Tampa Bay Tech InnovatHERS & Allies Council Event
Join us for our April InnovatHERS & Allies Council event: “Building & Backing: The Tech Entrepreneur & VC Perspective”
Where innovation meets investment in the vibrant Tampa tech ecosystem! This dynamic event, graciously sponsored by SmartChoice, features two trailblazing founders of cutting-edge tech startups Rosa Shores CEO of Blockspaces and Marissa Huggins President and founder of Spontivly and Candice Rezvanian an insightful venture capitalist who specializes in nurturing game-changing ideas. Discover firsthand the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, gain invaluable insights into securing funding, and network with fellow tech enthusiasts. Whether you’re an aspiring founder, a seasoned professional, or simply passionate about technology, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. Let’s empower each other and shape the future of tech together!
About our panelists:
Candice Rezvanian is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in venture capital and entrepreneurship. Before transitioning into consulting and coaching, she spent ten years as a full-time venture capitalist. During this period, she was part of multiple successful exits.
Candice has evaluated over 25,000 startups, raised over $100 million in institutional limited partner capital, and managed an investment pipeline of 10,000 companies while overseeing a team of 20 associates.
Prior to her venture capital career, Candice took the entrepreneurial path by operating four agribusinesses and working at a venture-backed startup that was later acquired. Now, as the Founder of Legible.vc, she is fortunate to share her wealth of knowledge and experience with other venture capitalists and startup founders.
Marissa is the Co-Founder and COO of Spontivly, a leading data analytics platform empowering teams to build customer-facing analytics without needing a data engineer. Spontivly provides intuitive solutions that transform complex information into clear insights, making data accessible and actionable for everyone. At Spontivly, Marissa oversees product and communications, ensuring the development of AI-driven analytics solutions while shaping the company’s messaging around embedded analytics and data productization. Previously, she led an accelerator community that grew to 5,000 members during her tenure. In 2023, Marissa was recognized as the Top Youth Entrepreneur of the Year in North America and Tampa Bay's Emerging Tech Leader.
Rosa Shores has been involved in Bitcoin/blockchain since 2013, with a keen focus on mainstream/enterprise adoption and business use cases. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of BlockSpaces, a Tampa-based financial infrastructure technology company that innovated Smart Channels and has developed a Bitcoin-native smart contract platform for financial institutions who wish to provide Bitcoin products and services to their customers. The company was incorporated in 2017; operated 11,000 nodes in nine data centers across four globally diverse regions as a Node-as-a-Service business; has developed enterprise integration software that ingests blockchain data into traditional accounting and reporting systems, launched the first Bitcoin Lightning integration on the QuickBooks Marketplace in 2023; and will be releasing 2 whitepapers in 2025 ahead of going to market with their latest product suite/platform. The company has raised nearly $10M in venture capital since 2021.
She is a founding member and former Vice President of the Florida Blockchain Business Association, which is dedicated to ensuring that business-friendly, industry-led legislation is promoted in the state, and remains active in that organization. She has served as a member of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Ag Innovation Work Group, as well as a member of the Blockchain Task Force for the International Fresh Produce Association. She has served as both a mentor for the University of Arkansas' Blockchain Center of Excellence, and as a technology partner/advisor for University of South Florida’s fintech and business programs and initiatives and has been featured in Forbes as one of the leading women at the forefront of blockchain.
About our Sponsor: SmartChoice is a managed connectivity service provider built specifically for enterprises seeking consolidation, standardization and scalability in their communication systems. We integrate voice, internet and collaboration tools into a cohesive system that enables enterprises to scale efficiency and operate seamlessly.