Sarasota Chamber keeping focus on supporting business leaders in 2024
“The sign of a good leader is not how many followers you have, but how many leaders you create,” Gandhi is quoted as saying. Leadership is a critically important concept and a constant focus for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
Leadership starts at the top and is usually the difference between a company that excels and one that struggles. The same can be said for leadership at the city, county, state and federal levels of government.
At the Chamber, we are diligently working to build, resource and grow leaders in our businesses, as well as in our community. We understand that supporting and strengthening leaders is the key to unlocking new economic opportunities and is a building block of job growth.
So, when it comes to leadership, here’s what you can expect in 2024 from the Sarasota Chamber:
The Sarasota Chamber of Commerce for over 103 years has served and will continue to serve as a platform for connection, referrals and collaboration for our businesses. Building a network of relationships with our members is key to having a strong, united business community.
The Chamber will be collaborating with many notable community groups to improve access to affordable housing, smart development and other programs focused on building Sarasota’s bright future. Affordable housing is a legitimate business issue that affects our economy and the workforce of this community.
A key resource that we provide at the Sarasota Chamber is being a source of reliable, relevant, and impactful information for the business community. Here at the Chamber, we not only see knowledge as power but also as intel that serves to arm businesses with the information they need to power their businesses. Our Shumaker Chamber University series features monthly workshops on all aspects of leadership and business acumen.
We need to continue to develop the prosperous business climate in Florida and Sarasota. Not having a state income tax, for instance, attracts businesses from other highly taxed states to Florida. Many times, these calls come to the Chamber from businesses looking to relocate to our area. We work with our partners at the EDC to steer them to the resources they need to make a transition happen. The momentum of growth in Florida is stronger than ever with close to 1,200 people a day moving here and if Florida were a country, it would be the 15th largest economy in the world based on GDP.
We need to prepare our infrastructure for smart growth and development. Our transportation systems need to be constructed to better meet the needs of the working middle class. According to a study from the Tampa Bay Partnership, we have some catching up to do relative to metropolitan areas of similar sizes and with similar demographics – specifically increasing the availability of transportation options.
We must continue the full-court press around workforce development and creating a solid talent pipeline for our employers. Through the Chamber’s CareerEdge programming, we partner with companies to upskill workers and create fast-track programs in the region. Our internship programs are a win-win for companies, as well as the individuals who participate in them – it’s a great “try before you buy” for both parties. Right now, Florida is creating 1 out of every 4 jobs in the country, per the Florida Chamber Foundation.
Our Opportunities for All program will continue to build upon the success of placing minority interns with local companies and supporting small minority-owned companies through our business grant program. Building and supporting a diverse business
ecosystem helps all of our local businesses to thrive. The application process for our OFA internship program is now open and available on our website.
The Sarasota Chamber will continue to build and strengthen local leaders (adult and youth) through our Leadership Sarasota programs. This year we had a record number of applicants for this prestigious program, which is an immersive acclimation to the Sarasota 1740 E Venice Ave Ste 4 ViCllahVreinsezCiariPtleazsa, 9AA41-M4S1"2-1014 community and its needs. In addition, the Young Professionals Group is an active group designed to engage professionals 40 and under with a platform of events geared towards career growth and connection.
We’ll be sharing more insight on all of these topics at our upcoming 2024 Annual Chamber Breakfast on Friday, March 22 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Our featured speaker is Kyle McDowell, the author of “Begin With We.” He is a Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY “Best Seller” and an experienced speaker with broad national reach. Kyle will be sharing his 10 principles for building 1343 Main St Suite 501 941-955-1419
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9411--992255-0-0117766 and sustaining a culture of excellence. For more information on this event and all Chamber programs, please visit sarasotachamber.com.
We have a full docket of opportunities and challenges before us in Sarasota, all of which are things that need our collective attention, engagement, and leadership in order to continue to have a strong and robust economy for us to live and work in. John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” We’re working hard at the Sarasota Chamber to provide both.
The Greater Sarasota Chamber of
Commerce works to cultivate Sarasota’s prosperity and quality of life through our member businesses. To learn more about the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce please visit our website at sarasotachamber.com.
Heather Kasten is the President/CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and has been with the organization since March 2019. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in business administration and a MBA from Webster University. Contact her at hkasten@sarasotachamber.com