Business Growth Gallery opens at the Edison Mall

Oct 5, 2026 By CJ HADDAD 4 min read

A first-of-its-kind business intelligence growth hub opened Thursday in Fort Myers at the Edison Mall. 

The Business Growth Gallery celebrated its official regional grand opening and ribbon cutting last night. The gallery was founded by Lucy “Coach Lucy Q” Quinones, a Southwest Florida real estate broker since 2005. 

“After years of working with business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals, I kept seeing the same gap,” Quinones said. “We have more information, technology and ways to communicate than ever before, but many businesses are still struggling to get seen, build the right relationships and turn what they know into actual growth. I created the Business Growth Gallery to help close that gap. BGG is not simply another networking space. It is a business intelligence and growth hub where businesses can gain visibility, learn, collaborate, access resources, and turn information and relationships into action. I often describe it this way: BGG gives the digital marketplace a physical headquarters. Placing it inside Edison Mall was very intentional. Rather than waiting for customers and opportunities to find businesses, we are bringing businesses into a marketplace where people already are.”

Quinones said the launch comes at a critical time for entrepreneurs, as approximately 95% of Lee County businesses employ fewer than 50 people, making small businesses a major part of the region’s economic engine. She said businesses nationally also continue to face pressure from inflation, revenue concerns and the increasing cost of doing business.

BGG’s model is designed to bring resources and opportunities closer to where the community already lives, works and shops.

So, who can benefit from the BGG?

“BGG is designed for businesses of all sizes, but I believe small and growing businesses have an especially strong opportunity here,” Quinones said. “Entrepreneurs, retailers, professional services, real estate professionals, builders, financial services, technology companies, healthcare, hospitality and emerging businesses can all benefit. The common denominator is not the industry, it is the business owner who wants greater visibility, stronger positioning, better relationships, access to business intelligence and more opportunities to grow. We also see tremendous value for larger companies that want to become more connected to the local marketplace and the businesses and consumers they serve.

As for how she hopes the BGG can help local businesses and business owners, Quinones said, “My goal is very simple: I want businesses to leave BGG better than they walked in. That may mean they made a strategic connection, learned how to use AI, discovered a new marketing strategy, met a potential customer, found a collaboration partner, received mentorship or gained exposure they would not have had otherwise. I do not want someone leaving saying, ‘I collected 20 business cards.’ I want them saying, ‘I know what my next move is.’ When local businesses grow, they hire, invest, serve more people and strengthen the entire Southwest Florida marketplace. That is the bigger mission.”

The BGG will operate Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. 

Quinones said the BGG will also open earlier for scheduled programs, masterclasses, business activations and special events. 

“BGG is designed to be a living, active space, so programming will continue to expand based on what the Southwest Florida marketplace needs,” she added. 

The gallery will be staffed by the BGG leadership and support team, with trained hosts available to welcome visitors, explain resources and help connect people to the right opportunities.

Quinones said she will remain very involved in the programming, mentorship and strategic direction of BGG. The gallery will also have rotating business mentors, industry experts, premier partners, instructors and marketplace leaders participating in programs and activations throughout the month.

“The goal is not simply to have someone sitting behind a desk,” Quinones said. “We want people walking into BGG and immediately feeling that there is someone there who can help connect them to a resource, relationship or next step.”

Quinones hammered home that what makes BGG different is the word activation.

“There are plenty of places to receive information and plenty of events where people can network,” Quinones said. “BGG is being built around what happens after the information and after the introduction. How do we activate it? How do we turn it into visibility, opportunity, collaboration and measurable growth? That is why our message is ‘Where Connections Become Contracts.'”

The Business Growth Gallery at the Edison Mall is at 4125 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers.

To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com