VENTURE CAPITAL
Founder and CEO, PS27 Ventures
The primary economic issue is understanding AI company investments.
At PS27 Ventures, we have spent the year investing in AI-driven founders.
From driverless car technology at Ottometric to the future of banking technology at Neural Payments, we are tackling this challenge by leading with action.
When you invest in a company, you learn a lot about the technology, the industry and the solutions that are available to solve problems in business.
By investing in AI founders, we are helping our investors understand how these incredible AI companies are shaping the future of work and life.
DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE
CEO, Downtown Investment Authority
The primary economic issue is matching our momentum with the speed and predictability needed to grow at scale.
Downtown Jacksonville is building real momentum, with several major developers already committing significant capital to the urban core.
But to reach our full potential, we must grow at scale. That means moving beyond a project-by-project approach and creating a public-sector environment that is faster, more predictable and aligned to support multiple projects advancing simultaneously.
At the same time, many national investors are still learning Jacksonville’s story.
Sharpening how we communicate Downtown’s growth trajectory and long-term opportunity is essential to attracting broader capital.
By pairing a clearer narrative with streamlined approvals and more transparent incentive tools, DIA and the city can fully capture the demand that exists and accelerate Downtown Jacksonville’s emergence as a premier investment market.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
President, JAXUSA Partnership
The primary economic issue is attracting and developing top talent.
The No. 1 need for adults is meaningful, gainful employment.
We are working every day to be the place to do that. If you relocate here, you’ll have opportunities in our growing economy.
If you live here, there are defined and accessible pathways to degrees and certifications that will ultimately lead to a job.
By being a destination for employees, we become a destination for employers.
Companies know they can find and train the workers they need to succeed.
This is a result of incredible collaboration among our education leaders, which doesn’t happen in every city.
We listen to companies on the skills and traits they need and work with educational partners on programming for the future workforce.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
President & CEO, LIFT JAX
The primary economic issue is the widening gap between the long-term, sustained investment required to create meaningful community development outcomes and the short-term, increasingly unpredictable funding cycles — especially in public funding — that undermine the stability needed to drive generational change.
LIFT JAX confronts this challenge by embracing a place-based, holistic neighborhood strategy — because “transformation in community development needs both concentration and collaboration.”
Our focused geographic footprint gives us strategic blinders, ensuring we invest a mile deep rather than stretch solutions a mile wide.
By aligning infill housing, new catalytic mixed-use development and parks and commercial corridor investments within a concentrated 2-mile radius, we maximized short funding opportunities and demonstrated early proof of concept that in turn attracts long-term public, private and philanthropic interest and commitments.
Also, in collaboration with residents, business leaders and stakeholders, we helped secure a 30-year Community Benefits Agreement, reinforcing sustained place-based investment.
And by “quarterbacking” a broad network of partners, we’ve started to get a glimpse of the collaboration needed to produce transformational outcomes.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
First Vice President, Commercial Banking, Renasant Bank; President, NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association
The primary economic issue is the cost of capital and the ability to secure it.
Even with recent rate cuts, interest rates remain high compared to the historically low levels of the past decade.
Combined with persistent inflationary pressure on insurance premiums, construction materials and labor costs, banks have become increasingly cautious in their lending decisions.
Meanwhile, developers are required to contribute substantially more equity to meet target ROI expectations, while demonstrating strong repayment capacity to satisfy underwriting benchmarks.
As a result, projects remain expensive, with volatile inputs, and the capital needed to bring them to fruition becomes difficult to obtain, particularly for speculative developments or ventures in emerging markets like Jacksonville.
This environment calls for stronger banking relationships and more collaboration with developers to find innovative financial strategies to keep Northeast Florida progressing.
What 30 Northeast Florida leaders are saying about the issues and challenges in the year ahead. Their insights will be published online over the next several days:
Jan. 2: John Avendano, Allison Bovee, Debbie Buckland, Harrison Conyers and Brittany Cooney. Story here
Jan 5: Michael Corrigan, Brian Coughlin, Julia Epstein, Cindy Funkhouser and Eric Green. Story here
Jan. 6: Patrick Green, Chris Hand, Jessie Spradley, Joanne Kazmierski, Pepper Lindsey. Story here
Jan. 7: Lauren Little, Steve Livingstone, Albert Loh, Tyler Mathews and Sabeen Perwaiz. Story here
Jan. 8: Lisa Rinaman, Jackie Rowland, Gracie Simendinger, Buck Smoak and Bill Sorenson. Story here
Jan. 9: Jim Stallings, Colin Tarbert, Aundra Wallace, Travis L. Williams Sr. and Chris Wilson