Meet the 2025 Big Bend Minority Enterprise Development Week Awardees
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Legacy in Motion: “Community, Business, Progress”
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Big Bend Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week is an annual event that celebrates the achievements and contributions of diverse local businesses in the Tallahassee-Leon County region. This year’s theme, Legacy in Motion: “Community, Business, Progress,” emphasizes the lasting impact of entrepreneurship on the region’s future. It reflects how strong community connections, thriving businesses, and forward-looking progress come together to build a resilient and prosperous local economy.
Without further ado, meet the incredible winners of the 33rd Annual Big Bend MED Week Awards! These outstanding leaders continue to shape our community, inspire progress, and prove that legacy is truly in motion.
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| 2025 Reggie L. Rolle Economic Development Champion
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| Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) of the Year
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Patricia Bates Trotta | Big Bend Rebar, Inc.
Learn more
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| Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) of the Year
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Driving Innovation and Workforce Development Through Artificial Intelligence with Jabaree Allen
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This episode of Economic Vitality Unplugged features Jabaree Allen, founder of Phusion AI, discussing how artificial intelligence is transforming local business and workforce development in Tallahassee-Leon County.
Allen shares his journey from growing up in Perry, Florida, and studying entrepreneurship at Florida State University to becoming an early tester of ChatGPT and launching his own AI companies. He explains how Phusion AI began by building chatbots to help small businesses handle customer inquiries and has evolved to deploying voice agents that can make and receive calls, freeing up valuable time for business owners.
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OEV Joins FSU’s New Magnetic Capital Research Advisory Council to Advance Regional Economic Growth
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The Office of Economic Vitality is proud to join Florida State University’s newly formed Magnetic Capital Research Advisory Council, a strategic group of business, industry, finance, and community leaders working to strengthen the region’s position as a global hub for magnetic technologies and innovation.
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This council will advise FSU’s Office of Research on initiatives that drive economic development, foster groundbreaking discoveries, and support the council’s vision to,“Establish Tallahassee and Florida as global leaders in developing and applying cutting-edge technologies, driving energy solutions, and advancing material science to attract talent and investment, create jobs, and position Tallahassee as the Magnetic Capital of the World.”
The council will also amplify the impact of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab)—the only national lab in Florida—which is headquartered at FSU and generates over $709 million in economic impact nationally and $221 million in the Tallahassee region. The MagLab’s powerful high-field magnets fuel scientific breakthroughs that influence nearly every part of daily life, from improving treatments for stroke recovery to developing next-generation electronics, batteries, and medicines.
As the region’s economic development organization, OEV will contribute its expertise and partnerships to help accelerate innovation, attract investment, and create high-wage jobs throughout the community.
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Out Now: Quarterly
Economic Dashboard
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OEV is the #1 source for Tallahassee-Leon County economic information and data. Our team of expert analysts track, collect, and distill over 80 metrics—driving the information gathering and strategic planning efforts of businesses, ecosystem partners, and government offices throughout the Tallahassee MSA.
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| Jon Mason
Florida State University News
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Upcoming Opportunities
from Our Partners
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SmartSteps Workshops: Building Financial Confidence
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The SmartSteps Workshops, presented in partnership with FAMU Federal Credit Union, are designed to equip individuals and families with practical tools to achieve financial wellness. These interactive sessions provide step-by-step guidance on budgeting, saving, credit building, and planning for the future.
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IGNITE Tallahassee Grand Opening
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Grand opening of the IGNITE Tallahassee incubator facility! Located in Innovation Park of Tallahassee, the 40,000 sq.ft. facility is designed to enable translation of new technologies from the lab to the market. Don't miss your chance to meet the current incubator companies, hear from tech startup specialists, and learn about the entrepreneurship programs available to tech entrepreneurs in North Florida!
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Read Past Issues of the OEV Newsletter Online!
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Delve into past issues of the OEV Newsletter to catch up on updates, insights, economic development initiatives, programs, and opportunities in Tallahassee-Leon County!
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