On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the Florida Small Business Development Center at USF will recognize businesses from the 10-county Tampa Bay region at the 2025 Florida SBDC at USF Annual Business Awards. The 2025 Annual Business Awards will recognize Florida SBDC at USF and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) business award winners for their hard work and dedication during 2024. In addition, Florida SBDC at USF team members will be recognized for their outstanding work.
Keynote speaker Tra Williams
Guests will have a chance to network, visit exhibitor booths, enjoy lunch and hear from keynote speaker Tra Williams, at the University of South Florida (USF) Marshall Center, located at 4103 USF Cedar Cir, Tampa, FL 33620 (second floor). The event will kick off at 11:30 a.m. with a welcome from Florida SBDC at USF regional director, Carl Hadden, and continue with presentations of small business awards, SBA business awards, network performance awards, and the keynote.
Williams is a speaker, author, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized expert in entrepreneurship and business strategy. He has been featured and quoted in numerous publications, including Forbes, Bloomberg and Franchise Times, and he often speaks at conferences and company conventions. In his new book Boss Brain, Tra reveals the shocking truth behind the decline of American entrepreneurship and the impacts this decline has on individuals and communities. Using scientifically-proven research, Tra has supported thousands of entrepreneurs on their journey to self-employment. He currently consults with Municipalities, Economic Development Councils and Chambers of Commerce to help them create a balance between large-scale corporate growth and a flourishing landscape of small business startups.
“As we go through our day-to-day routines, many of us may not realize we are surrounded by incredible entrepreneurs and the supportive ecosystem that nurtures them,” Hadden said. “We look forward to a festive and informative luncheon as we celebrate entrepreneurs, the people who support them, and welcome keynote speaker Tra Williams to the stage. This event, hosted by the Florida SBDC at USF, celebrates excellence across multiple award categories, including internal SBDC performance excellence awards, regional small business of the year winners, and SBA award recipients.”
This event is open to the public. Cost is $99 per attendee. Gold sponsors for this event include: Suncoast Credit Union and Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU).
About the Florida SBDC Network: For more than 45 years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy. With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida and other private and public partners.