The Chamber Foundation
Photo by Member Mark Krancer, Kram Kran Photo
Supporting Long-Term Regional Prosperity
The JAX Chamber Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, a public charity, incorporated in the State of Florida in 1978. The Foundation’s mission is to promote educational and charitable purposes by leading regional economic development, fostering a positive business climate, and leveraging essential resources that create, enhance and expand business in Northeast Florida.
About the Foundation
The Foundation has a long history of serving the community in the development of educational and entrepreneurial initiatives. It supports and promotes education (K-12, graduate and post-graduate), empowers a diverse business climate and leverages essential resources to create, enhance and expand businesses to benefit the entire region.
National studies continue to support the fact that entrepreneurs give back to the communities in which they live. The Foundation delivers the programs and services that allow people throughout the community to create value – and wealth – by designing their own futures. Your support helps expand the Foundation’s impact of improving the lives of people who are building businesses that contribute to their families, employees and the greater community.
2023 Foundation Board Members
Daniel Davis
President & CEO, JAX Chamber
Misty Skipper (Chair)
V.P. of Merchandising, Marketing and External Affairs
John Avendano
President & CEO, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Debbie Buckland
Retired Market President, Truist Bank
Carrie Davis
President, Wealth Watchers
Shantel Davis
Community Member
Hugh Greene
Retired CEO, Baptist Health
Dr. Carlton Jones (Treasurer)
President of Renaissance Design Build Group and Pastor
Phillip Lee
Vice President, Strategic Provider Partnerships at Florida Blue & President Truli for Health
Dr. Ivan Porter
Medical Doctor Internist, Nephrologist, and Chair Community Engagement, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Cheryl Riddick (Secretary)
Assistant Vice President Engagement at Jacksonville Transportation Authority
Shamika Wright
Executive Director, JAX Chamber Foundation
Foundation Funded Programs
Community Outreach
The JAX Chamber Community Outreach position was created in 2016 to partner with businesses and other organizations to make a difference in our community. Highlights from 2020 include the following initiatives.
Lewis & White Business League
The Lewis and White Business League is a forum and program designed to improve economic opportunity for African Americans in Jacksonville. The Lewis and White Business League will include connections to business and educational advancement, quarterly meetings with guest speakers and networking and mentoring opportunities.
Jacksonville Women’s Business Center
Partially funded through the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center (JWBC) creates a new level of innovation. The JWBC provides women – both new and established business owners and leaders – programming that includes mentoring, education, entrepreneurial development, extensive resources, and dynamic networking that will ignite the enterprising spirit.
JAX Bridges Entrepreneurship Program
A program of the JAX Chamber, Bridges, with over 2,500 alumni, is a simulation that educates and connects entrepreneurs. We leverage entrepreneurial tools, unique learning strategies, and corporate relationships to deliver on our value proposition.
JAX Chamber Open Innovation Center
Our Open Innovation Center, an experiential program, leverages the relationship access of the JAX Chamber to work with core members of local industries to identify use cases that may be offered to a crowd of innovators for treatments and solutions.
Project Opioid
Founded in 2018, Project Opioid was created in Orlando in response to the raging opioid epidemic that has claimed the lives of over 1 million people across America since 1999. Community Coalitions were then formed across the state, including Project Opioid North Florida in 2021. Project Opioid empowers community leaders to confront the overdose crisis by aligning them around one shared goal: to reduce overdose deaths in their communities.
Contact the Foundation
For information about getting involved with the JAX Chamber Foundation, contact us at JAXChamberFoundation@jaxchamber.com
Our Supporters
We are deeply grateful to our funders, donors, partners and sponsors whose generous support of JAX Chamber Foundation’s key initiatives provides growth opportunities for businesses all across Northeast Florida.
Platinum Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Community Partners
