What Tampa Bay Partnership does

Tampa Bay Partnership is a privately-funded, nonprofit coalition of approximately 40 regional business and nonprofit leaders, operating since 1994 as the Tampa Bay region's primary economic development research and public policy organization. It is governed as an independent nonprofit headquartered at 4890 West Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL, and its membership collectively represents roughly 80,000 jobs across eight counties (Hillsborough, Polk, Pinellas, Pasco, Citrus, Hernando, Manatee, and Sarasota). The organization runs a coalition-led go-to-market: convening CEOs, government officials, and nonprofit partners; publishing benchmark research (the annual State of the Region reports, Tampa Bay E-Insights Report, Housing Equation, Economic Resiliency, and Racial Equity studies, often in partnership with USF Muma College of Business, Community Foundation Tampa Bay, United Way Suncoast, and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council); and advocating for member-driven policy positions on transportation, education, workforce, housing, and resilience.

The Partnership has no commercial products or proprietary technology platform; its "deliverables" are research reports, the annual State of the Region event, policy advocacy, and convening functions. Its revenue model is subscription-style recurring member investment from roughly 40 private coalition members, supplemented by targeted foundation and corporate grants (JPMorgan Chase $250,000 in 2026 for housing research; Duke Energy Foundation $25,000 in April 2026 for Opportunity Youth work). Bemetra Simmons has served as President and CEO since September 2021, succeeding Rick Homans who led the 2016 pivot from publicly-funded marketing toward the current research-and-advocacy coalition model. Notable quantified outcomes tied to the Partnership's advocacy include its credited role in restoring the $1.4 billion Westshore Interchange project and framing the case for $13.4 billion in regional resilience investment to avoid an estimated $81.6 billion in losses.

Name

Tampa Bay Partnership

Legal name

Tampa Bay Partnership

Website

https://tampabay.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tampa Bay Partnership is a privately-funded, eight-county coalition of roughly 40 regional business and nonprofit leaders that produces benchmark economic research, advocates for policy on transportation, housing, workforce, and resilience, and convenes CEOs, government, and nonprofit partners across the Tampa Bay region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Coalition Membership: The Partnership is funded by nearly 40 regional business and nonprofit leaders who invest in the coalition. These investor contributions support the organization's research, advocacy, and convening activities across transportation, education, workforce, housing, and other regional priority areas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tampa Bay Partnership is a coalition of nearly 40 regional business and nonprofit leaders that conducts objective, nonpartisan regional research, publishes benchmarking reports (such as the State of the Region initiative and Housing Equation), convenes cross-sector leaders through working groups and events, and advocates for public policy positions on transportation, education, workforce, housing, and resiliency across an eight-county Tampa Bay region.

Product overview

Tampa Bay Partnership is a regional research and public policy organization (a coalition of regional business leaders), not a product company. It does not offer products or services in the traditional SaaS/technology sense. The organization focuses on convening business leaders to address regional issues through research, advocacy, and collaboration. Key initiatives include the State of the Region research initiative producing the Regional Competitiveness Report and Tampa Bay E-Insights Report in partnership with USF Muma College of Business, Community Foundation Tampa Bay, and United Way Suncoast; policy advocacy on transportation, education, workforce, housing affordability, and resiliency; and community surveys tracking sentiment and economic indicators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State of the Region Annual Research Initiative Annual research initiative producing the Regional Competitiveness Report (benchmarking Tampa Bay against 19 peer metropolitan communities) and the Tampa Bay E-Insights Report, in partnership with USF Muma College of Business. Releases are unveiled at an annual community luncheon bringing together nearly 500 business leaders, government officials, and nonprofit leaders.
• The Housing Equation Report The region's first comprehensive analysis of housing supply, demand and affordability across Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties. The report quantifies an 80,650-unit housing shortage and a $273 million gap funding opportunity, supported by a $250,000 commitment from JPMorgan Chase.
• Making the Economic Case for Resilience in Tampa Bay Economic resiliency report quantifying climate adaptation investment needs ($13.4 billion) required to avoid projected $81.6 billion in regional losses, produced in partnership with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.
• 2020 Regional Equity Report Regional equity research report examining disparities between Tampa Bay's Black and white residents, identifying a $50 billion economic gain possible by closing racial gaps.
• Reducing Opportunity Youth in Tampa Bay Research Regional research initiative focused on reducing Opportunity Youth and strengthening economic mobility across Tampa Bay through the report 'Reducing Opportunity Youth in Tampa Bay: A Regional Strategy for Connection, Access, and Upward Mobility', supported by a $25,000 grant from Duke Energy Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Led advocacy resulting in $1.4 billion Westshore Interchange project restoration
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of South Florida Muma College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026Collaborative research partnership producing the annual State of the Region economic competitiveness reports. USF researchers publish the Tampa Bay E-Insights Report while the Partnership creates the Regional Competitiveness Report. Partnership spans nine years of collaborative research.
• Tampa Bay WaveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2022Tampa Bay Partnership pledged support for Tampa Bay Wave's EDA Build to Scale Venture Challenge Grant application for Tampa Bay Cybersecurity, FinTech & HealthTech Innovation Network to accelerate local job creation and tech innovation.
• BrightlinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2022Advocacy support for Brightline's CRISI grant application for Tampa to Orlando intercity passenger rail project. Partnership represents nearly 40 business leaders with vested interest in transportation improvements connecting 70% of Florida's population.
• Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2022Advocacy support for TBARTA's regional transit planning and funding. Partnership serves the business community interest in advancing transportation connectivity across Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.
• Tampa Bay Regional Planning CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2022Partnership with TBRPC on economic resiliency report 'Making the Economic Case for Resilience in Tampa Bay.' TBRPC provided analysis modeling climate adaptation scenarios and economic impacts for six-county region.
• Community Foundation Tampa BaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2020Collaborated on the 2020 Regional Equity Report examining racial disparities in Tampa Bay. Ongoing partner in the State of the Region initiative since 2017, providing research collaboration and community engagement.
• United Way SuncoastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2020Collaborated on the 2020 Regional Equity Report. Ongoing partner in State of the Region initiative and workforce initiatives. CEO Bemetra Simmons previously served as Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at United Way Suncoast.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allegheny Conference on Community Development: Pittsburgh-area CEO-driven economic development and public policy coalition. Closely comparable to Tampa Bay Partnership in private-sector coalition structure, regional competitiveness research, and focus on infrastructure and workforce issues.
• Silicon Valley Leadership Group: Coalition of CEOs focused on housing, transportation, and sustainability advocacy in the San Francisco Bay Area. Directly comparable to Tampa Bay Partnership on member-driven advocacy model and emphasis on housing affordability and infrastructure.
• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Cleveland's largest regional business coalition, producing research on economic competitiveness and advocating on infrastructure and workforce policy. Comparable CEO-led coalition structure and policy advocacy orientation.
• Greater Houston Partnership: Houston's premier regional business coalition, leading research, advocacy, and convening on transportation, workforce, and economic competitiveness. Closely comparable to Tampa Bay Partnership in member-driven model, research outputs, and policy advocacy focus on a single metro area.
• Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Charlotte-region business coalition focused on economic development, talent, and regional growth strategy. Comparable to Tampa Bay Partnership in driving a multi-county agenda and convening CEOs around competitiveness and workforce.
• Metro Atlanta Chamber: CEO-led regional organization driving metro-wide economic development, talent, and infrastructure advocacy. Comparable to Tampa Bay Partnership in coalition structure, regional research agenda, and influence on transportation and workforce policy in a fast-growing Southeastern U.S. metro.
• Greater Washington Board of Trade: Regional business coalition in the D.C. metro area focused on economic competitiveness, workforce, and regional infrastructure. Comparable to Tampa Bay Partnership in convening regional CEOs and producing policy research to influence local government action.
• Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce: Metro-wide business leadership organization advancing regional economic strategy, infrastructure, and workforce priorities in the Denver area. Similar coalition structure and emphasis on producing data-driven regional competitiveness insights.
• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: Regional business organization driving economic development, talent attraction, and policy advocacy in Middle Tennessee. Comparable to Tampa Bay Partnership in fast-growing Southeastern metro focus and integration of research with policy advocacy.
• Bay Area Council: San Francisco Bay Area business-led public policy organization focused on economic competitiveness, housing, and infrastructure. Comparable member coalition model, regional research outputs, and advocacy priorities.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tampa-bay-partnership
• Xx.com/TBPartnership
• Facebookfacebook.com/TBPartnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tampa Bay Partnership