Brad Baker

CEO at Myakka Crossings Inc

Speaker

Brad Baker is a distinguished leader, strategist, and entrepreneur with a proven track record of guiding companies through rapid growth and innovation. Over the course of his career, he has launched and managed multiple technology, real estate, and development ventures, including founding NetLine Communications, one of Florida’s first frame relay internet networks, and serving as CEO of Nexus Biometrics, a leading fingerprint biometric company focused on child safety. His entrepreneurial expertise also extends to real estate and housing development, where he is currently creating sustainable, green communities and workforce housing projects in Florida, including a community of tiny homes and a retail strip center in North Port. Mr. Baker holds multiple credentials, including LEED AP BD+C, a Florida Class B Commercial Contractor license, and a Florida Real Estate Broker’s License.

Mr. Baker’s public service career is equally notable. He was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush as Executive Director of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, overseeing nearly $1 billion in state grants to promote affordable housing. Later, Governor Jeff Colyer appointed him Deputy Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, where he brought entrepreneurial thinking and strategic leadership to state economic initiatives, including projects in aviation. In Washington, D.C., Mr. Baker helped promulgate Section 42 of the IRC into the Federal Register, promoting affordable tax credit housing, and subsequently developed several $25 million tax credit housing projects in Kansas City.

An early pioneer in technology and finance, Mr. Baker began his career by founding a chain of computer stores in Southwest Florida, followed by taking Tech:Time, Inc. public on NASDAQ. He later sold his Internet Service Provider to Comcast, helping launch their cable modem business. In 1988, at age 28, he became one of the youngest White House Fellows ever appointed, serving as Special Assistant to the Treasury Secretary, and was later named to the Executive Board of the Resolution Trust Corporation, overseeing the $400 billion thrift banking industry rescue. Throughout his career, he has received national recognition, including being named one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the United States by the Young Entrepreneurs Organization and “Floridian to Watch in the Next 10 Years” by Florida Trend magazine.

Beyond business and public service, Mr. Baker is deeply involved in community and aviation initiatives. He is an elected Board Member for Sarasota Memorial Hospital and serves on numerous boards, including New College (Past), the Sarasota Airport Advisory Board, Venice Habitat for Humanity’s Corporate Development Committee (Past Director) and the NBAA CAM Governing Board (Past), and was appointed to the AABI governing board for aviation education. An instrument-rated private pilot and avid traveler, he has visited over 160 countries and logged more than 3 million lifetime airline miles. Mr. Baker combines his professional achievements, public service, and global perspective to create impactful, sustainable solutions in business, community development, and aviation.