Florida SBDC Network State Office (Pensacola, Fla.) – The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, hosted its fifth annual Small Business Success Summit August 17-18 in Charlotte Harbor.
Held at the Sunseeker Resort, the Small Business Success Summit brought together more than 400 small business owners, Florida SBDC Network staff and consultants, partners, and resource providers to share valuable information to help business owners take their business to the next level.
“We were thrilled to bring the Small Business Success Summit to Charlotte Harbor this year and connect Florida's small businesses with the resources, strategies, and connections they need to grow,” said Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network and Florida APEX Accelerator. “We know it's not easy for a small business owner to step away from their business, which is why we make a meaningful effort to ensure every session, speaker, and networking opportunity delivers practical value. We're proud of the continued growth and success of this event and grateful to everyone who helped make this year's Summit a success.”
Special remarks were provided by SBA Southeastern Regional Administrator Tyler Teresa, Florida Department of Commerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly, Florida Representative Tiffany Esposito, and Charlotte County Commissioner Christopher Constance. Video messages from U.S. Senator Rick Scott and University of West Florida President Manny Diaz, Jr. highlighted the vital role small businesses play in Florida.
The two-day conference featured keynote presentations by Joshua Frank, managing partner of RSM Federal; Jim Weber, Former CEO of Brooks Running; and Omar Soliman, Co-Founder of College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving. Attendees also participated in breakout sessions and networking opportunities.
As part of the Summit, the network also hosted its annual Reverse Trade Show. This event drew more than 120 participants and brought together representatives from 24 government agencies, innovation hubs, and prime contractors to explore potential opportunities and partnerships.
The Florida SBDC Network wishes to thank its 2026 event sponsors and partners: Florida First Capital, Florida Power & Light, Xero, Bevi, Veterans Florida, CareerSource Florida, Suncoast Credit Union, Better Business Bureau, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, Govdash, Babcock Ranch, Babcock Ranch Chamber, Florida Economic Development Council, Florida Business Exchange, Tillman Fiber, Verizon, PodMatch, Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, Florida Trend, and WGCU.
During the event, the Network announced it will host the 2027 Small Business Success Summit August 16-17 at Walt Disney World’s Swan. For more information about the 2027 Small Business Success Summit, including registration and event updates, please visit https://floridasbdc.org/success_summit/.
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