She graduated from the University of Florida in 2012 with a bachelor’s in journalism, and then moved to Hong Kong, where she spent a year teaching English before backpacking Southeast Asia for another year.
Since returning to Florida, Emily has grown her roots here in Gainesville, but she continues to travel as much as possible!

In addition to working with The Hub, she runs her small glass-fusing studio, Pink Tiki Glass Designs, which she started in 2021. Emily regularly pops up at events around town, including the Haile Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning. You can check out Emily’s event schedule and take a peek at her work by visiting her website http://www.pinktikiglassdesigns.com

Before joining The Hub in 2017, Lissette worked in many industries including a law firm in Miami and some of the best food and beverage establishments in Chicago. She has many years of experience in customer service, sales, marketing/social media, billing, and administration.

Lissette graduated from Florida International University in Miami with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has completed her Fiscal Management Certificate at UF and is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish.

A printable version of Jennifer’s bio sketch is available here.

Jennifer is the driving force behind UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub, one of the largest single-use incubator facilities in the US. Since joining The Hub in 2016, she has excelled in maintaining occupancy and revenue goals, implementing innovative client-centric programs, and spearheading new initiatives and special projects. Her commitment and leadership were pivotal in The Hub receiving the 2018 International Business Innovation Association (lnBIA) Global Mixed-Use Incubator of the Year award.

Jennifer is a seasoned professional, bringing a wealth of experience from diverse sectors, including sales, hospitality, real estate law, finance, and accounting. Her proficiency extends to finance, operations, strategic planning, project management, data analysis, problem-solving, and leadership.

Outside her professional endeavors, Jennifer is active in the community. She proudly serves as a board member for the Alachua Junior Achievement and the Florida Business Incubator Association. A graduate of Leadership Gainesville (Go Green!), she exemplifies values such as compassion, respect, resilience, courage, passion, and imagination.

In her personal life, Jennifer’s journey started in some of the finest restaurants in South Florida and Atlanta before transitioning to a successful career in business. Her ultimate goal is to foster a safe, encouraging, and supportive community for entrepreneurs to start, grow, and thrive.

Beyond her professional achievements, Jennifer enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, and indulging in her love for food and wine. A fun fact about Jennifer is that she was born in the hospital once located on the very land where she now passionately works.

Before joining UF Innovate in 2017, Courtney was the Facilities and Administration Manager at Naylor Association Solutions located in Gainesville. She was responsible for a 60,000 square foot commercial building, served as executive assistant to the CEO, as well as coordinated events. Prior to relocating to Gainesville, Courtney worked for 13 years in the print media industry in a variety of roles including media buying, sales, and production.

Courtney earned her B.S in advertising from the University of Florida.

Before joining UF Innovate | Accelerate, Allen worked at the UF Warrington College of Business. He has also been a business owner and was the facilities maintenance engineer for Le Triomphe Golf Club, a private golf club that hosts the PGA Tour’s Louisiana Open each year.

Before joining the team at Sid Martin, Brittany worked in customer service and multiple medical environments.

Brittany has earned two A.S. degrees from Santa Fe College, one in health information technology and the other in cardiovascular technology.

Lexi graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in tourism, event, and recreation management, with a specialization in tourism and hospitality management. Post-graduation, she spent a year with the Kraft Heinz Company as a Planters Brand Specialist, driving the Planters NUTmobile across the country! Before joining the UF Innovate | Accelerate team in 2022, Lexi worked in several managerial roles in the hotel industry at brands including Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt.

Before accepting her position as Administrative Assistant in 2021, she worked providing customer service and hospitality in the food industry. Kat studies various disciplines within the realm of visual arts and storytelling and can be often seen jotting down notes and sketches of her own.

Birk grew up in Iowa and graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Northern Iowa. Post-graduation, he moved to Gainesville to help plant a church, utilizing his skills in event production and music, while also working at the University of Florida. He began at the UF College of Pharmacy in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry as a laboratory technician responsible for managing the department’s shared lab spaces and scientific equipment, ensuring safe research activities. Before joining the UF Innovate | Accelerate team in 2023, he worked at the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Translational Drug Development Core. There, he developed LCMS methods for core projects, assisted with drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics studies, and performed timely data analysis to report high-quality results to the clients.

Addy graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in forest resources and conservation. Following graduation, Addy completed a service year through AmeriCorps, where she worked to eradicate invasive species, collaborated with the team members to focus on habitat restoration, and improved professional expertise and knowledge by completing chainsaw, wildland fire, and CPR/First Aid certifications. Before joining the UF Innovate | Accelerate team in 2022, Addy worked in customer service and property management.