Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
Effective Monday, all Florida Residents 18 years of age and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. To pre-register for the vaccine, click here.
Pfizer/BioNTech has released new data from an ongoing study of their COVID-19 vaccine that suggests it is effective at preventing serious symptoms for at least six months after vaccination. In addition, the new data suggests the vaccine is effective against the South African variant of the coronavirus. Earlier this week, Pfizer/BioNTech had hopeful results from a vaccine trial in children between the ages of 12 and 15.
Attending next week’s Membership Breakfast will be our Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) second and third place winners from this year’s Investor Panel Competition: Chloe Levine of “Buddy Belt”, a 10th grader at Saint Andrew's School and Leah Gonzalez of “Blue Baked Bakery”, an 8th grader at Wellington Landings Middle School. Leah will be providing a sample of one of her products to each attendee - a Latin sandwich cookie called an alfajore. Unfortunately, due to a previously scheduled academic engagement, our first-place winner, Jordan Herold of “Stericart”, a 10th grader at American Heritage School, will not be able to attend. We look forward to Jordan representing our region at the National YEA competition to be held in Rochester, New York later this year. We are excited to see what the future holds for all our YEA students as they continue in their entrepreneurial journey. To register for next week’s breakfast and enjoy a delicious alfajore, click here.
Last evening, the Chamber kicked off its in-person 2021 Leadership Boca program. Fifteen business professionals begin a four-month experience in which they will receive an in-depth behind-the-scenes understanding of how our community operates. During the program, these fifteen business professionals will form a bond that will last them a lifetime.
As we continue to expand our in-person event offerings, I am excited to announce the return of three signature events. The Annual Golf Classic and Boynton Beach Food, Wine and Brew Festival will both take place in June and our premier Business Awards Luncheon will be held in July. Please look for future communications on each of these events for details. As always, we will continue to follow safety protocols, which include physical distancing and temperature checks. We look forward to seeing our members who feel comfortable and ready to attend our events in-person.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable virtual and in-person experiences. Most virtual programs are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming virtual and in-person experiences:
4/6– 12:00 p.m. Virtual International Business Alliance Roundtable
Topic: South Florida: Prime Location for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Speaker: Carlos Guerra, Manager International Investment & Logistics, International Trade & Development Division of Enterprise Florida
4/8– 7:45 a.m. In-Person Membership Breakfast
Sponsored By: Coastal Wealth
Topic: Unlocking the Mystery of Financial Aid College Eligibility and Asset Ownership
Speakers: Philip Kittell, Financial Services Professional, Coastal Wealth
Adam Blumenthal, Managing Director, Peace of Mind College Consulting
4/8 – 11:30 a.m. Virtual Boca/Boynton Joint Government Affairs Committee Meeting
Topic: An Update from the South Florida Regional
Transportation Authority
Speaker: Steven L. Abrams, Executive Director
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
4/14 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn
Sponsored By: iTHINK Financial
Topic: Afraid your college costs will destroy your dream of retirement?
Speakers: Ken Tolchin, CPA
Barbara Miller, Operations Manager/ Director of Student Admission, Greene Education Foundation
Jorge Gonzalez, CMFC, CRPC - Greene Education Foundation
4/15 – 8:00 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Coffee Plus
Enjoy this FREE monthly networking opportunity. Grab a cup of coffee, meet new people and give your best 30-second elevator pitch – all before the workday begins!
4/15 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Successful Women In Business Luncheon
Topic: Social Styles: How to Communicate Effectively
Speaker: Lisa Davis, Managing Partner 1847 Financial
Wyndham Hotel - Boca Raton
1950 Glades Road / Wyndham Way
Boca Raton, FL 33431
4/16 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Luncheon
Sponsored By: Baptist Health
Topic: Recognize and honor a Police Officer, Firefighter, and Paramedic of the Year
4/20 – 3:00 p.m. Virtual Economic Development Committee Meeting
Topic: What are 35 Mules?
Speaker: Crystal Stiles, Sr. Director, Economic Development
Florida Power & Light
4/21 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual South Health Care Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N.)
Sponsored By: Memorial Health System
Topic: Creating a Dynamic PowerPoint Presentation
Speaker: Sharon Daniel, Virtual Business Coach
This week during an exclusive Trustee virtual CEO Spotlight program, the Trustee Members had the great pleasure of hearing from Eric Silagy, President & CEO of Florida Power and Light (FPL). During this one-hour presentation and conversation, he shared how FPL is delivering America’s best energy value that is reliable, clean, and affordable. FPL customers rates are 30% lower, and the utility is 24% cleaner than the national average.
Eric discussed FPL’s use of new technology, called the Smart Grid, which helps in detecting power outages in advance. This smart technology helps dispatch the correct amount of personnel needed to fix a problem which helps reduce expenses and keeps customers safe and happy. With a priority placed on Solar Technology, FPL has the largest solar power storage field in the world - consisting of 40 acres in Manatee County.
With this committed focus on technology, FPL might be considered a technology company that delivers power. We thank Eric for his commitment to providing the best quality power source to our residents and businesses. We also thank Eric for his bold leadership to keep business moving forward at FPL and being one of Florida’s biggest Champions!
Together, we will continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
From our Chamber family to yours, Happy Easter to those who will be celebrating this weekend.
Moving Business Forward,
