IMPACT REPORT

This one is personal.

When we launched the inaugural BŪP Innovation Weekend, we weren't just running a hackathon. We were proving that Tampa Bay's emerging founders—many of whom have never pitched an idea in a room before—deserve a stage built for them.

Fifty-four hours. Six teams. Thirty participants from across the country, including one founder who traveled from Colombia to be here. And 100% of those teams are still building today.

That's not a coincidence. That's what happens when you surround people with the right mentors, the right structure, and a community that genuinely believes in them.

Alyra won first place. Two strangers—Tonya B. Wright and Kaysara Facen—met Friday night and left Sunday as business partners, with a plan and $4,000 in prizes. Three teams secured their first paying customers within two weeks of the event. All three winning teams are in the process of forming LLCs.

None of this happened by accident. Our 15 mentors gave their weekends to push teams forward. Six volunteers kept everything running. Our sponsors—led by Suncoast Credit Union as our Signature Event Sponsor—made access and excellence possible.

This was the first. It won't be the last.

Thank you to every person who showed up, believed in this vision, and helped us prove that the best ideas don't wait for permission.