Second City shows the way

Some of the people behind Tampa Bay WaVE, a nonprofit that helps connect technology companies with capital, local experts and other resources, are heading out for a national tour.

The idea, WaVE founder Linda Olson says, is to meet with technology incubators and accelerators in other parts of the country, to see how they do it. The first stop is scheduled for Chicago, from April 28 to April 30. Olson says other cities will likely be added later in the year.

The WaVE contingent includes Olson, former Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink and Kelly Bousman, a senior vice president at AVI-SPL, a Tampa-based video communications firm. Sink is on the board of the Florida Next Foundation, a nonprofit organization for entrepreneurs and small businesses, which has an office in WaVE's downtown Tampa center.