Twenty-six years after crossing the USF commencement stage with a degree in electrical
engineering, Floyd Freeman is back on campus playing an important role in its growth.
The Cablelytics owner installs technologies such as structured cabling, Wi-Fi and
fiber optics, and has a contract with USF to install public safety Distributed Antenna
Systems, which boost police and fire radios, in the Judy Genshaft Honors College building
and Student Wellness Center – both scheduled to open next year.
Freeman landed the jobs while participating in the most recent cohort of the USF Mentor
Protégé Program – developed in partnership with Skanska to support the Tampa Bay region’s
diverse-owned small businesses in the construction industry. The program provides
businesses with training, development and partnership opportunities to help them grow
their capacity and become more effective with competitive bidding processes. Freeman
shared on LinkedIn that he was enrolled in the 10-week program, and a general contractor
saw the post and reached out to offer him the jobs.
He and 11 other local business owners recently graduated from the program, which he
says resulted in him becoming more knowledgeable about a variety of aspects of business,
such as Occupational Safety Health Administration regulations, legislation that impacts
employee law and human resources best practices. Participants were selected based
on recommendations from community partners, such as the Hillsborough County NAACP,
Prospera, the Women’s Business Enterprise Council Florida, Inclusive St. Pete and
the Manasota Black Chamber of Commerce.
“It was a comprehensive program with a lot of great information. It was well worth
it, and I highly recommend it,” said Freeman, who previously hired a USF graduate
who started at Cablelytics as a first job out of school. “This was the most I had
been on campus in a long time and it’s really neat to see my experience at USF come
full circle.”
Freeman learned about the Mentor Protégé Program while attending a meeting hosted
by the Office of Supplier Diversity that outlined upcoming opportunities to secure
contracts to work on the future on-campus stadium. He’s in the process of applying
to bid on a contract for that project too.
Julio Samamed
Samamed Home Improvements co-owners and brothers Julio and Modesto Samamed
Modesto Samamed
Samamed Home Improvements is another diverse-owned business benefitting from the mentor
program. Owners Modesto and Julio Samamed were part of the program’s first class in
2021. Since then, they’ve adjusted their business model from residential painting
to commercial projects – now providing service to a packaging supply store.
“This program was a game changer and of course, we have a lot of things to do in order
to achieve our goals. A year later, our business has grown very much. Our vision is
different, and we are doing the right things to grow up,” the Samamad brothers shared.
Nia Ogletree, founder and CEO of facilities management firm Arielle Management Group,
was also part of the inaugural group. She says she joined the program because she
felt her business was too small to compete for larger projects. Since completing the
program, she says her client base has increased, receiving increased work on a commercial
fire alarm project and a new, five-year contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs
to offer veterans transportation to their doctor’s appointments.
“This mentoring program came at a time where I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay the course
in the construction industry, it’s a tough hill to climb,” said Ogletree, who served
in the U.S. Army for 18 years. “Trying to find good mentors to help guide us to grow
and staying educated about the industry became a challenge as well. What changed for
me was an increased knowledge of the construction industry taught during the program.
The mentoring I received gave me the confidence to get out of my comfort zone, do
more public speaking and go out to find projects for the company.”
Arielle Management Group employees complete flooring project for the Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake City.
Ogletree says the Mentor Protégé Program provided her much-needed support to help
level the playing field for small businesses like hers to thrive and survive. She
shares for the next cohort of business owners, “the journey together will be phenomenal.”
The USF Office of Supplier Diversity is in the early stages of planning its third
annual Mentor Protégé Program, with application information expected to be available
in spring 2023.
You can register here to find out when applications for next year’s mentor program open and receive notifications
about future Office of Supplier Diversity events or USF purchasing opportunities.
