News and event updates originally shared in November 2025.
An Incredible Night for Innovation at UNF
What a fantastic event we had at UNF — truly an incredible night for innovation in the City of Jacksonville.
Silicon-Beach Pitch Event at the University of North Florida’s Coggin College of Business was nothing short of inspiring, and I’m filled with gratitude for everyone who made it such a success.
A Powerhouse Panel
To our outstanding panelists — Julie Merten, Wendi Burkhardt, Sierra Calhoun-Pollard, Ph.D., Summer Vyne, Nicole Bradberry, and the full advisory team — thank you for the wisdom, candor, and encouragement you brought to the room. Your insights are shaping the next generation of founders in our community.
Thank You to Our Hosts
First, a massive thank-you to The University of North Florida, Coggin College of Business, and MedNexus, and to Albert Loh, Martin Luytjes, and Caleb Garrett for your continued support and gracious hospitality.
Your partnership makes these gatherings possible, and we’re deeply appreciative.
Momentum Is Building
With more than 100 people in the room and many more joining via Zoom, the energy was electric. We continue to hear from investors and community members that the quality of pitches keeps rising with every event.
Several attendees even shared how valuable Wendi Burkhardt’s breakdown of funding stages was — many said they snapped photos of her slide so they could keep studying it later.
It was a night of innovation, curiosity, and shared learning.
Hearing that both high school and college students attended — and that some are now writing papers about the pitches and the event — is incredibly encouraging.
A special thanks to the parents who brought students and to the young attendees who asked such thoughtful questions.
Celebrating Our Founders
And to the courageous innovators who took the stage to share their vision, passion, and plans — Ariana Smetana, Dasha Tyshlek, Jessica Queen, Tim Conway, Ph.D., Wesley Farriss, Ph.D., Jacob L. Baumler, Natalie Mitchell, Ph.D., and Don Smith — thank you.
It takes real bravery to stand before a large audience and pitch your idea, and each of you delivered with clarity and heart.
Standout Results
After consolidating feedback from our panel, here were the evening’s highlights:
- 🏆 Best Pitch & Most Investable Today: ChewDoo
- 🥈 Second Place: OMEDUS
- 🥉 Third Place: CoachAir Aviation Intelligence
- ⭐ Honorable Mention: Foresea (foresea.world)
How We Grow Jacksonville’s Capital
I was asked recently: “How does Jacksonville attract more angel investors and more capital?”
The answer is simple: more innovators standing up and presenting.
That’s how we build a powerful innovation community. Some of those community members are already here. Others are on their way — because they’ll hear what’s happening in Jacksonville and want to be part of it.
To everyone who showed up, supported the founders, asked questions, shared feedback, or sat in the audience eager to learn: thank you. You are helping build something special.
We can’t wait for our next Silicon Beach Pitch Event in January, with another in February due to growing demand.
EnterCircle 2025 at The Link, as Silicon Beach founder Jason Engelhardt explained, through his career trajectory, not to be afraid of doing business in multiple industries, as long as you are ready to face the challenges. He showed how one can be successful in various sectors by following simple rules: building connections, building relationships, being curious, and accepting failures without giving up.
