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March 21, 2018
UT’s Lowth Entrepreneurship Center Named “Readers’ Pick” for Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Coolest Office Spaces 2018
The University of Tampa’s Lowth Entrepreneurship Center rose to the top as the Readers’ Pick award for the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Coolest Office Spaces 2018.
More than 5,000 people voted in the poll, with UT receiving 24 percent of the vote.
The Lowth Center is located within UT’s Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building, which received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The space is creatively designed to bring together prospective student entrepreneurs, educators and experienced executives to generate, define and develop entrepreneurial concepts and to launch new ventures.
“It is really not a big surprise the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center won, as the highly purposeful design of the facility around key themes of learning, collaboration, meaningful practice, inspiration and reflection is very evident in the flow, rooms, art and personnel within the Lowth Center,” said Kevin Moore, assistant professor of management. “We are keenly focused around entrepreneurship, and this is how we create a student experience that is second to none.”
Some features of the state-of-the-art center, which opened in September 2015, include the following:
- Pitch Room — a tiered space with an A/V booth to allow for presentations, recording and rating of pitches.
- Collaboration Kitchen — Since many of the best ideas are formed at the home, the Entrepreneurship Center also has its own home-like kitchen. Meant to be a playful, relaxing space, this kitchen can be used to retrieve lunch, while also hatching a world-changing idea. Former students’ entrepreneurial ideas are also on display in the kitchen.
- Four Spartan Accelerators — large spaces with flexible layouts for student entrepreneurs to work on their startups.
- Community Incubator — a live lab where up to nine community businesses in early stages of development will be hosted.
- Pop-Up Pitch Area — a tiered, multimedia presentation and practice space.
- Two Think Pods — custom-built spaces for private or small group contemplation.
- Reception Deck — a contemplative space affording expansive views of Tampa Bay and downtown Tampa.
- Contemplation Loft — a loft area for reflection, inspiration and creative play.
- Graphics — Throughout the space, graphics are intended to inspire, educate and enhance this unique learning environment. A unique changeable display wall features national and local entrepreneurs who have participated in certain program speaking opportunities.
On March 22, winners in the additional Coolest Office Spaces categories will be revealed. Those categories include the following:
- Overall winner
- Coolest break room/kitchen
- Coolest feature
- Most creative use of space
- Coolest office pet or pets
- Best video tour
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