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St. Pete Catalyst

St Pete Catalyst •

Bay area AI startup receives $1.3M in pre-seed round

Iteright, a Tampa Bay area-based startup, recently received $1.3 million in a pre-seed round led by New World Angels’ Innovation Fund. 
A pre-seed round helps startup companies get initial funding to bring their products and services to life. 
Over 30 investors took part in the round. 
The company, founded by Alex Brodsky, has developed an innovative artificial intelligence platform that helps guide business executives through investment decisions.  
A “growth management system,” Itright provide...
St Pete Catalyst •

Homeless: The Studio Public House is losing its lease

The Studio Public House, a popular British restaurant in the Grand Central District, is being forced to close this summer. 
Owner Mike Crippin said that his landlord – the building’s owner – is planning on selling the 2950 Central Ave. building for redevelopment. 
Crippin contacted his landlord late last year to renew his lease for the next five years. 
“In late January, he sent me back all the numbers by email. I agreed. I liked him. I verbally agreed because we communicate by text and email an...
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United Way Suncoast invests $14.13M in community programs

United Way Suncoast (UWS) will invest $14.13 million in community programs that encourage educational opportunity and financial security. 
The Tampa-based nonprofit will fund 67 programs over a span of three years throughout Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties. 
UWS strives to serve the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These individuals often live paycheck to paycheck due to the rising costs of living (childcare, transportation, housing, e...
St Pete Catalyst •

Registration still open for July 4 Pier Run

A popular St. Petersburg Independence Day tradition is set to make its return.  
The 5th annual Orlando Health St. Pete Pier Run will take place Friday, July 4. Attendees will be able to participate in a timed 4-mile run starting from Spa Beach Park on the St. Pete Pier. The course will go along the waterfront and end back on The Pier. 
There will be two “waves” of runners. The first group will start at 6:30 a.m. and the second at 7:45 a.m. Each can have a maximum of 1,500 participants. Registra...
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Despite funding loss, overdose nonprofit remains optimistic

Florida Harm Reduction Collective (FHRC), a St. Petersburg-based nonprofit, has been providing free Naloxone kits through mail distribution to individuals around Florida since 2022. 
Naloxone (also known under the brand name Narcan), typically a nasal spray, is a medicine used to reverse opioid overdoses. 
Between 400 to 600 kits are delivered every month on average. 
Every kit has four doses of Naloxone as well as literature about opioid overdose prevention, addiction treatments and local resou...
St Pete Catalyst •

Clearwater complex to offer affordable housing again 

Sunrise Affordable Housing Group has acquired the Indigo, a Clearwater apartment complex, for $25.5 million. Under the new ownership, it will return to affordable housing.  
Once known as Prospect Towers, the circa 1971 complex at 801 Chestnut Street offered affordable housing for senior citizens for half a century.
Sunrise Affordable, which has offices in Palm Beach, Florida and Toronto, Canada, received approvals for the $51 million project by the City of Clearwater in September 2024. 

The 17...
St Pete Catalyst •

Kava is key at Gateway area’s new Lucid Coffee Bar

Lucid Coffee & Kava, the latest addition to Pinellas County coffee culture, will host its grand opening celebration Saturday and Sunday, 5-11 p.m.
The 1,700-square-foot shop is located at 10328 Roosevelt Boulevard North in St. Petersburg.
Lokesh Vale, who is also the owner of the Twisted Indian restaurant and food truck, partnered with Abram Jacobson, vice president of sales for Pure Infinity Botanicals (a kava and kratom tea distributor) and Amar Nathwani of Barkett Realty. 
Choosing the Gatewa...
St Pete Catalyst •

Foundation awards $2.2 million to bay area nonprofits

Community Foundation Tampa Bay has awarded more than $2.2 million to 84 nonprofit projects within the Greater Tampa Bay area. 
The grantmaking organization’s competitive grants support projects in five key focus areas. They include economic opportunity, environmental resiliency and sustainability, physical and mental health and wellbeing, quality youth education and vibrant and engaged communities.  
“The five areas of focus are based off community conversations,” said Brandi Sanchez, Senior Dir...
St Pete Catalyst •

Teenage entrepreneur develops energy storage product

Noah Bild always knew he wanted to make a difference and build something impactful, ever since he was a little kid. 
The OffGrid Pro, a Bild-designed energy storage solution, is the 19-year-old Pinellas entrepreneur’s first product on the market. It will be available in October through his company, Bild Power.  
An advanced power station, it features a battery with 30 individual cells and a 7200 watt power output. In other words, it can handle electrical needs for long periods of time. OffGrid P...
St Pete Catalyst •

Largo’s Pickle & Pint rides the indoor pickleball wave

Pickle & Pint, an indoor pickleball facility with a restaurant and bar, recently opened in Largo.
The 32,000-square-foot, family-friendly sports venue isn’t the first in the Pinellas County area – there’s the slightly smaller Dink House Pickleball Club, which also is in Largo.
More indoor pickleball courts are in the works, including St. Pete Athletic Paddle & Social, the Pickleball Kingdom franchise and the Dill Dinkers franchise.  
These recent investments in the sport demonstrate its skyrocke...
St Pete Catalyst •

Women’s soccer club will play in league final Saturday

The Tampa Bay Sun Football Club, the first professional women’s soccer team in Tampa, held a press conference today to discuss its participation in the inaugural United Soccer League (USL) Super League championship final against the Fort Lauderdale United Football Club. 
The match will take place at Riverfront Stadium (Blake High School) in Tampa Saturday at 7:30 p.m. 
Head coach Denise Schilte-Brown, team captain Jordyn Listro and player Sydny Nasello appeared and spoke to the media. 
The 2024-...
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That’s some boat ride: 5,500 miles for charity

Darren Hayes left Tuesday on a 5,500 mile, solo water journey. He set sail on a 22-foot pontoon boat from Tierra Verde Marine Resort in St. Petersburg. 
Hayes, 41, is raising money and awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay. The nonprofit serves families of ill children by providing them with a free place to stay during their child’s course of treatment. It also provides food and other resources.
For Hayes, the journey is personal. 
His friend’s daughter had a brain tumor and...
St Pete Catalyst •

Will Tampa ruling affect the St. Pete Dog Bar?

Pups Pub, a dog-friendly Tampa bar, was forced to close June 7 after the Florida Department of Health decided to reverse a decision about allowing non-service animals inside drinking establishments. 
Owners Alex Wright and wife Sheila Suhar received approval from the Department of Health to open the bar under the condition that no food would be served. 
The location proved to be successful and led to another Pups Pub in Orlando (which closed this April for other reasons). 
During inspections of...
St Pete Catalyst •

Officials unveil south St. Pete affordable housing incentives

At its June 5 meeting, the St. Petersburg City Council approved amendments to the South St. Pete Community Redevelopment Area (CRA)’s Affordable Housing Redevelopment Loan program.
The Affordable Housing Redevelopment Loan program was established to create affordable single family and multi-family homes in the South St. Pete CRA.
This area has been prioritized by the City to develop housing and neighborhoods for residents.
The amendments proposed included programs for single family homes, multi-...
St Pete Catalyst •

Startup founder wants to use AI for the mental health industry

Cole Smith, a St. Petersburg-based entrepreneur, has created an AI platform that enhances the therapy experience for both therapists and patients. Opal, which launched earlier this year, was a passion project from the beginning. 
As a student at New York University (NYU), Smith saw the positive effects of therapy firsthand and desired to make high quality mental healthcare more accessible. 
Opal’s software is not just an AI scribe or note taker; it interacts with patients, giving them a space to...
St Pete Catalyst •

City council approves sewer resilience projects 

At its June 5 meeting, the St. Petersburg City Council approved multiple sewer system resilience projects, to ensure their resiliency before, during and after a natural disaster.
They include major renovations at Lift Station 85, the biggest lift station run by the City. 
The station is on the Old Albert Whitted Water Reclamation Facility property, which was decommissioned in 2015. Sewage flows from Lift Station 85 are now directed to the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility.  
City of St. Pete...
St Pete Catalyst •

Florida Funders partners with venture capital growth company

Florida Funders, one of Florida’s leading venture capital firms, has announced a partnership with venture capital growth company, Dragonfly Operating Partners. 
A venture capital firm finds investors for startup businesses and often provides operational guidance; the collaboration has brought DragonflyOP’s services to many of Florida Funders’ early stage portfolio companies. 
Currently, Florida Funders is invested in more than 100 businesses in a diverse range of sub-categories in the tech indus...
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Sunrise St. Pete disaster recovery action plan unveiled

In a public virtual hearing Tuesday, the City of St. Petersburg discussed its draft action plan for Sunrise St. Pete, a disaster recovery initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 
$159.8 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds from HUD have been allocated to the City. 
The funds will be used towards recovery projects for those affected by Hurricanes Idalia (2023) and Helene (2024), to help specifically with housing, infrastruct...
St Pete Catalyst •

Developer Bonugli invests in another site on Central

St. Petersburg real estate investor Rossi Bonugli is working on a new retail development on Central Avenue. He’s hoping the investment helps give the area new life. 
According to a city permit, a 6,079 sq. ft. building is planned. It will have five units and approximately nine parking spots, Bonugli told the Catalyst. Each unit will be roughly 1,300 sq. ft.
He purchased the 2730 Central lot in 2014, for $285,000.
“This section of Central Avenue known as the Grand Central District has long been n...
St Pete Catalyst •

Panelists consider the future of the Gas Plant District

A panel discussion about the Gas Plant District’s future took place Tuesday evening at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg’s Center for Health Equity. 
A diverse selection of panelists spoke about the future of the troubled 86 acres, home to Tropicana Field and its sprawling asphalt parking lots since the early 1990s, and what could or should take the place of the now-dead revitalization project proposed by the Tampa Bay Rays organization and its development partner Hines. 
Panelists inc...
St Pete Catalyst •

CFE initiative to improve financial stability for residents 

The City of St Petersburg announced a collaboration with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE) this week, resulting in a $100,000 grant. 
This grant, provided by the Fund, will be used to create strategies and programs that can help improve financial stability for residents. 
CFE Fund’s investment in the St. Pete community is a part of its CityStart initiative. 
Through the initiative, the Fund partners with city or county governments across the country to identify financial empowermen...
St Pete Catalyst •

Pinellas Job Corps terminated in government shutdown

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) announced Friday that it will “pause operations” at Jobs Corps centers around the country, “initiating an orderly transition for students, staff, and local communities.”
This includes Pinellas County Job Corps, located in St. Petersburg. 
The government-funded Job Corps program provides potentially life-changing opportunities to low-income young people between the ages of 16 and 24, by helping them complete a high school level education and preparing t...
St Pete Catalyst •

New Eckerd, FWC complex will help decipher manatee mortality

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is building a new marine mammal complex at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. According to Jonathan Veach, FWC Information Specialist, the facility will feature two adjacent buildings: A pathobiology lab for manatee and dolphin necropsies and an administrative center.
A necropsy is a non-human post-mortem examination.
The City of St. Petersburg has yet to receive detailed plans outlining the project, but a permit application has been sub...
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‘Rebuilding’ nonprofit continues post and pre-hurricane work

Hurricane season is not something to take lightly. Just last year, with Hurricanes Helene and Milton, approximately 41,000 homes were affected in Pinellas County alone. 
The nonprofit Rebuilding Together Greater Florida (formerly Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay) helps with disaster recovery by restoring damaged homes. Its work includes repairing roofs and installing new dry wall and flooring. 
All of Rebuilding Together Greater Florida’s services are free. Government funding and private donations...
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