Tech incubator welcomes new board members

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Wave Inc., a nonprofit that helps Tampa Bay entrepreneurs build, launch and grow tech businesses, named three new members to its board of directors.

Joe Hodges, Stewart Kelly and Kailah Matyas are the new board members. Alfred Goldberg of Absolute Marketing has been reappointed as board chairman, according to a press release.

Hodges is an entrepreneur who has launched several health care businesses, while Kelly is an experienced sales account executive at Florida Blue. Matyas is the managing partner of Redwood Partners, an executive search firm.

“Wave is pleased to welcome three valuable new members to our existing board of directors as we approach the new year,” states Linda Olson, president and founder of Tampa Bay Wave, in the release. “The board is a tremendous force in advising and structuring all our efforts at Wave. The Wave team looks forward to presenting our upcoming developments and strategies for 2018.”

Tampa Bay Wave says the addition of Hodges, Kelly and Matyas will help it achieve its goals of attracting tech company talent and capital to Tampa Bay.

“The board recruitment committee is very selective on who we invite to our board, and all three of the new members — Joe, Kailah and Stewart — bring a diverse set of experience,” Goldberg states in the release. “One thing they share is a firm commitment to our entrepreneurial ecosystem and the drive to make a difference in our community. I am very excited about the contributions these three new board members will make.”