Broward Workshop

What Broward Workshop does

Broward Workshop is a private, non-profit, non-partisan business organization founded in 1981 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is comprised of the chief decision makers representing approximately 100 of Broward County's major businesses and professions, who join as individual members by invitation only. The organization serves as a convening platform and policy advocate, facilitating cooperation between the private and public sectors on county-wide issues spanning transportation, education, healthcare, housing affordability, economic development, tourism, community resilience, technology, and urban corridor development. Its primary deliverable is the annual State of Our County Forum, which hosts nearly 1,000 business and civic leaders plus elected officials from across South Florida, complemented by twelve standing committees that drive sustained issue-specific engagement throughout the year.

The organization does not develop technology products or proprietary platforms. Its operational infrastructure consists of a standard website (browardworkshop.com) with IT support provided by Centuric Technologies, and its core intellectual capital resides in member relationships, institutional partnerships, and four decades of community involvement. Its revenue model is membership-based, with dues that are not publicly disclosed but described as secondary to the time and effort commitment required of members. The organization also operates the Broward Coastal Link Coalition, advocating for commuter rail expansion along the FEC Railway/Brightline corridor between Hallandale Beach and Deerfield Beach — a project that received Broward County Commission approval for its Project Development & Engineering Study on January 12, 2021.

Broward Workshop maintains an extensive partnership ecosystem spanning 17+ organizations including Broward County Government, Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the Broward League of Cities, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Development Authority of Fort Lauderdale, Broward MPO, Florida DOT, Tri-Rail, City of Fort Lauderdale, Broward Days, Florida Chamber, Florida TaxWatch, Six Pillars Broward, and The Invading Sea. The 2025-2026 Executive Committee is led by Chair Tim Petrillo, Vice-Chair Randall Vitale, Treasurer Jack Seiler, and Secretary Ray Berry, with Executive Director Kareen Boutros overseeing staff operations of 1-10 employees.

Name

Broward Workshop

Legal name

Broward Workshop

Website

https://browardworkshop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Broward Workshop is a Fort Lauderdale-based nonprofit business organization founded in 1981, convening approximately 100 invited chief decision makers from Broward County's major businesses to advocate on regional issues through its annual State of Our County Forum and twelve standing policy committees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Advocacy and Civic Engagement

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business Associations (81391), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Civic engagement
• Business advocacy
• Community development
• Economic development
• Regional leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Broward Workshop is a private, non-profit, non-partisan business organization that convenes approximately 100 chief decision makers of Broward County's major businesses and professions for civic engagement, policy advocacy, and community improvement. Its primary offerings are invitation-only individual membership, the annual State of Our County Forum, twelve standing committees covering business advocacy, community resilience, education, healthcare, housing, technology, tourism, transportation, and urban corridor topics, and coalitions such as the Broward Coastal Link Coalition.

Product overview

Broward Workshop is a membership-based business organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer software products, platforms, or modules. Its offerings consist of membership services, annual forums, and advocacy initiatives including the State of the County Forum, Broward Coastal Link Coalition for commuter rail advocacy, and various standing committees addressing business advocacy, community resilience, education, healthcare, housing affordability, technology, tourism, transportation, and urban corridor issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Broward Coastal Link Coalition: Coalition advocating for commuter rail along the FEC Railway/Brightline corridor

Products and services

• Invitation-Only Individual Membership Individual membership (not corporate) issued by invitation only to chief decision makers, executives, presidents, and senior partners of major Broward County businesses and professions who have demonstrated dedication to community service. Members foster cooperation between the private and public sectors across socio-economic and political lines, with a stated commitment of personal time, effort, and commitment far beyond the membership dues.
• State of Our County Forum Annual invitation-only forum hosting nearly 1,000 business and civic leaders and elected officials from across South Florida. Serves as the county's leading networking opportunity for top CEOs and features keynote speakers including Florida governors, CEOs, and former federal officials.
• Standing Committees Twelve standing committees covering Business Advocacy, Community Resilience, Education, Healthcare, Housing Affordability, Technology, Tourism, Transportation, and Urban Corridor topics, where members participate in focused issue-specific work to address county-wide challenges.
• Broward Coastal Link Coalition Coalition advocating for commuter rail development on the FEC Railway/Brightline corridor between Hallandale Beach and Deerfield Beach, led by Broward Workshop with partners including Brightline/FEC Railway, the Wynwood Business Improvement District, and Hoffman's Chocolates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual forum hosting nearly 1,000 business and civic leaders
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Broward County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with Broward County government for collaborative work on county-wide initiatives and policy advocacy.
• Port EvergladescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Port Everglades development and operations, a major economic engine for Broward County.
• Broward County AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport operations and expansion initiatives.
• Broward League of CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Broward League of Cities for coordination on municipal issues and urban development.
• Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFLCC partnership for business advocacy and economic development initiatives.
• GFL AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance for regional economic development.
• Broward MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for transportation planning and coordination in Broward County.
• Florida DOTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Florida Department of Transportation for infrastructure and transportation initiatives.
• City of Fort LauderdalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the City of Fort Lauderdale for downtown development and urban planning.
• Tri-RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Tri-Rail commuter rail service in Broward County.
• Broward DayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for legislative advocacy at the state level for Broward County interests.
• Florida ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Florida Chamber of Commerce for statewide business advocacy.
• Florida TaxWatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for fiscal responsibility and government accountability advocacy.
• The Invading SeaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for environmental journalism covering sea level rise and climate issues affecting South Florida.
• Downtown Development Authority Fort LauderdalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for downtown Fort Lauderdale urban development and revitalization.
• Six Pillars BrowardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Prosperity Partnership initiative focusing on economic development and quality of life in Broward County.
• State of FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for state-level advocacy and coordination with Florida state government.
• Brightline/FEC RailwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in the Broward Coastal Link Coalition for commuter rail development on the FEC Railway/Brightline corridor between Hallandale Beach and Deerfield Beach. The project received Broward County Commission approval on January 12, 2021 for the Project Development & Engineering Study.
• Albert Garcia (Wynwood Business Improvement District)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leader of the Broward Coastal Link Coalition, representing the Wynwood Business Improvement District in Miami-Dade County.
• Randall Vitale (Hoffman's Chocolates)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leader of the Broward Coastal Link Coalition, representing Hoffman's Chocolates. Randall Vitale also serves as Vice-Chair of the Broward Workshop Executive Committee.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce: The principal business membership organization in Miami-Dade County. It is structurally and functionally analogous to Broward Workshop but operates in a different geographic market.
• Miami-Dade Beacon Council: Miami-Dade County's primary economic development and business leadership organization. Comparable structure and mission to Broward Workshop but serving the adjacent county.
• Orlando Economic Partnership: Central Florida's public-private economic development and regional leadership organization. Operates under a similar CEO convening and policy advocacy model.
• Tampa Bay Partnership: A regional business and civic leadership organization serving the Tampa Bay area. Comparable in mission around regional collaboration and policy advocacy.

Direct peers

• Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce: The primary county-level business membership organization in Broward County. It overlaps significantly with Broward Workshop on business advocacy and economic development, and is listed as a formal partner of the Workshop.
• Downtown Development Authority of Fort Lauderdale: A formal Broward Workshop partner, the DDA works on urban corridor and downtown development issues that overlap with the Workshop's Urban Corridor committee.
• Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance (GFL Alliance): Broward County's public-private economic development partnership. It overlaps with the Workshop on economic development, transportation, and corporate recruitment, and is also a formal partner.
• Broward League of Cities: Coalition of Broward County municipalities. It works on similar urban corridor, transportation, and municipal coordination issues as the Workshop and is a formal partner.

Broad incumbents

• Florida Chamber of Commerce: The statewide business advocacy organization. It partners with Broward Workshop on statewide legislative priorities and serves a comparable role at the state level.

Emerging players

• Committee of 100 (various cities): Executive leadership organizations modeled on CEO-driven civic engagement. The Tampa Bay Committee of 100 is a particularly close analog to Broward Workshop's structure of inviting top executives to address regional challenges.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/broward-workshop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Broward Workshop