Held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, the sold-out Small Business Success Summit brought together more than 500 small business owners, Florida SBDC Network staff and consultants, partners, and resource providers to share valuable information to help business owners take their business to the next level.
“We were thrilled to bring the Small Business Success Summit back to Tampa, where we held our inaugural event back in 2022,” said Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network. “Each year, the event grows not only in size but in the depth of knowledge and collaboration. Our goal is for every attendee to leave with tools, insights, and relationships that make a real impact.”
U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, U.S. SBA Regional Administrator Tyler Teresa, U.S. SBA Regional Advocate Michael Vallante, Florida Department of Commerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly, and Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie Griffin provided special remarks to underscore the vital role small businesses play in Florida.
The two-day conference featured keynote presentations by Erik Qualman, five-time #1 international bestselling author and global speaker; Jess Eskstrom, bestselling author and founder of Headbands of Hope; and Dr. Jerry Parrish, Chief Economist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Attendees also participated in breakout sessions and networking opportunities.
Additionally, the Network hosted a special Reverse Trade Show as part of the event. The Reverse Trade Show drew more than 200 participants and brought together representatives from 22 government agencies, innovation hubs, and prime contractors to explore potential opportunities and partnerships.
The Florida SBDC Network wishes to thank its 2025 event sponsors and partners: Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Florida Power & Light, Square, The Florida High Tech Corridor, Florida Business Exchange, CareerSource Florida, Suncoast Credit Union, Cyber Florida at the University of South Florida, FloridaMakes, Better Business Bureau, Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Veterans Florida, Bank of Edison, Port of Tampa Bay, Verizon, Lendistry, Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, Florida Economic Development Council, and Florida Trend.
During the event, the Network announced it will host its 2026 Small Business Success Summit August 17-18 in Charlotte Harbor. For more information about the 2026 Small Business Success Summit, and to sign up for updates and register for next year’s event, please visit https://floridasbdc.org/success_summit/.
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