AMPLIFY Clearwater is the main enterprise advocacy group in North Pinellas County and serves because the Chamber of Commerce for the Higher Clearwater space. AMPLIFY is a connector, linking communities, individuals, companies, sources and extra.
Based in 2019, AMPLIFY Clearwater is the results of the merger of two organizations: the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Clearwater Seaside Chamber of Commerce. As such, AMPLIFY is privileged to hold out over 100 years of historical past in the neighborhood.
Past the normal advantages provided to its members, AMPLIFY Clearwater leads advocacy efforts on the metropolis, County and State ranges to make sure its group enjoys a pro-business atmosphere with alternatives to develop and thrive. The group additionally works to make medical insurance protection, retirement choices and extra accessible to small companies who make use of residents, making the group a extra engaging place to dwell and work within the course of.
- 800+ Companions: connections are on the core of what AMPLIFY does. Members take pleasure in customized introductions to the individuals and companies they need to know.
- Advocacy: AMPLIFY is proud to symbolize the curiosity of its companions in any respect ranges of presidency. Our group thrives when native companies are capable of develop and prosper, which is why we advocate for pro-business insurance policies. Moreover, companions are surveyed yearly to determine legislative priorities which might be then offered to legislators, in particular person, in Tallahassee throughout an annual go to.
- Celebrating the Wins: Yearly, AMPLIFY acknowledges the shining stars of their enterprise group on the Stellar Awards, a night to have fun the individuals and organizations who make the area a greater place. Our companions nominate their friends in classes that mirror the colourful and numerous small companies that make up the material of Clearwater. Then– it’s celebration time.
- Tourism: Amplify serves because the unified voice for Tourism within the Clearwater vacation spot space, working two high-traffic customer data facilities and producing the official Clearwater Trip Information yearly. Guests from all over the world belief AMPLIFY’s suggestions and plan their trip with the instruments they supply.
Making medical insurance protection and advantages accessible to small companies
Management in organizations of all sizes, however particularly small companies, battle with the prices of worker profit plans. Over the course of 10 years, premiums have risen by over 43%, whereas worker contributions rose by 41% in the identical time interval. Hiring and expertise retention have gotten precedence points, for which management desires to offer options. Advantages rank among the many most necessary parts of compensation. In actual fact, staff will generally choose jobs with decrease pay if the advantages are richer. Aggressive advantages are necessary, however there may be typically heavy administrative work related to them. Essentially the most optimum answer is a turnkey advantages and administration answer, with personalized enrollment companies, together with on-line and on-site choices.
AMPLIFY Clearwater has partnered with AvMed and Exemplary Well being to supply totally customizable well being and advantages protection plans for his or her members, irrespective of the scale of their enterprise or the variety of lives insured. By providing progressive and sustainable options, AMPLIFY seems ahead to serving to its members scale back prices and enhance worker satisfaction and retention, in addition to high quality of care.
AMPLIFY is proud to supply this profit to ALL their companions, irrespective of the annual funding they’re able to dedicate. Whether or not an organization has two staff or 30, these totally customized well being advantages plans will save each participant 1000’s of {dollars} a yr.
These plans are ONLY obtainable to present AMPLIFY Clearwater members. ? Scan the QR code to enter your data and get a quote.
- ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER (2 pages)
DEVELOPING A ROBUST WORKFORCE & BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH A FULL-SERVICE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER
In 2023, AMPLIFY Clearwater made headlines for launching the primary and solely enterprise incubator program centered on Tourism Innovation within the State of Florida. Following a profitable first cohort and $30,000 in money distributed to small companies, AMPLIFY introduced that this was solely step one in opening a full-service Entrepreneurship Middle at its headquarters.
Listed here are among the applications anticipated to make up its programming:
- Enterprise Incubator Program centered on Tourism Innovation: On the heels of Clearwater being named #1 seaside within the US once more, this enterprise incubator initiative additional capitalizes on what the Clearwater group already does so nicely. This biannual 10-week program attracts promising present progress stage companies from all around the state and assists entrepreneurs to understand the mandatory adjustments to ensure sustainability of their companies. The main target is on rising tendencies, strategic partnerships and progressive concepts to drive continued success.
- Bootcamps and Workshops: Along with the twice-a-year incubator cohorts, the Entrepreneurship Middle will host bootcamps and workshops periodically. These lessons goal to offer continued schooling in technical, authorized and monetary topics to entrepreneurs, with the assistance of skilled facilitators.
- Workforce growth initiatives: These applications will fulfill the necessity to up-skill and/or re-skill the workforce, attracting new employers and higher-paying jobs to the area.
- Internships/Apprenticeships: Amplify seems ahead to growing extra alternatives to put native highschool and school college students into the workforce pipeline, and to retain expertise within the area.
Picture Caption: AMPLIFY Clearwater management unveils IGNITE Entrepreneurship Middle at their Spring 2024 Pitch Night time occasion with naming rights sponsor Duke Power, represented by Florida President Melissa Seixas
Why AMPLIFY?
In 2022, AMPLIFY Clearwater was chosen by the Metropolis of Clearwater Financial Improvement division to take over Clearwater Enterprise SPARK, a small enterprise help initiative. In lower than a full yr working SPARK, AMPLIFY immensely grew its footprint, training what this system preaches: sources shared with these wishing to begin a enterprise, however uncertain how or the place to seek out all the data and assist wanted for his or her success.
Why now?
After AMPLIFY rebranded SPARK to suit extra organically beneath its umbrella, there was nonetheless an present hole in service. Whereas SPARK helps aspiring entrepreneurs early on within the enterprise growth course of, AMPLIFY Clearwater addresses the enterprise’ wants after hanging the primary shingle, leaving these within the ideation part, or the expansion part of a enterprise with out privately-led assist within the North Pinellas area. AMPLIFY Clearwater is uniquely certified to fill this hole, because it already leads the opposite two initiatives.
Success Story:
Lori Lenhart, proprietor of Allori Blow Dry Bar; cohort member of the Fall of 2023 Enterprise Incubator program, and second-place winner of AMPLIFY Clearwater’s first Pitch Night time.
Lori Lenhart is the proprietor of Allori Blow Dry Bar in Belleair Bluffs. Not like a conventional hair salon, Lori’s enterprise is centered round an expensive blow dry expertise that may be loved throughout a lunch break or a trip. Apart from its location close to the Gulf seashores, there’s a clear connection to tourism for Lori’s enterprise: vacationers look to bask in hair, make-up and infusion companies whereas away from dwelling.
Lori heard concerning the new program on Fb. She submitted an software and was chosen to be a participant of the inaugural cohort. “As a enterprise proprietor, I got here into class as soon as per week, each week and realized new data. They gave us sources to develop our enterprise, whether or not it was advertising, funds or operations,” she mentioned.
Upon completion of this system, Lori pitched her enterprise to judges April Caldwell, CEO of fayVen; Lauren Fernandez, founder and CEO of Allegrow; and Emmanuel Hernandez, Dean of the School of Enterprise at St. Petersburg School on the incubator’s first Pitch Night time. Whereas she was nervous to stand up to the rostrum, she felt supported by the remainder of her cohort: “I walked away with new enterprise companions – not financially, however in assist of what all of us do.” Allori Blow Dry Bar gained second place, and was awarded $10,000.
For extra data and to use, contact Joe Lugo, Chief of Workers at [email protected], or go to www.amplifyclearwater.com/incubator.
- ACHIEVEHERS (2 pages)
AchieveHERs is a peer-to-peer networking group for skilled ladies, by skilled ladies. To advance AMPLIFY Clearwater, AchieveHERs gives participating experiences that deliberately foster management by means of an inclusive tradition of assist, knowledge and group connections to nurture private {and professional} life for all ladies. AchieveHERs is open to each established ladies in enterprise and people aspiring to steer.
AchieveHERs affords month-to-month alternatives for his or her members to attach within the type of socials, named Energize HER Hour within the mornings, and Happi HER Hour within the evenings. Moreover, AMPLIFY Clearwater produces 4 Signature Occasions a yr, together with the extremely anticipated and all the time well-attended Signature Luncheon. “Yearly, we kick off Worldwide Girls’s Month early with the AchieveHERs Signature Luncheon, the place keynote audio system contact on a topic that girls in our group search,” mentioned Camille Hebting, Govt Vice President, Exterior Affairs for AMPLIFY Clearwater, and AchieveHERs Workers Liaison. “It’s an honor to comply with the footsteps of the founding members of this group to proceed to carry necessary conversations to rooms stuffed with change makers.” In February of 2024, AchieveHERs welcomed enterprise leaders Liz and Mallory Dimmitt on the Signature Luncheon stage. Liz and Mallory tragically misplaced their brother Lawrence to suicide; they opened up about their expertise, shared recommendation and highlighted sources that resonated with the 200+ ladies and men in attendance.
10 Years of AchieveHERs
AMPLIFY celebrated 10 years of AchieveHERs final yr – certainly, November of 2023 marked 10 years for the reason that very first AchieveHERs Signature Luncheon. To have fun, the group reunited the founding members of the group, invited previous members and included new members to share testimonials concerning the previous decade and desires for the long run. The consequence? Six short-form movies that may be considered on AchieveHERs Social Media platforms
Social Media handles:
Fb – AchieveHERs
Instagram – @achieveherswsw
LinkedIn – AchieveHERs
In 2024, AchieveHERs seems ahead to sharing the stage with different ladies’s teams within the Tampa Bay Area. “We’re devoted to intentional collaboration, in order that we are able to amplify the message that vulnerability, whereas tough, is paramount,” provides Hebting. “AchieveHERs celebrates the ebbs and flows of being skilled ladies and the variety of our group by connecting our members to the sources they want, the individuals they need to meet and the companies they need to know.”
BECOME AN ACHIEVEHER
Be a part of this sturdy community {of professional} ladies from throughout Tampa Bay as we sort out the problems affecting ladies within the office, join you with a community of trusted advisors, promote you and what you are promoting and supply abilities and experiences that aid you get extra out of life – each inside and outdoors of the workplace. To discover our membership ranges and advantages, and to hitch, go to amplifyclearwater.com/achievehers
The Carol Hague AchieveHERs Girl of the 12 months Award
Named after AchieveHER founding member and former Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Carol Hague, this award acknowledges trailblazing ladies who epitomize group and success. These servant leaders are celebrated by their friends for being change-makers for whom impression is essentially the most beneficial deliverable.
Previous recipients embrace:
2023 – Sheri Aquilar
2022 – Sharon Fekete
2021 – Suzy Sofer
2020 – Haley Crum
- CYP (1 web page)
Clearwater Younger Professionals is the second peer-to-peer networking group present beneath the umbrella of AMPLIFY Clearwater. By month-to-month socials and quarterly signature occasions, the group connects like-minded professionals in related seasons of life to be taught, develop and share beneficial insights. Members take pleasure in group connections, private {and professional} growth, and extra.
About our 2024 Chairperson, Matt Maizes of Hill Ward Henderson:
Clearwater Younger Professionals is happy to welcome Matt Maizes as their 2024 Chairperson. Though initially from the Fort Lauderdale space, Matt began visiting Pinellas County in 2012 after assembly his spouse, Lauren (a Palm Harbor native), on the College of Florida. Matt fell in love with the area and Matt and Lauren have been capable of transfer again to the realm completely in 2020. Professionally, Matt is an legal professional specializing in mergers & acquisitions and common enterprise regulation within the Company and Tax Group on the regulation agency Hill Ward Henderson. Matt grew to become concerned with CYP in 2023 and, shortly thereafter, was tapped to be the group’s Recruitment Chair. Seeing Matt’s ardour for networking, want to attach younger professionals, and new concepts, Matt was requested to be the 2024 Chairperson for this system.
“Within the age of social media interplay and distant conferences, merely exhibiting up in particular person is essentially the most highly effective software to construct private {and professional} relationships,” says Maizes. Working in Tampa, dwelling in St. Pete and networking in Clearwater (and all through Tampa Bay), Matt understands that the Tampa Bay area is booming and is attracting among the most proficient younger professionals on this planet, representing a various vary of industries. “Clearwater is on the rise and so must be its community of younger professionals. I envision CYP turning into a robust community of those younger professionals from all backgrounds that will symbolize a beneficial and dependable useful resource to its members,” mentioned Maizes.
As such, Matt seems ahead to catching up with present members and welcoming new members into the fold this yr at our upcoming occasions.
Be a part of CYP at amplifyclearwater.com/CYP – membership is free. NEW THIS YEAR: in search of alternatives to attach? Buy the 2024 CYP All Entry Move for complimentary registration into ALL 2024 gatherings, together with the Regional Younger Professionals Summit in July.
- AMPLIFY’S IMPACT
The impression of AMPLIFY Clearwater is felt means past its companions, as all actions taken, and initiatives carried out profit the group as a complete.
- AMPLIFY Clearwater gives beneficial details about the native enterprise atmosphere, market tendencies and regulatory adjustments. Whereas this data is made available to their companions, it additionally helps different companies looking for to know the native enterprise panorama.
- AMPLIFY Clearwater markets and promotes actions to draw guests, residents and companies to the group, which in flip creates employment, lowers the tax burden of our residents and will increase their high quality of life. All profit from these efforts as they contribute to the general financial prosperity and attractiveness of the Clearwater space and Tampa Bay area as a complete.
- AMPLIFY Clearwater advocates for insurance policies and initiatives that profit the complete group, not simply its members. This contains efforts to assist financial growth initiatives, like Coachman Park, enhance infrastructure, just like the highway enhancements on Drew Avenue, and entice or retain group companions such because the Philadelphia Phillies, who’ve known as Clearwater their dwelling for Spring Coaching for the final 75+ years. All group stakeholders profit from these advocacy efforts by means of improved enterprise circumstances, high quality of life and a extra vibrant group.
Spring Coaching:
The Phillies have been coaching in Clearwater, Florida, since 1947, the second-longest affiliation between a significant league membership and its spring coaching dwelling in baseball. Whereas it was Jack Russell, former baseball skilled who retired in Clearwater and was elected to the Metropolis Council, who informed the Phillies, then in search of a Spring Coaching dwelling, “When you make a dedication, we’ll construct a ballpark,” many individuals and organizations have performed a job in maintaining the Phillies in Clearwater – together with AMPLIFY Clearwater.
“The Phillies are an awesome instance of a long-term partnership that AMPLIFY Clearwater continues to foster and develop,” mentioned Amanda Payne, President/CEO. Yearly, Phillies Spring Coaching has an financial impression of greater than $40 million, a results of direct spending by guests and groups within the county. And out of doors of Spring Coaching, the Phillies spend money on our area year-round. The Phillies group is growing a $250 million residential, eating and purchasing complicated to boost participant growth and customer expertise surrounding BayCare Ballpark. “This necessary relationship is a good instance of the work that all of us do collectively to carry worth to our group and its stakeholders,” added Payne.
