How USF’s partnership with Embarc Collective is opening doors for students

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

For a Tampa-based artificial intelligence startup, a group of USF students spent last summer building a robot now deployed at an industrial pipe yard, where it uses cameras, lidar sensors and artificial intelligence to track inventory in real time.

The machine creates a digital replica of the site while automatically counting materials, reducing the need for workers to manually track inventory.

"They have a personal assistant right by their side, rolling around and counting inventory for them," said Dayne Guy, a USF computer engineering graduate student who helped develop the technology. "It makes their life easier."

Guy's work illustrates how USF's partnership with Embarc Collective connects students with Tampa Bay startups, giving them opportunities to apply their skills to real-world challenges. Last July, USF became the first university to join the startup hub's new University Partnership Program, designed to strengthen the role of higher education in workforce development and regional economic growth.

Supported by the Genspiration Foundation, a nonprofit established by USF President Emerita Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steve Greenbaum, the partnership connects students with companies in Embarc Collective's network, providing paid opportunities to contribute to emerging technologies and gain hands-on experience.

According to Evan Erickson, senior director of partnerships and events, Embarc Collective has created more than 40 paid internships for USF students and received about 1,400 applications just last year.

"Talent connectivity and offering opportunities for students to get experiential learning, out of the classroom and actually hands-on and working in those early stages of a high-growth technology startup, is a big part of what we're trying to accomplish," Erickson said.

Guy had that opportunity alongside Justin Hominsky, an electrical engineering student in USF's accelerated bachelor's-to-master's program.

Last summer, the two interned at BiaTech, a Tampa-based artificial intelligence startup focused on challenges facing the oil and gas industry. They joined a team of USF interns tasked with building and programming the robot for a client in Houston.

"It was a great experience," Hominsky said. "It helped me to understand a client's needs and what they want, how to convey that and what is feasible from a solution perspective."

Embarc Collective's 32,000-square-foot facility in downtown Tampa houses offices, shared workspaces, meeting rooms and event space for its startup community. About 20 to 25 companies maintain office space there, though the facility is available to all members.

The organization also connects its member companies with coaches specializing in fundraising, sales, marketing, engineering, product development and talent recruitment, as well as investors, corporate partners and university resources. Its networking events, which feature expert speakers, are open to the public.

That's how USF biomedical sciences major Mel Junqueira Alvares de Mello first discovered Embarc. More than a year ago, a friend sent her an Instagram post promoting a health technology meetup. She attended and was drawn to conversations about innovation, entrepreneurship and the business side of health care.

"I realized that I needed to move from my comfort zone and try something new, even though that wasn't completely related to healthcare," de Mello said.

She began attending Embarc events regularly, learning from entrepreneurs and industry professionals. The experience helped her envision a career combining her scientific background with business and prompted her to add a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation.

She later landed an internship at ryco.io, an educational technology company based at Embarc, where she works in sales, marketing and business development. She hopes to build a career on the corporate side of healthcare.

"Without Embarc, I'm not sure I'd have discovered my passion for business," de Mello said. "I learned how to talk to people, schedule meetings, sell something and how to actually understand people."

Anenka Colan-Rojas discovered Embarc by happenstance.

A USF economics major entering her senior year, Colan-Rojas was walking through downtown when she noticed the building and initially mistook it for an art exhibit. A quick online search revealed a hub for startups and entrepreneurs - and a potential path into Tampa Bay's innovation community.

"I wanted to immerse myself in that environment and explore how I could become more entrepreneurial," Colan-Rojas said.

She landed a sales internship with Threshold 360, a real estate technology startup based at Embarc. Her responsibilities included sales strategy, business development, operations and marketing, from developing outreach strategies to supporting efforts to close client deals.

The experience led to a second internship with Compass Health, another Embarc member company, where she continues to work on marketing, search engine optimization, sales operations and client development.

"I've learned so much about how startups operate, but I've also learned a lot about myself and how much I've grown," Colan-Rojas said. "It's been a wonderful experience, and I encourage any student who has the opportunity to be part of Embarc Collective to make the most of it."

Scott Johnson, chief marketing officer at Thoragenix Innovation, has seen firsthand what USF students can contribute to a startup.

Thoragenix Innovation, based at Embarc, develops intellectual property for open-heart surgery and trauma care, including technologies aimed at treating gunshot wounds in military settings.

Through Embarc's internship network, Johnson connected with USF engineering students who helped develop early-stage medical technologies, using 3D printers to create and refine medical-device prototypes.

"The students coming from USF aren't just here to observe," Johnson said. "They're ready to solve problems, add value and become part of the team, and that's what makes them stand out."

For Guy, the internship offered a chance to take engineering concepts beyond the classroom and see how they can solve a client's problem.

As he prepares to complete his master's degree in computer engineering next semester, Guy hopes to build on the experience.

"The internship gave me the opportunity to apply what I'd learned in the classroom to a real-world challenge," Guy said. "Working alongside startup founders and seeing how innovative technology can solve practical problems was an experience I wouldn't have had otherwise."