Episode 3: Kelly Flannery - Return to Relationships: Building a Culture of Connection

What does it actually take to build a community where people feel like they belong? Kelly Flannery, President and CEO of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce, has spent 13 years answering that question, and her answer always comes back to the same thing: relationships built before you need them.

In this episode of KNOWN + Connected, Kelly traces the journey that took her from Tampa to Florida State to Chicago and back again, including the moment a negative two degree landing convinced her that everything she loved was back home in Florida. She talks about planting seeds without an agenda, how a sidewalk conversation outside a cupcake shop turned into a CEO position, and why the Chamber closed its highest membership renewal year in the middle of a global pandemic.

Kelly and Kinard also dig into what is coming next for human connection in a world accelerating toward AI, why the handwritten note is making a comeback, and what it really means to show up for the people in your life.

If you are building a network, growing a business, or trying to be more present in the relationships that matter most, this conversation is for you.