Robert Blacklidge

Robert Blacklidge educator, mentor, speaker, and ecosystem builder.

His work building the Lakeland Ecosystem has had and continues to have a significant impact locally and beyond.

Robert has worked to bring several international programs to the Lakeland community. (1 Million Cups, Startup Grind, and Techstars Startup Weekend.) Additionally, he facilitated (Website hidden)RS.

It is through these efforts and the efforts of others that Lakeland has garnished national recognition. Highlighted in Inc Magazine as one of the best cities to start a company.

Implementing these current efforts is built on his past experience creating and running Hackathons including Office Depots, IEEE, Code Tampa, Startup Bus, and Biz Sprint. Robert volunteers running programs for several organizations to include Action Zone a veteran-focused business accelerator and Techstars Startup Week and Weekend.