Spotlight On: Tanisha Nunn Gary, President & CEO, African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida

Spotlight On: Tanisha Nunn Gary, President & CEO, African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida

2022-07-13T08:22:10-04:00February 11th, 2022|Economy, Orlando, Spotlight On|

2 min read February 2022Black-owned and minority businesses are cornerstones of the economy of Central Florida. Tanisha Nunn Gary, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, is working on providing these businesses with the tools they need to flourish going forward. “When we talk about building stronger economies, there really does need to be a focus on our small and Black-owned businesses because once we support them, when they are stable and secure, we are helping the overall economy,” she told Invest:.

How has demand for your services shifted over the past 18 months? 

Our Chamber, along with many chambers, saw an increase in membership demand. The No. 1 reason people join is to grow their business and to build relationships. Often, people do business with people they know and trust. In a way, chambers provide a stamp of approval for a business. If they are a member, if we recommend you to other corporate members or to perhaps be considered for a contract and opportunity, it is almost like we have vetted you. Membership in a chamber also provides resources. Often, chambers are the go-to organizations for others in the community when they are seeking to fulfill opportunities to do businesses with diverse companies. If you are not a member, you miss those opportunities. 

How are your chamber members reacting to labor shortages? 

It is a huge challenge. Central Florida is heavily geared toward travel and tourism. We have a lot of hotels that are members and they have been affected significantly. We have opened back up, we are ready for business, but a lot of those businesses, including our small businesses, are experiencing labor shortages. Many have become accustomed to working from home. When you look at bringing employees back into the office, that can be a challenge for some, as well. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen many in the workforce reinvent themselves. Prior to the pandemic, they were working in one sector but once they were furloughed or laid off for whatever reason, they gained new skills, they started their own business or took another career path. We are seeing several companies offering incentives, including a hybrid workplace. Financial incentives and flexibility are also being used to attract and retain employees. 

How are your members dealing with the ongoing workforce housing supply shortage?

Affordable housing is an issue in Central Florida. There are several organizations, 

including Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who have looked at affordable housing opportunities, what the needs are and what can be done. Solving the issue relies not only on building houses but also transportation. Access to transportation is important, especially when you are looking at jobs and housing. There is an effort to work on affordable housing to make sure that we do have housing available, including for the influx of new residents who are moving to Central Florida. They are going to need somewhere to live, and they will need transportation to get to these jobs and not endure hours in a commute to work. 

What is your outlook for the African American business community in Central Florida for the next three to five years? 

Over the next few years, we will continue to collaborate with other organizations and community partners to make sure that we are advancing businesses in Central Florida. The Black-owned and small businesses really are the cornerstone of any community. When we talk about building stronger economies, there needs to be a focus on our small and Black-owned businesses because once we support them, when they are doing better, they are more stable and secure, we are helping the overall economy. Small businesses hire within their own communities. That helps to alleviate unemployment. They give back to their communities financially, and they support their communities. 

We also look at building generational wealth. When we build strong businesses that can be passed on within families or even sold, we are then creating generational wealth. We have seen many companies, such as Amazon and others, really step up with programs to support minority businesses. That is what we need to bring more attention to them. We are not taking away from other businesses if we are supporting minority businesses. We are building stronger communities and stronger economies. When we build stronger businesses, that helps those businesses have better access to healthcare and to education. And that is what we want as we look into building stronger communities. 

We are surveying our members to see what their needs are. Based on the survey results, we will develop an agenda for 2022. We will continue to provide resources. We will focus on our training and development for entrepreneurs. We have partnered with our trustee member, Wells Fargo, and we will develop a business cohort to take 20 of our chamber members through a 6month program to help them grow and scale their businesses. 

Supporting small businesses here in Central Florida really does take a village, with all of us working together. There has been a lot of outreach over the last year and a half to the African American Chamber from many who want to serve as allies. They want to support us in our mission and vision of building stronger Black businesses in Central Florida. We would like to encourage that conversation not just with our Chamber, but with all chambers that serve minorities. For those that have reached out, we want to say thank you. We appreciate your support. Although our mission and vision are to support Black-owned businesses in Central Florida, anyone can join our chamber. All are welcome. 

For more information, visit: 

https://www.blackcommerce.org/ 

Share This Story!