{"id":254042,"date":"2026-05-01T15:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/254042\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:00:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:00:09","slug":"orlando-women-of-the-year-2026-honorees-danielle-permenter-belinda-o-kirkegard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/254042\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Women of the Year 2026 Honorees \u2013 Danielle Permenter, Belinda O. Kirkegard"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rgz2945\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From left: Danielle Permenter, Belinda O. Kirkegard.<\/p>\n

Special thanks to Dr. Phillips House<\/a> for graciously providing the venue for the photoshoot.<\/p>\n

Chief Operating Officer, Orlando Economic Partnership<\/p>\n

\"Orlcm<\/a>In a region defined by growth, collaboration, and constant reinvention, Danielle Permenter has built a career around one central belief: economic development is ultimately about people.<\/p>\n

As chief operating officer of the Orlando Economic Partnership, Permenter plays a pivotal role in shaping the region\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Permenter helps oversee several influential leadership and workforce programs that continue to shape the region\u2019s 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\u2019s economy and community.<\/p>\n

\u201cEconomic development is ultimately about people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019 40 Under 40 list, earning the Women\u2019s Executive Council Emerging Leader Award, and receiving recognition as an Orlando Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.<\/p>\n

But for Permenter, titles and recognition are secondary to the deeper purpose behind the work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat motivates me most is the belief that economic development is ultimately about people,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s history of transformation\u2014from a citrus economy to a global tourism hub and now an emerging center for technology, simulation, aerospace, and life sciences\u2014has inspired her leadership philosophy.<\/p>\n

She credits Orlando\u2019s collaborative spirit as one of its greatest strengths.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrlando is a community where leaders show up for one another,\u201d Permenter says. \u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n

One leadership principle she frequently returns to comes from author Bren\u00e9 Brown: \u201cClear is kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, she hopes that the next decade will bring broader representation in leadership across Central Florida\u2019s public and private sectors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope women in Orlando say this was a time when leadership in our region became more reflective of the community we serve,\u201d she says. \u201cThe most important work any leader can do is to open doors, be curious, and create opportunities for others to step into leadership roles.\u201d<\/p>\n

For all the impact of her professional accomplishments, Permenter\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

President, National Entrepreneur Center<\/p>\n

\"Orlcm<\/a>When Belinda O. Kirkegard talks about small business, she doesn\u2019t just speak as an advocate. She speaks as a champion.<\/p>\n

As president of the National Entrepreneur Center, Kirkegard leads one of Central Florida\u2019s most important engines for entrepreneurial growth. The organization, founded more than two decades ago, exists to propel small businesses forward \u2014 and under her leadership, it is entering a transformative new chapter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn other words,\u201d she says with a laugh, \u201cI\u2019m Captain of the Small Business Squad!\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fitting description for someone whose career has been rooted in public service and economic development. Kirkegard\u2019s professional journey began as an intern in the Orange County chairman\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Throughout it all, her motivation has remained consistent.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy motivation to serve has always been rooted in my children \u2014 even before they were born,\u201d she says. \u201cI was shaped by my father\u2019s philosophy to \u2018leave things better than you found them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

That philosophy, reinforced by mentors such as former Orange County Chairman Linda Chapin and Commissioner Mary Johnson, continues to guide her leadership today.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeadership is not defined by winning a title, but by the willingness to keep showing up and serve with integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 only to lose by half a percent. \u201cAt the time, those losses felt deeply personal,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat I couldn\u2019t see then was that they were also profound professional gains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those campaigns expanded her network and deepened her understanding of unmet community needs. They also reshaped her view of leadership. \u201cLeadership is not for the faint of heart,\u201d she says, referencing Mayor Jerry Demings\u2019 description of it as a \u201ctrust-fall.\u201d \u201cEven the setbacks are part of a larger purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orlando is often defined by its global corporations and tourism headlines. But Kirkegard sees something else. \u201cThe City of Orlando is a community of small businesses,\u201d she says. \u201cThey drive innovation, power job creation and fuel economic growth locally and nationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t just a change of address,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a strategic investment in how business will be done tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirkegard\u2019s 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. \u201cWhen we create space for others to rise, we don\u2019t diminish our own impact \u2014 we multiply it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s Municipal Emergency Building Authority Board and her children\u2019s school parent involvement committee.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, she hopes the Creative Village relocation will be remembered as a defining moment \u2014 when the National Entrepreneur Center solidified its role as a beacon for business opportunity. As for her legacy? \u201cThat I made a difference in Central Florida \u2014 grounded by faith, guided by purpose,\u201d she says, smiling. \u201cAll while wearing a great pair of heels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u21a9 Back to Orlando Magazine\u2019s 2026 Women of the Year Honorees<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From left: Danielle Permenter, Belinda O. Kirkegard. Special thanks to Dr. Phillips House for graciously providing the venue…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254043,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-254042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254042\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}