Ep. 402 | Breaking Generational Poverty: Heather Cogar on Florida’s Prosperity Initiative

In this moving episode recorded live at the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum, Small Biz Florida host Tom Kindred speaks with Heather Cogar, Statewide Director of Community Engagement for the Florida Prosperity Initiative. Cogar shares her deeply personal journey from foster care and homelessness to becoming a sheriff’s deputy, successful entrepreneur, and now a statewide leader working to cut childhood poverty in half by 2030. She explains how the initiative uses zip-code-level data to target the areas most in need and mobilizes business leaders as "zip code leaders" to connect existing nonprofits and community resources with families. Rather than creating new programs, the Florida Prosperity Initiative focuses on eliminating silos, driving collaboration, and building self-sufficiency over government dependency, all to secure Florida’s economic future by investing in its children today. This podcast episode was recorded live at the Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: Florida Prosperity Initiative: https://www.flchamber.com/florida-prosperity-initiative