Co-Creation in Action: Building Solutions Together

On September 9, Rally hosted our Co-Creation Lab at Orlando City Hall, bringing entrepreneurs, institutions, and community leaders together to accelerate social ventures and strengthen Central Florida.

As Central Florida’s civic innovation platform, Rally convenes changemakers, institutions, and neighborhoods to co-create, test, and scale solutions. Our vision is for Central Florida to be recognized as a global Living Lab — a place where challenges like housing, mobility, health, and sustainability are met with bold collaboration.

What We Did

The Lab was designed to accelerate Fellow ventures, align community resources, and build cross-sector commitments. Fellows shared the heart of their ventures, tables mapped the systems surrounding each challenge, and teams created actionable playbooks with commitments and next steps.

This process sparked honest dialogue, surfaced new opportunities, and built connections across civic, corporate, and community sectors.

Who Was in the Room

We were honored to be joined by leaders from higher education, government, and the private sector — including Rollins College, UCF, Bethune-Cookman University, Orange County Government, the City of Orlando, YMCA of Central Florida, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, SodexoLive!, Beusse Sanks, and many more.

The Fellows and Their Teams

At the center of the Lab were Rally’s Summer 2025 Fellows, each surrounded by a table of cross-sector co-creators:

• Learn Collaborate, Inc. | Tracie Ponder
  Worked with Anne Stone (Rollins College), Deirdre Stanford (Fourddo & DStanford Consulting), Dr. Eboni Rainey-Haynes (Bethune Cookman University), and Shirley Walker (City of Orlando) to explore how real-world projects connect students to workforce opportunities.

• Second Story Property Group | Anna Ashie
  Convened a team including Alissa Barber Torres (Orange County), Rev. Mary Lee Downey (Hope Partnership), Terry Sanks (Beusse Sanks, PLLC), Cameron Ford (UCF), Jim Downing (James Downing Inc.), and Malcolm Jones (MAJ Architecture + Design) to examine how innovative housing and property strategies can reshape community outcomes.

• Share At Door Step | Anushka Jain
  Engaged with Emily Zientek (SodexoLive!), Hanah Hadeed (Entrepreneur & Advocate), Latria Graham (GLB Media Group), Sade Battle (Orlando Venues), and Sheena Jackson (Rosen Hotels & Resorts) to chart new pathways for sustainable donation and brand-driven recycling initiatives.

• Life Startup Essentials | Courtney Newell
  Partnered with Jackie Ebert (Homeless Services Network), Jill Poffenbaugh (Hope Partnership), and Timothy Ayers (West Lakes Partnership) to design strategies that equip newly housed individuals with essentials for long-term stability.

• Wellside Health | Daisy Parks
  Collaborated with Brad Rahr (Central Florida Counseling Collective) and Kenneth Peach (MobileMedix Plus) to strengthen approaches to digital health and community wellness.

• GaiaXus | Dietrich Ruehlmann
  Worked with Mike Hess (City of Orlando), Clayton Louis Ferrara (IDEAS For Us), Kassy Holmes (Rollins College), Mindi Hertzog (Florida High Tech Corridor), and Victoria Bruce (The Mitigation Banking Group) to advance climate monitoring and freshwater solutions.

• Innovation Station Kits | Kelly Shea
  Partnered with Heath Hensley (PowerDMS), Nicole Dan (Florida Community Innovation Foundation), Allex Englett (Ivanhoe Village Main Street), Archie Adams (YMCA of Central Florida), and Luis Nieves-Ruiz (East Central Florida Regional Planning Council) to strengthen hands-on STEM education for kids.

• STEM PLUG | Richard Gilliam
  Collaborated with Alecia Brinson (The Wealth Nook), Kevin Bolding (YMCA of Central Florida), Paul Irumudomon (College Park Main Street), and Samantha Wallace (MAN UP Mentoring) to expand access to STEM opportunities for Black youth.

• The Nap Time Show | Sierra Boone
  Worked with Alyssa Baracat (Orange County), Genon Murray (Full Sail University), Julius Timmons (Dignity Wellness Partners), and Melissa Nelson (Rollins College Social Impact Hub) to refine a digital platform that helps young children thrive in early learning environments.

We were also grateful for the contributions of Ben Hoyer, Rally Board Member, who supported multiple teams and offered cross-cutting insights.

Why It Matters

The September Co-Creation Lab showed what’s possible when entrepreneurs and institutions roll up their sleeves together: solutions take shape, commitments are made, and momentum builds for Central Florida’s future.

Thank You

A heartfelt thank-you to the City of Orlando Office of Sustainability, Resilience, and Future-Ready for hosting us, to Blackbean Deli for fueling the day, and to every co-creator who joined us at the table. Your ideas and energy are what make Central Florida a place where innovation takes root.

See our Fellows in action at our virtual showcase, Nov 4th, RSVP Here!