Jewish Entrepreneurs Take Grassroots Approach At Investment In Local Economy
- davekers
- Mar 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 28
Business owners lay groundwork for Tampa-based non-profit with potential to scale nationally.
Tampa Bay, FL March 24th, 2025 - For the Tampa Jewish Chamber of Commerce
The greater Tampa Bay area has long been a pillar of the Florida state economy, second only to Miami. For sports, in 2021 the Tampa Bay Buccs convinced Tom Brady to trade in his Patriot (champion dynasty) jersey for an uncertain future. The local fans were elated and the Buccs went on to win Super Bowl LV.
With that win came a massive influx of tourism, sponsorship, promotional campaigns, and events all throughout the bay area. That same year the Lightning won the Stanley Cup and The Rowdies soccer team (based in St. Pete) were in the Eastern Conference. The year prior, the Tampa Bay Rays made it all the way to the World Series. From then on, our town was rebranded as “Champa Bay’.
Although the local team-wins brought in a wave of economic activity, the majority of the impact was seen in a top-down structure and didn’t last long. A few locals just starting out in entrepreneurial business roles quickly saw this economic model as untenable.
In January of this year, after seeing the potential that a long-term upturn could have on the greater Tampa Bay area, Dave Kers, a 38yr old husband and father of 3 from Wesley Chapel, set out to provide a support system for a unique economic model. Kers established the Tampa Jewish Chamber of Commerce as a non-profit trade association with the structure of a multi-level marketing business. “The best way for entrepreneurs and businesspeople to see exponential personal growth is by empowering others in their respective and lateral industries,” said Kers. Personal success in marketing combined with a passion for philanthropy, and with the support of the Tampa community, provided Kers with the chutzpah to implement this novel economic model.
The original Tampa Chamber of Commerce began as the Tampa Board of Trade in 1885,
has a full-time staff of 20 as well as 14 board members with prestigious titles and graduate degrees from elite schools. This incredible group currently supports over 2,000 members, some of whom pay $25k for the premium membership tier. Why start an entire new organization rather than joining a proven successful association? “Our nation has seen an amazing spiritual and religious revival the last 10 years, having a support group of entrepreneurs with biblical values is not only beneficial to business, but also good for our soul”, says Kers.
The Tampa Jewish Chamber of Commerce offers an annual Individual Membership for $85, which includes monthly educational seminars (currently taking place at various local Jewish institutions) and a custom member bio with photo on the directory. The $300-Tier guarantees members an opportunity for a presentation, while the $750-Partnership level also includes a full event sponsorship with a date, location, and topic of their choosing. All membership tiers include a thorough grassroots social media marketing campaign.
A major benefit of having an association rooted in biblical values is that the formula can theoretically be replicated in other metropolitan areas. “The Jewish Federations of America has a really great model that they’ve been able to replicate throughout the US, they currently have 146 Chapters. We’d like to partner with them to focus specifically on driving investment into local economies” explained Kers.
The Tampa Jewish Community Centers & Federation is the center for Jewish activity in Tampa and provides a warm and welcoming environment at both JCCs, (Glazer Family & Cohn Campus locations).
"Our ultimate goal is to drive new investment in greater Tampa. The Chamber is here to provide members with the tools to grow beyond what they think they're capable of. The best way to do that is to provide the proper tools, whether its connecting people, strengthening their faith, or treating them to lox & bagels." quipped Kers.
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