Alison Barlow is the Executive Director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her role is to harness regional expertise in healthcare, marine science, education, data analytics and art to form unique collaborations. These collaborations imagine innovative research and technology that grow the economic vibrancy of St. Petersburg and address key global issues.
In her role with the Innovation District, Ms. Barlow leads St. Petersburg’s smart city efforts. She is currently overseeing the smart lighting and marine science/STEM education projects as part of the US Ignite Smart Gigabit Communities program.
Ms. Barlow received a Bachelor’s in Hospitality Administration from Florida State University, and a Master of Business Administration from American University in Washington D.C. Prior to joining the Innovation District, she was a business and technology consultant based in Washington DC. Ms. Barlow advised leaders, often in the Department of Defense, on strategic planning, process improvement and technology project management. Upon her return to Florida, Alison was the operations manager of Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College, a strategic planning and facilitation team that served nonprofit, for profit and government organizations.