Episodes
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 53 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt’s expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet® status, its highest distinction. With more than 7,800 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $2.4 billion.
Ellen Navarro Anderson, a proud Chilean American, has dedicated her career to health care advocacy, starting her legislative path as a health policy aide in the Florida House of Representatives and then the Florida Senate. She has served as Vice President of State Advocacy for the FHA (2012-15), spearheading hospital payment policy and lobbying to move from volume-based to value-based payment methodologies. In 2015, she was recruited to create and implement a government relations program for Community Health Systems' Florida hospitals and held the position of Director of Government Relations for the FL Division for five years. Currently, she serves as the Director of State Legislative Affairs for Moffitt Cancer Center.
Listen to this episode to learn more about the importance of continuity of care, the growth and future of the medical industry in Florida, and the Pasco County Moffitt Expansion that is in progress.
– Check out the Department of Economic Opportunity:
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
FloridaMakes is a service designed to strengthen Florida’s high-wage manufacturing sector. We understand the unique needs facing manufacturing firms. Companies can access a wealth of assets to support their business through the network of Regional Manufacturer's Associations – from plant tours, networking, and educational events, to regional manufacturing awards and manufacturing advocacy efforts.
Zoraida Velasco who serves as Executive Vice President sits down with host, Tom Kindred to talk about upcoming plans and news about the aftermath of the recent FloridaMakes MakeMore Summit that happened in October.
Learn more about this organization and Zoraida’s pathway to working closely to support manufacturing throughout Florida.
– Check out FloridaMakes: https://www.floridamakes.com/home
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Film Florida is a statewide not-for-profit entertainment production trade association run by volunteer members of the industry. The organization provides a leadership role in Florida's film, television, production & digital media/tech industry by representing a coalition of interests, including private industry, local film commissions, industry associations, educational institutions, students, and labor organizations. Its purpose is to offer businesses and individuals the benefits of a statewide trade association to promote the creation of jobs in the film and entertainment production industries and to promote economic development and tourism.
The vast majority of Florida's film, television, and digital media production industry is individuals and small businesses. The industry is a multi-billion dollar industry for Florida and touches many other industries with jobs and spending.
Learn more about Film Florida’s role in the Florida Small Business industry and see how you can get involved with this organization.
– Check out Film Florida: https://filmflorida.org/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Step Up for Students is a state-approved non-profit scholarship-funding organization. Scholarships administered by Step Up For Students support Florida families by allowing them to personalize their children’s K-12 education experience.
Alexis Laroe is the Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs at Step Up. She joins host, Tom Kindred on another special segment of Small Biz Florida to discuss this important program. Alexis explains basic eligibility for the 4 different programs that exist. Listen to this episode to learn more about eligibility requirements to get access to these benefits.
– Check out Step Up:https://www.stepupforstudents.org/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Over the past couple of years, Ruben has worked with academics, organizers, politicians, and union leaders at Hustle, Honor, and AltSchool focused on improving their personalized outreach, healthcare, and education.
Ruben began his technology career working in Partnerships and Sales after writing a viral blog post called Breaking Into Startups about how he moved to San Francisco without a job and landed a position 3 weeks later.
After receiving thousands of e-mails asking how to break into tech, Ruben Co-Founded the Breaking Into Startups Podcast to demystify the process, resulting in a social media reach of ~3 million people, 200,000+ downloads, 10,000+ website visits per month, over 100+ reviews on iTunes, a Facebook Community of 10,000+ people, and invitations to be a Contributor for TechCrunch and Black Enterprise.
Prior to working in tech, Ruben worked as an Investment Banker focused on Food, Consumer, and Retail companies in Chicago and Atlanta. As a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, he recruited others to focus on issues related to food security, climate change, and agriculture. In 2010, Ruben worked on operational improvements for Senior Living Communities after completing a double major in Business Administration and Music.
During college, Ruben organized 50+ events for non-profits, athletes, and celebrities including Tyrese, Kim Kardashian, and Jay-Z. Ruben has been playing the cello for ~25 years, taught music, performed in venues all over the world - including Carnegie Hall, and landed placements from Def Jam. He is also an active member of the NAACP.
Learn more about how Ruben got Career Karma started, his incredible story, and his panel at this year’s Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum.
– Check out Career Karma: https://careerkarma.com/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Monday Nov 14, 2022
TJ Villamil is the Sr. Vice President of the International Trade and Development unit at Enterprise Florida, Inc. The International Trade and Development (ITD) unit is headquartered in Miami and maintains offices/representation in six Florida cities as well as twenty cities around the world. EFI’s ITD division is widely considered one of the best statewide international economic development organizations in the United States. EFI’s ITD program focuses on 1) assisting Florida companies (most of which are manufacturers) in export sales and export promotion, 2) recruiting international companies to invest and grow in Florida (Foreign Direct Investment), and 3) supporting the Executive Office of the Governor of Florida on international business mission trips. TJ is a proud double graduate from the University of Florida with an undergraduate degree in communications and a master's degree in Entrepreneurship from the business school.
Tune in to this episode from the Future of Florida Forum to hear all about the importance of Florida when it comes to international trade, everything you need to know about the STEP program, and an overview of services that you can access through the international trade office at Enterprise Florida.
– Check out Enterprise Florida: https://www.enterpriseflorida.com/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Monday Nov 14, 2022
John Koufos helps companies optimize second-chance hiring and mitigate risk. He started his career in New Jersey before moving to Washington, D.C., to work on national second-chance hiring, healthcare, and criminal justice issues. He works extensively in Florida.
John’s work has helped thousands of people with criminal records secure jobs. He is a nationally recognized criminal justice advocate with deep experience building and leading criminal justice organizations and campaigns. He has worked with multiple Presidential Administrations, dozens of Governors and Cabinet members, and countless businesses and nonprofits.
John wrote and hosted an upcoming Second Chance Hiring and Retention documentary/training that will be released in late 2022 called Retaining Talent. Retaining Talent was filmed all across Florida and Washington, D.C., with businesses that hire people with criminal records, government officials, law enforcement, corporate and banking leaders, and at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Learn more about Cottage Four and Owner John Koufos as he discusses his views on second-chance hiring and the importance of tapping into this workforce.
– Check out Cottage Four: https://cottagefour.com/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Ep. 152 | Learn about the Florida High Tech Corridor with CEO Paul Sohl
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Paul Sohl is CEO of the Florida High Tech Corridor, an economic development initiative of the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, and the University of Florida, to attract, retain and grow high tech industry and innovation – and the workforce to support it – in a 23-county region. As CEO, he facilitates collaboration between the universities and their partners in economic development and oversees The Corridor Council’s portfolio of programs, including its Matching Grants Research Program, K-12 educational resource, stemCONNECT, and most recently Cenfluence, a clustering initiative in partnership with Orange County Government. Sohl holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University. Additionally, he is a graduate and former Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland.
The Florida High Tech Corridor is more than an initiative or facilitator; it’s a force multiplier. The 23-county region that spans Central Florida and defines The Corridor is anchored by three of the country’s largest research institutions: the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of South Florida (USF), and the University of Florida (UF). Powered by an ethos of collaboration, we align opportunities and resources in academia, industry, and economic development to unleash our region’s exponential potential.
Learn more about Paul Sohl and the Florida High Tech Corridor on this special recording from the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum.
– Check out the Florida High Tech Corridor: https://floridahightech.com/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Dr. Timothy Moore isn’t your stereotypical college president who rose through the ranks of academia. Instead, Indian River State College’s new president spent the first seven years of his career on active duty in the Army. He later worked as a research scientist in the public and private sectors before joining institutions such as Auburn University, Kansas State, and Florida A&M.
Today’s episode features, Tom Kindred leading a discussion with Indian River State College President Dr. Timothy Moore. Their conversation centers around, IRSC serving as Presenting Sponsor at the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum for the first time, the successful launch of the Promise Program at IRSC, and the benefits of partnering with IRSC for the business community.
– Check out Indian River State College: https://irsc.edu/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.
Friday Nov 11, 2022
Friday Nov 11, 2022
Advancing health has always been at the center of Florida Blue. From the critical coverage that delivers peace of mind to the full breadth of health solutions that care for every aspect of your well-being, rest assured that Florida Blue is always looking out for you, your family and your community as we have done for more than 75 years.
Listen to this episode all about the outlook of healthcare and Florida Blue’s work over the past few years to make healthcare more affordable for Small Business. This episode features Vice President of Local Commercial Markets Nick Tant. Nick Tant has over 24 years of leadership experience and has continuously grown in his roles and responsibility during his last 16 years with Florida Blue. He previously worked in the cellular wireless retail industry. Nick graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a bachelor of science in Finance and later attended the Columbia Business School.
– Check out Florida Blue: https://www.floridablue.com/
For more segments like these, subscribe to Small Biz Florida and Follow the official Small Biz Florida Instagram! This and the following segments were recorded at this year’s annual Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at the Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
– To learn more about The Florida Chamber, visit their website here.

