Small Biz Florida

Ep. 46 | Celebrating Women in Business Month at the Enterprise Hub at IRSC | FSBDC Special Segment

We're wrapping up #womeninbusiness month by bringing a special segment that features all the women that assist our #smallbusinesscomunity @floridasbdc at Indian River State College. ⁠⁠Join Executive Producer Katie Muldoon in this episode as she talks to Emily Mchugh Author of A Little Girl's Guide to Entrepreneurship, Katherine Culhane Associate Director of the Florida SBDC at Indian River State College, Leanna Haag Digital Marketing Specialist of the Center and Audio Engineer of the show Linda Gonzalez.
Together they discuss the role legislation had on creating opportunities for women to go into business. They also highlight the importance of self care as a women in business hustling while also having to take care of children and life at home.
 

Ep. 45 | Matt Hedrick Project Leader at Florida Power & Light 35 Mules | FEDC Conference 2021

Join us on the latest release of Small Biz Florida live from the Florida Economic Development Council conference. On this episode we featured Matthew Hedrick program leader at Florida Power & Light ⁠Matt is the head of an innovative program called 35 Mules. ⁠⁠35 Mules is an innovation hub launched by FPL in 2020, helps entrepreneurs develop their game-changing ideas in energy, water and energy-adjacent industries into a business based in Florida, further supporting the state's economic growth and flourishing the business environment. 
 

Ep. 44 | Xiomara Peña VP of External Engagement at Small Business Majority | Special Segment

On this bonus episode brought to you from the Access To Capital Summit in Ft. Pierce Florida Xiomara joins Tom to talk about capital access and what Small Business Majority has been doing in their small business communities in California. Xiomara brought her expertise to the Treasure Coast and talked to a group of bankers and organizations that are all sharing the effort to make the Treasure Coast a better place for businesses to grow by gaining access to capital. 
Xiomara Peña drives Small Business Majority’s external engagement efforts toward a more inclusive and equitable economy that directly benefits entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Alongside the organization’s small business engagement team, she works collaboratively on strengthening relationships with policymakers, small business owners, and organizations across the country to amplify our equity lens in all areas of our work. Xiomara has extensive experience supporting small businesses, particularly those run by people of color, women, and immigrants. Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Xiomara piloted business retention programs for the City of Los Angeles and programs geared toward empowering at-risk youth. She also has extensive experience as a business owner, community organizer, and campaign manager.
 
 
Connect with Xiomara Peña we've listed her social media links ⏬
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/xio-pena
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/xiopartnersco
Instagram : @xio_pena

Ep. 43 | Joey D‘Souza VP, External Engagement for The Able Trust | FEDC Conference

The Able Trust does its work in three primary strategic areas:  a comprehensive grant award effort that helps community organizations with programs that provide employment training, coaching, and placement;  an extensive and successful youth program, which addresses the need to encourage high school youth with disabilities to plan for their education and employment future;  and  programs directed at providing workforce experiences for people with disabilities – internships, mentoring, job shadowing, part and full time jobs.
The organization is funded through a combination of public and private dollars.  The positive impact of the work of The Able Trust has been felt by non-profit agencies serving people with various disabilities, by post-secondary institutions that welcome students with disabilities, and by people with disabilities and their families.
On this special segment from the FEDC Conference hosted at the Margaritaville Resort Orlando, Tom Kindred interviews Joey D'Souza VP of External Engagement with the Able Trust.
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month The Able Trust  is partaking in a national initiative highlighting career paths and industries to students and job seekers with disabilities; providing tools and resources to businesses to support their efforts in employing people with disabilities; and lastly, creating awareness of and advocating for an underutilized talent pool.
As a key leader in disability employment, The Able Trust’s DEAM program is designed to connect and support Florida’s businesses, local disability service agencies and people with disabilities. The variety of experiences curated by The Able Trust supports a path towards Florida being a role model of disability employment.
 

Ep. 42 | Kevin Carr CEO at Florida Makes | FEDC Conference

On this episode of Small Biz Florida, Tom interviews Kevin Carr the CEO at Florida Makes, a statewide, industry-led public-private partnership with the sole mission of strengthening and advancing Florida’s economy by improving the productivity and technological performance of its manufacturing sector, with an emphasis on small-and medium-sized firms. It accomplishes this by providing services focused on three principle value streams: technology adoption, talent development, and business growth.
MakeMore is a leadership-focused initiative  originally developed by FloridaMakes in partnership with Associated Industries of Florida, CareerSource Florida, Inc., Enterprise Florida, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce with the collective goal of elevating the state’s manufacturing industry and demonstrating its impact on the economy. These organizations recognized the importance of diversifying our economy and prioritizing the growth of an industry that provides high-wage, high-value jobs which can ultimately improve Florida's quality of life.
 

Ep. 41 | Lucienne Pears VP of Economic & Business Development of Babcock Ranch, FL | FEDC Conference

Join us on this special episode with Lucienne Pears Vice President of Economic and Business Development of Babcock Ranch,  America's First Solar Town. By utilizing an on-site 150-megawatt utility-scale solar generation facility. Babcock Ranch has entitled 6 million square feet for development of light industrial, retail, commercial, civic, and office space. Creating space for businesses to have room and resources to grow in a collaborative environment conducive for creation of value across sectors.
 
Lucienne Pears educates us on how this town came to be and all the innovative new projects coming to Babcock Ranch including recently becoming a host to pilot of “Smart Can” a robot that is programmed to cart your trash can to the curb for pickup. “Smart Can” is a robotic platform under development by Boston-based entrepreneurs who are leveraging automation to ease the burden of household chores.
 
 
 

Ep. 40 | Wendy Norfleet Owner of Norfleet Integrated Solutions | JMI SBL Conference 2021

Wendy Norfleet has extensive experience and success at assisting individuals and corporate partners in accessing and developing talent that may go unrecognized and unseen. She also has had numerous training and team-building events for corporate and non-profit clients.
Wendy published work in several journals, which titles include a Standard Methodology for Return on Investment for Software Improvement Projects, and Measuring Progress: A Realistic Approach to Implementing Level Three CMM. 
Her business, Norfleet Integrated Solutions provides strategic planning,  corporate training, leadership development, and career coaching to their clients
 

Ep. 39 | Jonathan Brimer Co Owner of Select Shades | JMI SBL Conference 2021

Taco Lover and Entrepreneur at heart. We interviewed Jonathan at the JMI Small Business Leadership Conference in Orlando and he talked to us Select Shades, he co-owns with his business partner Jason Pittenger. 
With Select Shades you are in for a journey of fashion, choice, style, protection, color, and texture. Select Shades delivers a positive experience centered around one simple category: Sunglasses. We help people see the world through 50 iconic sunglass brands: available in-store, digitally, and at your event!

Ep. 38 | Jeff O‘ Hara Founder of AlliedPRA | JMI SBL Conference 2021

In ‘Have Fun, Fight Back and Keep the Party Going’, Jeff O’Hara entertains readers, entrepreneurs, and industry experts with brutally honest “war stories” showing exactly how he navigated the chaos and destruction left in Hurricane Katrina’s wake while building the foundation for AlliedPRA - his destination management company.
Since purchasing the AlliedPRA New Orleans franchise in 2002, he has made the New Orleans destination experience his focus, winning numerous awards and accolades in the process. In 2016 and 2017 AlliedPRA was named to the Inc.5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. 
Along the way he has started and developed 7 other hospitality businesses and 2 real estate companies. He has also backed several start ups as an Angel Investor, including firms in the fields of technology, biotech, consumer staples and alternative energy.

Ep. 37 | Vicky Zelen Owner of Zelen Risk Solutions | JMI SBL Conference 2021

Vicky Zelen founded Zelen Risk Solutions, Inc. in 2003 after 17 years of industry experience. She started working in the industry when she was still in high school. She has used all her combined experience to give her clients an unmatched experience versus her competitors. Listen to her interview now to hear all about what makes her insurance firm stand out from the others.