What We Do – Soaring City Innovation Partnership | Tampa's Uptown Innovation Quarter

What We Do

Soaring City brings together an unprecedented array of institutions, companies, and government forces that unleash the potential of the Uptown corridor, elevating the community so that every resident can enjoy the promise of equality, prosperity, and a resilient community.

Programs

Partnering with Florida Blue and other community partners, Soaring City lends coordination and support for programs designed to address the root causes of generational poverty in Uptown’s core neighborhoods.

Spaces

Soaring City manages two meeting and event venues in RITHM that are available for community events and meetings including the BX2 auditorium and the Community Enrichment Lab meeting/classroom space. Contact us for details about hosting a meeting or event.

Events

Soaring City hosts events celebrating innovation in its various forms and bringing the community together for collaboration including the annual Innovation Gathering.

The annual Innovation Gathering showcases research, innovation, and technology in and around Tampa’s Uptown Innovation Quarter, including ground-breaking startups, research organizations, guest speakers, and Taste of Uptown featuring food and beverages from favorite eateries.

Placemaking

A multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces that enhance the quality of life for Uptowns residents, workers, and visitors and provide venues where creative people share ideas that result in innovation.

Infrastructure

Reliable, safe, and efficient roads, utilities, and digital connectivity are essential to Uptown Tampa’s economic vitality and quality of life.

Learn more about one of Uptown’s major infrastructure projects here.

Entrepreneurship

The Soaring City Entrepreneur in Residence Programs (EIR) supports and encourages ventures in emerging industries. The EIR role is a short-term position where the selected individual provides Soaring City with their expertise working towards our goals. EIR’s foster innovation, provide mentorship, and have an unquenchable passion to make things happen.

Innovation, Education, Workforce & Development

Through collaborative partnerships, organizations in Uptown work together to serve thousands of youth and adults, contribute well over $2 million annually to the local economy, improve hireability and place hundreds in well paying careers, launch sustainable businesses, host unique one-of-a-kind events from cultural festivals to robotics competitions and provide measurably uplifting good work.

Research

Soaring City supports Uptown’s research and development activities including the establishment of Vu Technologies and the USF Institute of Applied Engineering at RITHM.

Recognition

The Community Impact Awards have been given annually since 2016 to those individuals or organizations who have contributed to making positive changes in our community. The Jack A. Kolosky Healthcare Innovator Award was implemented in 2021 to honor one of the multitude of healthcare researchers in Uptown.