The Money Market Podcast

Getting paid to think about the magic of St. Pete is one of Jason's favorite parts of his job. As the CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, Jason Mathis spends his days on thoughtful growth and urban redevelopment, listening to all areas of the leadership community, in order to be a catalyst for positive change. The reality is St. Pete is growing exponentially and the Downtown Partnershi...

Some places serve food while others serve memories. For four decades, Donatello's has been both a culinary landmark and a living room for Tampa, where generations gather, celebrate, and feel at home. In this episode, Gino Tiozzo shares the story behind one of the city's most beloved restaurants that is built on tradition, shaped by resilience, and sustained by heart. From a last minute $50,000 loa...

What does it take to perform at an elite level whether you're in combat, the boardroom, or under the bright lights? In this episode Captain Tom Chaby, retired Navy SEAL and founder of T3 Advantage, breaks down the mindset and leadership principles that drive top performers. With over 26 years of SEAL experience and work alongside organizations like the Tampa Bay Lightning and the University of Ala...

Food insecurity isn't about food at all – it's about economics, opportunity, and the strength of a community. In this episode of "Money" Market, host Owen LaFave and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, Thomas Mantz, break down the real cost of providing the dignity of a meal. Feeding Tampa Bay is one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the United States, spanning across 10 counties and providing m...

Is networking really that beneficial? Owen gets a crash course on this week's episode of "Money" Market with Aakash Patel, Tampa's most prolific networker and founder of Elevate, Inc., a thriving business consulting firm. Aakash unpacks his signature approach to relationship building, from navigating crowded events with intention to turning quick introductions into long-term partnerships. Listener...

What does it take to merge two organizations, reshape a brand, and help redefine an entire city? In this week's episode of "Money" Market, Owen meets with Amanda Payne, President and CEO of AMPLIFY Clearwater, to unpack exactly that. From her roots in public office to leading one of the most innovative business organizations in Tampa Bay, Amanda shares her story of how she turned a traditional cha...

Tampa isn't just growing, it's exploding, and this episode proves why. Owen LaFave hosts visionary developer Luigi Novembre and real estate expert Regina Sotomayor to break down one of the most ambitious projects in the city: Hotel ORA. This isn't your typical development; it's a luxury condotel designed to generate serious income while redefining Tampa's skyline. Demand for hotel room nights in T...

What if school actually prepared you for real life? On this week's episode of "Money" Market, Owen sits down with Olivier Millour, Vice President of Community & Government Affairs for Junior Achievement (JA) Tampa Bay, to unpack how education and workforce development opportunities are transforming the employment landscape. From immersive experiences like BizTown and Finance Park to game-changing...

Today's episode of the "Money" Market Podcast is all about curiosity, courage, and carving your own path to go where's right for you. Owen sits down with Mallory Kuba, VP of Middle Market Banking at The Bank of Tampa, who proves that a marketing degree with a data analytics brain can evolve into a powerhouse banker. Mallory shares how saying "yes" to unexpected opportunities transformed her career...

What if everything you thought about conventional fitness training was…wrong? In this week's episode of the "Money" Market Podcast, Olya Schaefer, founder of The Athleticus, breaks down the real science behind strength, recovery, and longevity, and why most busy professionals and execs are training completely inefficiently. From her roots in high-pressure tech startups to building a performance st...

What does it take to transform a waterfront city into one of Florida's most vibrant economies? Former St. Pete City Council Member Ed Montanari joins Owen LaFave on "Money" Market to pull back the deals, debates, and bold decisions that reshaped downtown St. Pete. From saving and modernizing Albert Whitted Airport to helping bring the world-class Dalí Museum to its iconic waterfront home, Ed share...

Sarasota is booming, but can it keep its charm while keeping up with growth? In this episode of "Money" Market, Owen sits down with Heather Kasten, President and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, to unpack the real forces shaping one of Florida's most dynamic regions. From affordable housing battles and workforce shortages to hurricane recovery and explosive population growth, nothi...

What's powering Tampa Bay's next wave of growth? Owen LaFave sits down with Chris Gstalder, Office Managing Director for Accenture Tampa Bay, to explore the innovation shaping Florida's economy. They unpack the explosive rise of AI and what it means for businesses, infrastructure, and the future of work. Chris explains why energy demand and data centers are becoming the biggest challenges in the A...

Retail has been declared "dead" for years, but the reality is far more eye-opening. In this episode of "Money" Market, Rachel Wein joins the conversation to explain how retail is evolving through smaller store formats, shifting customer expectations, and omnichannel strategy. She shares why today's most productive retailers don't need massive footprints to succeed and takes us inside international...

What if one of Tampa's biggest economic engines wasn't a bank, a stadium, or a corporation but a museum? In this episode of the "Money" Market Podcast, Michael Tomor, Executive Director of the Tampa Museum of Art, shatters the outdated idea of what a museum really is. From operating a $6.5 million organization to driving tourism, workforce development, and community wellness, Michael explains why...

In this upbeat episode of the "Money" Market Podcast, Owen chats with Ian Anderson, the President and Publisher behind Tampa's fastest growing source for business intel - the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Ian shares how his career began with a curveball – leaving the finance world to chase down breaking news, big stories, and even bigger growth opportunities. He talks candidly about being thrown int...

This week on "Money" Market, we sat down with Tampa Bay legend Ernest Hooper – columnist, storyteller, and the man behind the iconic catchphrase "That's all I'm sayin'." Owen dives deep into Ernest's 27-year journey with the Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times, exploring how authenticity and a well-timed punchline shaped his writing voice. Ernest recounts newsroom rivalries, the evolution of local j...

Florida is growing fast, but is Tallahassee thinking fast enough? On today's episode of the "Money" Market Podcast, former State Senator Jeff Brandes breaks down why Florida keeps waiting for crises instead of planning ahead, and how that mindset is costing residents real money. From skyrocketing insurance premiums and uninsured drivers to housing shortages, land-use failures, and the myth of elim...

Get ready for a mind-bending episode of the "Money" Market Podcast where we step into a world of melting clocks and cutting edge technology. Owen invites Beth Harrison, the Digital Experience Director at The Dalí Museum, to discuss how her team turns Salvador Dalí's masterpieces into an immersive, high-tech experience. She shares the twists and turns of her career journey and how curiosity fueled...

Zestimates are wrong, condos are stuck, and buyers finally have the upper hand in Tampa Bay. In this week's episode of "Money" Market, host Owen LaFave and Julie Larsen, a leading real estate agent with Michael Saunders & Company, discuss what's actually happening in Pinellas County. From hurricane recovery and flood zone distortions to why some homes are flying off the market while others sit unt...

Wait…what happened to the iconic "HCC"? In this episode of the "Money" Market Podcast, host Owen LaFave and Hillsborough College President Dr. Ken Atwater unpack why Hillsborough College dropped "Community" from its name and what that means for Tampa's economic future. From workforce pipelines – FinTech, AI, healthcare, and even drone technology – Hillsborough College is fueling Tampa Bay's workfo...

Tampa Bay isn't just growing, it's being actively shaped, and few people see that process more clearly than Garrett Greco. In this episode of the "Money" Market Podcast, host Owen LaFave sits down with the Tampa Bay Developer podcast host, real estate investor, and fifth-generation Tampanian to unpack what's really driving our region's explosive evolution. Garrett shares how zoning codes, impact f...

The wait is over, folks. Corey Neil, the Bank of Tampa's President and CEO and one of the "Money" Market Podcast's most requested guests, joins host Owen LaFave to talk about the kind of leadership that puts people first. A true servant leader, Corey shares how a single word – impact – has guided his rise from young banker to CEO, shaping a culture rooted in relationships, authenticity, and doing...

What happens when passion meets purpose in Tampa Bay? On this episode of "Money" Market, Owen sits down with Mike Griffin, Vice Chair of the USF Board of Trustees and Co-Head of Florida for Savills, to talk about the momentum transforming the region. From shaping USF's $400 million on-campus stadium to advising major companies on growth strategies, Mike's influence reaches from the boardroom to th...

Ever wonder what it's like to crash through windows, set yourself on fire, and call it a career move? Meet Kevin Rego, founder of K75 Stunt Academy in Clearwater, where Tampa Bay locals learn to fall, fly, and fight like Hollywood pros – safely, of course. Kevin is also the owner of K2 Second Unit Stunts, an action production team, and he rolls in with host Owen LaFave on the "Money" Market Podcas...