Tampa Bay Economic Prosperity Foundation

For all media inquiries please contact:

Michelle Bauer

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

About the Foundation

The Tampa Bay Economic Prosperity Foundation (TBEPF) was formed as a 501c(3) in 2018. Its mission is to conduct research and educate our community about issues that affect job creation and economic opportunity in Tampa Bay.

Board of Directors

Dr. Ken Atwater

President
Hillsborough Community College, Chairman

Patty Hamilton

Managing Director and Shareholder
CBIZ, Secretary/Treasurer

Nathaniel Doliner

Shareholder
Carlton Fields, Director

Felicia Harvey

Director, Communications
Coca-Cola Beverages Florida

Leilani Scott

Chief People Officer
AdventHealth

Stephanie Smith

Vice President, State and Regional Affairs
TECO

Craig J. Richard

President & Ceo, Tampa EDC
President & CEO, Tampa Economic Prosperity Foundation

Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy

In 2020, the TBEPF and the Tampa Bay EDC began meeting with partners in the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County to understand how best to address income inequality and foster greater investment in Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs) and Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs). Working closely with City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and her economic development team, the Tampa Bay EDC and TBEPF determined that a campaign was needed to capitalize the initiatives required to bring living wage jobs and investment to priority QOZs and CRAs in Tampa and Hillsborough County.

The Inclusive Economic Growth Initiative (IEGI) has a two-pronged strategy for generating greater economic prosperity: creating jobs in economically distressed areas of Tampa and Hillsborough County through awareness of investment and career opportunities.

The Initiative was developed in collaboration with the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, Career Source Tampa Bay, and Hillsborough Community College. Its general purposes are to:

1. Conduct outreach to identify community partners and projects.

Reimbursable training expenses for instructor wages, curriculum development and materials for new value-added businesses or provide existing Florida businesses the necessary training for expansion.

Target Area Programs, including Opportunity Zones, New Markets Tax Credits, and Community Redevelopment Areas.

2. Build and market an Opportunity Zones Program by identifying catalytic projects that will generate job growth in QOZs and CRAs including:

• East Tampa

• Central Park/Ybor City

• University Area/Uptown

3. Develop and promote site-ready initiatives and evaluate projects for catalytic placemaking potential (feasibility & due diligence).

• Leverage partner TBEDC’s economic development capacity to drive projects and initiatives in each target area

• Utilize network of real estate, development, and finance experts to secure investment.

4. Develop awareness campaigns to:

Promote the skills development of the local workforce in QOZs and CRAs
Generate living-wage employment opportunities for residents in those areas in partnership with CareerSource Tampa Bay, HCC and local employers.

The CertUp Career Awareness Campaign

The CertUp Career Awareness campaign was launched in September 2022 as the signature workforce component of the Inclusive Economic Growth Initiative (IEGI). The campaign was created to address economic inequities in underserved communities including East Tampa, Central Park and Ybor City by connecting residents to short-term education and training programs that lead to high-demand, career-worthy jobs.

We recognized that while Tampa Bay’s economy was rapidly growing, many residents in historically underserved neighborhoods lacked awareness of accessible pathways into industries facing severe workforce shortages. CertUp was designed to bridge that gap by promoting affordable certificate and degree programs at Hillsborough College tied directly to in-demand careers such as welding, healthcare, cybersecurity, electrical line work, construction trades, automotive collision technology and FinTech.

The campaign advances the goals of the IEGI by focusing on skills training, job creation and economic mobility in targeted neighborhoods. Through strategic digital advertising, social media, billboards, video storytelling and search marketing, CertUp reaches younger adults in targeted zip codes with information about fast-track career opportunities.

The campaign has proven successful, with Hillsborough College reporting a double-digit increase in certain program enrollments from students living in the targeted zip codes since CertUp launched.

Prosper Tampa Bay Campaign

In February 2021, the TBEPF established its first capital campaign, Prosper Tampa Bay.

The campaign raised more than $1.8 million in support of the Inclusive Economic Growth Initiative. The Tampa Bay EDC also donated more than $600,000 worth of in-kind services through 2024.