Temperature-wise, July has been a scorcher, and I hope you’ve managed to beat the heat with some family time at the pool or on a getaway to cooler climes. But when it comes to rankings, Tampa Bay has been on a white-hot tear all month, too. The hard work that each of you has put into making our community an exceptional place to grow a business, raise a family and thrive personally and professionally continues to pay off. The Wall Street Journal and Business Insider lauded Tampa as a hotspot for Gen Z and Millennial professionals and tourists. WSJ’s Alexander Lobrano declared Miami “passé” for twenty-somethings, who prefer downtown Tampa’s more chill vibe, stellar food and bar scene, and amenities such as the Riverwalk that offer greater walkability and connectivity between the urban core and the Heights. Business Insider shared glowing reviews of Tampa from recent Gen Z arrivals who love our city’s relative affordability compared to other major metros and see tremendous opportunities for their entrepreneurial and career ambitions.
Our explosive population gain and the reasons folks are raving about their decision to move to Tampa is a direct result of our business, academic and local government leaders’ intentional efforts to make this special place as welcoming and opportunity rich as possible. While plenty of retirees are finding their way here, too, it’s the younger generations that are becoming our biggest ambassadors. They’re raving about our year-round outdoor lifestyle, lack of pretentiousness, and the support they get from fellow entrepreneurs and young professional organizations that are genuinely eager to help them succeed. These powerful testimonials are going to help us attract even more great talent and keep the economy humming.
As we power into the home stretch of our 2023 fiscal year, our team is working hard to ensure that we have an impact on all areas of our community. Thanks to great partnerships like those we’ve forged with USF and the Truist Foundation, work will soon begin to train residents from less advantaged neighborhoods for jobs in our smart manufacturing industry. Exciting and novel partnerships like those forged by Port Tampa Bay, the Lightning Foundation and Moffitt Cancer Center are bringing potentially life saving cancer screening into the heart of one of our most visited parts of the city. And as we look ahead to the start of a new academic year, we’ll be doubling down on our efforts to connect employers with our colleges, universities and training providers to retain as many graduates as possible to support the growth of our workforce.
Stay cool and enjoy the final weeks of summer. Thank you for all you do to support the Tampa Bay EDC!
Craig
