Champa Bay Sports, Ben Sever, Renee Warmack, Jane Castor, Michael Clayton and Gigi’s Playhouse Collaborate To Empower Local Champions

March 25, 2022

On March 21, 2022, World Down Syndrome Day, Tampa Bay highlighted that its new identity, “Champa Bay,” transcends more than sports, but rather a community of world-class industries and purpose-driven champions. As stated on Champa Bay Sports’ website, the ethos of the brand mirrors Tampa’s cohesive culture which has made Champa Bay a true beacon of collaborative inspiration. Champa Bay Sports’ Founder and CEO, Ben Sever, also incorporated Tampa Preparatory School’s Mission (Sever’s Alma Mater), in his company philosophy- “A Higher Purpose Than Self” which is an evident characteristic amongst this powerhouse team. The partnership between Renee Warmack Productions, Champa Bay Sports and various community leaders has illuminated local champions with Down syndrome and is the type of unique inclusion happening all around the bay area. Be sure to see the Gigi’s Playhouse (Down Syndrome Achievement Center) stars, Sam Piazza, Nick Altieri and David Scott star in “It’s Game Time.”“It’s Game Time” Music Video (Because of Sam Theme Song) Official Music Video

Starting in April, Champa Bay Sports will be hosting monthly “Impact Board” meetings to guide their impressive $100,000 yearly charitable donation budget, monthly community event programming and media selections for features in their upcoming digital media outlet called “Champions of The Bay.” This news outlet will highlight students, business professionals, athletes, veterans, innovators and most importantly, purpose-driven leaders who are championing authentic impact within the Greater Tampa Area.

“When I first saw Ben’s business plan in 2021, I was immediately drawn to the bigger picture of the Champa Bay Sports Enterprise. Altruistic apparel was just the first pillar, but the most inspirational pillars are manifesting now; community cohesion, pioneering philanthropy and motivational media. Our impact board has attracted 20+ local business leaders across all business sectors in tandem with 30+ strategic partners and we will double those numbers by Q3 to ensure the Champa Bay brand is built with the diverse foundational bedrocks that make this city great!”–Pete Blum, Chairman, Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Businesses/COO, Champa Bay Sports.

When Elevate asked Sever about how his team can effectively focus on their six-company portfolio, while actively staying true to community commitment, the answer was one that all onlookers are dying to know. “Agile!” said Sever. “My team has had the honor to receive Agile certifications by a global project management thought leader, Maria Matarelli. She has trained Fortune 500 companies all over the world in speed-to-market and built an award-winning reputation for process improvement. Not only has she certified 100% of our team members for the past three years, but she is now the Chief Agility Officer for our entire portfolio,” said Sever. “I am excited to be leading Agility for some of Tampa’s fastest growing startups who understand the crucial need for a results-focused, collaborative framework within the workplace if they’re going to reach enterprise capacity. Our proven processes, plus Ben’s community-centric and empowering leadership style allows for record-breaking velocity and team building execution. For example, I approached the NFL Alumni to spearhead a partnership with Champa Bay Sports, and the same week I brought it back to the team, all departments from social media to fundraising effortlessly onboarded them and executed a 200-person event within weeks. We hope to elevate newer partnerships such as Renee’s to quickly be holding regular events at that magnitude!” said Maria Matarelli.

It is safe to say that Champa Bay Sports, Renee Warmack Productions and all current and future champions of the bay are in the right ecosystem to experience and contribute to unprecedented growth. We hope to see more leaders demonstrate how supportive our local brands are to collaborate for a genuine mission. “I worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ben Sever of Champa Bay Sports to get a sign off for their brands to appear in the music video and am very grateful for their involvement,” said Renee Warmack.

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