete's best known co-creators, talk districts and how cities can address gentrification. Kageyama sheds light on the characteristics of a well-loved city, and how to keep St. Pete weird even with major developments on the horizon.

On this episode of SPx, Joe welcomes Steve Tingiris, serial entrepreneur and founder of Dabble Lab, to the studio. After many iterations, Tingiris has found the perfect niche for his business, functioning as fractional R&D teams that build tech products and tools for other companies. Dabble Lab's most recent focus has been artificial intelligence and machine learning. The team builds digital assistants and voice tools to automate business processes and workflows. Despite mainstream fears around AI, Tingiris is hopeful about the possibilities AI could unlock for human potential and business efficiency. He talks about the fundamental changes coming in the world economy and innovation's role in that change.

On this episode of SPx, Joe welcomes Jennifer Hall, executive coach and licensed psychologist. The woman behind Mindset Coaching, Hall has more than 20 years of experience in executive coaching and has co-developed two assessment tools - the Entrepreneurial Mindset Index and the Coaching Mindset Index. She talks the evolution of her coaching business, what she looks for in a client, and predictive factors for success in an age of rapid change.

On this episode of SPx, Joe welcomes Marc Blumenthal, founder of Synapse and partner at Florida Funders. In this acumen-packed episode, Blumenthal shares his thoughts on the Tampa Bay startup community and the tipping point that brought him to found Synapse. He reflects on the inaugural Synapse Innovation Summit in March 2018, and how "scaling serendipity" through Synapse can cause high-value collisions that change the trajectory of a business. Get the low-down on the eight personas that propel entrepreneurial ecosystems forward, and two factors he looks for in founders when investing through Florida Funders.

On this episode of SPx, Lakshmi Shenoy joins Joe Hamilton to talk building Tampa Bay's very own "central landing zone" for tech entrepreneurs, Embarc Collective. A veteran of Chicago's 1871, Shenoy shares her thoughts on the burgeoning entrepreneurial scene in Tampa Bay, and lessons learned thus far as CEO at the helm of a startup supporting startups. Shenoy explains the importance of collective storytelling and creating a dense, physical entrepreneurship hub to attract the right talent to support the startup community. She talks essential leadership qualities for startup CEOs, feedback, and gives a shoutout to one of her favorite startups in Tampa Bay.