Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava celebrated the success of the county and its business community during her annual visit to the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
Levine Cava, who drew a crowd of more than 80 business owners and other community leaders, spoke about the state of the county and the importance of small business.
“The state of the county is strong,” Levine Cava said.
Levine Cava detailed the continued growth at Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami, but her main focus was on small business and its growth in the county. She hailed initiatives like Strive305 and the RISE small business loan program, but also the procurement department working with small business.
“You might not even be aware that you’re providing a service that could be on contract with the county,” Levine Cava said. “We want you to get that business.”
She said that the county continues to prioritize small business, because it supports the people who live in the county.
Levine Cava said that the county is number one for business applications per capita in the country.
“We still know that small businesses are the backbone of success,” she said.
She said small business owners help create not only wealth, but also Miami-Dade’s distinctive personality and character.
There are now 75,000 businesses taking part in the Strive305 program, she said. It offers various tools to help small businesses in areas like education and technical assistance.
“It’s not just about doing the business with the county, it’s about your businesses and how we can support you to launch and grow successful businesses,” Levine Cava said.
The RISE fund, which provide small business loans through Dade County Federal Credit Union, has given out roughly $36 million in small businesses loans. Loans were distributed across 261 businesses in 2025; about 1,000 businesses have been supported overall. The county estimates the loans have helped to preserve 4,000 jobs in the county.
“Since I took office in 2021, we’ve awarded more than $2 billion in contracts with all businesses,” Levine Cava said.
Levine Cava said the goal has been to make sure small businesses can succeed in Miami-Dade County. But business success must be paired with worker success. The greatest challenge that residents face is affordability when it comes to rent, because of the rising costs of living, she said..
“It’s a national problem, but our success has fueled huge, huge increase costs of living, especially with housing, and our salaries have not kept pace,” Levine Cava said.
Due to the high costs of living, Levine Cava noted, the county has seen a small population decline.
Levine Cava said she has been working to have more housing people can afford.
“We’re on track to produce almost 50,000 units of affordable workforce housing,” she said.
The Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly luncheons at the Miami Lakes Hotel on Main, 6842 Main St. Networking begins at 11:30 followed by lunch at noon.
To sign up visit miamilakeschamber.com.