When it comes to women in business, the Greater Tampa Bay area is tops. Executive positions of all sorts have been held by an increasing number of women each year, marking a distinct and exciting shift many decades in the making. From public office to private industry, women are taking their rightful places in the community’s leadership.
At one point, women led all three major utilities in the area. These included Duke Energy, Tampa Electric Company and Seminole Electric Cooperative. In 2007, the Tampa Tribune had a female publisher — as did the Tampa Bay Times. The Maddox report, a former business magazine, had a female publisher, as well. In fact, the state’s largest law firm was run by a woman, and the former president of the University of South Florida was a woman. So is the current president, who, coincidentally, also used to run the state’s largest law firm.
I’ve been grateful to experience firsthand the ripple effect of this trend. Having moved here from a city where women were not often seen in positions of power, I’ve been enamored with the women-led companies and institutions in the Tampa Bay area.
For many years, while running a prestigious women’s award ceremony, I had the privilege to see so many women in leadership. We created an award, recognizing mentorship for women helping other women. We established another award, called the Roar Award, recognizing outstanding women leaders. These women in business were at the top of their game, and the Tampa Bay region benefitted from their leadership. I benefitted by watching them, mimicking them and wanting to “be” them.
As Tampa Bay Business and Wealth’s coverage over the past 37 issues has found, there is not the reported shortage of women in the c-suite that’s often spoken about. In fact, there have been 14 women featured on the cover in that same timespan.
Women-run startups and incubators have thrived in the Greater Tampa Bay area, and many more are making names for themselves each year. A small sampling of these leaders includes Hedi Katz, co-founder and co-CEO of Advasys; Tonya Elmore, CEO of the Tampa Bay Innovation Center; Linda Olson, CEO of Tampa Bay Wave; mother-daughter, co-founder duo Heather and Claire Barrow of RareGuru; Dr. Vicki Rabenou, CEO of the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator; and Rocio Frej Vitalle, founder of Improving Aviation.
In my 30-plus years’ experience in the media industry, I have seen a definite shift in perception of women in leadership roles. More often than not I find myself, as well as my female peers, are being treated as equals. In the past 18 months alone, an intense focus on diversity has emerged which has led to an increase of women and minorities in the workplace. While this is certainly an improvement, there is always room for more.
This kind of change must originate from women. If we lift and support each other, it keeps others accountable. The most proactive thing women can do is find mentors and in turn, mentor others when they are in a place to do so. The next generation of women in business is counting on us to keep pushing the needle, striving for opportunities and cementing our places in leadership roles.
Greater Tampa Bay has so many great networking and leadership groups that allow for us to gather and learn from each other. I encourage women to find one, get involved and do your part. Let’s make Greater Tampa Bay continue to be the world’s model for women-led, women-run and women-owned businesses. Let’s be the change, the ladies who see the value in the “turn and pull” and be certain that we do so.
–Written by Bridgette Bello
