Sixty-five companies with a large local presence make up the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2026 Best Places to Work honorees.

As workforce expectations continue to mature, recognition as a great place to work is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s a competitive advantage. Employers across industries remain under pressure to find and keep skilled talent, even amid uneven economic signals. Hiring missteps are costly, and retention has become directly tied to productivity, innovation and long‑term growth.

Flexible work is now expected as a baseline, but culture is the differentiator. Employees are looking beyond where they work to how they work and who is leading them. For employers, that means deeper attention to trust, flexibility, mental health, meaningful career mobility and leadership transparency in a rapidly changing work environment. The best workplaces are those that combine performance expectations with humanity, offering clarity, stability and a genuine sense of purpose.

Here’s how the process unfolded. In November 2025, employees were asked to submit nominations for their companies. From there, employees from nominated companies were asked to complete a confidential survey from Quantum Workplace that measured key indicators such as team effectiveness, retention risk, alignment with goals, trust in co-workers, individual contribution, manager effectiveness, trust in senior leaders, feeling valued, work engagement and people practices.

To be eligible, companies had to have at least 10 employees who could participate in the survey and have a workforce located in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Manatee, Sarasota and Polk (from Lakeland East) counties. Both full-time and part-time employees were included in the survey.

A Best Places to Work honor is a public testament to a company’s commitment to workforce priorities that matter to stakeholders, clients and investors.

 

Funnel Leasing

Rank: 11

Best Places to Work Score: 94.97

Times as a BPTW: 1

Funnel is a leasing software developer for renters and multifamily property managers based in Odessa.

How would you describe your company to someone outside of your industry?

Funnel provides a win for three vital groups: operators looking to reduce costs and improve efficiencies; stretched-thin onsite teams who demand a better long-term career; and renters who deserve a better customer experience. Funnel’s proven agentic AI CRM platform is the enterprise-grade solution industry leaders trust to deliver a streamlined, consistent and connected experience from first inquiry through years of renewals, while simultaneously saving operators quantifiable money through the operational flexibility only a renter-centric platform can provide. We call it Renter Management Software; our clients call it the new operating model.

Are you currently hiring?

Yes

If hiring, are you hiring to maintain or increase current staffing levels?

Increase

What is a common trait you find in ideal candidates?

Ideal candidates naturally align with our core values. They demonstrate a willingness to learn and grow, reflect our focus on continuous improvement, actively foster collaboration within their team and across the company and bring a creative, proactive approach to problem-solving.

What benefits are offered by your company?

Does your company offer any tuition assistance or education benefits to employees to support their professional development?

Yes. We have a professional development budget that employees can use to take courses to enhance their knowledge and performance in their role.

Does your company have an internship program?

No

Are there any other perks offered or employee benefits that stand out?

Yes. Several perks really stand out. We are remote first, supporting both remote and hybrid roles, and provide a work-from-home stipend to ensure employees are set up for success. Our benefits include uncapped discretionary time off, 14 paid holidays, sick leave and generous parental leave — 12 weeks for birthing parents and four weeks for non-birthing parents.

We also have unique cultural experiences like our annual all-expense-paid three-day company retreat, Funnel Fest, and the Pink Awards ceremony, which celebrates employees who exemplify our core values. Employees can participate in three employee-led groups and our charitable arm, H.O.M.E., which helps us give back to the community. These perks not only support work-life balance but also foster collaboration, learning and a culture of recognition, all central to our Pink values.

— Cassandra Santos, people operations generalist and Eartha Williams, director of people operations