About IGNITE Tallahassee
IGNITE Tallahassee is a high-impact business incubator specializing in early-stage, new technology ventures. Our program is built to accelerate growth by providing business development expertise, access to funding sources, and a powerful network of community partners. Housed in a world-class facility, IGNITE is designed to support startups from day one and launch them toward long-term success.
IGNITE Staff
Alissa Martinez Costabile, MBA, PMP
IGNITE Program Director
1729 West Paul Dirac Drive
(850) 644-1528
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acostabile@fsu.edu
MBA, University of South Florida
BA, History, University of Florida
Alissa joined FSU as program director for IGNITE, an initiative advancing translational research in Tallahassee. She is responsible for translational research education and training programs under the IGNITE-FSU grant and manages the full lifecycle of incubator programming for IGNITE Tallahassee—from strategic planning and client engagement to performance metrics and community outreach—while serving as a key advocate for innovation-driven economic development in Tallahassee’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Alissa previously served as assistant program director for the University of South Florida’s Tampa Bay Technology Incubator and Student Innovation Incubator under the USF CONNECT program; research services program manager at AdventHealth Research Institute; and Florida Registered Paralegal at Owens Law Group, P.A. Alissa holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through the Project Management Institute.
Ally Nielander
IGNITE Program Coordinator
1729 West Paul Dirac Drive
(850)-644-2388
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a.nielander@fsu.edu
BA, Florida State University
Ally serves as the Program Coordinator for IGNITE FSU. In this role, she oversees the administrative and operational functions that support IGNITE’s mission to foster innovation and drive economic growth across Florida. Ally manages internal processes, client relations, and event coordination, ensuring that day-to-day operations align with long-term goals for IGNITE, the Tallahassee community, and the state at large. Prior to joining IGNITE, Ally served as Project Manager at Downtown Community Church, coordinated Projects between the Pastors and respective teams, led city wide outreach initiatives, coordinated volunteer teams, and and mentored young leaders through relational and hands-on development.
IGNITE Students