ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic spent Friday bringing people together on and off the court.
On the hardwood, the Magic hosted Flamengo, a Brazilian club with a storied history, for their final game of the preseason as they continued to engage their growing international fanbase and spread the game of basketball on a global scale.
Off the court, the Magic hosted their second annual Hispanic Business Summit presented by Kia at Amway Center in an effort to build an even more healthy and prosperous Central Florida community.
“The summit today was super important,” said Magic Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Esu Ma’at. “It’s so special to bring together non-profit leaders, corporate leaders, and entrepreneurs. There were over 150 people in attendance, including 12 vendors. It’s always special to do it and celebrate the culture. That’s what we do. We celebrate diversity here. When people can come together and establish meaningful connections and pursue business development opportunities with each other, that’s the power of sport and the power of bringing folks into our building.”
The Hispanic Business Summit provides a unique platform for business leaders, professionals, and community members to come together, foster collaboration, encourage partnerships, and exchange best practices related to engaging Hispanic communities.
“Hispanic businesses play a vital role in all industries that support our local economy. Their contributions are a strategic advantage for our region's economic success,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, who attended the event. “I commend the Orlando Magic for bringing together professionals from across the county to network, collaborate, and share best practices in engaging our growing Hispanic community.”
Among the topics featured during panel discussions were scaling growth, prosperity, the social impact of businesses, cultivating talent and attracting consumers, developing next generation leaders, and nonprofit outreach.
One business in attendance that benefited firsthand from collaborating and partnering with the Magic is American Protection Services and Investigations (ASPI), who provide security for the AdventHealth Training Center.
“It’s the realization of a dream,” said ASPI CEO Jose Miranda. “(The Magic) helped realize that dream. They took my dream and said what if we magnified it and put the power of the Magic behind it. That’s another reason why we’re here today.”
Their partnership with the Magic is just a small portion of the organization’s ongoing efforts to further their commitment to Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE). The Magic and AdventHealth recently awarded $17 million of design and construction contracts for the AdventHealth Training Center project to 33 local MWBEs.
Along with that financial commitment, the Magic hope to continue to bring members of the community together to help benefit the entire Central Florida region.
“That’s what the game of basketball has done for us and so many people,” said Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley. “A lot of people, including guys in our locker room, have been blessed by the game of basketball to take them places they never would have been and meet people that they never would have met. That’s why we’re so grateful for each one of these opportunities that we get. It continues to bring people together the right way. We have to continue to embrace that and lead the charge there.”