From left: Danielle Permenter, Belinda O. Kirkegard.
Special thanks to Dr. Phillips House for graciously providing the venue for the photoshoot.
Danielle Permenter
Chief Operating Officer, Orlando Economic Partnership
As chief operating officer of the Orlando Economic Partnership, Permenter plays a pivotal role in shaping the region’s future. Her work focuses on turning ambitious visions for Central Florida into tangible outcomes by strengthening partnerships, supporting workforce initiatives, and guiding programs that develop the next generation of civic and business leaders.
Permenter helps oversee several influential leadership and workforce programs that continue to shape the region’s civic pipeline, including Leadership Orlando, UpSkill Orlando, the Black Boardroom Leadership Institute, and LeadForward. Through these programs, emerging leaders gain the tools and connections needed to make lasting contributions to Central Florida’s economy and community.
“Economic development is ultimately about people.”
Her influence extends beyond the organization itself. Permenter also serves on the executive committee board for United Arts of Central Florida and has been recognized nationally and locally for her leadership, including being named to the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ 40 Under 40 list, earning the Women’s Executive Council Emerging Leader Award, and receiving recognition as an Orlando Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.
But for Permenter, titles and recognition are secondary to the deeper purpose behind the work.
“What motivates me most is the belief that economic development is ultimately about people,” she says. “When we talk about attracting companies, building infrastructure, or investing in innovation, what we are really doing is shaping the opportunities available to the next generation.”
Raised in Orlando and now raising her own family here, Permenter views her role as part of a long-term investment in the community that shaped her. The region’s history of transformation—from a citrus economy to a global tourism hub and now an emerging center for technology, simulation, aerospace, and life sciences—has inspired her leadership philosophy.
She credits Orlando’s collaborative spirit as one of its greatest strengths.
“Orlando is a community where leaders show up for one another,” Permenter says. “When you see a room full of leaders aligned around a vision for the future of this region, it reminds you that meaningful progress is always a collective effort.”
That commitment to collaboration also shapes how Permenter approaches leadership inside the Orlando Economic Partnership. She often emphasizes the importance of recognizing the behind-the-scenes contributions of teams whose work rarely receives public attention but is essential to the region’s progress.
One leadership principle she frequently returns to comes from author Brené Brown: “Clear is kind.”
For Permenter, clarity in expectations, communication, and recognition is fundamental to helping others succeed. Creating opportunity for others, she says, is one of the most meaningful responsibilities of leadership.
Looking ahead, she hopes that the next decade will bring broader representation in leadership across Central Florida’s public and private sectors.
“I hope women in Orlando say this was a time when leadership in our region became more reflective of the community we serve,” she says. “The most important work any leader can do is to open doors, be curious, and create opportunities for others to step into leadership roles.”
For all the impact of her professional accomplishments, Permenter’s vision of legacy remains deeply personal. She hopes to be remembered first as a proud mother, supportive spouse, and loyal friend, and professionally as someone who invested in others and helped build stronger connections across the community.
Through steady leadership and a focus on people, Danielle Permenter continues helping shape the future of Orlando; one partnership, one opportunity, and one emerging leader at a time.
Belinda O. Kirkegard
President, National Entrepreneur Center
As president of the National Entrepreneur Center, Kirkegard leads one of Central Florida’s most important engines for entrepreneurial growth. The organization, founded more than two decades ago, exists to propel small businesses forward — and under her leadership, it is entering a transformative new chapter.
“In other words,” she says with a laugh, “I’m Captain of the Small Business Squad!”
It’s a fitting description for someone whose career has been rooted in public service and economic development. Kirkegard’s professional journey began as an intern in the Orange County chairman’s office, then executive secretary and aide to Orange County Commissioner Mary Johnson. She went on to serve as senior contract administrator in the Orange County Business Development Office, director of governmental affairs and public relations for the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, economic development director for the City of Kissimmee and now president of the National Entrepreneur Center.
Throughout it all, her motivation has remained consistent.
“My motivation to serve has always been rooted in my children — even before they were born,” she says. “I was shaped by my father’s philosophy to ‘leave things better than you found them.’”
That philosophy, reinforced by mentors such as former Orange County Chairman Linda Chapin and Commissioner Mary Johnson, continues to guide her leadership today.
“Leadership is not defined by winning a title, but by the willingness to keep showing up and serve with integrity.”
Kirkegard knows firsthand that leadership requires resilience. In 2008, she ran for Orlando City Commission and lost by just 42 votes. Later that same year, she ran for the Florida Senate, raising $2 million and earning strong endorsements across the state — only to lose by half a percent. “At the time, those losses felt deeply personal,” she says. “What I couldn’t see then was that they were also profound professional gains.”
Those campaigns expanded her network and deepened her understanding of unmet community needs. They also reshaped her view of leadership. “Leadership is not for the faint of heart,” she says, referencing Mayor Jerry Demings’ description of it as a “trust-fall.” “Even the setbacks are part of a larger purpose.”
Orlando is often defined by its global corporations and tourism headlines. But Kirkegard sees something else. “The City of Orlando is a community of small businesses,” she says. “They drive innovation, power job creation and fuel economic growth locally and nationally.”
In her relatively short tenure at the National Entrepreneur Center, she has launched strategic growth initiatives, expanded partnerships and is now leading a $10 million, three-year capital campaign to relocate the organization to Creative Village. The move will embed new technology, expand collaborative space and reimagine how entrepreneurs access resources.
“This isn’t just a change of address,” she says. “It’s a strategic investment in how business will be done tomorrow.”
Kirkegard’s leadership style is rooted in collaboration. She intentionally creates space for her team to shine, often inviting staff members to present directly to the executive board. “When we create space for others to rise, we don’t diminish our own impact — we multiply it,” she says.
Beyond her professional work, she continues to serve on the Valencia College Board of Trustees, the AdventHealth Central Florida Division Board, the City of Orlando’s Municipal Emergency Building Authority Board and her children’s school parent involvement committee.
Looking ahead, she hopes the Creative Village relocation will be remembered as a defining moment — when the National Entrepreneur Center solidified its role as a beacon for business opportunity. As for her legacy? “That I made a difference in Central Florida — grounded by faith, guided by purpose,” she says, smiling. “All while wearing a great pair of heels.”
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