Stories

The Intellectual Capital

April 8, 2021

Drew Dietrich, Deputy Director Tallahassee is known for many things – endless outdoor adventures, Southern Hospitality, unrivaled festivals, and you guessed it, college football. But hiding just beneath the surface is a little known truth – there’s an awful lot of knowledgeable and skilled people walking around. In 2020, Tallahassee ranked as the 17th most […]

Re-Entry: A Key Point for Business Innovation

March 4, 2021

Richard Fetchick, Business Intelligence Manager In an effort to improve the re-entry pipeline for the formerly incarnated, Leon County Government and the Office of Economic Vitality partnered with MIT Sloan School of Management-USA Lab. This study included housing, transportation, counseling, and career opportunities. From the USA Lab Partnership, the importance of connecting re-entering citizens to […]

Big Bend Manufacturers Association Update

Kevin Gehrke, Business Development Manager, Applied Science Happy March everyone!  I am pleased to announce that this first quarter has been very successful for the recently Big Bend Manufacturers Association (BBMA). We have filled our board with the addition of the heads of two successful local manufacturing organizations and a local accounting firm. These members have […]

How Florida’s Capital Built Magnetic Momentum

February 1, 2021

Kevin Gehrke, Business Development Manager, Applied Science As most in the area know, Tallahassee is home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, affectionately known as “The MagLab”.  However, what many may not realize is Tallahassee is also home to other organizations that work and specialize in magnetics.  The advantage of having multiple magnetics organizations […]

Innovation and Local Entrepreneurs

December 1, 2020

Richard Fetchick Tallahassee boasts great assets that serve as springboards to innovation. Florida A&M REACH, ACT House, Innovation Park, Domi Station, Tallahassee Community College Center for Innovation, and Florida State equip thousands of bright minds every year with tools that can lead to new, commercializable ideas. In 2019, Leon-County-based tech startups brought in $823,000 in […]

Targeted Industry Analysis and Selection Study, Economic Retrospective, and Incubator and Accelerator Study for Tallahassee-Leon County, Florida

March 13, 2018

As a catalyst for change, the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) is charged with developing programs and initiatives that support a vibrant economic ecosystem that leverages ideas and innovations throughout the community. To be effective, it must have sound, relevant information about the economic and demographic history of the region, current drivers of […]

Urban Vitality Job Creation Pilot Program

December 29, 2017

The Urban Vitality Job Creation Pilot Program is a locally-based program designed to spur job creation, encourage employment stability, and promote economic vitality in the Promise Zone area. If you are a small business in or relocating to this area that plans to hire new employees in 2018, you may be eligible to participate in […]

Makers Make Their Mark at Startup Week

November 14, 2017

By TOM FLANIGAN • NOV 14, 2017 This is Startup Week in Tallahassee. The observance is intended to promote more entrepreneurship and business creativity. One of the occasion’s first events took place on Monday (11/13) morning and focused on local small businesses that actually make things. A Capital City mother/daughter team was talking about the […]

Florida Job Growth Grant Fund

July 31, 2017

Governor Rick Scott recently announced that Enterprise Florida and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity are accepting economic development project proposals for the new $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. The Governor will be provided with vetted applications for final selection. Eligible projects include community infrastructure investments or workforce training programs. Public infrastructure projects can […]

What is CapitalLOOP?

July 12, 2017

Building a network of stakeholders to expand economic opportunities is pivotal to what we do at the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV). OEV, a division of Tallahassee-Leon County PLACE (Planning, Land Management & Community Enhancement), is the central economic development hub for Florida’s Capital and implementer of the community’s first-ever Economic Development Strategic Plan. To […]

Upcoming Events
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August 20, 2025

The Economic Vitality Leadership Council is responsible for quarterly meeting to increase the community’s competitiveness across the six economic development initiatives, provide advice upon implementing the strategic plan, encourage collaboration across all community sectors, and recommend improvements to improve competitiveness.

August 20, 2025

The Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) explores strategies for engaging and empowering MWSBEs to meet goals identified in the Economic Development Strategic Plan. This citizen-led committee provides critical input, oversight, and transparency toward OEV’s MWSBE goal attainment. It will form subcommittees and a task force to determine milestones and […]