#238 THUR | AERO Innovation Tour

Event Recap: AERO Innovation Tour

Economic Dev: 2024 Florida Business & Economic Mid-Year Report

Education: FSU Sets New Highs in Graduation And Retention Rates

Featured Partner: Impact Week | Business Resource Speakers

TLH Weekend Events

Co-founder of CityClips, Julia Holly, and other fellow participants were in attendance at this event. They had a lab tour at the High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) together with its Director, Zhiyong Richard Liang.

They paid a visit to the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP) as well as the newly furnished North Florida Innovation Labs (NFIL).

They also went to the Center for Intelligent Systems, Control, and Robotics (CISCOR), a lab dedicated to robotics, AI and machine learning, which is affiliated to FSU College of Engineering.

Did you know? Many global companies come to town to utilize these research labs. Representatives from the likes of Google, NASA, Tesla, Navy, and the Air Force come to town to test out projects. Yes, they are top secret. If we tell you, we’d have to…

The 2024 Florida Business & Economic Mid-Year Report is part of an annual mid-year report series aimed at keeping Florida leaders in the know regarding Florida’s economic headwinds and tailwinds impacting the way Florida does business.

This analysis serves as a level set to guide Florida businesses and key decision makers through the remainder of the year as they plan and budget for 2025.

Follow @FloridaBTN on X to get updated economic data for Florida and analysis upon release. Visit TheFloridaScorecard.org to view hundreds of state and county level metrics reflecting Florida’s economic progress in becoming a top 10 global economy by 2030. View other Florida Chamber Foundation Research here.

FSU’s four-year graduation rate reached a new high of 76%, up from 75% last year, while the university’s retention rate maintained a stellar 96%, matching last year’s record. Using the most recent publicly available data, FSU’s Office of Institutional Research projects these numbers will secure FSU in the Top 10 among all public universities nationally in both categories.

The six-year graduation rate also climbed to 86%, up from last year’s record of 85%, which is projected to rank FSU in the Top 20 among public universities. Notably, FSU’s three-year graduation rate for transfer students shot up to 78.3% from last year’s 74.4%, which led all State University System institutions. The university’s six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant recipients is 83%.

FSU's success has been attained by making strategic investments in initiatives to support student success, including improvements to academic advising and the implementation of programs aimed at guiding students through their educational journey.

“Our investments in comprehensive advising and student support programs are paying off in remarkable ways,” President Richard McCullough said. “We are dedicated to ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed.”

Tangela Lofton - Regional Director, SBDC FAMU Consultant & Business Owner

Doug Luciani - Performance Innovation Institute Tallahassee State College, Entrepreneur & Business Owner

Christina Lynch - CEO, Trydent Consulting, Consultant & Business Owner

Terri D. Sherman P.A. - Certified Business Intermediary Florida Business Exchange, Inc., Business Exit Expert

Adults $25, Youth (17 and under) $10

This free family event offers an up-close experience to explore some of your favorite vehicles and equipment!

The first-place winner will take home a $250 cash prize!