Social media lets us connect with people all over the world, but this global scale sometimes causes us to forget about connecting with people in our own backyard. There are some fantastic Gainesville entrepreneurs sharing their wisdom and life experiences daily across many social platforms. Check out six of these standout entrepreneurs.
Dr. Heshan “Grasshopper” Illangkoon
Founder of several social entrepreneurial ventures and doctor of astrobiology, Illangkoon is currently an entrepreneur-in-residence at the University of Florida Engineering Innovation Institute. Although based in Gainesville, he can be seen traveling the state, the country and the world on his Instagram account. He is also a great source to stay updated with the technology and entrepreneurial worlds, as he shares articles from many different publications on his Twitter.
Instagram: @drgrasshopper / Twitter: @drgrasshopper
Collin Austin
Austin is the founder of New Scooters 4 Less in Gainesville. He is a heavy user of Snapchat, and uses it for his business in addition to personal use. He even answers his customers’ questions directly through Snapchat! He also shares some great tips and strategies for using Snapchat as an entrepreneur on his Twitter.
Instagram: @collinaustin / Twitter: @realcollin / Snapchat: ns4lcollin
Lindsey Tropf
Tropf is the founder and CEO of Immersed Games, an educational video game company based here in Gainesville. From her Twitter account, you will get great information on the video game and education industries, while also seeing the process of her business growing with the launch of its game Tyto Ecology.
Twitter: @ltropf
John Spence
Recognized as a top 100 business thought leader in the US, Spence’s social media accounts are a fantastic source of knowledge for both building your business and building yourself as a leader. Based out of Gainesville, he is the author of five books and has been the owner or CEO of ten companies. Both his original content and the articles he shares are a tremendous source of information for people at any stage of their career.
Facebook: fb.com/awesomelysimple / Twitter: @awesomelysimple
Kristen Hadeed
After starting Student Maid while a student at the University of Florida, Hadeed has stayed deeply connected to Gainesville. Her millennial perspective on leadership from a is a fantastic one to learn from and stay connected with through her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. She is an expert at sharing her story through blogs, talks and podcasts in a way that resonates with people of any age.
Instagram: @kristenhadeed / Twitter: @kristenhadeed / Facebook: fb.com/thekristenhadeed
David Nassau
Gainesville is a college town full of students, so we can’t have this list without acknowledging at least one awesome student entrepreneur to follow on social media. Nassau is the founder and president of Hopping 4 A Cure and has been actively involved in Gator Innovators and the UF Entrepreneurship Club. From athletic endeavors to his adventures running a nonprofit, follow his journey as a Gator Entrepreneur.
Twitter: @TheDavidNassau
Don’t forget to follow Business in Greater Gainesville on social media as well for updates on everything business going on around the Gainesville area!
ERIN WINICK is currently a fifth-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Florida. She is the founder of Sci Chic, a company that produces customizable science and engineering inspired jewelry, accessories and educational resources using 3D printing. Erin is also currently serving as a University Innovation Fellow at the University of Florida’s Engineering Innovation Institute. Erin has interned at Keysight Technologies, John Deere, Solar Turbines and Bracken Engineering. Instagram: @erinwinick | Snapchat: scichic Twitter: @bcofengineering