Event Organizer Activates Tampa Bay’s Culture and Community with Elevated Events

Casa Bruni of Hillsborough County

When Tampa entrepreneur Bruni Oquendo launched Casa Bruni, her vision was to transform underutilized venues into vibrant, cultural destinations. “We activate different venues and spaces that are looking for a vibe,” Oquendo explained. “So, we’ll come in, we’ll bring something in such as Latin Lounge, Noche Latina, Afrobeats nights, and comedy nights—so a lot of different activations to bring in the community and connect talent, community and culture together.”

Inspired by Tampa’s rapid growth and emerging luxury venues, Oquendo saw a unique opportunity. “We’ve [Tampa] been named one of the best places to live in the world, and that’s really bringing in a lot of upscale, elegant venues,” she said. “But again, you know, these different venues are not always being utilized.”

To bring her vision to life, Oquendo turned to the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County and business consultant Shawn Ferguson. “Shawn really sat down with me and talked me through it step by step,” she said. “We talked about, you know, opening my business bank account and then just being there through the whole process as a mentor, which has been incredible,” she added.

Since launching, Casa Bruni has grown rapidly, producing a variety of high-energy community events and even securing a $10,000 pitch competition win. The success has opened unexpected doors—including a project with a Netflix client in Turks and Caicos and work on a political campaign.

“We organized a trip to Turks and Caicos, for the premiere party of a show that’s currently on Netflix. So just having that opportunity and then launching and utilizing the funds that I won to be able to now go into having higher caliber talent at my different showcases. So, for example, my Latin Lounge – I was able to get Grammy nominated billboard charting Salsa artists, Frankie Negrón to host my event and it’s been an incredible journey,” Oquendo mentioned when speaking about her biggest successes thus far.

As Casa Bruni continues to expand, Oquendo plans to keep collaborating with the Florida SBDC for mentorship and business growth while offering this piece of advice to other entrepreneurs: “When you think to yourself, I need someone to help me with marketing. I need someone to help me with my website; there are a lot of free resources that the SBDC can help you with and they are there to guide you in the right direction. So, make sure that you reach out and use them,” she said. “At the Entrepreneur Collaborative Center, there is the SBDC at Hillsborough County and it’s just been a crucial part of my business expanding. So, make sure you take advantage of those mentorships,” she concluded.