Sponsors

Collegiate Leadership, now in its fourth year, helps retain the best and brightest college scholars in the region after graduation. In 2022, the program connected approximately 30 scholars with diverse leaders from area universities and community colleges. Participants continue to tell us they graduate from this Chamber program with professional and personal skills they will use for a lifetime.

Entering its third year with the Class of 2022, the program recognizes scholars who have demonstrated leadership within their campus community, as well as academic success. This is tuition-based program spans their academic year, from October – April, providing young men and women with knowledge, skills and networks. To date, approximately 48 scholars have gone through the program, with 24 scholars, in 2022 alone.

The monthly curriculum builds future leaders committed to community service, as well as providing a broad range of career opportunities for college scholars to explore within our region’s nonprofit, private, public, and philanthropic sectors. Topics are updated annually to reflect high-interest issues to program stakeholders. Credited by local business leaders for helping to keep top talent in the region, Collegiate Leadership is continuing to build Tampa Bay’s brand as a favored place to live and work.

“We were introduced to industries and career paths that I had never thought about. It opened my eyes to new possibilities while developing my critical thinking skills and ability to be curious about jobs that don’t directly relate to my major.”

– Pedro Nader, University of South Florida & 2022 Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay Graduate

Chair – Lindsay Grinstead (LT ‘18)

Vice-Chair – Rebecca Arends (Emerging Leaders)

October – Inaugural Event

Mentor | Protégé Program

A special component of our Emerging Leaders program is the important role members play in our annual Mentor Protégé Program. In 2022, we counted 66 impactful pairings. This exclusive mentoring program continues to develop long-term mutually beneficial relationships between seasoned business leaders and motivated young professionals.

My mentor has helped educate me on the importance of being involved in the community and also connected me with people in her network, encouraging me to learn from as many people as possible.”

Protégé Shelby Luke says of her mentor Yvette Segura

Young Professionals Summit

July 14 – In partnership with Clearwater Young Professionals and St. Pete Young Professionals, in 2022 Emerging Leaders focused our annual Young Professionals Summit on the regional impact of the arts. More than 200 guests attended the summit at The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art.

Nonprofit Fair

Oct. 25 – The 10th Annual Emerging Leaders Nonprofit Fair connected young professionals with 30 local nonprofit organizations recruiting volunteers year-round and also provided our Emerging Leaders with invaluable growth opportunities that come from serving on community advisory committees and board positions.

Aspire Program

Launched mid-year in 2022, the Aspire Program launched its inaugural class – an impressive 48 young professionals. This four-part training series will build up young professionals, for decades to come, through education, empowerment, and engagement opportunities.

Vision Series

Also, part of our Emerging Leaders’ programming is the Vision Series. In 2022, our focused approach on the Future of Education in the Tampa Bay area delivered thoughtful dialogue on mental health awareness, parental involvement, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and teacher retention – key issues impacting education in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

2022 Vision Series Guests

• Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Addison Davis
• Helios Education Foundation Vice President of Communications Grace Maseda
• Sara Rubinstein, Head of Carrollwood Day School – which is among a select group of independent International Baccalaureate schools in the nation recognized by the Cum Laude Society.

2022 Community Visits

• Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research in Ybor City. Here, Emerging Leaders heard from experts on behavioral health; exercise, nutrition and weight; and access to health and social services.
• Community Visits also included top leaders at Tampa General Hospital, AdventHealth and BayCare healthcare systems.

Founding Sponsor

Presenting Sponsors

Since the 1940s, the Tampa Bay business community, led by the Tampa Bay Chamber, has enjoyed a close working relationship with the MacDill Air Force Base. It’s home to 28 units from all branches of service and a vital part of our nation’s defense – supporting U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command.

Military Appreciation

Presenting Sponsor

May 4

At the 23^rd annual Military Appreciation event at The Florida Aquarium, nearly 400 military personnel and business professionals networked and celebrated Tampa Bay’s active-duty military community.

Transition Tampa Bay: Industry Connect

Our Industry Connect Series serves transitioning service members who are within nine months of their end-of-service date or more. By connecting them with companies in the region prior to leaving active duty, service members can learn about employment opportunities in various industries. The primary mission of the series is to help service members better understand corporate roles and opportunities as they develop their civilian career path. These connections are made through engaging tours guided by senior executives.

Operation Partnership

Operation Partnership helps transitioning service members and military spouses develop professional connections within the Tampa Bay business community. The mission is preparing service members to enter the Tampa Bay business community with a deliberate approach to building their professional network. Unlike other military assistance programs that primarily focus on employment placement for service members and spouses, Operation Partnership bears fruit long after service members transition into that first job in civilian life.

Employer Roundtable

Transition Tampa Bay

Employer Roundtable

Recruit & Retain Military Spouse Talent

Tampa Bay @ Sunset

Business With The Government

Members told us that doing business with government agencies was a confusing process for them, so in 2022, our Chamber created the Business with the Government series. This unique content helped prepare local companies to contract with the federal government by connecting them with experts on the different stages of contracting. From acquisition to scaling and sustaining growth, our information sessions provided clarity and actionable steps.

Winning a contract with MacDill Air Force Base

Contracting with the U.S. DoD

Military Bay, USA™

We successfully trademarked the moniker Military Bay, USA™ to highlight the support that the business community has for our Tampa Bay military community. In 2022, our Chamber created the logo to enhance our military programming and events. Phase 2 will begin in 2023 with the official launch to the general public. Committee members and the Chamber staff in particular, have enjoyed the front row seat to this process. Fifty percent of the Chamber’s staff members have military ties.

“When military families see our Military Bay, USA™ we want them to know that we are united as Americans and that our community is grateful for the sacrifices they make.”

2022 Board Chair Andy Mayts

The Minority Business Accelerator (MBA) is a program of the Tampa Bay Chamber Foundation, created in 2017 to help underserved communities of Black and Hispanic owned small businesses access financial capital, and increase their networks of potential clients and suppliers in the public and private sectors. In our community, almost half of all locally owned businesses are minority owned but account for only 5% of the revenues in Hillsborough County’s local economy. By providing practical tools for change, this 2-year accelerator positions participants to increase capacity, create jobs, and build wealth.

The 2022 MBA Cohort was co-chaired by Derek and Marynes Mateos of Matcon Construction. Each participant was paired with two mentors for accelerated learning. Also in 2022, the program saw its largest and most diverse pool of applicants to date. Cohort participants see results even before graduating from the two-year program.

Ashley Butler, graduate of the MBA 2021 Cohort, served as Chair of the Minority Business Accelerator Alumni.

• David Delancy – One Day Came Inc.
• Lennise Jackson-Germany – Livy O’s
• Corey Rolfe – BEST Employment Solutions
• Tony Selvaggio – eSmart Recycling
• Ursella Slusher – HomeHelpers
• Homecare Kenneth Stewart – Integrated Security Consultants

The Chamber offers women’s programming events throughout the year, with the Women of Influence Luncheon as a centerpiece. The Dottie Berger MacKinnon Woman of Influence Award is presented during the annual sold- out event and guests continue to say that a highlight of WOI is watching one woman of influence pass the honor on to the next. They are legacy moments made possible by the dedication and hard work of the WOI Committee.

WOI Committee members help develop the content for WOI, as well as the Chamber’s more intimate and interactive gatherings of Pearls of Wisdom and Pearls of Experience events. Between the WOI luncheon and three small group experiences in our Pearls Series, approximately 637 women participated. The WOI Committee is also an integral part of our community outreach year-round. In 2022, engagement included public policy initiatives, employment opportunities for military veterans and spouses, and professional development of young professionals.

Our 2022 WOI Chair was LaKisha Kinsey-Sallis of Fisher & Phillips.

630+

Women engaged in 2022 events

Presenting Sponsor

The annual Dottie Berger MacKinnon Woman of Influence Award is presented to a Tampa Bay area woman who exemplified outstanding professional values and serves as an inspiration to the community.

In a symbolic moment, the winner of the 2022 Dottie Berger MacKinnon Women of Influence Award Winner Kim DeBosier, Director of Operations of WGI, received her award from prior honoree Rita Lowman, who was the President of Pilot Bank from 2016 – 2021.

“Kim has been a rare female leader in her professional field of Civil Engineering. She has been a trailblazer helping other women join the field – working to level the playing field for opportunities and advancement.”

– Robin DeLaVergne, Senior Vice President of External Affairs Tampa General Hospital

Pearls of Wisdom

Accomplished women share their professional journey and strategies for success and/or address high-interest topics in the business community.

Women in Tech

Combating Human Trafficking

October 18

The Combating Human Trafficking event provided a poignant reminder to committee members of why community awareness is so important. A message from a guest saying “Well done! I love that there’s a forum for the not-so-pretty side of Tampa and how we can all work to improve that.”

(L-R) panelists Susan Maurer, Chamber Board Member & Senior VP Commercial Banker of INB; Lisa Thelwell, U.S. Attorney’s Office; Kim Figueroa, Survivor-Mentor at More Too Life; FBI Agent Mike Goodhue; and moderator Dottie Groover-Skipper, Anti-Human Trafficking Director of NOMORE Foundation and Founder of HeartDance Foundation.

Did You Know?

Tampa Bay consistently ranks in the top 5 cities for reported cases of human trafficking. (Source: NOMORE Foundation)

Pearls of Experience

Discover Tampa’s Riverwalk – Nov. 15