Tampa Bay Chamber Quarterly Report - Q3 2023

Posted by: Tampa Bay Chamber on Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Catalyst

Policy & Advocacy

Votes in the Florida Legislature

The Tampa Bay Chamber completed Key Votes 2023, our guide that memorializes the actions of our State Representatives and Senators on bills impacting the Chamber’s members, partners and community stakeholders. The annual online guide tracks each legislators’ votes on bills related to our Legislative Agenda’s seven guiding principles: Business & Economic Development; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Health Care; Military & Defense; Transportation; Workforce Development & Education; and Workforce Housing.

The robust content also includes methodology, an overview of the state legislative agenda and a listing of our community partners. Key Votes serves as a reliable resource to voters on these issues of high interest, as well as members of the media covering these news beats.

Health Insurance

Recognizing that employer-provided health coverage plays an integral role in the recruitment and retention of employees, Chamber members and business leaders held a roundtable discussion with Congressman Vern Buchanan regarding insurance coverage.

Universal Professional License Recognition to Increase Employment of Military Spouses

The Chamber’s Vice President of Advocacy met with Florida Rep. Ralph Massullo, MD, Chairman of the House Education & Employment Committee. The Tampa Bay Chamber remains committed to ensuring universal professional license recognition, particularly for military spouses.

Property Insurance, Military Spouse Unemployment and Universal Professional License Recognition

These were among the wide range of priorities discussed during the Chamber’s in-district, pre-session advocacy work this summer, including a meeting with legislators including Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman.

Hurricane Safety & Advocacy

Regional Hurricane Safety and advocacy efforts, from Tampa Bay - SW Florida, were central to our meeting with SWFL, Inc. this summer. SWFL, Inc. is a regional chamber serving Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties.

Oklahoma City Chamber Visit

Our Chamber is a sought-after expert on business strategy and success as evidenced by the five U.S. chambers hosting their benchmarking trips here. Most recently, as part of the Oklahoma City Chamber’s benchmarking trip to Tampa, their expert panel focused on transportation. Our Vice President of Advocacy was part of the discussion detailing the history, current and future state of transportation and funding initiatives in the Tampa Bay region.

Public Policy Roundtable

Aug 8 – Our Public Policy Roundtable focused on Florida’s new immigration law, SB 1718. The robust discussion from our panel featuring:

The panel gave the audience greater insight and understanding of the implications the new law will have on businesses around Tampa Bay.

Washington D.C. Trip

Sep. 12–14 – During the trip to Washington D.C. with a Hillsborough County delegation, advocacy efforts focused on three key areas of interest to the local business community and economy. Changing locality pay for military in the Tampa Bay region and a return to the original terms of the Research & Experimentation Tax Credit were central to the discussions. Meetings included FL Congresswoman Kathy Castor of District 14, FL Congresswoman Laurel Lee of District 15, FL Congressman Greg Steube of District 17, and White House Senior Advisor/Director of the Office of Public Engagement Stephen Benjamin. Insurance policy matters were the focus of meetings with officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

As part of our Chamber’s ongoing efforts to raise community awareness and spark more engagement in local, state and national policy making, we published video and story blogs with our subject experts on each issue, in addition to a video recap from Washington D.C. by President/CEO Bob Rohrlack and Board Vice-Chair Brian Adcock.

Inclusive Organization

Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay

CL Scholars from Saint Leo University, The University of Tampa, and University of South Florida who completed the program earlier this year were interviewed for the video series published on the Chamber’s YouTube channel to help grow the program with more students from each partnering school. Meet Zahra Wilson of U.T.

Recruitment

Sep. 19 – Attended Week of Welcome at USF to recruit undergraduate students for CL’25 and graduate students for Emerging Leaders.

Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay

2023 Young Professional Summit

Jul. 13 – In Clearwater, the minor league baseball stadium was buzzing with business as nearly 200 poured into Threshers Stadium for an evening of networking. The Young Professional Summit is hosted by the Chamber’s Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay in partnership with St. Pete Young Professionals and Clearwater Young Professionals. The annual event brings young business professionals and community leaders together, helping to expand their circles of influence, build impactful relationships and spark more collaboration to enhance the Tampa Bay region. Our thanks to the sponsors of this year’s summit, Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas & West Pasco Counties; RG & Co – CPAs and Advisors; and Ultimate Medical Academy.

Emerging Leaders & Feeding Tampa Bay

Jul 15 – Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay traded in their business suits for t-shirts, shorts, and gloves on July 15 to help fight hunger! Approximately 55 young professionals ages 21 – 35 and their mentors came together at the Feeding Tampa Bay warehouse in East Hillsborough County to help inspect perishable and non-perishable foods for their expiration date and quality. The July heat was no deterrent to the mentor-protégé pairings that helped sort and package 11-thousand pounds of food in just over two hours! The non-profit organization is the largest hunger relief organization in West Central Florida, supplying food to more than 478 food pantries and charities across 10 counties. Groups volunteering at the Feeding Tampa Bay warehouse are a key ingredient of the operation which served more than 66 million meals last year.

Vision Series – The Return, The Rise, The Future of Port Tampa Bay

Sep. 21 – We had an awesome night at our last Vision Series of the year! Emerge Members learned all about the importance of the port and its economic benefits, its role and contributions to the region's growth, how each pillar of the port operates, and the environmental effects it has on our community.

Takeaways: Community Partnerships are key to expanding and diversifying the Port. Environmental initiatives and policies are at the forefront for sustainable growth for the maritime industry. Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest and most diversified seaport and the largest economic engine in West Central Florida and, as such, there is a continued focus on diversifying their lines of business. Our speakers were:

Military

Veteran and Military Spouse Employment

Participated in the Veteran and Military Spouse Employment panel during the HR Tampa monthly membership meeting.

MacBack to School

Members of the Tampa Bay Chamber volunteered with the Blue Star Families Tampa Chapter to assemble and distribute bags of food during the 2023 MacBack to School event on MacDill Air Force Base. During this time military families received information on local resources and school supplies to start their school year off right.

International Visitor Leadership Program

Hosted a delegation of leaders from Japan who participated in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The conversation was focused on how the Tampa Bay community supports MacDill Air Force Base and the military families that live in our communities.

Military Advisory Committee

Members of the Chamber’s MAC met with Technical Sgt Kalixta Nichols, U.S. Space Force Program Manager/Recruiter to discuss the Space Force program and recruitment efforts that impact Tampa Bay.

Shared the Chamber’s military programs and resources with members of the Onward to Opportunity Cohort and Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship Cohort.

Hosted a session for the Oklahoma City Chamber that highlighted best practices for leveraging military talent in the civilian workforce.

The Tampa Bay Chamber and South Tampa Chamber hosted a joint Military Advisory Committee meeting featuring guest speaker Jessica Long, Program Manager with Hiring Our Heroes. The Corporate Fellowship Program is currently recruiting employers to participate in hosting a transitioning service member for 12 weeks at no cost to the employer.

Industry Connect

Sep. 13 – We hosted 10 transitioning service members at Rapid7 for our final Industry Connect event of the year. Attendees were able to learn more about the organization, meet with members of their senior leadership team, and explore career paths in the cybersecurity industry.

Minority Business Accelerator

MBA In The News

Jul. 7 – ABC Action News spotlighted MBA Cohort 2023 Participant Floyd Freeman of CableLytics – on the construction of the USF Honors College.

Jul. 19 – Fox 13 Tampa Bay spotlighted MBA Cohort 2024 Participant Sherrel Sampson, founder of Canviiy.

Sep. 15 – Radio Rumba Interviewed MBA Cohort ’22 Tony Selvaggio to raise awareness of the deadline for applications to the MBA’s next cohort. Selvaggio shared his two-year experience in the program and encouraged local Hispanic owned businesses to apply.

MBA Alumni Among Finalists For Small Business Of The Year Awards

5-20 Employees

  • Livy O's (MBA Cohort 2022)
  • Paragon Cyber Solutions, LLC (MBA Cohort 2024)

21-50 Employees

  • Integrated Security Consultants (MBA Cohort 2022)

51-250 Employees

  • MidFlorida Armored & ATM Services, Inc (MBA Cohort 2019)

Minority Business Accelerator Cohort Sessions

Session #6 for Cohort ‘23 focused on SWOT assessment and presented by Ralph Garcia, Managing Partner of RGA Advisory. Participants learned the strategy of examining Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats assessment, most commonly known as “SWOT.” The method examines the controllable elements, the “strengths” and “weakness” factors to deal with the external elements affecting the organization, enabling them to take advantage of opportunities and thwart/minimize “threats.” Accelerator participants learned how SWOT assessments can benefit their business regardless of industry, how to apply it to their business strategies and convert it into an executable improvement plan.

Session #6 for Cohort ‘24 focused on Tax and Accounting and hosted by CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA). Participants were very engaged, making a great impression on the subject experts. The Managing Principal of CLA Tampa Bay Office, Gretchen Whalen, telling our Chamber staff “Thank you to the Tampa Bay Chamber's Minority Business Accelerator Program cohort for visiting CLA Tampa for an Accounting & Tax Workshop. We have been privileged to host this event for several years. Danielle Gantt and Vivian Pritchard, MSA did a great job instructing.”

September’s Joint Session with MBA Cohorts 2023 & 2024 was focused on mergers & acquisitions transactions and how to prepare for them. It was hosted by Trenam Law and Bernstein Private Wealth Management and broadened participants’ understanding of M&A concepts and the processes to better prepare for a potential material business transaction or an exit event.

Go for the Greens Conference

This year’s annual conference connecting women-owned businesses with corporations, government agencies and nonprofits featured MBA Cohort ’22 Graduate Lennise Germany, Livy O’s and MBA Cohort ’24 Participant Monica Hernandez, MAS Global. Both MBA entrepreneurs served as presenters at this year’s Go for the Greens Conference.

Game Changers

The start of football season also marks the start of the Game Changers recognitions during every home game at Raymond James Stadium. The program is a partnership of the Chamber, TECO and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – featuring one minority-owned business p/month! Congrats to Minority Business Accelerator Cohort 2023 participant Max Volmar, President of M & G Janitorial Services, for being named the first Business Game Changer of the season. The Season runs Sep. 10 – Jan. 7. Every Game Changer of the Season receives tickets to the Bucs game, is featured on the partners' social media platforms, and TECO pays for that business’ electric bill for the month!

MBA Cohort ’25 Recruitment

Recruitment for MBA Cohort ’25 intensified as we approach the Sep. 18 deadline, with the release of the second of three MBA videos, billboards on Outfront Media and interviews with Spanish language media.

  • Watch the MBA: Building Legacy video showcasing the accelerator’s mentor-mentee component with past & current cohort participants and a mentor.

  • Aug. 28 – Sep. 18, Digital billboards on MBA Recruitment are displayed in Temple Terrace on Hillsborough Ave & the Veterans Expressway; in USF/Uptown area on Fowler Avenue near Bruce B. Downs Blvd; and in the West Tampa/Midtown business district along I-275 & Lois Avenue.
  • Spanish Language Radio interviews promoting the MBA aired on La Zeta 105.3FM, La Numero Uno 99.1FM & 1280AM. Featuring MBA Cohort ’24 participant Juan-Carlos Libreros of Pezco Aquafarming, the interview was also added to the SolMart Media radio group’s podcast, “Su Negocio”. Listen to “Your Business” podcast in Spanish.

Minority Empowerment Program

Business Planning and Marketing

Participants in the Minority Empowerment Program’s Q2 Session at the Chamber office heard from the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. MEP Chair Lennise Jackson-Germany kicked off the session with a round table discussion and robust Q&A with Florida SBDC’s Associate Director, Yanina Rosario, who shared best practices on business planning and marketing strategies.

Florida's Women in Energy Leadership Forum

Jul. 5 – Florida’s Women in Energy Leadership Forum spotlights Chamber’s Minority Empowerment Program with 2023 MEP Chair Lennise Jackson and MEP Participant Angelica Torres of Wing Boys.

Aug. 16 – The Q3 session was held with a focus on Legal. Presented by Carlton Fields, participants heard from experts on Employment Law, Tort Liability, Taxes and the Internal Revenue Service.

Black Business Month

As part of Black Business Month in August, our Chamber was part of Hillsborough County Government’s proclamation led by Commissioner Gwen Myers. The gathering by community leaders helped raise community awareness of BBM and increase support of local black owned businesses. View the proclamation presentation.

Minority Empowerment Amgen Visit

Sep. 21 – MEP entrepreneurs visited Amgen’s Global Capability Center in the Westshore Business District. Annually, the founding sponsor of MEP has sponsored 4 entrepreneurs, sponsoring a total of 12 MEP participants in the last three years. As the program continues to draw more small businesses, the need for MEP sponsors grows as well. Member companies and/or business leaders interested in sponsoring MEP entrepreneurs in the 2024 program, should contact Rosanne Versaggi.

MEP Recruitment

10 Tampa Bay News profiled MEP entrepreneur Michelle Greene Rhodes in advance of the Nov. 5 deadline for MEP applications for 2024. The retired nurse and CEO shared her company’s story and how she was able to “get The Color of Wellness up and running due, in part, to the Minority Empowerment Program run by the Tampa Bay Chamber.”

Women’s Programming

Pearls of Experience: Secrets of the Zoo

Aug. 23 – The second session Pearls of Experience series took place at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. 111 guests registered. Pearls of Experience: Secrets of the Zoo included networking opportunities and a panel of all-women leaders at Zoo Tampa:

Panelists shared their insights on the Secrets of the Zoo, highlighting their commitment to conservation and animal care. The Pearls of Experience series, along with the Chamber’s other women’s programming opportunities, is developed with assistance from our Women of Influence Committee. Learn more about our Chamber’s women’s programming and the Women of Influence Committee.

Women of Influence Luncheon

Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker Sarah Moshman was announced as our keynote speaker for the 18th Annual Women of Influence Luncheon, presented by Tampa General Hospital, Mar. 22, 2024. See more for sponsorship opportunities and event details.

Hub For Business

Membership

In quarter 3, the Chamber welcomed 51 new members.

Member Spotlight Series

We continued our initiative spotlighting Chamber members. From July to August we featured the following members:

Breakfast with our Chamber Vice Presidents

Nineteen new members, who joined during the summer, attended a special event at the Chamber and have Breakfast with our Vice Presidents.

Ambassador Committee & Ribbon Cuttings

Ambassadors participated in eight ribbon cuttings for Chamber members celebrating their business. In addition to calling over 400 new members, they delivered "thank you for your membership" gifts to members celebrating their one year or five-year membership anniversary.

Events

Event Registrations

10,000+ Registrations for Events That Have Occurred to Date
11,000+ Registrations for All 2023 Events

Get Connected

Aug. 1 – Business connections were made during this very popular facilitated networking event attended by 49 members.

Competitive Edge: Cultivating Mental Wellness in the Workplace

Aug. 2 – The latest Competitive Edge panel discussion was hosted on with mental health experts covering the importance of cultivating mental wellness in the workplace. Our panelists included:

Panelists discussed ways to manage stress and anxiety, prevent burnout, signs to identify distress or imbalance and how to offer assistance, and the many resources available to employers and employees.

Thank you for today’s amazing event at the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. It afforded me key take aways. First, our personal narratives and past experiences are integral components of our future journey. Acknowledging and understanding them empowers us to shape them positively, fostering personal growth. Secondly, intentionally integrating mental health pauses and mindfulness practices into our daily routine is crucial.” – Michelle Greene Rhodes, Retired Nurse and Founder of The Color of Wellness Media

Community Outreach

Aug. 19 – Chamber members volunteered for the Meals on Wheels special event Produce on Wheels, delivering fresh produce to those in need.

Member Orientation

Aug. 22 – Welcomed 44 new members to learn about the many ways the Chamber can help their business meet its goals and engage with other members of the Tampa Bay business community.

Business Around the Bay

Aug. 23 – Business leaders participated in an engaging round table conversation discussing current business trends affecting area leaders.

After 5 at RSM

Aug. 24 – Over 100 members enjoyed an evening of networking and connecting with other business leaders in the beautiful Thousand and One event space, hosted by RSM.

Coffee Connection

Sep. 13 – Business connections were made during this very popular facilitated networking event attended by 55 members.

Competitive Edge: Harness AI and Digital Marketing

Sep. 26 – The final Competitive Edge of 2023 was hosted with guest speaker Nick Kraus, Founder and CEO of Kraus Marketing. During this program attendees had the opportunity to:

  • Become familiar with the top 5 tactics EVERY company should be doing on digital platforms.
  • Create a digital strategy that is effective and measurable.
  • Learn the top AI tools to more efficiently execute your strategy.
  • Measure ROI of your marketing spend.

Leadership Tampa

Aug. 8 – Leadership Tampa ’24 was announced and is among the most diverse classes in LT’s 53-year history. Our media partners at the Tampa Bay Business Journal broke the news with special news coverage. Members of LT’24 met as a group for the first time at the kickoff event held at The Rez Grill – Seminole Hard Rock Tampa.

Sep. 11 – 12 – Opening Retreat was at the Wyndham Grand Resort on Clearwater Beach. It was a great 2-days forging connections and setting the foundation for members’ leadership journey. Sensitive to the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, we invited retired Major Alan Hill of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to lead the LT’24 class in a few minutes of silence in memory of 9/11 victims. Hill also shared his memories of that day 22 years ago as a law enforcement officer.

LT ’24 kicked off DEI Program Day onsite at the Chamber and was facilitated by Terrie Daniels, LT’24 Chair and CEO of Cardinal Consulting. Thank you to our sponsor Carlton Fields and speakers, Matthew Blair, Corcoran Partners; Sabrina Griffith, Ultimate Medical Academy; Terrie Daniel, Cardinal Consulting Group; Elizabeth Frazier, Vinik Sports Group; Cherita Andrews, Cardinal Consulting Group.

Leadership Tampa Alumni

Chair’s Choice

Sep. 20 – LTA Chair’s Choice Event provided guests with a rare look into political campaigning. Thank you to Sandy Murman, former State House Representative and former Hillsborough County Commissioner and Sean Shaw, former State House Representative and former Democratic Nominee for Attorney General, for participating in our LTA Chair’s Choice panel discussion about running for elected office. Their insights painted a clear picture of the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned as a political candidate, and inspired attendees to consider throwing their hat in the ring in the future. Thank you to our event sponsor IAT Inc.

Small Business of the Year

Jul. 18 – SBOY semi-finalists were interviewed by panels of judges at Chamber office during all-day meetings.

Aug. 4 – The Small Business of the Year Finalists were announced. Come support these amazing companies at our 43rd Annual Small Business of the Year Awards Nov. 16 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. Thank you to our Co-Presenting sponsors Adcock Financial Group & Vistra Communications. Sponsorships are now open!

Aug. 15 – Excitement around SBOY finalists is building. Fox 13’s Charley Belcher spotlighted finalist The Candle Pour at their St. Petersburg location. Owners are opening their third location in Tampa. Sponsorships are needed for the Awards Night, Nov. 16. Support the small businesses of the Tampa Bay business community by investing in their signature event of the Small Business of the Year process. Join us to celebrate them and all they bring to Tampa Bay.

Workforce Development

Jul. 26 – A ribbon cutting to launch a partnership between two Tampa Bay Chamber members is being described as a game-changer in the utilities industry. Tampa Electric and Hillsborough Community College have launched the Electrical Line Worker Training Program on the HCC Brandon Campus. Speaking to a crowd of supporters gathered on campus during the ribbon cutting that gathered Dr. Ken Atwater, President of HCC; Dr. Deborah Kish, Brandon Campus President; and three of the other Campus Presidents from HCC, the Tampa Bay.

Our Chamber’s Vice President of Member Engagement, Katie Lopez, praised the partnership on workforce development as one more way business and community leaders can be a catalyst for growth in the region.

Workforce Development Committee

The Workforce Development Committee attended the 20th year anniversary ceremony of Livingstone Academies. Along with academic partners, elected officials, and top educators in the area. This collaboration of special needs education strengthens our community relationships to continue to offer top-level education in our region and statewide.

Represented the chamber at the LEAP Leadership Council meeting of the continuing needs to support the educational needs in the area for post high school education.

Work Redefined – State of the Workforce

Sep. 12 – More than 100 guests registered for the annual State of the Workforce tackling the hot topic of artificial intelligence in the workplace. As more industries turn to AI technology, public discussion on how and why it’s used is far from over. Community gatherings like the Chamber’s State of the Workforce serve as a proverbial town square.

Organizational Excellence

Aug. 17 – The Tampa Bay Business Journal released its annual list of top leaders under the age of 40 in the Tampa Bay area. Chamber Vice President of Member Engagement Katie Lopez was named on the 40 Under 40 list – recognized among businesspeople in Tampa Bay “who are making significant strides in their careers and impacts on their communities.”

Aug. 24 – Special thanks to Board Member Tim Moore and the team at Vu Tampa Bay for their wonderful hospitality for the Board meeting. The 30-thousand square foot, virtual production studio in Tampa was the first of its kind and is home to the largest LED volumes in the world. Moore is a three-time Emmy award-winning director, CEO of Vu Technologies and Founder & Chairman of Diamond View – Creative Video Agency.

Aug. 31 – Karen Arnold retired after 20 years of Chamber involvement, Business and community leaders gathered to celebrate decades of service, first on the Chamber’s Board of Directors for 8 years, followed by 12 years as Chief Operating Officer. Among the special presentations from the Business community was Tampa International Airport.

Social Platforms – Analytics

In the last 30 days, our social platforms have remained strong. Despite the typical summertime lull in activity, on LinkedIn the Chamber remains #1 in terms of new likes/followers and engagement, compared to other local chambers in the Tampa Bay region and the Economic Development Council (EDC).

LinkedIn

  • New Followers: 866. In the last 30 days, we had close to 900 new followers and our Linkedin is #1 in new followers compared to other local chambers and the Economic Development Council (EDC)
  • Interactions: #1 (again among competitors)
  • Reactions: 3,727
  • Page Views: 3,119

Facebook

  • Page Reach: 17,896

Instagram

  • Reach: 3,136
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