Rene Cantu, President & CEO, Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber
With the changes in the federal government’s approach to DEI policies, the LGBTQ+ business community is on high alert. “There’s just a sense of not knowing how things are going to pan out and not feeling totally comfortable,” said Rene Cantu, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber, in an interview with Invest:.
What have been your top priorities for the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber during the last year and into 2025?
The big thing that we’re focused on now is the fact that we have new leadership in terms of myself and a whole new board of directors. There was a little bit of a lull in the activity level with the chamber during the whole transition, but we’ve got a super dynamic board of directors that has come on board. They’re all really excited and really dedicated to making sure that the chamber remains that force that we are, that we’ve always known that we could be in Tampa Bay. The transitional part has been a big focus in terms of transitioning the old leadership out, the new leadership in, and sitting down and talking about our strategic plan and where we want to be in the next five years, and how we want to get there.
We know that we are going to be starting to face some challenges because our mission is built around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Those programs are under attack right now at the national and state levels. We need to find the best approach for how to effectively navigate the rhetoric around that.
How is the new approach to DEI impacting LGBTQ+ businesses in the region?
There’s just a sense of not knowing how things are going to pan out and not feeling comfortable, even when it comes to, for example, putting the rainbow flag outside a storefront and how potential customers receive that message. But then there’s also the flip side of that, which is the people who see and approach that store. If they’re part of the LGBTQ community, they would feel more comfortable going into a store knowing that they’re going to be supported by that merchant or that business owner.
Not knowing is the challenge — not knowing how people are going to react, and not knowing who’s going to come up and potentially say something not so nice.
Is there a planned response to these uncertainties? Is there a way to address this as a chamber?
One of the things that we’ve done is to work with law enforcement. Our local law enforcement groups are working on developing an LGBT task force within their police force so that they can work with businesses to help them create a safe space for people to come in. I would like to see a sticker on the wall that says, this is from the police department, and it’s got the rainbow colors, and it says, this is a safe place, you can come in and shop here. The police departments have been responsive and interested in helping to get the word out that they’re working on those issues.
Despite the issues with DEI, what makes Tampa Bay an ideal location for businesses to locate, or to relocate?
I think that Central Florida is a fantastic location. It’s super easy to get here. If we need to make a trip up to Tallahassee, Jacksonville, or Orlando, it’s so much easier to get there from here. That’s a big factor in how you’re able to live comfortably in the community. I live in St. Petersburg, and St. Petersburg, for me, has such a cool, relaxed vibe. There are so many hidden gems, and there’s so much cool energy when we’re just out doing stuff. There are so many wonderful things to do, including the first-ever Winter Pride, which is a new event that they’ve started. It was a week-long activity. It was such a great celebration of diversity and pride in our community.
Where are you seeing the most growth for your members?
Tourism is huge, and I’m working on developing a partnership with Visit St. Pete, Visit Clearwater, Visit Tampa, and even Visit Sarasota because we cover a seven-county region. One of the main things that I want is for our chamber to help send the message that no matter what you hear about Florida, just the negative stuff that people hear about Florida, when you come to urban areas like Tampa Bay, you’re going to have a great time. We do want to make sure that we continue to get that message out, especially because in the past few years, with the laws that have been passed and with travel advisories that have been put out, we want to make sure that we still foster and help grow our LGBT businesses and our ally businesses that are in the Tampa Bay area, so that they can survive.
I’m also seeing healthcare as a growing sector for our community, particularly because there is a drive to ensure that our community has access to all the healthcare that we need. I’m seeing a focus on mental health agencies that are coming to our chamber to be part of the community and to start to network and let people know that they are there.
There are other parts of the community that we also want to highlight. For example, we have great partnerships with the banking institutions in the community that have a great commitment to diversity and that want to stay engaged with our chamber.
What is your outlook for the economic future of Tampa Bay and especially for LGBTQ+ businesses over the next two to three years?
My outlook is really good. My goal for the chamber is for the chamber increasingly to be seen as a resource for people. In the past, our organization has been challenged with not really being as present as I think it should be. My goal is to make that happen.
The more we’re able to get out there and to really be in touch and have conversations with business owners and with corporate people who are LGBTQ+, to find out what would help them to be successful that we could provide, and how we can be a resource, or a learning vehicle for people when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues.
My challenge to myself is to be immersed in the business community so that when a company says that they want to do a workshop on LGBTQ+ dynamics in the workplace, I am there. And we make that presentation. We have that discussion. I’m interested in being that resource for people. I’m also interested in hearing from some of the corporate folks who are part of the LGBTQ+ community regarding the issues that they are seeing at their workplace.
