Volusia Innovation Challenge opens Jan. 6; county incubator to award yearlong incubator prize

Brad Harris, Volusia County economic development representative, told the City of Daytona Beach Economic Development Advisory Board on Thursday that the newly branded Volusia Innovation Challenge will open for applications Jan. 6 and close Jan. 31. "It is a county wide pitch competition similar to what you might see on Shark Tank for all of our residents and our students that are over 18 years of age," Harris said. "It's going to be hosted here in the Ocean Center." Harris said judges will review applications between the close of submissions and March 27, with finalists selected to do live presentations at the Ocean Center; he described a parallel showcase for applicants who do not make the finals so they can display ideas to potential investors. "Those that apply that don't make the finals, there is a showcase that that will occur in parallel with the presentations," Harris said. Harris said the county opened the application window on Jan. 6 and expected most applications to arrive late in the cycle; he reported three applications filed early but estimated a likely total in the 40–50 range. He listed outreach channels including press releases, Volusia County Economic Development newsletters, partner chambers and municipal newsletters, a Volusia Business Resource Partners notice and social media. Nancy Kiefer, a representative of the Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce, suggested outreach through the Daytona Times and community distribution channels such as churches, barbershops and beauty salons to reach audiences outside standard business networks. "Normally, that hits a lot of the black community. And, and it circulates what they do is they put a circulation in all of the churches as well too and barbershops and beauty salons. So that right there would really get a lot of eyes on it," she said. Harris said the county is offering an in‑kind prize: a free year in the county incubator for the competition winner, which staff described as an opportunity to receive mentoring and workspace. He encouraged the board and its partners to share the application link and outreach materials widely across the city and county. No formal city action was requested at the meeting.