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Maranda's community service does not stop there! In addition to her contribution to FYI, she is on the leadership development team of Seeds of Promise, a 501 c(3) whose mission is to cultivate youth through education, entrepreneurship, and athletics. She is currently the project manager for the program: Athletes Who Code.

"The vast majority of high school athletes are not going to get athletic scholarships, how much better prepared for life could they be if we equip them with a skill that could turn into a career," she said.

Maranda Douglas is one of the many C.A.T.C.H. graduates. Maranda is the founder of Top Nauts, a small yacht charter concierge.

"We are working to become something like A.A.A. for the yachting world. You would be astonished at how little yacht owners understand about their vessels and how to maintain them properly," Maranda remarked.

When asked about her biggest take away from TBBIC's C.A.T.C.H. program Maranda said, "Pricing for profits. It may seem easy to come up with a price for your services, but things like pricing models and [sales] forecasting—these are things you might not understand until you’re actually faced with them.”Type your paragraph here.

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Tampa Bay! One of the many reasons it is so wonderful to have a business in this region is all the access the start-up community has to support from entities such as the Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation (TBBIC) and all of the Clearwater Business SPARK partners. 

The TBBIC offers an incredible 15-week intensive entrepreneur training called C.A.T.C.H. (coachable, action-oriented, time-sensitive, collaborative and helpful). This exclusive program is offered twice per year and meets once per week for 2 hours. The application fee is $100, which is refundable upon completion of the course. 

Free Business Training Launches An Entrepreneur

Since completing the program in 2018 Maranda has been diligently developing her business, but what is even more impressive is her incredible service to her community. On top of working on her business, and pursuing her 100-ton captains license, she sits on a variety of boards and committees all committed to bettering the lives of others.

In her role as Executive Director of FYI Community Partnership, Inc., she helped organize 17 vibrant murals in the Lake Bellevue community. This was a 2-year project consisting of wall, storm drain, and an intersection mural, which took 19 hours to complete! This was all completed by members of the community and funded through the city of Clearwater Placemaking Program.

Maranda is one of the most outgoing and considerate leaders in Tampa Bay, and a wonderful community role model. We are grateful she calls Tampa Bay home and are excited to see all of the awesome things she develops in the future. 

Learn more about Clearwater Business SPARK

Learn more about C.A.T.C.H. and the TBBIC

Learn more about Seeds of Promise 

Learn more about FYI Community Partnership

Learn more about Top Nauts