Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/83317
OF TECHNOLOGY O FACES ver the years, the Florida High Tech Corridor has developed a critical mass of companies pursuing countless concepts and products that make the region an important technology destination. But it wasn't too many years ago that members of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council Marketing Committee began to realize something was missing when – while working to promote their emerging high tech hub – they would frequently hear people in other states question whether there was really a tech community in Florida. "We were sitting down brainstorming and recognized that we simply couldn't name very many of the people behind those company logos, much less tell the stories about their personal reasons for choosing our region," said Chris Steinocher, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. At the time, Steinocher served as head of the Marketing Committee and then chief operating officer and senior vice president of Marketing & Business Development for the Tampa Bay Partnership. His original thought in 2007 evolved into the Faces of Technology, a collection of technologists and scientists who are driving innovation in our region from high tech companies of all sizes. "Faces of Technology shows everyone that there are real people here — maybe just like them — who are having tremendous success in the scale that is the Florida High Tech Corridor," said Steinocher. Read on to discover this year's Faces of Technology spotlights. These 19 innovators are at the forefront of today's technological advancements such as electric vehicles, biorenewable plastics and near infrared laser systems. Their personal stories and those of the more than 60 Faces of Technology spotlights who came before them can also be found online at www. facesoftechnology.com, where short videos feature them speaking first-hand about how they're using today's technology to create tomorrow's breakthroughs. 45 florida.HIGH.TECH 2012 florida.HIGH.TECH 2012 45