Small Biz Florida
Small Biz FL was designed to highlight issues and promote business assistance resources available throughout the state of Florida.
Episodes
Special Episode | Unlocking Major Tax Breaks for Manufacturers: What the New OBBBA Law Means for You
In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred sits down with Andrew Zapf, CPA, Senior Tax Manager at Withum. Andrew shares critical insights into the recently passed legislation known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" or OBBBA. The conversation explains how this bill reinstates the full expensing of research and experimental (R&E) costs, reintroduces 100% bonus depreciation for machinery, and introduces a powerful ne...
Recorded live at the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum, this episode features Candy Cole, Executive Director of the Manufacturing Association of Central Florida (MACF), in conversation with Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred. Cole shines a spotlight on the more than 6,000 manufacturers in Central Florida, 80% of which have fewer than 20 employees, and explains how MACF serves as a critical connector for these often-overlooked...
Live from the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred sits down with Jennifer Mathis, Technical Partnership Sales Leader for Craft Education, a non-profit revolutionizing workforce development through free, digital apprenticeship tracking tools. Mathis outlines Craft’s mission to become a “public data utility” for Florida’s workforce, helping businesses, educators, and workforce boards move beyon...
In this live episode from the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred sits down with Waymon Armstrong, founder and CEO of Engineering and Computer Simulations (ECS), a pioneer in using video game technology for military training. Armstrong shares his entrepreneurial journey, including how he left Lockheed Martin to start ECS nearly three decades ago, his early wins with SBIR grants, and how he gr...
Live from the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum, this milestone Small Biz Florida episode features a powerhouse conversation with Jason Mahon, Florida’s Deputy Secretary of Economic Development and Chief Manufacturing Officer, and Kevin Carr, CEO of FloridaMakes. Together, they break down Florida’s extraordinary economic surge, including a jump in state GDP from $1.1 trillion to $1.7 trillion and the doubling of manufacturing...
In this moving episode recorded live at the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred speaks with Heather Cogar, Statewide Director of Community Engagement for the Florida Prosperity Initiative. Cogar shares her deeply personal journey from foster care and homelessness to becoming a sheriff’s deputy, successful entrepreneur, and now a statewide leader working to cut childhood poverty in half by 203...
In this forward-looking episode, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred sits down with Noa Lipton, Territory Manager, and Ralph Aiello, Work-Based Learning Partnership Manager for Xello, live from the 2025 Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum. The conversation explores how Xello, a state-funded career and academic planning platform, is transforming K-12 education by helping students, starting in kindergarten, discover future careers...
In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred dives into the impact and importance of Shop Small Saturday, a nationwide initiative designed to spotlight and support small businesses during the critical holiday season. Tom is joined by two powerhouse guests: Tyler Teresa, SBA Regional Administrator for the Southeast, and Jennifer Johnson, founder of True Fashionistas, Florida’s largest lifestyle reseller.
Tyler shares his p...
In this kickoff episode from the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred sits down with Brittany Greer, Founder and Executive Director of Rosie Riveters, a nonprofit on a mission to spark confidence and curiosity in the next generation of STEM professionals. Greer shares how her organization builds a talent pipeline by engaging students from kindergarten through 12th grade with hands-on STEM kits, ali...
Recorded live at the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, this episode of Small Biz Florida features a compelling conversation with Casey Barnes, Chair of the Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) and economic development executive at BRPH. Host Tom Kindred dives into Barnes’s extensive background and his mission to elevate the role of economic developers through proactive advocacy and community engagement. Barnes discusses th...
In this powerful episode from the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, host Tom Kindred sits down with Terry Iverson, founder of CHAMPIONNow, a nonprofit organization on a mission to reshape Americans' views of careers in manufacturing. Drawing on 45 years of experience in machine tool distribution and a deep involvement in technical education, Iverson shares why outdated and negative perceptions of manufacturing are hurting our wor...
In this insightful episode recorded at the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred speaks with Tim McKindles, Director at Ecological Laboratories Inc., a Cape Coral-based biotech company recently honored with the Employer of Choice Award. McKindles shares the company's innovative approach to human resources, emphasizing flexibility, culture, and individualized employee experiences over rigid one-size-...
At the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred sits down with Tony Rodriguez, President of Daniel Penn Associates, to unpack the power of lean manufacturing. With decades of consulting experience across various industries, Rodriguez explains that eliminating operational waste and engaging frontline employees are the keys to achieving long-term efficiency and growth. He shares real-world results, inclu...
In this eye-opening episode from the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred speaks with Martin “Marty” Perrone, founder of Everything Arc Flash, about one of the most overlooked and dangerous threats in industrial environments: arc flash explosions. With a background in electrical systems and years of industry experience, Perrone explains how manufacturers often ignore critical electrical infrastruct...
Recorded live at the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, this episode features Ahmed Tawfik (CEO) and Yamini Vattipalli (COO) of EZ Automation Systems,a Florida-based company delivering custom, AI-powered quality control solutions to manufacturers of all sizes. Host Tom Kindred dives into the company’s journey from a software provider to a full-service system integrator, now leveraging machine vision, robotics, and AI to automate ...
At the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred sits down with Ron Krudo, Managing Partner of Right Street Advisors, to discuss one of the most important and often overlooked challenges facing Florida’s manufacturing sector: How to prepare for a successful business exit? With a wave of baby boomer owners approaching retirement, Krudo outlines the opportunities of the “silver tsunami” and emphasizes tha...
In this highly informative episode, recorded at the 2025 MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred talks with Michael Lauer, founder of Taxster, a boutique CPA firm specializing in helping small and mid-sized manufacturers uncover valuable, often-overlooked tax opportunities. Lauer breaks down two of the biggest current incentives: a newly fixed R&D tax credit available retroactively through July 4th and...
In this episode of Small Biz Florida, we sit down with Arthur Watson, founder of Top Tool USA, during the 2025 FloridaMakes MakeMore Manufacturing Summit in Orlando. Arthur shares his powerful journey from construction inspector to inventor, describing how a recurring workplace hazard, lifting 240-pound manhole covers, sparked the creation of a patented safety tool now positioned to revolutionize the utility and construction indus...
In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred interviews Kathy Durfee, founder of TechHouse, live from the 2025 FloridaMakes MakeMore Manufacturing Summit in Orlando. Kathy shares her unique journey from chemist and English major to tech entrepreneur and how necessity led her to create a technology consulting firm built exclusively for small businesses. With a knack for translating complex tech into relatable business stra...
In this special promotional episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred sits down with Zoraida Velasco, Executive Vice President of FloridaMakes, to spotlight one of the state’s most important industry events — the MakeMore Manufacturing Summit. Zoraida shares her professional journey and highlights the mission of FloridaMakes, Florida’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which works closely with the Florida SBDC Network to bo...
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