Power Design will serve as the presenting sponsor of South Florida Athletics’ Enhancing U program under a multi-year career development partnership announced Aug. 31, 2026. The initiative will educate University of South Florida student-athletes about internships and future employment opportunities. It also will provide opportunities to connect with Power Design leaders and team members through mentorship, career guidance and professional development.
Enhancing U provides South Florida student-athletes with additional resources, connections and real-world insight to help prepare them for success beyond the playing field. The partnership is designed to support career preparation while strengthening connections between South Florida Athletics and the Tampa Bay community. Power Design is based in St. Petersburg and is one of the largest private employers in the Tampa Bay area.
Leaders emphasize career development
Rob Higgins, CEO of Athletics at South Florida Athletics, said the partnership reflects the value of working with Tampa Bay organizations that support student-athlete development.
“One of our first priorities when we arrived on campus was to enhance our relationships in the Tampa Bay community and that starts with aligning ourselves with likeminded brands,” CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins said. “It was very clear from our first conversation with the leadership at Power Design that they truly care about helping accelerate the growth of our student-athletes by empowering them for their professional life after their playing days are over. It speaks volumes that an industry leader like Power Design is excited to invest in its future through a dynamic partnership with South Florida Athletics that also is an investment in the future of our amazing student-athletes.”
Lauren Permuy, chief growth officer at Power Design, said the partnership will help South Florida student-athletes turn their strengths into career opportunities in the Tampa Bay area.
“At Power Design, we’ve built our company by betting on people and giving them the tools and room to grow,” said Lauren Permuy, Chief Growth Officer at Power Design. “South Florida is developing talented, driven students who bring discipline, accountability, and a team-first mindset to everything they do. This partnership is about helping them turn those strengths into meaningful careers and creating more opportunity right here in Tampa Bay.”
Power Design and South Florida Athletics
Power Design has more than 3,000 employees working across 28 states. The company is headquartered on a 42-acre campus in St. Petersburg and operates a 350,000-square-foot prefabrication and distribution facility in Palmetto.
The University of South Florida sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. Nearly 500 South Florida student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Athletics District on the east end of the university’s Tampa campus.
South Florida student-athletes had a program-record 23 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or better as of spring 2026. More than 900 South Florida student-athletes have earned their degrees since 2015.
Source: Original report