Linda Olson is the CEO & founder of Tampa Bay Wave. To date, Linda has raised over $12 million in federal and local funds to launch and expand Tampa Bay Wave including a total of eight federal grants. Linda has been a founder or management team member of several tech startups since 1999, including Yet2.com. Prior to that, Linda began her career running ERP implementation projects for Fortune 500 companies.

Linda is an original member of Startup America Partnership and is currently an active member of Startup Champions Network. Linda also serves as an Honorary Commander at MacDill Air Force Base and serves on various boards including USF CAMLS, Synapse Florida, and Visit Tampa Bay. Linda was selected to the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Bahrain in 2019 and Riyadh in 2022.

Linda has a CPA license from the State of Florida (currently inactive), Masters and BS degrees from Florida State University, and an MBA from Columbia University. A native of St. Pete Beach, Linda enjoys spending time with her family, including her two daughters whom she is raising to be future female entrepreneurs in Tampa Bay.