Meet one of our newest Board Members. A creative entrepreneur, Laila Fakhoury contributes to Gainesville’s innovation scene as co-owner of 2 unique and thriving businesses.
Tell us a little about you (your background and how you eventually came to the startup/tech community). I am a creative entrepreneur. I co-own two businesses in Gainesville: an independent record label called Dion Dia and a brand/venue downtown called How Bazar. I started my entrepreneurial journey with two friends while we were in school at the University of Florida. Although our businesses aren’t within the tech world, I’ve loved being part of startGNV because of the support they offer to startups and small businesses.
Tell us about your work at your company and what you most love about that company. Within both of our companies I focus on event planning, marketing/promotions, social media management and community outreach. Although I wear a lot of hats, my favorite part of my work is curating and executing our community events. It has been a pleasure allowing my creativity to run wild while planning large-scale events. And the impact that I’ve witnessed from our events has been incredibly meaningful and fulfilling.
How did you find out about startGNV and how long you’ve been on the board? I unofficially discovered startGNV through Instagram. I would scroll by event flyers and “thinking and drinking” videos all the time. However, I was officially introduced to startGNV when Jon Church stopped by How Bazar while I was working. He told me he’d been wanting to connect to tell me more about the organization. I was instantly excited and energized when I learned more about the wonderful work startGNV was doing within our community. From there I had the opportunity to meet more current and former board members who all gave me great information about startGNV.
With Aidan Augustin (Feathr) at celebrateGNV 2023 and at the Greater Gainesville Young Professionals Mega Mixer at Celebration Pointe with other startGNV board members and supporters
What do you love about the Gainesville innovation ecosystem? One of the main things that I love about Gainesville’s innovative ecosystem is that it’s uplifted by a very forgiving and supportive community. I love how connected Gainesville is and it feels like the overall network wants to see each other succeed. Of course, there are pockets of competition, but overall I feel that our community welcomes creativity and innovation. Gainesville is a very inspiring city. There are so many types of people that flow in and out with different backgrounds, cultures, projects and it encourages others to develop and practice new ideas. Most cities don’t offer the community that much space to experiment and trial their ideas. Gainesville’s ecosystem is very special, mostly because of the people that uphold it.
What do you hope to see in the ecosystem for the future? I hope to see the ecosystem diversify. Aside from just the notable strives this city has made within the tech world, there is an entire cultural revolution happening here based around art, creativity and community. There are growing numbers of cross-generational, diverse and inventive people who are contributing to Gainesville’s art scene and ecosystem. I would love to see more bridges between Gainesville’s professional community and artistic community. I believe that will bring Gainesville an unshakable strength.
What are the best things about living and working in Gainesville? The best things about living and working in Gainesville is how accessible everything is: the venues, the network, the experiences. Also, Alachua County’s motto is “where nature meets culture” and that couldn’t be more accurate. You can experience the hustle and community of Gainesville, but in the same day you could disconnect and recharge in the beauty of springs, trails and national parks.
Any suggestions for someone who’d like to get involved in the innovation scene here? If you’d like to get involved in the innovation scene, I would highly recommend building your network. These days everything is advertised so well on social media that it’s become easy to pinpoint what’s already present in the city and how you can get involved with different groups and projects. The best part is that when you do start integrating yourself into these spaces and building your network, more often than not, you’ll be welcomed with openness and enthusiasm. Explore Gainesville! There is so much more than you’d expect. The easiest way to stay up to date is to keep an eye on what startGNV, Visit Gainesville, Only In Gainesville, Guide To Greater Gainesville and other amazing organizations are sharing.