The Hidden Tech Startup Successes in Sarasota, Florida - 04/12/18

Rich is a serial entrepreneur based in Sarasota, Florida. He is the founder of the HuB, co-founder of offrs.com and his previous ventures include Sarasota Online (acquired by Comcast) and Backsoft (acquired by SAP).

In 1996, after graduating from the University of Florida at a mathematician and computer scientist, Rich developed the core architecture eventually used for broadband internet service in over 60 cities. At the age of 24, Rich sold his first venture to Comcast (largest cable provider in the U.S.) and was the first employee of a new division which is now called Xfinity. In 1997, Rich lead a team of engineers that launched the first cable modem. In 1998, Rich started a new venture called Backsoft that built software to connect Fortune 500 companies to the web. In 2000, Backsoft was acquired by SAP (2nd largest software company in the world)

In 2000, Rich launched the first angel fund and private-sector incubator in the State of Florida which has since launched multiple successful ventures including Clinipace, Movo Mobile (acquired by Neighborhood America), BioLucid (acquired by ShareCare), DealersUnited.com and over 20 other companies. In 2009, Rich expanded his incubator into becoming the first coworking space in Florida.

In addition to his primary business pursuits, Rich is an author and speaker on topics including broadband development, predictive analytics and building startup ecosystems. Rich has been awarded numerous industry awards and accolades in his work with startups and continues to promote entrepreneurship in schools and communities.