Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
In response to the rising COVID-19 positivity rate, the cities of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach, as well as Palm Beach County have announced that all individuals, regardless of a person's vaccination status, will be required to wear facial coverings while inside municipal buildings.
Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order prohibiting school districts from imposing mask-wearing requirements. The Governor has stated that parents should be allowed to decide whether their child uses a face covering. Governor DeSantis has suggested the possibility of calling a special legislative session to counter any moves by the federal government to require students to wear masks. Additionally, he has stated that at this time, he does not support any lockdowns or school closures.
The City of Boynton Beach and Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Tech Runway has formed a partnership with the aim of helping entrepreneurial and small businesses in Boynton Beach. FAU founded Tech Runway in 2014 to provide mentoring, networking, investor access and other programs designed to assist startup companies. The Boynton Beach City Commission has approved a lease for a 1,850-square foot space inside City Hall to develop a business incubator. The incubator space is expected to be in operation by October 1. Applications for interested businesses, which must include a business plan, will be accepted in January. For more information about FAU's Tech Runway, click here.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is launching a streamlined application portal to allow borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under $150,000 through participating lenders to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. The new simplified application portal will allow thousands of businesses and sole proprietorships, that borrowed PPP funds, the ability to have these funds forgiven. This new change will help expedite the refund process providing financial relief to small businesses. The new forgiveness platform will begin accepting applications from borrowers on August 4, 2021, through directforgiveness.sba.gov. In addition to the website, PPP customers can call (877) 552-2692, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
JES Media, the publisher of the Chamber’s Annual Magazine, is accepting space reservations for the 2022 Edition. This 200-page marquee publication is the guide to living, working, learning, and playing in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County. In addition to its comprehensive editorial content, it includes a Membership Directory. Special sections include 561 Faces Business Profiles, a New Member Showcase and a Dining Guide. For information on advertising opportunities and deadlines, contact Bruce Klein at brucek@bocamag.com.
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 activities by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable in-person and virtual 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 in-person and virtual experiences:
8/5 – 7:45 a.m. In-Person Membership Breakfast
(Date Change - 1st Thursday of the Month)
Sponsored By: The City of Boca Raton
Topic: Business in Boca: The Past, Present, and Future
Speaker: Scott Singer, Mayor, City of Boca Raton
Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center
5150 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL
8/6 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual PRIME Professional Group
Sponsored By: Allegiance Home Health
Topic: Keeping the Balance Between Employee Expectations and Organizational Profits
Speaker: Brian Altschuler, Vice President of Ancillary Operations Administration, Boca Raton Regional Hospital
8/17 – 3:00 p.m. Virtual Government Affairs & Economic Development Committee Meeting
Topic: Crafting the 2022 Legislative Business Agenda
8/19 – 8:00 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach Coffee Plus
Topic: Meet New People and Give Your Best 30 – Second Elevator Pitch
Common Grounds Brew and Roastery
1517 South Federal Highway
Boynton Beach, FL
8/19 – 5:30 p.m. In-Person Successful Women in Business After – Hours Network
Topic: Connect | Network | Mingle
Seasons 52
2300 North West Executive Circle
Boca Raton, FL
One of the many ways the Chamber supports our non-profit community is through Boca Chamber Festival Days (BCFD). Non-profit Chamber Members join forces with for-profit Chamber Members to hold events during the month of August to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the non-profit members' critical missions. The Chamber helps to facilitate these events and promotes them through our many communication channels. The events include music, comedy, dinner, tastings, game nights – and so much more. Events are already underway. Please go to one or all to support these worthy causes! For a listing of all the events, click here.
The Boca Raton City Council is continuing to advance the Brightline Station and parking garage. During their last meeting, the Council received an update on the site plan and expenditures for the station and garage. As one of a handful of cities selected for a station – we look forward to realizing the many economic and workforce benefits the station will bring. Additionally, this station will take cars off our roadways improving congestion and helping to mitigate the carbon footprint. The Chamber strongly advocated for the Boca Raton station, and we are happy to see this project continue to move forward with a projected opening date of mid-2022.
I hope you will join me Thursday morning at our monthly Membership Breakfast with Boca Raton’s Mayor, Scott Singer. Mayor Singer will provide us with the city's view on business in Boca. The event is nearly sold out. If you would like to join us, click here to register.
Together, we 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.
Moving Business Forward,
