Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Black History Month to honor a Tampa Bay native and visionary business leader, Candy Lowe Jones. As a champion of Black owned businesses and equitable economic opportunity, Candy Lowe has opened doors for connection, collaboration, and community empowerment across the Tampa Bay region.

Born in Tampa, Florida, Lowe attended C. Leon King High School and Erwin Technical College. For more than 30 years, she served honorably as a licensed nurse, providing compassionate and dedicated care to patients. Yet entrepreneurship had always been her passion. After her career in healthcare, she turned that passion into reality by opening a local tea shop in 2003—a welcoming gathering place that quickly became a hub for conversation, connection, and community. As a businesswoman, Lowe built lasting relationships with her customers, earning their trust and loyalty.

Business owners face many challenges, and Candy understands that engagement is essential to growth and long term success. In 2006, she founded the Black Business Bus Tour, an initiative designed to help Black owned businesses—from restaurants and boutiques to bookstores and beyond—grow and thrive. The tour was born from personal experience: Lowe knew the heartbreak of watching a business struggle, and she sought to honor the historical significance of Tampa’s Central Avenue while uplifting a new generation of Black entrepreneurs.

Since its inception, the bus tour has saved businesses at risk of closing and fostered meaningful dialogue and networking among small businesses throughout Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. Business owners and residents exchange ideas, share business cards, and build relationships that strengthen the local economy. Elected officials, faith leaders, and community advocates have joined these tours, demonstrating the barriers Candy’s work has broken down. The tour has reached hundreds of businesses and thousands of riders, generating revenue at every stop and inspiring plans for expansion across Florida.

Lowe’s work bridges economic opportunity with civic engagement. Alongside the bus tour, she launched “Tea and Conversation,” held every second and fourth Saturday, where community members and leaders gather to discuss the issues that matter most. Episodes are shared online, extending the conversation to an even wider audience. Candy is also a member of the NAACP, has served as a campaign manager and state representative for local elections in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, and founded the Independent Black Chamber of Commerce—ensuring that all business owners have equitable access to opportunity and community.

Every dollar matters. Through her unwavering advocacy, Lowe has held corporations large and small accountable for their lack of meaningful diversity efforts. Her work has protected the pocketbooks of our neighbors and uplifted Black businesses and the broader Tampa Bay community. She understands that the greater good is built on the success of all.

Candy is grounded by the support of her husband, Daryll “DJ” Jones, her grandparents, and her two children, Katisha Butler and Kendredge McKinnon Jr. She carries with her the understanding that while seasons change, humility and patience remain steadfast guides.

Mr. Speaker, Candy Lowe is the embodiment of service and selflessness. She is a bridge builder whose work connects neighbors to businesses and transforms that connection into economic power. Her lifelong goal—to be remembered as a woman who uplifted African American businesses and ensured they were never overlooked—has not only been achieved, but far surpassed. Her legacy is one of empowerment, resilience, and community transformation, and Tampa Bay is stronger because of her leadership.