Spotlight On: Heather Kasten, President & CEO, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce
November 2024 — President and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Heather Kasten described to Invest: how the expansive work performed by the chamber influences the continued success of Sarasota’s business community while also providing life-changing opportunities for the community’s future workforce.
How does the ACCE’s 2024 finalist award represent your team’s work at the chamber over the last year?
It’s been a big year for the Sarasota Chamber. On a local level we received the Sarasota SRQ Media Chamber of the Year award for our local area. We also underwent the rigorous application process for the ACCE (Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives) and were a Top 3 nationwide finalist for this award. We were also named Florida Chamber of the Year by FACP (Florida Association of Chamber Professionals). These awards are an external validation of the work that we do. To have outside sources validate our excellence has been a rewarding experience for our team, our board of directors, and our community.
How is Sarasota’s growth impacting the business landscape in the region, and what opportunities does this present both for local entrepreneurs and larger corporations?
Sarasota has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Florida as a whole is still seeing around 750 people a day move to our state. When looking at net-income migration, over $4 million an hour is entering our state, based on W-2s, and this does not include the money coming in from retirees moving here. This growth brings both opportunities and challenges. We punch above our weight when it comes to the arts and culture sector and are continuing to support a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our organization also focuses on providing the resources on how to start a business. The chamber provides resources and investment dollars to small businesses and workforce training dollars to larger businesses. Our technology industry segment is strong in Sarasota and we are building programs to support that industry sector.
What are the chamber’s next steps to expand existing programs and ensure the continued growth of Sarasota’s minority-owned businesses?
We want every business to have access to resources and capital, and we have made an intentional push to prioritize these goals. The chamber has provided support to minority-owned businesses through grants and internships. We partner with the Barancik Foundation, which has funded our Opportunities for All (OFA) program that is in its fifth year. The first of this program’s two pillars provides opportunities for minority interns. Rather than encouraging kids to jump headfirst into college before they have a conclusive plan, we work with kids to place them with one of our chamber member’s businesses to undergo an eight-week internship. We fully fund this endeavor so it’s a win for the companies, the students, and for us as an organization as we support the business community.
This year, we hosted 30 interns, which involved identifying the individuals, placing them with companies, and fully funding the program.
The second pillar to the OFA program is a business grant program where minority businesses can apply for grants. There are over 100 applications under review for this business grant cycle, and over $100,000 will be disbursed in December. This cutting edge idea enables the chamber to support all businesses throughout our entire region by bringing resources to businesses that may not have access to this kind of short-term capital.
What are some recent achievements earned by the Career Edge program?
This is another central pillar of the chamber’s work. The Career Edge program is in its 14th year of operation, and the facet which resonates most powerfully with people is our fast-track programs. Right now, we have fast tracks in HVAC, CNA and electrical training. We take individuals who are working fast food-type positions and partner them with a training facility like the State College of Florida or a private training partner to offer experience with industries like HVAC. These individuals will exit the program with applicable certifications, and we can further assist with job-placement among our chamber-member companies. Programs like this can change the trajectory of someone’s lifetime income-earning potential by providing a career track to grow, acquire and develop skills that can increase both their paycheck and their ability to provide for their family.
Another aspect of this program involves on-the-job training which we support through funding and internships. We partner directly with companies like Sarasota Memorial Hospital to host training cohorts and encourage elevation of people currently within their organization.
In what ways has the Affordable Housing Summit progressed over the past few years? What improvements have taken place in affordable housing?
Unfortunately, with the constant influx of new people into our state, the law of supply and demand has driven up the cost of real estate. It is extremely difficult for someone if they do not already have housing to be able to afford to live here. The number one issue our business community has presented is that their employees simply cannot afford to live here. Organizationally, we knew this was a challenge that needed to be tackled, and in response, we hosted our first affordable housing summit last year with the second summit coming up this November.
Through the Summit, we commissioned a study to determine the best practices nationwide to battle the affordable housing issue. The changing of our zoning tax amendments has been paramount to incentivize developers. We have been able to increase the density per acre that a developer can utilize. Our dedication to this endeavor involved attending committee meetings and advocating for our business community. This goal was finally accomplished after last year’s housing summit, and as a direct result, we have 800 new units in the pipeline. This advancement does not cure the entire problem, but as more developers continue to come onboard, we view these changes as tremendous progress.
In which ways does the chamber partner with the local government to foster a friendly business environment?
Florida is hands-down the place for business, and this especially includes Sarasota and its surrounding region. The No. 1 rule of the chamber is to make sure that policymakers at the city, county and state levels know, understand and hear from business owners. If directly asked, no one will say they are against affordable housing, but everyone is for it until it affects their own backyard. We perform policy work in defense of our local businesses because they are busy running their companies. They are trying to provide payroll for their employees and don’t have time to attend eight-hour commission meetings. This is a tremendous service we perform for the business community.
What are the top priorities for the chamber for the next two to three years?
We are always at the forefront of assessing our members’ needs so that we are able to expeditiously adjust our sails. We will continue to fight the affordable housing battle, as I do not foresee this going away any time soon. The lack of accessible, affordable childcare is another issue impacting our workforce. The chamber intends to work towards making childcare accessible and encouraging companies to operate in a more family-friendly way in order to keep employees. Transportation, water quality and fostering environmentally-smart choices are also on our list of items to address over the next few years.
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