Tampa Bay Business & Wealth hosted a December CEO Connect at 1920 Ybor, where Tampa Bay business leaders, executives and founders gathered to hear from Dr. Irfan Ali, founder and chief executive officer of Pioneer Medical Group and the December cover star of TBBW.
The monthly CEO Connect series brings together leaders from across the Tampa Bay area, including founders of companies in Tampa, senior executives and local business leaders.
The events are designed to create space for honest conversations about leadership, entrepreneurship and what it takes to build successful companies in Tampa Bay.
READ: DR. ALI’S COVER STORY
Ali spoke about leadership built on trust, the dignity of work and why he believes people do their best work when they feel seen.
His story resonated with business owners and entrepreneurs navigating growth in a region that continues to attract top companies in Tampa and some of the best companies to work for in Florida.
The event included remarks from sponsors and partners, including Source One Solutions, Spartan Contracting, Our Club Child Care and host venue 1920, a 14,000-sq-ft event space in the heart of Ybor City.
Fireside chat
TBBW: Your CEO Connect is a little earlier than we typically do them, but what’s the last 16 days been like for you?
Ali: “Truly humbling. It’s still a little bit surreal.” He said the recognition does not feel like it belongs to him alone. “This recognition is not for me. I’m a small man. This is not for me, but this is for everybody who worked on me.”
TBBW: Before titles, before the growth of companies, what’s your fundamental approach to business?
Ali: He spoke about arriving in the U.S. and working jobs that made him feel invisible, even after becoming a physician. “A lot of us are unseen, are invisible.” That experience shaped how he approaches leadership today. “My first loyalty is to the community that made me who I am.”
Ali explained why he started a private foundation tied to his work. “We do not take any donations. We do not take anything other than socks and cleaning supplies.” He described a health fair where a woman arrived unhoused and left with clean clothes, a haircut and renewed dignity. “As she was walking out, she came up to me and went, You guys made me look pretty.” He paused. “No P&L, no profit, no performance can be this rewarding.”
TBBW: How has your leadership style evolved as Pioneer Medical Group has grown?
Ali: “Leadership is not about control,” he said. He described leadership as building trust, aligning goals and creating a workplace where people can speak honestly. “Create a space where somebody is strong enough to disagree with you. Somebody feels safe enough to be at work. Somebody feels supported enough to grow.”
He outlined what he believes employees want from work, whether they are at a small company or one of the biggest companies in Tampa Bay. “There are only three things in a job. I want to be appreciated. I want to feel safe. And I want a glimpse of the future.”
TBBW: You arrived in America with $1,700. What do you remember most about that time?
Ali: He shared stories that drew laughter from the room, including learning the hard way that tuna labeled with a cat might be cat food. He described working wherever he could, from carpet cleaning to retail night shifts to moving jobs. The lesson, he said, was dignity and direction. “I wanted to make sure that I have my north right.”
He returned to the idea of people being overlooked based on uniforms and roles. “As soon as I put a uniform on, I don’t exist.” That experience, he said, became a leadership standard. No one on his team should ever feel invisible.
TBBW: You wrote a book. Who is it for?
Ali: “A lot of us struggle. We suffer, but we pretend to be normal. We pretend to be strong.” He said the book is meant for entrepreneurs, founders and leaders who feel stuck. “It is okay to be imperfect. Nobody gives a uniform for a CEO.”
He shared the core idea he hopes readers carry forward. “Courage does not mean lack of fear. Courage means that you make a conscious decision to leave fear behind.” He encouraged leaders not to see failure as the end. “Your failure is not an antagonist to your growth or your happiness. Consider this as a reluctant mentor.”
TBBW: If someone here tonight is under-resourced but hopeful, what would you want them to leave with?
Ali: “Hope. Just don’t lose hope,” he said. He urged people to ask for help sooner. “There are people out there who will help.”
He also encouraged reflection as a leadership skill, not a luxury. “We don’t explore our own self.” He said he protects time each week to think and write. “Protect your time, not find time. Nobody cares about your time other than you.”
Takeaway
Dr. Irfan Ali’s CEO Connect conversation offered a clear leadership yardstick for Tampa Bay business leaders.
Leadership is not defined by titles, scale or whether you lead one of the top companies in Tampa. It is defined by how people feel inside your organization.
For business owners, entrepreneurs and executives building companies in Tampa, Ali’s message was practical and grounded.
If your people feel safe, appreciated and able to see a future, the company grows stronger. If they feel invisible, the culture erodes.