The HuB is a creative workspace and community in Sarasota, FL that was founded in 2009. It aims to bring entrepreneurs together to develop ideas and businesses in a collaborative environment. Unlike traditional incubators, the HuB takes a more organic approach to supporting entrepreneurs through providing resources, expertise, and networking opportunities. The goal is to foster creativity and help launch new digital ventures. Key aspects of the HuB include its emphasis on interaction and idea-sharing between members, flexible "non-plan plan" business model, and treating failure as an important learning experience.

1. Innovation in Practice
Kathryn Wilson & Lisa Szaraz
BU420 Topics in Business | Business of Art & Design
Ringling College of Art & Design
Sarasota, FL
Fall 2012

2. As a "social enterprise" the HuB is active in building a more
dynamic community. Since 2009, the HuB has taken an active role in
promoting big ideas. The HuB is a collaborative and creative
workspace. Unlike traditional office space, the HuB promotes
interaction between everyone in the building. The HuB believes this
interaction is what fuels the growth of each venture located at the
HuB, and also helps build a stronger economy in our community. The
HuB understands growing a business out of a garage or in the
second bedroom of your house can be limiting. Being part of a
vibrant network of entrepreneurs with similar goals, challenges and
passion can be catalyst to great ideas and great businesses.
History of the HuB
The HuB started in the summer of 2009. The idea was simple -
"Create a place where creative energy could thrive." Over the past
few years that idea has evolved into a thriving economic and social
engine that has supported over one-hundred entrepreneurs,
launched twelve businesses and launched twelve major campaigns

3. to support creative change in Sarasota, Florida. The Hub was
founded by Rich Swier Jr. with a simple vision to create a more
"dynamic city". Since starting his first business in 1994 in Sarasota,
Rich has worked towards making Sarasota a city where
entrepreneurs can have the best of both worlds - a beautiful place to
live and start their new venture. In a short time, the HuB has been
successful in re-branding Sarasota as a "creative paradise" where
entrepreneurs and members of the creative class can see a clear
path to building their business.
How does it work?
The HuB is a collaborative space where entrepreneurs develop
ideas and launch new ventures. The HuB supports entrepreneurs in
multiple ways depending on what they need to be successful. The
HuB can provide a wide range of services, expertise and access to
capital to launch any digital business. The HuB is a “creative
incubator;” a "creative incubator” embraces the organic (and
sometimes serendipitous) process of entrepreneurs coming together
to create something great. Unlike other incubators that focus almost
entirely on commercializing R&D, the HuB is focused on finding and
developing a new class of entrepreneurs.
What type of ventures does the HuB launch?
The HuB focuses primarily on "digital" businesses. A digital
business typically provides a product, content or service using
technology and new media. The primary catalyst that drives a digital
business is creativity.

4. Interview Questions:
Could you give us a brief introduction to The HuB and how it was
created? How did the name The HuB come about?
How did you go about locating your staff and talent?
What is your average third party interest in collaborating and working
with The HuB? What percentage of your time is spent researching
market needs and executing your projects based on those needs? In
and out of the office?
How do you gauge your competition? Who are your biggest
competitors?
How do you plan to evolve the HuB brand even further?
Out of all the HuB’s ventures, which one was the hardest one to start?
How do you exercise your mind within the office? Is it hard to not get
chained up in small tasks?
How do you create diversity in the office?
How do you differentiate the innovative explorers vs. executors within
the office?
How do you shine a spotlight on success? How do you reward and
motivate your employees?
How do you tolerate the failure of a certain business proposal/idea?
What is your innovation process like?
What is your process of transitioning ideas into product/service
development?

5. What methods do you use to evaluate/prioritize/select ideas for
further development?
How do you practice trend spotting?
What is your favorite methods of collecting customer needs & market
insights?
How do you picture the HuB in 10+ years?
How do you search for innovative opportunities?
Have you explored the concept and production of tangible innovative
products rather than just services (studio/production company/online
market)?
Is there a company or brand in which you look up to for inspiration?
Are there companies you admire?
What has been your biggest project thus far? What was it like working
on it?
In Peter Drucker’s The Discipline of Innovation, he states that “there
are clearly people who are more talented as innovators than others,
but their talents lie in well-defined areas. Innovators rarely work in
more than one area.” Would you agree with this? Do you have
employees that have a broad range of endeavors?
If you could have anything to aid in your innovation, what would it be?
What methods of brainstorming do you practice?
How much of your funding comes from the HuB Fund? Do you get
private funding for certain ventures?
How did market and technology dynamics provide opportunities for
The HuB?

6. How was the opportunity concept developed?
What sources of ideas were consulted?
What methods were used – brainstorming, lead user analysis etc.?
How were the risks assessed and prioritized?
How does The HuB plan for future stages?
How do you maintain creativity in the workplace?
What does The HuB strive hardest for?
What has been the most difficult obstacle since start-up?
What are some of your ideas for growth?
In your article,“10 Reasons Why Sarasota Isn’t Number 1.” you
discuss your thoughts on the lack of “love” for the city. Since your
venture with The HuB, have you seen a change?
Do you find this lack of love has had an effect or is effecting The HuB
and its innovation practices?
How does the city and the market effect The HuB?
How was the entire innovation process structured?
Are many activities undertaken in parallel? How are R&D teams
designed?
How are decisions made?
What challenges are faced?
What is the incentive structure within a team and across teams?
What types of incentives are given to technical and business people
engaged in the process?

7. Are outside individuals part of the innovation process – for example
out-sourced R&D, community-based users such as open source,
academics, consultants, communities?
If so, what are the incentives for them? How is intellectual property
(IP) managed in these external relationships?
What are the drivers of commercialization?
What role does The HuB’s business model play or is it a new model?
Does The HuB have strong IP (intellectual property)?
How much do you rely on other assets such as market channels,
brand etc.?
Does The HuB engage in strategic partnerships? If so, what are the
basic factors that make partnership-based approach effective?

8. Innovation in Practice
Lisa Szaraz & Kat Wilson

9. What is The HuB?
The HuB is a creative and
collaborative space and
community where
entrepreneurs come together
to develop ideas and
contribute towards building a
new economy and culture in
Sarasota, FL.
The HuB is a “social
enterprise” active in building a
more dynamic community.

10. overview
- intro to Creative incubating
- locating staff and talent
- gauging competition
- business model
- brainstorming process
- innovation process
- critical path development
- the hub’s ventures
- dealing with failure
- srq’s creative economy
- Strategic partnerships
- competitive advantage
- intellectual property
- maintaining creativity in the workplace
- going forward

11. The creative Incubator
A "creative" incubator embraces the organic (and
sometimes serendipitous) process of entrepreneurs
coming together to create something great.
Unlike other incubators that focus almost entirely on
commercializing R&D, the HuB is focused on finding and
developing a new class of entrepreneurs.
Their new 3,000 square foot facility will open next month
to house some of Sarasota’s leading entrepreneurial
creatives, complete with several lounge areas, multi-
purpose rooms, conference rooms, kitchen, event space,
video editing rooms and sound booths.

12. Ventures

13. Rich Swier Jr.
Founder and CEO,
The HuB
Graduated from University
of Florida
Majored in Math
Created the first internet
provider in Sarasota during
the 1990’s
Created the first cable
modem
Revolutionized broadband
service for Comcast

14. How do you go about locating
your staff and talent?
“The interesting and coolest thing
about the Hub is that everything is
organic. We don’t recruit, we don’t
seek people. Every single person here
walked through that door.
Usually what happens is, like a
beacon, we put out a vibe in the
universe and they just come, through
either a party or campaign, something
funny or community-oriented,
Facebook...
People who get it, walk through the
door.”

15. How do you gauge
your competition?
“It’s no competition here. It’s
not a traditional business,
we’re a facilitator of ideas, so
in reality, there is no
competition.
There’s a lot of people who do
what we do, but at this level
in the game, we don’t even
think of it as competition.”

16. What is your business model?
“The ‘Non-Plan Plan.’
Some guy can walk through the door tomorrow and say “I want
to start a company,” and if it makes sense and we have the talent
to help him do that, and there’s a market and we can validate it,
that’s what we do.”

17. What is your business model?
“I’ve never asked anyone to come here, it’s how it should be. Any other
business model would fail because you’re trying to force it; make people think
something. If it’s organic, and you let it grow, and you’re patient enough to do
that, it actually becomes stronger because it’s real.
We think of ourselves like a college. We get an entrepreneur and we want to
develop that entrepreneur, and my theory is, that entrepreneur is going to
have 50 big ideas in his lifetime. If you bet on the entrepreneur instead of the
idea, you’ll do well. As long as they continue to learn and develop, they
will hit something big.”

18. What is your
brainstorming
process?
“includes everyone that wants to be
involved. we go over what we need to
do, bring up ideas, use improv
techniques like word association,
generally get people excited.
typically booze is involved,
especially when brainstorming
business ideas.
we’ll surf youtube for ideas.
basically whatever the project feels
where the answer might be.”

19. What is your innovation process?
Rich’s 3 Elements to Innovative Problem-Solving
1. Find an important problem
2. Find a disruptive way of solving the problem
3. Don’t think like an inventor, think like a consumer
“The way I go about innovation is kind of problem solving, but I had this concept
of ‘what can be disruptive?’ You want to completely change the way its done, like
completely implode the structure of what it was, and transition from sustainable
innovation to disruptive innovation.
Another thing that entrepreneurs don’t do is, and something to get out of your
head, to stop thinking like an inventor. Think like a practical human being and
think about what you’d embrace, think of it like you’re a consumer and not like
something else.
The only true way to be innovative is to continue looking through the looking glass
as a consumer.”

20. critical path development
“...you put your plan together and then we
measure that plan against whatever the goals are,
and then really boiling it down to a quantitative
thing, and then hitting those targets. After that,
everything really becomes easy.
Because if they know they come to work
everyday, I know what I have to do by next month
by reaching those target goals. As long as they hit
those goals, we’ll make enough money.”

21. critical path development
1. Idea Review
2. Execution
3. Review Cost Requisition
4. Set Targets
5. Execute Targets
6. Reach Goals
7. Retain Profits

22. critical path development
“What typically happens with companies, you’re
going down this critical path, and something
happens - something didn’t work the way it did,
you have to be able to pivot.
Adjust your business to what might come. A lot of
things that we do here are very organic. If you find
yourself pushing and pushing against this wall and
nothing is coming, you have to pivot.
And I think I’m good at giving people the
confidence to do that.”

23. do you believe entrepreneurs
are born or made?
“Well I think it’s both,
I certainly believe I was born one...”
“...because I feel like when I was a kid, or when I
was in college, people would ask me, ‘what are
you going to do in life?’ I’m like I don’t know - I’m
more of a “renaissance thinker,” so I felt like I was
born one.
You’re definitely born with that gene, think about it
like being a vampire - you’re gonna hunger for it
and you’re not going to be happy unless you do it.
It’s that thirst for blood.”

24. In your article,“10 Reasons Why Sarasota Isn’t
Number 1,” you discuss your thoughts on the
lack of “love” for the city. Since your venture
with The HuB, have you seen a change?
“Yes, I think so.
Especially amongst my age and
younger. I think its just an oasis -
Sarasota is a desert for young people.
There’s really few places where you can
go and feel like “this is fun” or
somewhere they can be themselves. It’s
nice to have a place, a small place,
where you can go with like-minded
people or people who are cool that you
can be yourself and be creative.
It’s a sense of community, which
everyone wants to be a part of.”

25. In your article,“10 Reasons Why Sarasota Isn’t
Number 1,” you discuss your thoughts on the
lack of “love” for the city. Since your venture
with The HuB, have you seen a change?
“You need somewhere where
there’s enough degrees of separation
where you don’t feel like you know
everyone, but there’s not too much
separation where you don’t feel like
you’re not important.
It’s an interesting dynamic. I feel like
we’re closer to that than anything.”

26. Out of all the HuB’s ventures,
which one was the hardest one
to start?
The hardest to get going - in an interesting way
they’re not hard to get going because that’s
when you’re passionate about it and they’re fun.
The hardest and the most difficult ones are the
ones who don’t have an alignment of morality or
passion but it’s when the entrepreneurs aren’t
really hardcore passionate about what they’re
doing.
Those are the toughest because what happens
is there’s nobody there to center the passion.
Nobody wants to help, when you have
someone who’s really passionate and loves, no
matter what at the end of the day, it builds this
energy and everyone wants to be around it.

27. In Peter Drucker’s The Discipline of Innovation, he states that “there are clearly people
who are more talented as innovators than others, but their talents lie in well-defined
areas. Innovators rarely work in more than one area.” Would you agree with this? Do you
have employees that have a broad range of endeavors?
“Sometimes projects consume you. I’ve had that happen. It’s not that I don’t believe in one
way or the other, I just feel that it’s a mistake to be doing multiple things. It’s something that
you have to learn how to do. A lot of people don’t know how to do that, and sometimes
things will overwhelm them and you can easily fold underneath that pressure.
I would equate it to juggling. If you can juggle, if you can learn how to juggle, and you’re
comfortable juggling, then great. But it’s not necessarily something I encourage or
discourage.

28. when an idea is dragging,
how do you deal with it?
“We kill it.”
“Because it just pulls on everyone. Even
when I say kill it, I wasn’t killing the
person, we’ll put the person on
something else if he’s a good
entrepreneur.
Ideas come and go, products come and
go, tomorrow you might think something
is the greatest thing on earth, but the
entrepreneurs - as long as they stay with
it, if you continue to learn and develop,
they’ll come up with a great idea.”

29. How do you deal with
failure?
“I encourage failure, I think it’s awesome.”
“People fail quickly because the quicker you
fail, the less time you’re wasting.
Acknowledge failure, don’t be afraid of it.
Fail, fail, fail until you minimize. The quicker
you fail, the better.
My biggest mistake, when I was young and
starting off as an entrepreneur, I didn’t
acknowledge failure quick enough, so I could
get on to the next project. I always held on to
this idea, thinking it was the last great idea,
but in reality, it was just stupid.”

30. How do you deal with
failure?
“One of the things we try to show
people here at the HuB is that
failure is no big deal.
It’s only when there’s pressure of
that, that it becomes a liability.
When you feel like you’re being
judged based off failure, that is
becomes a liability in a
workforce. It creates a very
stressful environment.”

31. Sarasota’s Creative Economy
The HuB strives to make sarasota a
“creative paradise” that attracts creative
professionals to move here and start their
businesses, and also keep young college
graduates here to build the new culture
and economy.
involved in local politics and shifting our
culture to be more progressive.
huge supporter of local arts, especially
local artists and musicians, promote music
festivals, promote groups like SArtQ
hang local at in our building, as well as
feature local bands at our hub day events.

32. Sarasota’s Creative Economy
help entrepreneurs take their ideas and
build companies.
provides them a creative workspace,
supportive team, capital and resources
that are needed to succeed.
believe arts and creativity are the
center of the new economy.
working with more “creative
entrepreneurs” leveraging their skills
and creativity to build new businesses.

33. Strategic partnerships
“We work a lot with different entities...
Its not easy, we want to influence and change people but
you certainly cant expect them to.
I believe the best entrepreneurs are artists.. creatives. That
is what I discovered by accident. Creative drive is critical.”

34. the hub’s competitive advantage
"Our biggest competitive
advantage...
All the things I've been saying for
the past hour.. nobody in their right
mind would these things.
Encourage free thinking.
The beautiful thing about being an
entrepreneur is you truly don't need
bureaucratic structure in the
beginning.”

35. intellectual property
IP = innovation
through mimicry
repurposed and
inspiration
“we live in a collaborative
economy, we must live
outside the system and
constantly innovate.”
“it's not a bad thing, it's all
about money.”

36. maintaining creativity
in the workplace
brainstorming
improv
laughter
collaborative space
space in general
events
idea wall

37. going forward with the hub
New building to bring together
entrepreneurs, creative professionals,
and technology companies
A place for people to congregate,
collaborate, and create a new future for
Sarasota
Working with Ringling College’s
Motion Design students to bring a new
form of art to the Sarasota community
through digital projections to be
showcased during their Grand
Opening on December 8th.