Lake Wales · Polk County
BusinessLake Wales Startup Founder Lab by BackTier — One-Day Shark Tank Challenge
One Saturday to pitch, validate and develop a startup idea. Meet collaborators, identify customers, test demand, develop a business model, explore practical AI tools and present a final pitch. No business plan, company or experience required. All ages welcome. This independently organized community challenge is not affiliated with Shark Tank or Techstars Startup Weekend.
- Date
- Saturday, February 27, 2027
- Time
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Eastern time · America/New_York
- Venue
- Downtown Pizza & Sports Bar
- Cost · age policy
- Advertised $30; listing from $36.22 — check checkout totalLunch included. Final ticket total stays on Eventbrite.
- Accessibility
- Not confirmed
- Good to know
- Check-in 9:45 AM · Lunch included · Description advertises $30; organizer listing shows tickets from $36.22, so check the final Eventbrite total · This current one-day listing replaces older three-day Founder Lab announcements · Source: dated Eventbrite listing, checked November 1, 2026
Tickets & RSVP
Current ticket availability and final checkout total are shown on Eventbrite. If the organizer enables a waitlist, look for it on the Eventbrite listing when tickets sell out.
Organizer: BackTier
Getting there
Downtown Pizza & Sports Bar · 253 E Stuart Avenue, Lake Wales, FL 33853
Distance from nearby hubs
- Lake Wales0 mi
- Winter Haven12 mi
- Lakeland24 mi
- Bartow16 mi
- Haines City15 mi
- Orlando46 mi
- Tampa53 mi
Straight-line distances — open a route above for driving time.
Entity graph
Civic connections
How this listing connects to the records that govern and fund it. Each card keeps its own verification state — the connection itself is editorial context, not a claim.
District
Located in
CRA downtown district
The downtown redevelopment district: the boundary inside which tax-increment revenue is collected and reinvested.
Reported · Lake Wales CRA annual report, 2025
Funding mechanism
Related to
Tax-increment financing (TIF)
Growth in taxable value inside the CRA district is reinvested in the district instead of flowing to general revenue. It pays for the streetscape, facade grants, and public art downtown.
Reported · Lake Wales CRA annual report, 2025
Capital project
Related to
Downtown streetscape improvements
Sidewalk, lighting, and streetscape work in the downtown CRA district, funded through tax increment revenue.
Reported · Last checked Thursday, July 16, 2026 · 2025 CRA Annual Report
Civic body
Falls inside the service area of
Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)
A redevelopment agency funded by tax-increment financing: growth in taxable value inside the district is reinvested in the district rather than flowing to general revenue.
Reported · Last checked Thursday, July 16, 2026 · 2025 CRA Annual Report
More events nearby
February 27 – March 1, 2027
55th Annual Lake Wales Arts Festival
Lakeshore Blvd, Lake Wailes
Saturday, March 6, 2027
Cork & Keys
Downtown Lake Wales
Wednesday, March 10, 2027
Lake Wales Startup Night by BackTier — Founder Lab Recap
Lake Wales
Saturday, March 28, 2027
Lake Wales Live
Downtown Lake Wales