Every week in Valrico, local business owners meet over coffee to talk about their businesses, what’s working and not working and how to grow successfully. They meet to assist each other with problems, brainstorm how to improve processes and connect.
The Valrico Founders Table meets twice weekly at Chill Cawfee on Lithia Pinecrest Road. There are no dues, no business pitches and no pressure. The group has a question for discussion, time to share wins and failures and offer praise or ‘shout-outs’ to each other.
Connor Blackmon owns the Heroes Fitness gym in Valrico. During the summer of 2025, he started the Valrico Founders Table with a desire to connect with other local business owners. At the time, Blackmon was feeling the frustration of a business valley or a dip in revenue. Inspired by the mastermind principle in the book Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, Blackmon posted in a community page on Facebook that he wanted to start a Friday morning coffee club for like-minded, service-based business owners who wanted to work together towards improvement.
“I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into this. I went into this saying I want to connect with people, and I want a place where I can talk about my struggles — more than anything, because I was struggling at the time,” Blackmon said.
The group began meeting on Fridays in July 2025. It grew quickly and added a second meeting on Wednesdays at lunchtime.
“It’s evolved into a support group. It’s a place for business owners to connect and share insights. It’s a place where you can be vulnerable and be heard as well,” Blackmon said.
Patti Sutherland, national marketplace director for Christians in Business, said she loves the Valrico Founders Table because it is not a pitch group.
“Connor has put together a group of young and older entrepreneurs who share ideas and experiences. The exchanges every meeting are different because of the questions he brings every time we meet. I have learned a lot from this group, and I think some of my expertise has been appreciated too,” Sutherland said.
Chill Cawfee owner Tom Quigley said the Valrico Founders Table creates real connection that benefits the community.
“When local founders support each other, it builds a stronger, more resilient community,” Quigley said.
The Valrico Founders Table meets at Chill Cawfee, located at 3407 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico, on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. and Fridays at 8 a.m. The Valrico Founders Table can be found as a public group on Facebook.
You must be logged in to post a comment.