Invest:Insights by Capital Analytics

St Pete and Clearwater eager to safely bring in more visitors

Last year was a disruptive year for the travel and hospitality sector. For Visit St. Pete Clearwater, this landscape allowed them to reassess priorities. The organization altered messaging and focused on attracting local visitors from other parts of the nation, President and CEO Steve Hayes told Invest:Insights. Their new campaign Rise to Shine has 20,000 people registered and the winner will get an all expenses paid trip to Saint Pete, with airfare, personal cabana on a private beach and more. The organization is being creative in attracting people in a safe way in order to build confidence in travelers, he said. There is much pent up demand internationally and locally and the Tampa Bay region is ready for it, he said. For more information about our interviewee, visit: Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...

COVID-inspired changes likely to be standard in banking moving forward

Community banks have and will continue to play a vital role in the local economy. For Pilot Bank, although there was some initial hesitancy to use technology in the early days of COVID, both the bank and the clients were able to onboard easily, President Rita Lowman told Invest:Insights. For example, the early days of the ATM system were filled with uncertainty but now it is a standard part of the industry, the same is likely to happen with the COVID-inspired changes, she said. However, human touch will remain an important aspect of the industry, and she looks forward to reconnecting with clients in person soon. Thank you to our sponsor Tampa General for making this episode possible. Learn more at: https://www.tgh.org/ For more information about our interviewee, visit: https://www.pilot.bank/ Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...

Looking ahead yet remaining cautious is key for City’s recovery

The city of Fort Lauderdale made very conservative projections at the beginning of COVID yet finished the 2020 better than anticipated. Infrastructure projects kept going and the city was quite aggressive about completing them, Mayor Dean Trantalis told Invest:Insights. As they reopen, the city complacency is his biggest worry. Until mass vaccination has been completed citizens must still uphold safety measures, the mayor said. Thank you to our sponsor Belmont Village for making this episode possible. Learn more at: https://www.belmontvillage.com/ For more information about our interviewee, visit: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/ Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...

Remaining committed to helping Charlotte’s residents and arts scene

Disinformation was a major problem in the COVID reality. During this time the Knight Foundation worked with journalism partners and networks throughout the country to distribute factual information. In Charlotte, the foundation's work in the historic West End continues to be profound and the COVID-19 pandemic has actually offered opportunities for their operations, Charlotte Director Charles Thomas told Invest:Insights. There are now several Black developers carefully guiding the development in this historic area. The local arts scene has been forced to be creative more than ever and the Knight Foundation is supporting their efforts by virtual platforms in a time when gathering is not possible, Thomas said. Thank you to our sponsor Truist for making this episode possible. Learn more at: truist.com For more information about our interviewee, visit: https://knightfoundation.org/communit... Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...

Diversity & Inclusion drive the path forward for JP Morgan Chase

Diversity and inclusion has been top of mind for JP Morgan Chase with 2020 seeing a much stronger push in this regard. The financial institution's Path Forward strategy is a $30 billion program specifically focused on expanding homeownership and entrepreneurship in the Black and Latino communities, Regional Director of New England and Greater Pennsylvania Roxann Cooke told Invest:Insights. Despite the COVID-19 disruption to businesses and the banking sector, JP Morgan Chase will continue expansion throughout the country and will not shy away from brick-and-mortar locations, Cooke said. For more information about our interviewee, visit: https://www.jpmorganchase.com/impact/... Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...

Bright spots in the Florida economy point to a strong recovery yet more assistance is needed

Experts believe Floria is poised for a strong recovery by the end of 2021, especially as industries like the service sector begin to recuperate. In the meantime, the passing of another stimulus package is essential to the recovery process, PNC Financial Services Group Florida Economist Abbey Omodunbi told Invest:Insights. The first stimulus packages last year enabled the Florida business ecosystem to weather the storm better yet further assistance is needed in the recovery process. The housing market is a bright spot throughout the state and is predicted to remain strong in 2021. Overall markets like Tampa, Miami and Orlando have performed very well despite the tumultuous landscape, Omodunbi said. For more information about our interviewee, visit: www.pnc.com Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...

Philadelphia's eds and meds sector poised to support recovery of the city

Entrepreneurialism is essential to economic recovery and growth. Economic recovery programs and support from the new administration will be incredibly important for the future of the local business community. Science start ups are a critical part of a strong post pandemic future and Philadelphia is well positioned to meet those needs due to the strong eds and meds sector in the city, University City Science Center’s President and CEO Tiffany Wilson told Invest:Insights. For more information about our interviewee, visit: https://sciencecenter.org/ Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...

Adjusting art and design learning to a remote environment

Real world experience is key for all students, not just for those that can get internships. For Ringling College of Art + Design, it has been incredibly important to initiate this type of experience. As a higher education institution focused on creative learning it is important to be in the classroom, however, the college was able to transfer all of their classes online, President Larry Thompson told Invest:Insights. Having a major such as virtual reality exemplifies how the college stays ahead of the curve when it comes to being a leading art school based in technology, Thompson said. For more information about our interviewee, visit: https://www.ringling.edu/​ Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...​

Helping industries adapt to the new normal

For Accenture, a multinational consulting and processing services firm that supports a multitude of industries, technology is their strong suit. Accenture spent a lot of time on helping clients with security and just generally adapting to this new environment, Senior Managing Director Nicole Tranchitella told Invest:Insights. All of their employees will be working remotely for the foreseeable future. This was easy as Accenture is a technology-based company enabling the firm to quickly transfer employees and products and services directly to the digital world, she said. For more information about our interviewee, visit: www.accenture.com Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...​

This healthcare technology company is keen on improving efficiency in the healthcare system

At the core of MobileSmith Health’s vision is to streamline efficiencies within the healthcare provider system while making information more accessible in order to help patients immediately. The current health crisis pushed the company further into the technology world, CEO and President Jerry Lepore told Invest:Insights. Chronic condition management must be better addressed as it's very costly and sometimes detrimental to the patient’s health, he said.   For more information about our interviewee, visit: www.mobilesmith.com/ Register to read all Capital Analytics reports for free: https://www.capitalanalyticsassociate...​