TAMPA 鈥� The 91社区 represented at this year鈥檚 Synapse Summit, held at Raymond James Stadium, showcasing student ventures, cutting-edge research and expert insight across a range of fast-growing industries. With representatives from the Muma College of Business, College of Engineering, College of Marine Science and other colleges and centers, USF played a key role in highlighting how higher education fuels innovation in the Tampa Bay region.
Synapse Summit is one of 91社区鈥檚 premier technology and entrepreneurship conferences, celebrating the regional ecosystem through panels, keynotes and exhibitions focused on cybersecurity, sustainability, health, fintech and more.
Muma College of Business
USF Muma College of Business Dean David Blackwell attended the event to support student and faculty presenters, network with attendees and represent USF in the summit鈥檚 VIP areas. The college maintained a booth on the exhibition floor with giveaways and academic program information, located alongside other USF departments.
The business college was featured in two key panel sessions:
- 鈥淪olar Power as a Catalyst for Change: A Story of Innovation and Impact.鈥�
PhD student and entrepreneur Freeman Talla shared the story of SOLAccess, his mission-driven startup providing solar energy to communities in Cameroon. Talla described how tragedy inspired a vision to improve health care, job creation and entrepreneurship through renewable energy. - 鈥淏itcoin, Stable Coins and the Future of Finance.鈥� Shivendu Shivendu, associate professor in the School of Information Systems and Management, explored how digital assets like bitcoin and stablecoins are disrupting traditional finance. His talk examined how these tools influence monetary policy and what their rise means for the future of decentralized finance (DeFi).
Nault Center for Entrepreneurship
The Nault Center for Entrepreneurship made a dynamic showing, with multiple panels, student presentations and a booth that provided insight into its academic programs and startup support.
Students presented a range of ventures developed during their time at USF. Those presentations included Ridely, a student carpooling app; LOPE, protein-packed energy bars; S&B Alpine Tours, a travel service; Travelers Resorts, a hospitality venture; Rush Power, pre-workout gummies; SYP Hydration, an AI hydration tracker; and SoleLuxe, custom sneaker accessories.
Key sessions featuring Nault Center speakers included:
- 鈥淟aunchpad for Tomorrow: How Young Innovators Are Building the Future Today 鈥� Session
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Nault student Rima El Brouzi joined a panel of young entrepreneurs to share how university programs shaped their ventures, from ideation to launch. - 鈥淯nlocking Value: How to Leverage IP for Sustainable Growth and Investment.鈥� Moderated by Tim Ernest, program planner analyst at the Nault Center, this panel explored intellectual property commercialization. Doug Nissinoff from USF鈥檚 Technology Transfer Office shared insight into licensing, startup funding and tech transfer pathways.
Fintech Center at the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance
The Fintech Center at the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance hosted a booth and was prominently featured in the high-profile keynote, 鈥淧illar Kickoff Session: The Future of Fintech: Innovation and Positive Impact for Our Region.鈥�
Michael D. Wiemer, the center鈥檚 director, discussed how fintech is transforming personal banking, digital assets and payments. His talk highlighted regional opportunities and urged collaboration among investors, startups and policymakers.
鈥淪ynapse is the premier gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders shaping the innovation ecosystem in Tampa Bay and across 91社区,鈥� said Michael Wiemer, director of the Fintech Center at USF. 鈥淚t was an honor to be asked by Andy Hafer to chair the Fintech track this year."
鈥淲e developed eight strong sessions in collaboration with his team at DCE and an incredible group of leaders we invited to join the track development team," he said.
鈥淎t USF, and especially within the Muma College of Business, we鈥檙e proud to foster innovation," he said. "The Fintech Center serves as a bridge between the college, the university and the business community. We鈥檙e building meaningful connections that support our students, faculty and the broader community we serve."
鈥淚t鈥檚 a real privilege to be part of Synapse and help lead the conversation on the future of fintech,鈥� he said.
USF Research and Innovation
USF CONNECT, the university鈥檚 business incubator and research support unit, participated with a booth and representation on the panel called "Accelerating the Marine Economy: Tampa Bay's Innovative Accelerator Program.鈥� Director Shannon Pastizzo joined experts in discussing a $13.9 million NOAA grant-backed program aimed at spurring innovation in marine science and sustainability across the region.
College of Engineering
The College of Engineering engaged in exhibits and collaborated with the Nault Center during the Young Innovators Summit. Taylor Johnston of the USF Institute of Applied Engineering participated in the panel called, "Dual-Use Innovations: Bridging Commercial Success and National Security,鈥� which explored how technologies used in both commercial and defense sectors can attract venture capital while enhancing national security.
College of Marine Science
The College of Marine Science contributed research expertise to a forward-thinking panel called 鈥淭ech to the Rescue: Innovations in Disaster Planning, Response, & Recovery.鈥� Chad Lembke, a research assistant professor, joined experts to highlight new tools like drones and AI-powered robots that support emergency response efforts.
Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing
The Bellini College explored the fast-evolving role of AI in national security through a thought-provoking session called 鈥淔rom Threats to Solutions: How to Harness Generative AI for National Security.鈥� John Licato addressed the dual-edge nature of generative AI, outlining how it can be both a security threat and a vital defense tool. His talk offered actionable strategies for safer AI development.
College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
The Department of Criminology contributed new research findings on cybersecurity through a data-driven presentation titled 鈥淓mpirical Insights Into Malicious Hacker Behavior: Mapping Attack Trajectories for Cybersecurity Interventions.鈥�
C. Jordan Howell presented the first systematic study of verified hackers, based on data from 250 survey respondents and 20 in-depth interviews. His findings aim to close cybersecurity gaps and inform national cyber defense strategies.
USF Health
USF Health and the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) were featured in the session 鈥淪imulating the Future of Healthcare: How Technology and Innovation are Transforming Medical Training and Delivery.鈥� It explored the intersection of health care and emerging technology.
Dr. Yasuharu Okuda and Shannon Bailey joined medical industry leaders to showcase innovations in simulation technology, such as extended reality and surgical modeling, that are reshaping clinical training and patient outcomes.
For more information about the Synapse Summit, visit their website .