The Economic Vitality Leadership Council is responsible for meeting quarterly to increase the community’s competitiveness across the six economic development initiatives, provide advice upon implementation of the strategic plan, encourage collaboration across all sectors of the community, and recommend improvements to improve competitiveness.
Intern Spotlight: Gabriella Garcia
The Office of Economic Vitality is proud to welcome and spotlight the newest member of our team, Gabriella Garcia. She has joined our MWSBE team as a Graduate Intern. Gabriella is currently pursuing a Master of Science (M.S.) in Applied American Politics and Policy Candidate at Florida State University and will graduate in May 2022.
MWSBE Spotlight: Kitschy Wearable Art
Chrissy Souders is a woman of multiple talents, a seasoned broadcast journalist and innovative founder of Kitschy Wearable Art. Her collaborative spirit and unique eye for new trends made her a natural for Women Wednesdays, a local grassroots initiative to make Tallahassee a #1City4Women. When COVID19 hit, she jumped into action to transform Women Wednesdays’
MWSBE Spotlight: Business Automation Pros
Catering to small and medium-sized businesses, Business Automation Pros specializes in creating secure paperless environments, process automation, and document management by providing a wide array of innovative software options coupled with first-rate consulting services. The company is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, and serves the entire state of Florida along with Southern Georgia. Document management consulting
MWSBE Spotlight: Mega Ace Media, LLC
Mega Ace Media, LLC was formed in July of 2019. Vaughn Wilson, owner and operator of the company, re-started his company after a 10-year term developing the multimedia department of the FAMU Department of Athletics from the ground up. His tenure culminated with the department fully equipped and capable to do ESPN-3 broadcasts in-house. Upon reaching
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Certification
LaTanya Raffington, Senior Coordinator, MWSBE The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Certification Program is a federal program created for business owners deemed “socially and economically disadvantaged.” The Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program is similar to the DBE program in that the program is designed to level the playing field for small businesses that want
‘Black Owned Friday’ brings optimism for Tallahassee’s holiday shopping season
TaMaryn Waters, Tallahassee Democrat Twice as many Black-owned businesses were forced to close this year compared to white-owned businesses as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, some local economic experts say 2020 — the year of racial reckoning — may be ripe for “Black Owned Friday” to stop the decline. LaTanya White, an entrepreneurship instructor at Florida A&M’s
Small Business Certifications & Why Your Business Needs One
Shanea Wilks Are you a small business owner with an interest in local government contracting? Are you seeking the opportunity to compete against like-sized firms for projects smaller in scale? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Tallahassee-Leon County Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program may interest you. The SBE Program, administered by
Moving MWBEs Forward
Darryl Jones Fall 2020 will mark a new chapter of the activity in the expansion of the MWSBE Division of the Office of Economic Vitality. The $65 million Tallahassee Police Department will be the largest construction project since the consolidation of the MWSBE programs of the City of Tallahassee and Leon County Government and the