Welcome to the MIT Club of Central Florida!
We are the MIT Club of Central Florida and our mission is to enhance the value of the MIT degree, build community, and celebrate our shared experience. This website is your gateway to activities and news for the Club of Central Florida, a way to find out what your fellow alumni are doing and stay connected.
Check back here periodically as we update the site with new events, stories about volunteers and alumni, and information about ways to participate.
Do Sign Up for Club Membership to Help Fund the Club's Activities!
Mar 22 - Welcome to the MIT Class of 2013 Picnic
Please join the MIT Club of Central Florida in congratulating and welcoming the admits to the MIT Class of 2013! We are hosting a picnic (drinks & snacks) for them so that they can meet MIT alum, current students, and (possibly) MIT parents.
Date: March 22nd 2009 (Sun)
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: The Gazebo, Dr. Phillips Community Park (click here for directions)
Please note that the Google Map is a bit misleading. You'll have to drive to the end of Buenavista Woods Blvd (past Sand Lake ES) to get to the park entrance.
Once in the park, you'll go to the gazebo at the far right-hand side (past the dog park). Just in case you can't find the gazebo, head to the park's main building (with a flagpole in front) - it has a map on its exterior wall, and the gazebo is #17.
This is a free event, and we particularly welcome MIT alum, current students, and MIT parents to share their MIT experiences with the Class of 2013.
To confirm your attendance, or for more information, please contact Mark Lee (marklee@acm.org)
Feb 25 - MIT Global Broadcast on Avoiding the Financial Beast of Burden in 2009 and Beyond
Co-Hosted with the Disney Entrepreneur Center.
To paraphrase the quote, "A rolling stone gathers no debt."
If only it were as simple as that in today's economic environment. However, a company that is actively working on the right areas of its business will be able to not only survive the downturn, but also put itself in a position to thrive once the financial tides turn.
Join the MIT Enterprise Forum for our next global broadcast where our panel of experts will focus on the following areas that will help your business:
- strategies for keeping your business in the black
- mistakes to avoid so you can keep your doors open and your employees happy
- steps to take to be ready for the recovery
- the "big picture" of the economy and areas for entrepreneurs to focus on
Join us in viewing an MIT Enterprise Forum broadcast (live from MIT in Cambridge, MA) featuring these panelists:
- James Poterba
MIT Mitsui Professor of Economics;
President, National Bureau of Economic Research
James Poterba is the Mitsui Professor of Economics at MIT and the President of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Poterba is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Econometric Society, President of the National Tax Association, has served as a Director of the American Finance Association and as a member of the Executive Committee of the American Economic Association.
- David Tabak '90
Senior Vice President
National Economic Research Associates
David Tabak is a SVP at NERA, where he is a member of the Securities and Finance Practice. In the area of securities class actions, Tabak has performed analyses involving issues of class certification, liability, materiality, affected trading volume, and damage calculations in cases with allegations ranging from product issues to the value of an issuer of subprime mortgages. He has also performed valuations of equity, options, other financial derivatives, businesses, and financial institutions.
- Alan Cohen '82
Senior Managing Director
York Capital Management
Alan Cohen joined York Capital in March 1998 and is a Senior Managing Director and a partner of the Firm. He is also the Portfolio Manager of the York Credit Opportunities funds. From 1996 to 1998, he worked as a Vice President and Analyst for Franklin Mutual Advisers Inc. For the two years prior, Alan was a Director in the High Yield Trading Group at Smith Barney Holdings Inc. From 1991 to 1994, he was a Vice President at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc., where he traded high yield and distressed bonds. For the five years prior, Alan was a Vice President at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he analyzed and traded high yield bonds.
Click here for more information about the panelists.
Date:
Feb 25 2009 (Wed)
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Disney Entrepreneur Center
(click here for directions)
Cost:
Free (by comparison, it's at least $25 @ MIT)
Capacity for this event:
60 people.
RSVP: Please confirm your attendance with Mark Lee (marklee@acm.org).
And many thanks to the
Disney Entrepreneur Center for co-hosting this event!
MIT Alum gets an MIT Inventeams Grant for Oviedo HS!
The Orlando Sentinel reports in its Oct 17th 2008 School Zone blog that Oviedo High School. led by AP Physics teacher Troy Soos, has received an MIT Inventeams Grant, which fosters high school inventiveness.
Channel 13 has broadcast Ovideo's Inventeams effort; we don't have a videoclip of the Oct 24th 2008 "Protecting Crops From Freezing Weather" broadcast, but here's the transcript.
Channel 9 has also broadcast Ovideo's Inventeams effort; here's the 3 minute clip and some pictures.
Troy is an MIT alum, PH '89.
Sep 23 - MIT Enterprise Forum Broadcast
For anyone, launching a high-tech startup is hard work, with many paths to success. But female entrepreneurs face unique challenges on each of the roads they may follow:
- Do you take the journey with your idea all the way from innovation to the marketplace?
- Do you develop the technology, license it, and work strictly as an advisor to the new venture?
- Or, are you a serial entrepreneur who starts the company, then brings in someone new to help it grow?
Join us in viewing an MIT Enterprise Forum broadcast (live from MIT in Cambridge, MA) featuring these panelists (moderator: Candida Brush, Division Chair in Entrepreneurship, Babson College)
- Robin Chase (MIT SM '86), Founder of ZipCar, GoLoco.org, and Meadow Networks
- Priya Iyer (MIT SL '05), President, Anaqua
- Jules Pieri, CEO, Daily Grommet
- Susan Lindquist, Professor of Biology, MIT, Scientific Founder, FoldRx Pharma
Click here for more information about the panelists.
Date:
Sep 23rd (Tue)
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location:
The Knowledge Laboratory
(click here for directions)
585 South Ronald Reagan Blvd, Suite 127,
Longwood, FL 32750
Cost:
Free (by comparison, it's at least $69 @ MIT)
Capacity for this event:
40 people.
For more information, please contact Mark Lee (marklee@acm.org). And many thanks to Christine @ the Knowledge Laboratory for hosting this event!
Aug 6 - MIT Class of 2012 Send-Off
Each year the MIT Club of Central Florida hosts a Send-Off dinner for the entering MIT freshmen from the area. The club will pay for the dinner for each of you and one of your parents. This will give you one more opportunity to meet some area alums and get some advice before you head upto Cambridge.
This year we are hosting the event at Brio Tuscan Grille in Winter Park. Here is the information regarding the dinner:
Date: August 6, 2008 (Wednesday)
Time: 6:30pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Brio Tuscan Grille, Winter Park
Address: 480 N. Orlando Avenue - Ste. #108, Winter Park, FL 32789
Phone: (407) 622-5611
Website: http://www.brioitalian.com/
For more information, please contact Arup Guha.
Aug 14 - All-Ivy Class of 2012 Send-Off
Please join us for the third annual All-Ivy Send-Off Party. For those new to the All-Ivy Club, or unfamiliar with this new tradition, this "All-Ivy Send-Off Party" is a gathering for the new members of the class of 2012 (and their parents/guests) to meet some fellow Ivy Leaguers: past, present, and future. Admission to the event is free. You just pay for your drinks and food.
Date: August 14 (Thu) 2008
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: O'Boys in Winter Park.
Address: 565 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, Florida
Tel: 407-478-6269 (that's 407-478-OBOY).
Mar 29 - Welcome Class of 2012
The MIT Club of Central Florida is hosting a Welcome picnic of the MIT Class of 2012.
Date: March 29th (Sat)
Time: 2 pm - 4 pm
Location:
Red Bug Lake Park (tel: 407-695-7113)
3600 Red Bug Lake Road
Casselberry, FL 32707
For more information, please contact Arup Guha.
March 14 - Visiting WMFE
Please join us in visiting WMFE. We will be touring the TV and radio studios in 3 groups of 15 each; thus the capacity is 45 people.
Date: March 14th (Fri)
Time: 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Location:
WMFE Studios (click here for directions)
11510 E. Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32817
Registration (Click here to register for this event)
We are charging a nominal registration fee ($5/person) for the WMFE visit for the following reasons (1) to provide donations to WMFE (net of the 2.5% credit card processing fee), and (2) to encourage registrants to commit to the event.
WMFE Membership Packages (Click here to view WMFE Membership Packages)
WMFE has agreed to apply the net registration fee to any membership package that registrants sign up for during the visit.
Feb 19 - Holtzman (MIT Media Lab) presentation
Please join us in hearing MIT Media Lab researcher Henry Holtzman share his insights about the MIT Media Lab and some of its research projects (e.g. One Laptop Per Child, the Consumer Electronics 2.0 initiative). This event is graciously co-hosted with METROPLAN ORLANDO.
Date: Feb 19th (Tue)
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm
Location:
METROPLAN ORLANDO office (click here for directions)
Suite 355
315 E. Robinson Street
Orlando, FL 32801
Henry Holtzman has been a member of the MIT community since 1981, joining the Media Lab as a researcher when it opened in 1985. Currently, he is the Lab's Chief Knowledge Officer, co-director of the SIMPLICITY consortium, and co-director of the Physical Language Workshop .
In addition, Holtzman directs the Lab's Consumer Electronics 2.0 initiative, a collaboration with 14 Media Lab sponsor companies to formulate the principles for a new generation of consumer electronics that are highly connected, seamlessly interoperable, situation-aware, and radically simple.
Registration Click here to register for this event!
Regular (Feb 17 & 18): $20
At the Door (Feb 19, starting at 6:30 pm): $25
The registration fee includes refreshments and light snacks. Receipts will be available for expense submission.
Coincidentally, the Orlando Business Journal has a Feb 1st article "Disney tests electronic maps for guests" that overlaps with Holtzman's CE 2.0 research.
Jan 11 - Meet Harbo Jensen, President, MIT Alumni Association
Harbo Jensen, President of the MIT Alumni Association, met with about 24 MIT folks on Friday (Jan 11th) @ Suntree Country Club.
He generously shared his oil industry insights with us in a 30-min presentation about on crude oil and product markets and prices.
Then he shared his thoughts about MIT and the Alumni Association. BTW, he gave away a brand-new t-shirt. Guess what it says :)
Dec 6th - All-Ivy Holiday Party 2007
Though the Dec 6th All-Ivy Holiday Party held at Isleworth Country Club has ended, good memories persist! There were friends (including new-found), food, and great fun - see the folks at the golf simulator, air hockey, and even ping-pong.
Next year, hopefully Mr. Woods will join us :)
Who Came and From Where?
Check this list and Google Map
Pictures
Lots of folks having fun @ the party
Check Out How Many MIT Alum Live in Your Zipcode!
There are approximately 480 MIT alum living in Central Florida. Your neighbor might well be your fellow MIT alum without either of you knowing this. This is an experiment to encourage bottom-up get-togethers.
Step 1:
To help you find out how many MIT alum live in your zipcode, and then to locate them via the MIT Online Directory, the club has created a Google map (a work in progress) that lists the number of MIT alum for each Central Florida zipcode.
Here's the Google Map of MIT Alum in Central Florida
Step 2:
Then you can enter the zipcode (one at a time) into the MIT alumni online directory to find out who your fellow MIT alum are.
Step 3:
To encourage informal get-togethers, the club plans to initially subsidize these get-togethers (on a per-head basis, and possible slightly more for a club member). Feel free to contact Mark Lee - mlee (@) alum.mit.edu.
Class of 2011 Picnic
Saturday, March 31st, 2007
All-Ivy League Get-Together
August 10th, 2006, 6:00 PM-8:30 PM at Za-Bistro, Maitland
MIT Alumni Clubs of Florida
Club of Central Florida
Club of Palm Beach Region
Club of Tampa Bay
Club of South Florida
Club of Southwest Florida
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