ACEL: Alachua County Emerging Leaders

11/03/2026

Tomorrow. Free. No excuses.
ACEL board member Eli Newman is hosting a workshop Thursday from 3:00 - 5:00 PM at GRU where he'll walk you through 15 years of entrepreneurship lessons -- then show you how AI changed everything about the way he launches businesses. This is the kind of stuff people charge a consulting fee for. Eli's giving it away. Be there.

6 Steps to Launch As A CEO with AI

19/02/2026

Congrats to our foosball tournament winners tonight, father / son Justin and Peter battling it out for 1st and 2nd. Enjoy your Bragging Rights Amusements gift certificates and see you in a month on the third Wednesday!

22/01/2026

Thanks to Bragging Rights Amusements for hosting our first Foosball Professional Mixer! Congrats to our winners and we will see you next month! We weren’t expecting to have two foosball tables, we can bring a lot more of you next time!

Congratulations to Joe, Erick and Lopez, the winners of our first Foosball Professional Mixer. Thanks to ACEL: Alachua County Emerging Leaders for coordinating the event and see you next month on the third Wednesday!

It was amazing see a bunch of people enter as strangers and leave as friends!

17/01/2026

It's a busy month in our community with some fun events.

Wednesday we have our Foosball Professional Mixer at Bragging Rights at 7pm. It's a casual event, anyone at any level can play and it's a fun way to meet new people.

Thursday at 5:30pm:

At Bragging Rights Greater Gainesville Young Professionals are having their annual kickoff party limited to those 21-40. We'd tag them, but they blocked us. 😦 Maybe someone at the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce would like to investigate?

Next door to Bragging Rights at the same time, ONESIXONE Ventures will be hosting Startup Hour in the former Swamp Axe location. Go there to mingle with entrepreneurs in our community and listen to their pitches, and even pitch your own ideas.

Saturday, January 31st at 2:30pm is TEDxGainesville 2026: Emergence

Get ready, Gainesville! TEDxGainesville 2026: Emergence is coming to life, bringing together powerful ideas, creative expression, and transformative conversations that inspire growth, connection, and new perspectives.

Emergence represents the moment where ideas rise, voices are amplified, and change begins. This year’s event will feature an extraordinary lineup of speakers and artists who will challenge the way we think, spark meaningful dialogue, and leave you inspired long after the stage lights dim.

11/01/2026

Besides us—who are your favorite local organizations?

The nonprofits, campus orgs, Greek life chapters, and community groups you show up for, volunteer with, or believe in.

We’re excited to partner with Bragging Rights to launch Play It Forward, a new way to put the fun back in fundraising through gift card giveaways and Giving Tuesday takeovers.

Tag an organization you love in the comments. We’re building the list for what’s coming next.

Link in comment:

11/01/2026

Who are your favorite local organizations?

The nonprofits, campus orgs, Greek life chapters, and community groups that actually do the work and make a difference.

We’re launching Play It Forward—putting the fun in fundraising through gift card giveaways and Giving Tuesday takeovers. We want to give back in a big way in 2026, so tell us who we should partner with?!

# # a local organization you love. # # #

We’re building the list for upcoming fundraising opportunities.

Play Loud. Give Local.

Facilitated by ACEL: Alachua County Emerging Leaders

Play It Forward helps Alachua County nonprofits and community groups raise funds through local gift card giveaways, Giving Tuesday takeovers, and community-driven events.

21/01/2025

21/01/2025

JUST ANNOUNCED:

Join ACEL members and our local business community celebrating our local business innovators with SCORE Mentors at BizBash with keynote speaker Bryan Eastman on 2/12 from 3pm—5pm.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bizbash-uniting-our-business-innovators-tickets-1215410117379

25/11/2024

We’re Back—and Ready to Lead Again

ACEL has always been about resilience, growth, and leadership, and today, we’re thrilled to announce our return with a renewed sense of purpose. At the helm, we’re proud to welcome back Marc Lefton as President. Marc’s unwavering dedication has seen ACEL through its toughest moments—from rebuilding the organization twice to leading us with vision and heart.

After a period of recalibration and reflection, ACEL is stepping boldly into the future. We’ve re-centered our mission to empower Alachua County’s professionals and students, strengthen community ties, and foster leadership at every level.

To those who’ve stood with us through thick and thin: thank you. Your support fuels our mission and reminds us why we do this. The best is yet to come, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

Sign up on our website for updates, events, and ways to reconnect. Together, we’ll grow, lead, and thrive in 2025.

https://acelfl.com

13/05/2024

Happy belated Mother’s Day from Alachua County Emerging Leaders! 🌸 To all the incredible moms of Alachua County, we hope you had a beautiful weekend surrounded by love and appreciation. Thank you for everything you do and for nurturing the next generation of amazing leaders. 💐 ”

07/05/2024

Sending Congratulations to the 2024 Graduating Classes from Sante Fe College & University of Florida.

We are so proud of you and thankful that you made the decision to expand your education here in Alachua County. May your future endeavors be filled with greatness and success!

-Alachua County Emerging Leaders

07/05/2024

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are looking to partner with local organizations to provide resources for our emerging leaders. Tag an organization or leader in the community for us to collaborate with!