A Sincere Thank You Through a Semi-Brief History of Embarc Collective

As I wrap nearly seven years leading Embarc Collective, I want to express my gratitude to all who helped turn this from an idea into a globally recognized startup hub where the most focused, driven tech founders in Florida build bold, scalable, thriving companies.

In September 2017, Jeff Vinik reached out to gauge my interest in launching a new startup hub for Florida. He believed in my ability to build this from scratch even more than I did. He raised my game with his high standards of excellence, something so visible throughout the Lightning organization—now a hallmark embedded in Embarc Collective’s culture.

The Founders Circle stepped up early, joining Jeff in bringing Embarc Collective to life when all I had was a Power Point and a lot of passion. They became our Board of Directors and provided not only capital but also invaluable counsel through ups and downs. They’ve also generously shared their expertise to support our startup members.

When Brian Murphy of ReliaQuest became Board Chair, I grew exponentially as a leader. Through our regular chats, he helped me evolve as Embarc Collective scaled. I’m privileged to have Brian-isms seared into my brain to help me work through any challenge. Brian’s authenticity and drive are woven into our culture, and his team shares his commitment to Embarc Collective.

My first hire, Allie Felix, joined in mid-2018. The first hire must be celebrated in the startup world—the rare person willing to join a rough draft idea when nothing is figured out. A Tampa Bay native, Allie and I connected serendipitously through Chitra Kanagaraj and Pat Bhava of PikMyKid. During an UberPool ride in San Francisco many years ago, Allie and Pat bonded over their shared goal of building Tampa Bay’s startup scene, and they kept in touch. Convincing her to move from NYC and join this vision was core to the growth of Embarc Collective. Allie has been my thought partner throughout this journey and is now pursuing her own entrepreneurial ventures in Tampa. I couldn’t be prouder or more excited for her future.

Nothing about Embarc Collective matters without the startups that believed in the vision and joined this community. Having worked with startup founders from all over, I believe that there is a uniquely acute drive, focus, and seriousness that exists within our membership. These are the teams that are putting Florida on the map as a great place to build a company. Their success is what is driving growth in our community and is reflected in the 96% five-year survivability rate of our membership (compared to the national average of 50%). To date, we’ve worked with 244 companies. While job creation, revenue, and capital raised are critical metrics, I am most motivated by how our members grow as leaders each day.

The support from Embarc Collective was built around the specific needs of the startups we serve. I remember the early days when I would camp out at the downtown Tampa Hilton Starbucks meeting with founders to learn about what they needed to realize their company’s vision. This helped form our coaching program. Our members are supported by an incredible coaching team. When we launched, compensating our coaches—a rarity in the startup support world—was a novel approach. Securing Board support for this model was pivotal to our success. Our coaches bring real-world experience and act as thought partners, not answer-givers, equipping members to become better entrepreneurs and leaders. The coaching experience is my favorite part of my job – I love working directly with entrepreneurs to work through blockers. I love it so much that I’ve logged almost 1,000 hours coaching our membership over the years and will remain a part of the coaching team in 2025.

Embarc Collective has flourished thanks to its sponsors, partners, and community members who believe Florida is a great place to build a company. Special thanks go to our Corporate Advisory Council and Young Professionals Board for rolling up their sleeves to support our startups’ goals.

Tim Holcomb, Embarc Collective’s incoming CEO, is inheriting a well-oiled machine. Out of everything, I am most proud of this team. I’ve watched them grow into leaders capable of expanding Embarc Collective’s impact. There is never a dull moment at Embarc Collective. Together, we’ve navigated delayed construction, countless hardhat tours, a global pandemic weeks after opening, conferences with llamas on-site, thousands of visitors through our space, inspiring speakers, hurricanes, births, and the heartbreaking loss of our dear teammate Ganay Thompson. Through it all, this team let me lead authentically. To all past and present team members, it’s been a privilege to be part of your journeys.

When Jeff Vinik reached out in 2017, I had just lost my father and wasn’t looking for a big change. But my husband, Ryan, encouraged me to take the call. I am so lucky to have such a strong cheerleader and partner. Ryan, you’ve supported me these seven years as I built Embarc Collective, and I’m excited to now help you achieve your ambitious goals at SpotMyPhotos.

Embarc Collective’s success is a community effort. These acknowledgments don’t even scratch the surface of all who contributed to our journey. While I was the initial leader, this is so much bigger than any of us individually. Tim Holcomb brings a proven track record and natural alignment with our culture. I’m excited to support him as a member of Embarc Collective’s Board of Directors and an Embarc Collective startup coach.

Thank you for allowing me to be a steward of entrepreneurship – it’s been an opportunity of a lifetime.

-Lakshmi, Founding CEO