S5 E2 | Rebranding Education in Tampa with Dr. Ken Atwater

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 workforce and innovation ecosystem. Plus, plot twist, Hillsborough College just entered into a Memo of Understanding (MOU) with the Tampa Bay Rays to explore building a new stadium and mixed-use district on the Dale Mabry campus, potentially creating thousands of jobs and redefining the campus footprint. Ken shares how the college partners directly with major employers, responds to real-time industry needs, and trains talent for jobs that exist right now. This conversation also tackles affordability, enrollment growth, and why two-year colleges educate more Floridians than state universities. Owen and Ken address the Dale Mabry campus headline buzz and what a potential Rays development could mean for students and the region. With a booming $1.3B economic impact and tuition frozen for a decade, Hillsborough College is quietly doing some of the most important work in the Bay area. If you care about jobs, growth, and where Tampa Bay is headed next, you won't want to miss this episode.   WATCH NEXT: THE HIDDEN COST OF GROWTH IN TAMPA WITH GARRETT GRECO https://youtu.be/B8KrG3r6mtY SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz_7yNs7dOuyKApAkohqJIQ   Follow The "Money" Market Podcast here:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6e7E0DaJZQkuw339G7nGI4?si=27d047641a1d4b17 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-money-market-podcast/id1733948143 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneymarketpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneymarketpodcast Website: https://moneymarketpodcast.com   The Bank of Tampa | Member FDIC