April 29, 2024
Feature
Kiwibot aims to expand its fleet of robots by 1,200
Kiwibot, a robotic delivery service startup founded in Colombia and now headquartered in Miami, closed a $20-million contract with Sodexo, a Fortune 500 food services company...
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Published on 5/19/2022
Port Canaveral's cruise business is charting a record pace
More than two years after the pandemic brought cruising to a standstill, the industry is making a comeback. Roughly 741,000 passengers sailed out of Port Canaveral on multi-day cruises during the last quarter of 2021, and the port is poised to break a 4.6 million passenger record set in 2019 if the post-pandemic trajectory holds, port officials say.
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Published on 5/19/2022
An interest in body language led Joe Navarro to become a global expert in reading people
On an April morning in 1961 when Joe Navarro was just 8, he heard the rumble of war planes above his home in Cienfuegos, Cuba, and ran outside to see them. Instinctively, his father knocked him down and coiled his body around the boy to protect him. Sixty miles away, the Bay of Pigs invasion was underway.
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Published on 5/18/2022
Florida Icon: Randy Wells
We're at 51 years now, studying the dolphins of Sarasota Bay. When you're looking at a long-lived animal — and we've measured so far that our dolphins can live up to 67 years — having the ability to maintain continuity and consistency in how the data are collected, and getting people invested in the lives of these animals, is key...
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Published on 5/12/2022
As business screeched to a halt during pandemic, two entrepreneur brothers shifted from car sharing to insurance
As they were growing up, a career in technology was never in the picture for Matthew and Michael Vega-Sanz, 26-year-old twins now running one of Miami's hottest tech startups.
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Published on 5/12/2022
Knowing the Odds: Florida's history offers lessons about timing and intensity of storms
The bottom line: While you should be prepared, you don't always need to be afraid.
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Published on 5/10/2022
When it comes to cars, how fast can Florida really go electric?
Sales of electric vehicles are growing in Florida, but EVs still amount to less than 1% of registered vehicles, cost about a third more than gas cars, and charging stations are far from universal. How fast can Florida really go electric?
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Published on 5/9/2022
Florida's population is growing faster than its physician workforce
Florida's population is growing faster than its physician workforce. Filling the gap will require a range of responses, from better use of technology to more residencies to expanding the care provided by non-physicians.
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Published on 4/30/2022
Climate First Bank CEO forecasts a sunny outlook
CEO Ken LaRoe foresees a good year for banking.
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Published on 4/30/2022
Motion Detector
Retired FBI agent, bestselling author, public speaker and body language expert Joe Navarro is a bit obsessed with how the brain works.
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Published on 4/26/2022
Rover Redo: Kissimmee company turns iconic British vehicles all-electric
For almost a decade, E.C.D. Automotive Design (formerly known as East Coast Defenders) has been rebuilding Land Rover Defenders and Range Rovers with traditional combustion engines.
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Published on 4/26/2022
A Note on Climate Change and Hurricanes
The role of climate change in the development of hurricanes – and whether future storms can be expected to be more frequent and dangerous – is a major focus of...
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Published on 4/26/2022
Amid Florida's doctor shortage, the nursing shortage also grows
In 2019, the state was about 17,100 nurses short, according to a report commissioned by the Florida Hospital Association and Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida. By 2035, that shortfall is predicted to hit 59,100.
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Published on 4/22/2022
A one-stop shop for boat buyers
INNOVATION
One-stop shop for boat buyers
Entrepreneurs Bryan Lenett of Hallandale Beach and Michael Muchnick of Aventura founded TreatMD, a telemedicine company later acquired by GlobalMed. Both boaters, they launched...
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Published on 4/21/2022
April is Tech Month in Miami
INNOVATION
Tech Time
April is the inaugural Miami Tech Month, with dozens of conferences and events on the calendar. The eMerge Americas tech conference, launched by tech pioneer Manny Medina...
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Published on 4/20/2022
Locality Bank in Fort Lauderdale stands out for being a rare bank startup
Locality Bank founders see an opening in the market.
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Published on 4/20/2022
Fairwinds Credit Union's COO forecasts more growth ahead
Fairwinds exec Phil Tischer looks ahead.
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Published on 4/20/2022
Pure optimism and momentum
When Jorge Gonzalez joined City National Bank in Miami 12 years ago, the community bank had about $3 billion in assets. Assets have since grown to nearly $22 billion, making CNB the second-largest bank based in Florida, with about 1,000 employees statewide.
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Published on 4/20/2022
Building designers create panels that resemble stone, brick or marble with a versatile lightweight concrete
INNOVATION
Versatile Concrete
In the last few years, Jacksonville-based prefabricated concrete company Gate Precast has experimented with a versatile lightweight architectural concrete layer.
Designers can create concrete panels that resemble...
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Published on 4/19/2022
FSU alum Joshua Esnard won a $300K partnership deal with Shark Tank investor
INNOVATION
A Cut Above
Florida State University alumnus Joshua Esnard, inventor of The Cut Buddy, a hair and beard grooming device, recently reached a $300,000 investment partnership deal from ABC’s...
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Published on 4/13/2022
The state of banking
Stephen A. LeMay is an associate professor at the University of West Florida's College of Business. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in finance, marketing, banking and computer literacy and supply chain logistics. He spoke to FLORIDA TREND about the state's banking and finance industries...
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Published on 4/13/2022
TD Bank exec expects growth to continue despite challenges
Despite the specter of rising rates, growth in Florida is expected to continue.
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Published on 4/13/2022
St. Petersburg has first ever NFT home sale
INNOVATION
Crypto Home
A 71-year-old Gulfport house has sold at auction in a very 21st-Century way — as a non-fungible token (NFT). The bidding started at $650,000 for the four-bedroom,...
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Published on 4/11/2022
Peter Warhurst is out to reinvent moving and storage again
Peter Warhurst reinvented moving and storage once. Now he's at it again.
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Published on 4/8/2022
A UF research scientist built a think tank into the world's leading center for finding ways to stop retail crime
Read Hayes built a Gainesville think tank into the world's leading center for finding ways to stop retail theft.
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Published on 4/8/2022
