Erin Silk, President and CEO, Sarasota County EDC

March 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Erin Silk, president and CEO of Sarasota County EDC, detailed the region’s remarkable growth and strategic initiatives fueling its economic expansion. “The outlook for Sarasota County is very strong and progressing rapidly, which is truly exciting,” Silk said. She highlighted the powerful combination of significant in-migration of talent and targeted efforts in high-potential sectors like the ocean economy, also emphasizing the uniquely collaborative local business environment as a key accelerant for innovation and partnership.

Looking back over the past year, what changes or initiatives have most shaped the EDC’s focus and strategy, and what are your main goals moving forward?

We have positive momentum in Sarasota, with an influx of new residents, including experienced founders and entrepreneurs from places like Silicon Valley. People are drawn to our quality of life, excellent schools, and higher education. This attracts expertise and industries not typically associated with Sarasota.

We launched an initiative with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, particularly its new Mote SEA education center and aquarium, which opened recently. It offers interactive labs for children, providing hands-on learning in ocean technology, marine science, and AI for every student in Sarasota and Manatee counties. This supports our ocean economy initiative, aiming to make our region the Silicon Valley of the blue economy.

Mote’s research, including coral restoration, red tide mitigation, antibiotic resistance, and cancer cell research, is licensable, and we’re working to attract companies to commercialize it locally. Mote’s redevelopment project will add 95,000 square feet of research and development space.

Additionally, our tech talent is growing, with Sarasota ranked as the fastest-growing MSA and top for 25- to 34-year-old in-migration in Florida. To harness this, we’re launching a digital tech and innovation hub next week, showcasing tech companies, funding, venture capital, and meetups to grow our ecosystem.

How do you view Sarasota County’s economic competitiveness?

LendingTree ranked the Sarasota-Manatee metropolitan statistical area as the No. 3 fastest-growing metro in the country. In the past 10 years, Sarasota County has created 6,500 new businesses, 38,000 new jobs, and added almost $10 billion in GDP growth. Our economy is on a fast track, fueled by an in-migration of talent and workforce.

The Tampa Bay Partnership ranked Sarasota County No. 1 in Florida for young professional in-migration among 25- to 34-year-olds. Hire A Helper ranked us No. 1 in the United States for net college-educated workforce. Lightcast reported us as No. 7 for talent attraction and No. 5 for high-earning job growth.

It’s an exciting time for the Tampa Bay region, with similar positive trends in Tampa and St. Petersburg. We’ve more than doubled the number of tech companies in the Sarasota-Manatee region, and average tech wages have risen from around $60,000 in 2020 to between $120,000 and $130,000. This reflects more expertise, experience, and technical jobs, which is great news for our community as it creates strong career pathways and high-paying opportunities.

How is the EDC collaborating with local partners to strengthen the talent pipeline?

Sarasota’s small-town feel fosters remarkable connectivity, allowing us to advance initiatives quickly. Most residents aren’t originally from here, bringing diverse expertise and experience from elsewhere. This makes them highly invested in our community and eager to participate and give back in ways I haven’t seen in other places.

Businesses from other regions often note Sarasota’s unique level of cooperation. For example, we recently hosted a tech and innovation event highlighting companies that launched or received investment here. Five partners — the EDC, Bridge Angel Group, CEO Forum, Suncoast Venture Studios, and Ro Brady Design — are collaborating to bring our members together. We want them to mingle, share ideas, launch projects, and invest in one another.

Sarasota lacks territorial barriers; people are open to collaboration, creating a vibrant environment for innovation and partnership.

What’s your outlook for Sarasota County’s economy over the next two to three years, and what goals and priorities will guide your approach?

The outlook for Sarasota County is very strong and progressing rapidly, which is truly exciting. We will continue to attract an educated, qualified workforce and families drawn to our exceptional quality of life. Our mission is to elevate Sarasota’s brand to major hubs like Silicon Valley and New York City, where people seek the lifestyle we offer. This vibrant momentum ensures a robust economy, as we actively promote our community’s unique appeal to those looking for a high quality of life.

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