Prospera Regional Board Member Audra Aja is a strategic marketer with extensive experience in digital advertising and business development. She is the Economic Development Marketing Program Manager for the City of Clearwater and an active supporter of Prospera’s mission across the West Coast of Florida. Keep on reading to get to know her:
What are your employer’s mission and products/services?
I work for the City of Clearwater in its Economic Development and Affordable Housing Department. Clearwater is committed to quality, sustainable, cost-effective municipal services that foster and sustain a healthy residential and economic environment.
What motivated you to serve as a Prospera volunteer?
I strongly believe in Prospera’s mission and wanted to join the Regional Board so I could advocate for the organization and help support our local Hispanic business community. Clearwater has a large Hispanic population—over 17%, so I felt it was important to represent our community on the Board. The City has partnered with Prospera since 2016 to bring bilingual business support programs to Clearwater and I have served on the Board since 2018.
What would you most like the local community to know about Prospera?
Prospera is an invaluable resource for Hispanic-owned businesses and its free! They have been helping to start, grow and sustain businesses for over 30 years, and have the expertise to help take businesses to the next level. They truly care about their clients, and I would highly recommend attending one of their workshops or scheduling a one-on-one consultation.
How do you stay informed about trends in your industry?
I start each day by reading the news. I pay attention to national, state, and local news that impacts our community. I work closely with Pinellas County Economic Development and make it a priority to attend meetings they hold—it is a great source of information and way to network with counterparts throughout the county. I look for regional meetings to attend that address issues affecting Tampa Bay, and I am a member of the Florida Economic Development Council.
Where is your favorite place to have a meeting outside of the office?
I love having meetings at local coffee shops. Being in an environment like that allows people to relax a bit and connect beyond just the topic of the meeting.
Which social media platform do you use most frequently?
I use LinkedIn most frequently. I find it to be a great way to connect with current and former colleagues and learn new information about a variety of industries.
