Tampa Bay Chamber names 2025 Small Business Winners – Tampa Bay Business & Wealth

Report on the 45th Annual Tampa Bay Chamber Small Business of the Year Awards

Executive Summary

The Tampa Bay Chamber hosted its 45th Annual Small Business of the Year Awards on November 6, recognizing enterprises that significantly contribute to the region’s economic vitality and sustainable development. The event, attended by over 400 business leaders, highlighted the critical role of small businesses in advancing several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The awards celebrate companies demonstrating resilience, innovation, and a strong commitment to community impact, thereby fostering a sustainable and inclusive local economy.

Alignment with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The ceremony underscored the function of small businesses as the primary engine for local economic progress, a core tenet of SDG 8. By celebrating these enterprises, the Tampa Bay Chamber reinforces the importance of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. Bob Rohrlack, President and CEO of the Chamber, stated, “Small businesses are the heart of Tampa Bay’s economy,” affirming their role in creating productive employment and decent work for the community. The program has consistently recognized leaders who build a thriving regional economy, showcasing a long-term commitment to sustainable economic development.

2025 Award Recipients and Contributions to Sustainable Development

The 2025 honorees represent a diverse cross-section of industries, each contributing to a dynamic and resilient business sector. Their success exemplifies how purpose-driven leadership can generate sustainable growth.

Recognized Enterprises Driving Local Growth

• Startup Business of the Year: Harbour Business Law
• Small Business of the Year (5–20 Employees): Digital Neighbor
• Small Business of the Year (21–50 Employees): Yo Mama’s Foods
• Small Business of the Year (51–250 Employees): Gigglewaters

Leadership and Gender Equality (SDG 5)

Amy Martinez-Monfort, founder and CEO of Tampa Laundry Company, was honored as the Outstanding Small Business Leader of the Year. This award highlights the advancement of women in leadership positions, directly supporting SDG 5 by recognizing female entrepreneurs who guide companies from the startup phase to established success, thereby promoting equal opportunities in economic life.

Fostering Innovation and Community Resilience (SDG 9 & SDG 11)

The awards program serves as a platform to promote Tampa Bay as a hub for innovation, aligning with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). The recognized businesses are celebrated not only for their economic contributions but also for their creativity and adaptability. Furthermore, the emphasis on community engagement reflects a commitment to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Kristin Johnson, chair of the awards committee, noted that the evaluation process highlights the “community impact of Tampa Bay’s small businesses,” reinforcing the connection between business success and the creation of inclusive, safe, and resilient local communities.

Strategic Recommendations for Advancing Sustainable Development

The event provides a framework for other local businesses to integrate sustainable practices into their operations. Following the example of the honorees, businesses are encouraged to pursue the following strategic actions.

Pathways to Sustainable Business Growth

1. Engage in Strategic Partnerships (SDG 17): Businesses should leverage mentorship and development opportunities through organizations like the Chamber to build robust networks that foster collaborative growth.
2. Strengthen Local Economic Ecosystems: Building strong partnerships with other local companies is essential for increasing collective visibility, fostering collaboration, and enhancing regional economic resilience.
3. Prioritize Purpose and Community Service: Integrating community engagement into core business strategy builds brand trust and ensures long-term, sustainable success, contributing directly to community well-being and economic stability.

Future Outlook

Following the event, award recipients are integrated into a network of past winners who collaborate on mentorship, advocacy, and regional development initiatives, further strengthening the region’s capacity for sustainable growth. Applications for the 2026 awards will open in early spring, continuing the tradition of recognizing businesses that power Tampa Bay’s collective success.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   The article is centered on celebrating small businesses as the “heart of Tampa Bay’s economy” and the drivers of the “local economy,” “economic growth,” and a “thriving regional economy.” The awards recognize companies that contribute to the region’s “economic vitality” and “collective success.”

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   The article repeatedly highlights Tampa Bay as a “hub for innovation” and celebrates “innovators” and “creativity.” It showcases a “diversity and dynamism of the small business sector,” which aligns with the goal of fostering innovation and diversifying the industrial base.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   The article specifically recognizes Amy Martinez-Monfort, “founder and CEO of Tampa Laundry Company,” with the “Outstanding Small Business Leader of the Year award.” This highlights and promotes female leadership in the economic sphere, a key aspect of SDG 5.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   The role of the Tampa Bay Chamber itself exemplifies this goal. The article describes how it brings together “more than 400 business leaders” and encourages winners to “join a network of past winners who collaborate with the Chamber on mentorship, advocacy and regional development initiatives.” It also advises businesses to “Build local partnerships.”

Specific SDG Targets Identified

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  • Target 8.3: “Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises…” The entire awards program, as described in the article, is a development-oriented initiative run by the Chamber to support and celebrate entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of small businesses in Tampa Bay.
  • Target 8.2: “Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation…” The article supports this by highlighting the “diversity and dynamism of the small business sector” with winners from “legal services to consumer goods” and by positioning Tampa Bay as a “thriving center for entrepreneurship and innovation.”

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  • Target 9.3: “Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises… to financial services… and their integration into value chains and markets.” The Chamber’s program helps integrate small businesses into the market by increasing their visibility and providing a network for “mentorship, advocacy and regional development initiatives,” which strengthens their position in the local economy.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  • Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in… economic… life.” The article directly addresses this by awarding the “Outstanding Small Business Leader of the Year award” to a female founder and CEO, Amy Martinez-Monfort, thereby recognizing and promoting women’s leadership in business.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The Tampa Bay Chamber is a private-sector/civil-society partnership that fosters collaboration. The article notes that winners join a network to “collaborate with the Chamber” and advises businesses to “Build local partnerships to increase visibility and collaboration.”

Indicators for Measuring Progress

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  • Number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supported: The article implies this indicator by naming the four winning companies (Harbour Business Law, Digital Neighbor, Yo Mama’s Foods, Gigglewaters) and the individual leader who are being recognized and supported by the Chamber’s program.
  • Growth of the local economy: While not quantified, the article repeatedly implies positive economic progress, stating that small businesses are “driving the local economy” and contributing to “economic growth” and “economic vitality.”

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  • Proportion of women in leadership positions: The article provides a specific data point for this indicator by highlighting that the “Outstanding Small Business Leader of the Year award” was given to a woman, Amy Martinez-Monfort, founder and CEO.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Number of stakeholders participating in partnerships: The article mentions that the event “brought together more than 400 business leaders,” which serves as a direct indicator of stakeholder engagement in the Chamber’s partnership activities.
  • Existence of collaborative networks: The article explicitly mentions the creation of a network for award recipients, who “join a network of past winners who collaborate with the Chamber on mentorship, advocacy and regional development initiatives.”

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: tbbwmag.com