June 2023 Southwest Florida Business Today

EDISON AWARDS

Disaster Services

In this issue, we discuss hurricanes and other kinds of potential disasters business owners may face.

Edison Awards

See the 4-page center pullout inside for more details about the conference. Other Edison Awards stories appear throughout this edition. Photos for the entire event by Kinfay Moroti and Alyssa Ringler.

The 2023 Edison Awards announced the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, as well as the Edison Achievement Awards honorees, at the gala held at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers. Pictured above are overjoyed team members from Northgate Technologies, that took home a Bronze Medal.

Edison Awards puts SWFL in spotlight

Special to SWFBT

Submitted by Karen

P. Moore,

Publisher

Named for the pre-eminent innovator, Thomas Edison, who was a part-time Fort Myers resident for almost 40 years, The Edison Awards is now in its 36th year. The Edison Awards is an annual worldwide competition honoring excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design and innovation.

EDISON See page 18

“This year was nothing short of incredible — meeting with innovators from across the globe, listening to Jony Ive and Pat Gelsinger share their personal journeys, and watching over 200 students from local high schools be inspired at Friday’s Community Day. For me, this is better than a trip to Disney World!”

— Lindsay Burch, Director of Marketing & Client Engagement, Edison Awards

Legislature budgets billions for Hurricane Ian relief

Special to SWFBT

Submitted by Jacob Ogles, Editor

A budget approved by the Florida Legislature includes an additional $4 billion in hurricane relief, much of that earmarked for Southwest Florida.

The region benefitted from Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican, serving as Senate President

IN THE NEWS

2023 Industry Appreciation Awards open for nominations

The 30th Annual Industry Appreciation Awards, which celebrates Lee County businesses that drive the local economy, employ the workforce and shape their industries, has opened nominations for the 2023 awards program.

This year the awards luncheon is taking place on Friday, Oct. 27. Open networking begins at 10 a.m. The

lunch and program is from 11 a.m.1 p.m. at Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers.

Nominations will be accepted online through Thursday, June 15. There is no cost to nominate a business. Self-nominations are allowed.

Winners will be announced at the 2023 Industry Appreciation Awards event.

For information about the categories and the event, or to nominate a business, visit IndustryAppreciationAwards.com.

in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The storm made landfall near Cayo Costa in September, and effects linger as businesses continue to rebuild after the historically costly storm.

“I took over as President of the Florida Senate right after Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida,” she said. “I realized then and there that there were a lot of things about this

hurricane that had never happened before in our state— a 500-year storm.”

That prompted massive spending in the budget.

A $350-million hurricane recovery grant program will likely mean state funding flows freely into the region as businesses continue to rebuild after Hurricane Ian. That funding will

IAN See page 14

IMPORTANT BUSINESS NOTES

 Moore About Business

Kick off your business week with “Moore About Business”! Tune in to SWFL PBS and National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate, WGCU radio at 90.1 FM, during Morning Edition and All Things Considered to hear SWFBT founder, owner and publisher Karen P. Moore share information and insights for and about our local business community. Listen to past segments at https://news.wgcu.org/tags/ moore-about-business

 Hurricane Ian SBA Loans Available to SWFL Businesses

Business owners have until June 29, to submit a SBA application for an economic injury disaster loan to help with financial recovery from Hurricane Ian. Call (800) 659-2955 or go to sba.gov/disaster.



SWFBT News Updates

To get current business news throughout the business day, visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com.

Celebrating the spirit of Innovation and Invention as a proud supporter of the Edison Awards.

Blue Waters Development Group, LLC (“BWDG”) is a full-service real estate development company focused on Private Equity, Asset Management and Property Development services. The company is comprised of a diversified group of professionals with over 100 years combined experience in the Hospitality, Healthcare, Multifamily, Office, Retail, and Industrial sectors. The BWDG team excels at maximizing the valuation of assets by increasing productivity and gross revenues and lowering operational costs.

Our synergistic approach to each project allows true collaboration between our team, business partners and affiliates that enables the delivery of quality end-products that are unique to the market. BWDG is dedicated to sustainable growth, innovation and building healthy and strong partnerships. Core

Get prepared now

At Day Adjusting & Consulting, we step into high gear when disaster strikes and go to work immediately to help our clients. As Public Adjusters, we advocate for businesses every day in the fight against their insurance companies. We work to get business owners back to doing what they do best, running their businesses and not worried about their insurance claims. Considering the upcoming hurricane season, we wanted to share a few steps we suggest taking to be prepared.

BY BLAKE DAY

Review commercial policy - Make sure your insurance has coverage for a named storm event. Check your policy for Replacement Cost Value or Actual Cash Value as these could significantly change your claim payout.

Eighth grade Lee and Collier County students attended Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s first ‘Inspire’ career expo at Alico Arena to learn about future career options in the region. Above, students check the vital signs of teddy bear “patients.”

Video and photograph your building - Include all the contents inside as well as the exterior of the building.

Guest Columnist

Do your research – Have a roofer and water mitigation company in mind in case you need them. After a hurricane, you may not have internet, so research now.

Find a company that provides a pre-storm season inspection - Several local adjusting and roofing companies can provide these typically free of charge. This inspection report can be used as proof of the pre-storm conditions of your property in case you need to make a claim.

Research insurance adjuster – If you need assistance with your insurance claim, do your research and find a local company that can advocate on your behalf from day one after a loss. Having an adjuster that can be there from the first day can often expedite the claims settlement process.

Document - If you do have a loss, make sure to document the damage with as many photos and videos as possible. Starting in 2023 there is no longer a prevailing party attorney fee statute. This means if your insurance company does not properly pay your claim and you are forced to sue, the attorney’s fees will come out of your indemnity rather than being charged separately to the insurance company. For this reason, it is extremely important to document your property before and after a storm so that you can be properly indemnified.

Blake Day, founder or DAY Adjusting and Consulting, is licensed in Florida, Indiana, Louisiana and Colorado. Visit www.DayAdjusting.com or call (855) 729-0838.

Junior Achievement hosts students at career expo

Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida recently held the largest ever career expo in Southwest Florida. Nearly 10,000 eighth-grade students from Lee and Collier counties participated in the JA Inspire program and thousands attended the three-day event held at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University.

Over 50 of the region’s top employers and business professionals met with the students to discuss real-world opportunities and envision future career options in Southwest Florida. The program included in-classroom curriculum as well as the hands-on expo.

JA is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on expe-

Students were able to get an inside look at the culinary arts as a possible career during Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s ‘Inspire’ career expo.

riences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.

Stevens Construction begins Elegance Plaza

Stevens Construction, together with Select Properties of Florida, started construction of Elegance Plaza, a 15,331-square-foot retail building in Port Charlotte, announced Daniel Adams, Stevens Construction executive vice president.

Slated for completion in January, Elegance Plaza is designed to house up to nine tenants at 1,703 square feet per unit, reflect a modern, friendly

workplace for a variety of professionals and compliment the arrival of the upcoming medical facility surrounding the property. Larger unit sizes may be available as well. Tenants will enjoy highly landscaped surroundings and a large parking lot. Located on Chancellor Boulevard, Elegance Plaza is situated at the corner of U.S. 41 and Cornelius Drive in Port Charlotte.

SCORE Chapter 219 recognized local small businesses and SCORE’s volunteer mentors at the chapter’s 2023 awards luncheon at The Club at Gateway.

SCORE honors small business, volunteers

SCORE Chapter 219 recognized local small businesses and SCORE’s volunteer mentors at the chapter’s 2023 awards luncheon at The Club at Gateway.

The luncheon was an opportunity to thank the people who donate time and expertise to help entrepreneurs start and grow businesses in Lee and Hendry counties.

William Robertson was recognized as Mentor of the Year for his work with new clients, receiving client comments such as “Bill is a proven leader who understands business. He was fantastic.”

Len Hendrickson was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for his work in recruiting and coaching new mentors, just one of many roles he has fulfilled in his 21-year SCORE tenure.

Chapter Chairman Ben Simmons spoke about the Southwest Florida chapter’s Net Promoter Scores among client reviews: “According to a study by the

consulting industry research firm Hinge, the average NPS for consulting firms is around 24, with the top 25% of firms having an NPS of 55 or higher. This suggests that a consulting firm with an NPS above 30 would be performing well and have a strong reputation among its clients. The National NPS for FY 2023 YTD is 90.22. Our SCORE Chapter NPS is 97.7”

Four business owners received awards:

Business of the Year: Star Tae Kwon Do and Wellness Center: Ingrid Ewing, Owner/Corrine Wyard, Mentor Fast Growth Business of the Year: Urban Buzz Coffee: Sharene Eble, Owner/Nancy Chorpenning, Mentor

Startup of the Year: Sound Electric: Korrie O’Donnell, Owner/Bill Robertson, Mentor Tech Company of the Year: Tansect: Michael Heisman, Owner/Pat Loftus, Mentor

How to be a successful entrepreneur

To start, you must be driven, a hard worker, enjoy working with people, appreciate and value teamwork, be good at what you do, and recognize you have a passion to start or do something on your own. Invent a clever technology. Create a new service or develop an innovative approach or a “must-have” product.

From day one, make certain there is something that differentiates you from others; you must know your market and that your offering is something that clients/customers want today and will continue to need tomorrow. Study others’ success and seek help from trusted people to develop a formal business plan. Firmly grasp your financial requirements, respect your cash resources and apply proven Business 101 practices from inception. Implement a plan to best penetrate your target market and then execute and focus and keep executing and focusing.

Never stop learning and never stop listening to your clients and your staff. Understand your competition and don’t be afraid to copy an aspect that works for them, but avoid an entrepreneur’s inherent curiosity “to chase the next best shiny object.” A founder’s passion is a must, but blind passion is debilitating; keep looking in the mirror and find healthy reality.

In this remarkable global marketplace of innovative technology, geewhiz products and the market leverag-

ing of social media, the foundation of success is that it’s still “all about people.” To grow and be a sustainable success, you must surround yourself with good, enthusiastic and committed people. They are and will always be your company’s greatest asset; listen to them, encourage them to work in a team environment but also help them realize their full individual potential. Make certain you fairly incentivize them, openly recognize their contributions and reward them with ownership or profit-sharing opportunities. Most importantly, know yourself. Truly understand and optimize your strengths and seek people you trust to augment your weaknesses.

Dr. Gary L. Knutsen is a prolific entrepreneur and Tamiami Angel Fund investor whose business curiosity has resulted in the funding of eight companies and the support of many others. He founded what ultimately became the world’s largest contract toxicologic pathology company. Contact (239) 248-4592 or glknutsen@aol.com.

PUBLISHER

Karen P. Moore

PRINT EDITOR & ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR

Jacob Ogles

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Jennifer Ogles

PHOTO REVIEWER

Scott Toner

DIGITAL MEDIA

Michelle L. Hudson

Annelese Johnson

WEBSITE ASSISTANT

Elyssa Morataya

EDISON AWARDS PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kinfay Moroti

Alyssa Ringler

P.O. Box 152299 Cape Coral, FL 33915-2299

Lee County creates office to secure and manage grant funds

Lee County announced the creation of the Office of Strategic Resources & Government Affairs — a move that will place the county in a more competitive position to secure and manage grant funds.

News: 239-573-9731

All other: 239-573-9732

News email: editor@swfloridabusinesstoday.com

All other information requests: publisher@ swfloridabusinesstoday.com

The contents of Southwest Florida Business

Today® are copyright 2023 by Southwest Florida Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced without the express written consent of Southwest Florida Newspapers, Inc. The publication of any advertisement or article does not necessarily reflect the view of the publisher of Southwest Florida Business

Today®. For more information about any article or column appearing in Southwest Florida Business Today®, for advertising rates or subscription information please call 239-573-9732 or email: publisher@ swfloridabusinesstoday.com

executives operating in Southwest Anticipating what’s next... Here’s what is ahead for 2023 for Southwest Florida Business Today®.

and Due to recent expansion, we are now hiring for part-time newspaper delivery drivers in Naples and Estero. Please call (239) 770-7527 for details. July 21

• Provide procedures that detail the grant proposal-seeking process;

www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com Keep up with the latest business news, events and more! www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com ® June 14 JULY

via the MONTH • Legal & Security • CRE Quarterly Review • Business Services • CRE / Construction & Development

EDITORIAL DEADLINE (WED., 5 pm) EDITORIAL FOCUS PUBLICATION DATE (FRIDAY)

and June 23 July 12

advertising and information. AUGUST Call to reserve your advertising spot today: (239) 770-7527

• Ensure proper execution, management and close-out of grant awards;

• Report on the submission and status of grants in a manner that ensures transparency and accountability to the Board of County Commissioners, grantors and the public.

The office will be led by Lee Assistant County Manager Glen Salyer, who served for a decade as the county’s legislative liaison and provided oversite to key county departments.

BY GARY L. KNUTSEN Guest Columnist

Power the of Innovative Marketing

When you partner with Priority Marketing, your brand gains the power of more than 56 savvy creatives and mastermind strategists offering the most comprehensive and award-winning integrated marketing services.

With a proven reputation built over three decades, our team stands ready to deliver innovative ideas and effective solutions to achieve outstanding results.

• MARKETING

• ADVERTISING

• PUBLIC RELATIONS

• WEB DEVELOPMENT

• DIGITAL MARKETING

• VIDEO PRODUCTION

• EVENT MANAGEMENT

Biz Kidz Expo teaches young entrepreneurs

When J.D. Ribali teaches kids about entrepreneurship, he doesn’t sugarcoat the truth. He tells them failure is always an option—and that’s a good thing.

Ribali’s newest non-profit project, Young Entrepreneurs And Rising Stars, is designed to support young entrepreneurs by creating opportunities for them to build their skills through hands-on experiences that teach them lessons they need to prosper in the real world. One of those lessons is learning a new perspective on what it means to fail.

“We want kids to understand how important it is to try, fail and then make adjustments to improve their products; not just because it makes them better at what they do, but because we believe learning from mistakes is one of the most valuable skills you can teach your child in today’s world,” Ribali stated.

The most recent Biz Kidz Expo was held on April 15 at Coastland Center in Naples. Young contestants sold wares and pitched businesses to a team of judges. With the support of over 25 local businesses, this event attracted more than 50 budding entrepreneurs who participated and competed for the $5,000 prize money donated by business sponsors.

When 13-year-old Ella Lyman of Naples sold $540 of handmade dog leashes she created for the event, she was more than a little surprised at her success.

“I was not expecting that,” she said. “I just thought it would be a fun thing to do.”

Ella got the idea for her adjustable crossbody leashes while visiting Baker Park in Naples with her grandmother, brother, and Chihuahua-corgi mix, Chicky. Her grandmother would check in by text to find out where she was and what she was doing. Ella, a two-thumb texter like most teens, realized it was

challenging to respond while juggling a leash. In true entrepreneur fashion, she saw a problem and created a solution.

Ribali shared he’s confident there are many talented kids out there with great ideas, and they just need the right opportunities and support to help them get started. That’s where the Biz Kidz Expo comes in. They aim to help them dream big and put those dreams into

Above: Young contestants at the Biz Kidz Expo sold wares at booths set up at Coastland Center in Naples on April 15.

Left: Biz Kidz Expo Board Member Melissa Severance; CEO/Founder JD Ribali; Sponsor Kristina Ribali and Board Members Melissa Torres and John Huffman.

action while giving them the tools they need to do so.

“Imagine what’s possible if we can inspire young people today to act on their dreams and create products or services that make the world a better place,” he said. “That’s our goal. We’re a community that helps kids find their inner innovator and encourages them to dream big.”

Visit BizKidzExpo.com

Foxtail Coffee opens first location in Southwest Florida

Foxtail Coffee opened its first café in the Southwest Florida market on Immokalee Road in Naples. In addition to serving Foxtail’s full coffee menu with its approach to craft coffee beverages, the new spot will offer Foxtail Coffee breakfast products, light lunch offerings and merchandise.

Led by franchise owners Scott and Diana Willis, Foxtail Coffee’s Naples location is the first of 11 locations to open in Southwest Florida and the 50th location for the company. The husband-and-wife duo are also longtime owners of Jason’s Deli of Southwest Florida, operating several Jason’s Deli franchises across the region for more than 20 years.

Foxtail Coffee opened its first location in 2016 and has grown to 50 locations. Starting with its first café and

roasting facility in Central Florida, Foxtail has extended to both Florida coasts and into the South Florida area, with stores in St. Petersburg, Melbourne, Boca Raton and Northeast Florida, serving its coffee to an ever-growing fan following. In 2021, the Florida-based company also opened its first café outside the Sunshine State in Newnan, Georgia. More stores will open in the Atlanta market later this year.

“We are delighted to introduce Foxtail Coffee to Southwest Florida,” said Diana Willis. “Lee County has been our home for decades, and it means a lot to bring this craft coffee experience to our region. With its welcoming atmosphere and high-quality, ethical, and environmentally friendly coffee options, Foxtail Coffee will quickly become a destination for coffee lovers.”

DEO Acting Secretary, Meredith Ivey, discussed with the Task Force the capabilities of Starlink units, needs for workforce housing and availability of recovery funding.

Florida DEO visits counties impacted by 2022 hurricanes

In April, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity met with communities impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole to discuss long-term recovery efforts. To date, DEO has visited and facilitated listening sessions in Charlotte, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties. DEO will continue meeting with communities across the state that were impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole to assist them with long-term recovery efforts.

The input communities provided during listening sessions are helping inform Florida’s use of more than $910 million through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. DEO staff continue to assist all impacted communities with navigating the application process for CDBG-DR funds.

“Last fall, Hurricanes Ian and Nicole wrecked havoc on Florida communities – unpending the lives of Floridians and significantly impacting public infrastructure and homes,” said DEO Acting Secretary Meredith Ivey. “Our team is here for Floridians and communities impacted for the long haul – ready and available to support now and into the future until communities fully recover.”

On April 28, DEO Secretary Meredith Ivey and DEO Long-Term Resiliency Director Justin Domer met with Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane and attended Lee County’s Task Force meeting to coordinate state and county efforts and to learn more about how DEO can provide support to the county throughout the ongoing recovery efforts.

Distinguished entrepreneur awardees announced

Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University announced the winners of the 2023 Distinguished Entrepreneur of Southwest Florida Awards during an awards ceremony on May 2 at Spanish Wells Country Club.

The FSBDC awards are held annually to recognize three Southwest Florida small businesses for their innovation, advocacy and business growth. This year’s awardees include: Distinguished Entrepreneur of Southwest Florida, Rob Whyte of Fort Myers Brewing Company; In-

novator of the Year, Jeffrey Bonk of Architectural Metal Flashings; and Advocate of the Year, Malike Adigun of Curate Entertainment.

“It is imperative to acknowledge the tenacity and achievements of the 2023 Distinguished Entrepreneur of SWFL winners. Local economies rely on small businesses for employment opportunities and enhanced community well-being, making their accomplishments vital to our area’s prosperity,” said Dorian Zwierewicz, SBDC at FGCU regional director.

Previous winners of the three awards include Norman Love of Norman Love Confections in 2012, Pam Oakes of Pam’s Motor City in 2013, Felix Lluberes of Position Logic in 2014, Gary K. Mart of Global Tech LED in 2015, Chris Spiro of Spiro and Associates in 2016, Dr. Aurora Badia of Florida Skin Center in 2017, Scott Fischer of Scott Fischer Enterprises in 2018, Ryan Carter of Scotlynn Transport in 2019, Bill Duabmann of My Shower Door/D3 Glass in 2020/2021, and Michael Peterman of Veradata in 2022.

SanCap Chamber announces annual business awards at Islands Night

As SanCap Chamber president and CEO John Lai and Board Chair Calli Johnson noted several times, the 30th Annual Islands Night, held May 3, was not a typical event. It combined the island tradition with the chamber’s annual meeting by presenting business awards pre-game at Hammond Stadium.

Typically, the chamber awards recipients in four categories. Although categories remained the same this year, the chamber awarded two recipients for New Business of the Year award. For its community support immediately following Hurricane Ian and her bright and giving spirit, the awards went to The Shack of Sanibel and Rachel Pierce Art Gallery.

The Shack began cooking food in its parking lot and offering islanders comfort in other ways before the causeway even opened. Pierce set up a marketplace outside her gutted gallery and invited local businesses and organizations to participate. She also designed special jerseys for Islands Night.

Johnson and chamber Chair-elect J.R. Ramirez made presentations at field’s edge following the Islands Night parade of businesses, The 4,086 who came out for the game nearly doubled last year’s record attendance.

Ramirez started the presentations with the Sue Rosica Gray Volunteer of the Year. It went to Bill and Laurie Harkey.

“Laurie, a retired medical social worker, immediately became involved in the community, primarily volunteering at Ding Darling and supporting CROW,” Ramirez said. “Bill is active in the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club and is vice president of the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society.”

Business of the Year and Citizen of the Year awards both related to community service in the wake of September’s hurricane. Jerry’s Food, which reopened with a chamber ribbon-cutting on Oct. 25, accepted the business award.

The chamber honored the generosity of Billy and Sally Kirkland, owners of Billy’s Bike, with the citizen award. Billy Kirkland opened bike inventory for free use following the storm and helped islanders and businesses in countless ways in the weeks to come, Johnson reported.

“In a normal year, we would announce new board officers and members at our annual meeting,” Lai said. “But, again, this not being a normal year, I have asked the board to remain static to provide needed stability as 2023-2024 continues in full-blown recovery mode. We thank the board and executive committee for its steadfast yet flexible leadership in the months since Ian.”

The chamber also recognized the role of the Sanibel City Council in supporting island businesses and residents as recovery progresses. Council members, too, accepted special awards that evening.

The Minor League Baseball game of the Florida State League Fort Myers Mighty Mussels versus the Dunedin Blue Jays followed the awards presentation. The home team wore the Rachel Pierce jerseys featuring the island’s iconic lighthouse - in its three-legged, post-hurricane stance - against a colorful swirl of sunrise sky. The Mighty Mussels club is auctioning off the jerseys to benefit the chamber and other island organizations.

2023 Distinguished Entrepreneur winners Jeffrey Bonk, Rob Whyte and Malike Adigun.

Chamber Chair Calli Johnson congratulates Jerry’s General Manager Rick Winningham as she presents the Business of the Year award.

Babcock Ranch lauded as a Game Changer by Edison Awards

Babcock Ranch’s resilient design earned the sustainable new Southwest Florida town top honors in the internationally recognized Edison Awards ceremony in Fort Myers on April 20. The Game Changer designation honored Babcock Ranch for its groundbreaking innovation in the resilient design category. The Edison Awards, named after American inventor Thomas Alva Edison, not only recognizes world-changing innovations, but also the brilliant minds behind them.

The Edison Awards previously recognized Babcock Ranch for its game-changing leadership in sustainable development practices back in 2021. This year’s recognition focuses on the water, power and technological infrastructure designed to allow residents to shelter in place and quickly recover in the wake of a major storm.

“Until last September, we were known as America’s first solar-powered town. But then came Hurricane Ian, and our focus shifted from renewable energy and sustainability to resiliency,” said Syd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners and founder of Babcock Ranch. “Ian put all that preparation, all that hard work and planning, everything, to the

ultimate test.”

At Babcock Ranch, resiliency starts with location – away from the coast, and on high ground. An innovative storm water management system is designed to mimic natural systems to capture and clean surface water within restored wetlands and

Babcock Ranch once was best known as the first solar-powered community in the country, but gained a reputation after Hurricane Ian for sustainable and resilient development. The inland Charlotte County community suffered no serious wind or flooding damage.

ible team that has factored storm safety into every element of the community,” Kitson said. “This award is also a testament to the vision of all the local and state agencies that allowed us to be pioneering in our design.”

All nominations were reviewed by the Edison Awards Steering Committee with the final ballot determined by an independent judging panel. The panel is comprised of more than 3,000 senior business executives and academics from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing and education, as well as past winners.

a network of inter-connected ponds, keeping structures high and dry. Storm hardened transmission lines and underground transmission within the community kept power flowing throughout the storm.

“The resilience of Babcock Ranch is not an accident. We have an incred-

EDISON AWARDS

Dare to Dream

The City of Fort Myers is proud to host the Edison Awards, a monumental gathering of some of the world’s most inspired thinkers, innovators, and inventors across many industries. Edison Awards went one step further and created a program aimed to foster a passion for innovaaon among our students in this community, allowing them the opportunity to experience firsthand award-winning invenaons. Someday, our own inspired and driven children will concei conceive and develop the next ingenious concept that will improve all of our lives. I cannot wait to see this program grow each year, as we must challenge, moavate and SUPPORT our students so that they can dare to dream the next big idea!

Mayor Kevin Anderson CITY OF FORT MYERS

Babcock Ranch continues to explore higher environmental standards in homebuilding at Innovation Way, a neighborhood of seven showcase homes serving as a testing ground and living laboratory. National homebuilders Lennar, Pulte Homes and D.R. Horton are evaluating the possibilities for a new wave of homebuilding solutions, implementing cuttingedge technology, new materials and construction practices to create the most energy-efficient, water-preserving and health-forward homes on the market. Florida Power & Light Company is analyzing energy efficiency throughout the testing period.

THE EDISON AWARDS GALA

The 36th annual Edison Awards gala was held at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheatre in downtown Fort Myers. Right: Mayor of the City of Fort Myers, Kevin Anderson, welcomes guests to the evening’s festivities. Below right: Dunbar High School STEM students attend the Edison Awards honors night. (l-r) Andrew Chuang Saladin, Jonathan Bailey, Ann Gracy Satyr, Zoe Chuang Saladin, Ayahnna Lake, Jaansi Parsa, Aiden Persaud, Benjamin Hamilton. Below center: More than 500 Edison Award attendees from around the world will soon be filling this room. Below left: Team members of an awarded company that is part of the Gyeonggi Center For Creative Economy & Innovation in Korea celebrate their Edison Awards win. Left: 2023 Horizon Foundation Chair Holly Smith shares with the audience how important the Edison Awards are to the Southwest Florida region.

WELCOME RECEPTION

Above: Innovators from 23 countries and 30 states gather at the Edison Ford Estates to kick off the 2023 Edison Awards. Left top: Edison Awards Steering Committee Members (l-r): Rob Manes, Clint Robinson, Diana Zhou, Jonathan Cropper, Mark E. Jones, Chris Vazzana, Dr. Christine Gulbranson and Executive Director Frank Bonafilia. Left bottom: Edison Awards Executive Director Frank Bonafilia (l) and local Edison Awards business sponsor, Danny Aguirre, Blue Waters Development Group. Below: (l-r) Rob Whyte, Melissa Mitchell, Mark Stevens and Teri Hansen visit at the reception.

COMMUNITY DAY

The Edison Awards is an annual competition honoring excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design and innovation.

INNOVATOR’S SHOWCASE

Above: Attendees are intrigued by the innovations on display. Left: Melissa Mitchell checks out the Innovators Showcase displays. Right: Thar Casey, President & CEO of AmberSemi, is interviewed about the company’s Silicon Chip. Below: Innovations from Hertz, below left, and UBTECH, below right, were on display at the showcase.

LEWIS LATIMER FELLOWSHIP

Above: 2022 Edison Awards Achievement

Honoree Carmichael Roberts listens as 2023 Lewis Latimer Fellow Soton Rosanwo, founder and CEO of Centinel, shares her thoughts.

Right top: 2023 Lewis Latimer Fellow, actor, singer and rapper, Shameik Moore tells his story. Right bottom: Lewis Latimer Fellow Dr. Lisa Dyson, talks about her company, Air Protein. Below: Roberts enjoys a moment with Dr. D. Fox Harrell, Professor of Digital Media & Artificial Intelligence, MIT.

Above: Young Edison Challenge medalists take questions from the audience. (l-r) Amaya Etcheverry, Isis Fleming, Kayla Davis, and Sonia Patel. Left: One never knows who, or what, might be in the audience at Community Day, including the Lee County Sheriff’s “robot dog.”

Event Photos courtesy of Kinfay Moroti and Alyssa Ringler

Southwest Florida students gather to be inspired by and meet the world’s leading innovators while enjoying and learning from a “Shark Tank” pitch event.

The international Edison Awards and its impact on our local youth

Special to SWFBT

Submitted by: Karen P. Moore, Publisher

Justin Brand, Chief Development Officer of the Charlotte Community Foundation, which is the sponsor of the Young Edison Challenge competition presented by the Edison Awards, stated, “The Young Edison Challenge is an opportunity for our youth, our innovators, our entrepreneurs, to showcase their designs, their products, and hopefully one day, they will be used daily by each and every one of us.”

Brand noted, “Over 60 applicants from all over the world put forth their designs, the time and the effort, and the talent it takes to come up with a product, to be innovative, and to showcase that.”

I was amazed to find that both the Bronze Medalist, Amaya Etcheverry, and the student whose innovation was named a “Game Changer,” Sonia Patel, are juniors at the same Southwest Florida high school. Amaya was recognized for her biopurification innovation: it uses algae to create a photobioreactor that both purifies the air and sequesters carbon while generating electricity. She shared with me what taking home a medal in the Young Edison Challenge meant to her.

“Having the opportunity to not only see some of the top inventions and innovators of the world, but also to present my own invention to those same people was absolutely mind-blowing. Just the experience itself and being able to connect with other people my age who have had this opportunity was so inspiring for me!”

Sonia Patel, whose innovation was named a “Game Changer” this year, is no stranger to the

Young Edison Challenge. Last year she received the Silver Medal for her Silicone Eye Applanation Model, which gives clinicians the ability to practice taking eye pressure measurements. This year she expanded upon her research by adding a silicone outer shell, which acts as the eye’s sclera, to develop a model where surgeons can affordably practice specific surgical techniques.

The path to innovation is not an easy one and it requires fearless dedication. Sonia’s one piece of advice for all innovators is “Never forget the importance of persistence and not giving up despite failures.”

Another portion of the Edison Awards intended to

inspire innovation in our local youth features professional athletes who are innovators and investors on a business “pitch panel.”

Winston Justice, investment advisor and former offensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, served on the Edison Awards pitch panel for the first time this year. When asked what drew him to participating in this event, he shared, “One thing that is really interesting and intriguing to me is entrepreneurship. That’s one of the driving forces of our nation—entrepreneurship. So being part of something that fosters that is really special.”

Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones, who is also a business investor and entrepreneur, was back for his second year on this panel. “I wanted the children to see how expansive success can be in this world for them. I don’t think many kids know about venture capital, they don’t know about being a developer, they don’t know about real estate, so hopefully we’ll run over these topics very quickly for them.”

The key for Jones is to demonstrate to young people that anything is possible. “Hopefully the kids can pick up on, ‘Ok, I can do what Byron’s doing.’ I want them to realize there’s so many versions of success in this world that you may not know exists, but it definitely exists for them.”

His words of wisdom for young innovators, both here and around the world, are: “If you have an idea, something you’re interested in, follow that curiosity. There’s YouTube videos, there’s books, there’s people in that field. So if you’re curious about something, go all in!”

Local Young Edison Challenge awardees, Amaya Etcheverry, Bronze Medalist, and Sonia Patel, whose innovation was named a Game Changer, attend the same Southwest Florida school.

Public relations professionals win Image Awards

The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association presented 14 awards for excellence in public relations programming and projects at the 2023 Local Image Awards celebration, held on April 27 at Suite Forty Eight in Fort Myers.

FPRA members organized a fiesta-style themed event, which also recognized four chapter members and two student members for their outstanding contributions to the PR profession and FPRA.

Division A – Public Relations Programs: A public relations program is defined as a broad-based communications endeavor using two or more public relations tools.

• An Image Award in the Public Relations Programs – Community Relations category went to Priority Marketing for Comerica Bank’s ‘gomerica Gratitude.’

• An Award of Distinction and Judges’ Award in the Public Relations Programs – Public Service category went to Evelyn Longa, MS, APR, CPRC, Andrea Hernandez and Vanessa Caporale of Collier County Government for Preserve Our Paradise.

• An Award of Distinction and Judges’ Award in the Public Relations Programs – Institutional category went to Priority Marketing for Family Initiative Autism Acceptance Campaign.

• An Award of Distinction in the Public Relations Programs – Public Information category went to Priority Marketing for Mighty Mussels “Butts in the Seats” Campaign.

• An Award of Distinction and Judges’ Award in the Public Relations Programs – Public Affairs category went to Pushing the Envelope and Tiffany Hernandez for Hendry County School District Half-Cent Surtax Referendum Campaign.

• A Judges’ Award in the Public Relations Programs – Special Event category went to Pushing the Envelope, Tiffany Hernandez and Rogers Media Group for Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida Hall of Fame.

Division B – Collateral of Public Relations: Public relations collateral is any material, printed or digital, used for a public relations purpose, either standing alone or as part of a public relations program. It includes written and electronic material and specialty items.

• A Grand Image Award, Image Award and Judges’ Award in the News Release or Pitch category went to Priority Marketing for Conservancy

of Southwest Florida – Python research pitch.

• An Image Award and Judges’ Award in the Collateral of Public Relations – Other category went to Priority Marketing for Orlando Senior Health Network – Continuing Care at Home Collateral.

There were no awards given in Division C –Digital Tools of Public Relations at this year’s award ceremony. FPRA also presented chapter awards to recognize exceptional members of its local association. This year’s winners were:

• Karen Ryan, APR, CPRC, Director of Public Relations at LCEC. She was honored with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, which is reserved for public relations professionals who have dedicated their career to the profession and the advancement of it. This award is given only when there is someone eligible for it.

• Lisa Murray, APR, CPRC, Director of Corporate Communications at Interop Technologies. She received the 2023 PR Professional of the Year Award, which honors a member who exemplifies the high standards of the public relations profession in Southwest Florida.

• Heather Doane, APR, CPRC, Senior Marketing Content Editor at Arthrex, who received the 2023 Chapter Member of the Year Award, which is given to a chapter member who goes above and beyond their commitment of time and energy to ensure the success of the organization.

• Shannon Williamson, Media Specialist at LCEC, who received the 2022 Rising Star Award, which is presented to an up-and-coming leader in the chapter who shows enthusiasm and passion for the PR profession while making a positive difference through their service to the organization.

• Jada Bigord, Florida Gulf Coast University FPRA chapter president and Melanie Lamarche, vice president. They both received the 2023 Pam Nulman Soaring Eagle PR Award, which recognizes student leaders in public relations who demonstrate exceptional leadership ability, talent and passion for the profession as well as contributions to the student organization.

Four FPRA Annual Conference scholarship winners were also selected by the awards committee. The 2023 recipients were:

• Heather Doane, APR, Senior Marketing Content Editor at Arthrex

• Savahnah Pierre, Communications Coordinator at Community Cooperative

Mayhugh secures long-term lease on warehouse

Mayhugh Commercial Advisors secured the leasing and property management for a 25,098-square-foot office building on Amedicus Lane in Fort Myers with a national pool and spa supply company.

Tenant Heritage Pool Supply Group is a Texasbased company with eight existing locations in Florida, including Naples and Port Charlotte. Heritage Pool Supply Group is a wholly owned subsid-

Waffle House index tells FEMA storm severity

By Darnell Sharperson Guest Columnist

America’s favorite late-night/breakfast eatery made headlines after hilariously posting a sign urging restaurant goers not to order any “hidden menu” meals found on TikTok. Waffle House has become famous over the years for standing their ground and fighting back – are natural disasters any different?

Maybe not. Due to its commitment to staying open, no matter the circumstances, the Waffle House Index was created to assess a disaster’s severity in individual communities. This can only be done when a proper detailed business Disaster Restoration plan is in place, and ServiceMaster Restore has identified the five most important items that must be included for businesses.

Today’s weather unpredictability warrants unorthodox safety measures, and about 40% to 60% of small businesses never reopen their doors following a disaster. The Waffle House Index consists of the following three levels, which FEMA uses as an indicator of the severity of a disaster:

• Green: The restaurant is open and offers a complete menu. If the index is green, it could mean that the community was not as devastated by the disaster or that the company was wellprepared to handle the unexpected.

• Yellow: The restaurant is open, but service is limited, and this could mean that power may be limited or food stocks are running low and cannot be restocked.

• Red: The restaurant is completely closed. If the index is red, FEMA will know that the community has been brutally impacted.

Business owners may not be able to predict when a hurricane, earthquake, tornado, or another natural disaster will strike, so here are five things that must be included in a business’s Disaster Restoration plan include:

• Identifying your area’s risk for specific natural disasters.

• Developing a detailed preparedness plan that is easily accessible to employees.

• Consider how your business can continue running during a disaster, considering technology, staffing, and vital business assets.

iary of SRS Distribution.

Chase Mayhugh, SIOR, CCIM and Justin Ankney represented the property owner. Mayhugh Commercial Advisors and its team of commercial real estate professionals specialize in brokerage and consulting, property acquisition, property disposition, landlord representation, property management, tenant representation and marketing and support.

• Practicing evacuations and drills to help staff members understand what they need to do in case a disaster strikes.

• Taking action to mitigate your company’s loss due to a disaster.

Darnell Sharperson is a spokesperson for ServiceMaster Restore. Contact ServiceMasterrestore@prhacker.com or call (321) 248-1604.

Subchapter V and the story of Lisa’s Pizza

Part 2 of 4

Lisa’s Pizza takes out a second loan of $150,000 from Mean Bank, and Lisa individually provides a personal guaranty. Mean Bank is given a blanket lien on all of Lisa’s Pizza’s assets. Recall, however, that Nice Bank is the first priority lienholder.

Lisa’s Pizza rents a stand-alone building with a large kitchen and a wonderful dining area from Mean Landlord. Again, Lisa provides a personal guaranty. The lease term at the new location is also five years.

The second location opens at the beginning of season in October 2019. At first, it is a huge success. But COVID-19 hits the United States in March of 2020 and Lisa’s Pizza can only operate at 50% capacity. Lisa is losing money and is spiraling into financial distress. Even after COVID restrictions are lifted, people still fear going to restaurants. Sadly, the second location is forced to close.

To make matters worse, Mean Bank and Mean Landlord are very aggressive, and they immediately file suit against Lisa’s Pizza (and Lisa individually).

BY MIKE DAL LAGO Guest Columnist

Lisa knows she has no bona fide defense to their claims. She offers Mean Bank and Mean Landlord $50,000 each. They reject the offer and demand payment in full.

Lisa’s Pizza contemplates bankruptcy. She hates the thought of filing for bankruptcy. After all, in her view, companies that file for bankruptcy do so because of incompetency or mismanagement. However, Lisa soon learns there are a several more prudent reasons why a company may need to file for bankruptcy. For example:

1. Routine business failures – the concept or product is not in demand;

2. Competition - too many restaurants for a small, local economy to sustain; and,

3. Unable to keep pace with market trends – remember Blockbuster Video?

In this story, however, Lisa’s Pizza is going to

use the Bankruptcy Code as a sword, and not as a shield. She is going to force Mean Bank and Mean Landlord to settle for less money than the $50,000 previously offered to them.

Fortunately, Lisa’s Pizza qualifies for a subchapter V bankruptcy because it (1) is “engaged in commercial or business activities”, and (2) has debts that total less than $7.5 million. On January 1, 2021, Lisa’s Pizza’s files her voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code and elects for the case to be governed by subchapter V. The automatic stay stops all efforts by Mean Bank and Mean Landlord to collect on their debt. An imaginary clock immediately starts to tick; Lisa has 90 days to file her plan of reorganization. Similarly, a deadline gets set by the Court for creditors to file proofs of claim.

Mike Dal Lago is the founder and managing partner of Dal Lago Law, a leading Business Law and Business Bankruptcy law firm in Naples, with 22 years of experience in insolvency matters. Contact Mike@dallagolaw.com.

be managed by the Department of Emergency Management. The funding includes $100 million for the My Safe Florida Home program and $106 million for beach erosion programs. There’s also $50 million for hurricane restoration reimbursement grants.

Of note, money will be used in communities impacted both by Hurricane Ian and by Hurricane Nicole, which stuck the state’s Atlantic coast in November.

“The biggest budget win for my district is clearly the literally hundreds

of millions of dollars in the budget for storm recovery support in Southwest Florida,” said Sen. Ben Albritton, a Wachula Republican representing parts of Charlotte and Lee counties, along with a number of inland counties.

Albritton also championed $700 million for storm recovery set aside during a special session early this year.

The state replenished more than $90 million into a capital outlay fund a $3 million into a catastrophe fund that had both been tapped after Ian.

Lee County will receive $17.5 million to cover capital losses from the storm. There are also numerous hurri-

cane and emergency response projects funded in the budget including $13 million for an emergency response center in Charlotte County, $13 million for a similar center in Everglades City, $9.5 million for a center in Hardee County and $9 million for an expansion of an existing center in Cape Coral.

Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson said the region wants to spend dollars from the state, as well as those privately raised, responsibly. That means recovering from Hurricane Ian but also better preparing for the next storm.

“We have that money coming, but we’ll look for other monies,” he said. “We’ve got to harden. We’ve got to be

more resilient.”

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers warned that it could still take some time for grants to filter into local coffers.

“The soonest would be the end of this year or the beginning of next year before you will start to see any of that money actually filter into some of the communities,” he said. But local officials will also submit action plans to show money will be put to good use.

Of note, Gov. Ron DeSantis still holds line item veto over the budget. As of press time, the budget had not yet been delivered to DeSantis for his signature.

Alta Resources celebrates completion of new building

Alta Resources, a global customer service outsourcing company supporting Fortune 500 companies, unveiled its $27.6-million building at Skyplex in Fort Myers.

Made possible in part through partnership and coordination with Lee County and Lee County Port Authority, the 98,000-square-foot building spans three floors and can accommodate more than 1,000 employees.

“We’re thrilled to be in our new building, which provides employeefriendly spaces and plenty of room as we continue to expand our Fort Myers workforce,” said Jim Beré, chairman and CEO at Alta Resources. “In the 10 years since we came to Fort Myers, we’ve experienced tremendous success, thanks in large part to the dedicated team members we’ve been able to employ from this region.”

Construction on the building began in 2019. It is located on a 12.1-acre site leased by Alta Resources from the Lee County Port Authority. The Skyplex location near the Interstate-75 and Daniels Parkway corridor serves as an ideal central location for Alta Resources employees, who commute from different areas of Southwest Florida. Employees have the option of working remotely or in the office and the company has found approximately 50% still choose to work in the office – the most of any of its locations worldwide.

Alta Resources hosted a job fair on May 10 to hire more than 350 fulland part-time employees for remote or

Alta Resources celebrated the grand opening of its new building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Left to right: Ben Siegel, Lee County Port Authority executive director and CEO; state Rep. Tiffany Esposito, R-San Carlos Park; Jim Beré, Alta Resources CEO and chairman; Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass; and Lee County Commissioner Ray Sandelli.

in-office positions. Pay starts at $16 to $19 per hour. Interested candidates who were unable to attend the Job Fair can apply online at AltaResources.com/FL.

Alta Resources opened its Fort Myers location in 2013 and has since grown from one client and 300 seasonal employees to more than 700 full- and part-time employees, all of whom provide support for its globally recognized clients in the automotive, insurance, entertainment, consumer packaged goods and sports apparel industries, such as Stellantis and Kellogg Company.

Alta Resources is headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin with additional locations in Brea, Calif.; Pasig City, Philippines; and Belize City, Belize, as well as global locations in Colom-

EDISON AWARDS

bia, Mexico and Peru that support all of South America. Formed in 1995, privately-held Alta Resources is a leading provider of customer-management business-process outsourcing for many of the world’s best-known brands in a variety of industries, including retail, consumer-packaged goods, health care, entertainment, automotive and sports apparel. With its comprehensive service lines – care, sales, e-commerce, back office and fulfillment – clients can seamlessly integrate their core customer processes through a single partner. Alta Resources helps clients improve and better manage their customer experiences across every touch point, ultimately delivering results that provide sales growth and cost savings.

Seagate completes $24.5 million sale of Naples property

Continuing an aggressive posture in the commercial development and property management market in the Naples, Florida area, Seagate Development Group announces a $24.5 million sale of a 3.5-acre property, which was the site of the Collins Hotel on Tamiami Trail North. The hotel closed recently.

Seagate Development Group continues to build an impressive portfolio in the Naples area including Liberty Plaza. Seagate Development Group President James Nulf, Jr. stated “We continue to be bullish on the Naples market and look forward to further elite redevelopment opportunities such as the Collins Hotel site. This type of transaction melds perfectly with our overarching business plan for our development group”.

The buyer was Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Chicago’s premier academic health system. The health system provides world-class care through 11 hospitals, two medical groups, and more than 200 diagnostic and ambulatory locations to patients across Chicago, all 50 states and more than 100 countries, bringing better medicine closer to home.

Rob Carroll of IPC represented the seller. Scott Merz of JLL’s Chicago office and Brad Berzins, SIOR of JLL’s Southwest Florida office, represented the buyer.

Cybersecurity drills prepare business for real attacks

As a child, I vividly remember participating in fire drills at school. The alarm would sound, and we’d calmly file out of the classroom, practicing the steps we’d take in the event of a real fire. These drills were essential, as they prepared us for the unexpected and allowed us to make critical decisions in a safe environment.

In the digital age, a different kind of disaster looms over small businesses – cyber threats. I believe conducting a cybersecurity tabletop exercise is the new fire drill.

A tabletop exercise is a simulation that allows your organization to assess its preparedness for cyberattacks, such as ransomware or email compromise, and evaluate the effectiveness of its response plan. Just like fire drills, these exercises help you identify weaknesses in your current strategy, refine your approach and ensure everyone on your team knows their role in the face of a cyber crisis.

So, why is this important for small business owners? According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 60% of small businesses that suffer a cyberattack go out of business within six months. That’s a staggering statistic, and it highlights the need for every small business to prioritize cyber-

BY MATTHEW REBSTOCK Guest Columnist

security and disaster preparedness.

Here are three key steps to conducting a successful cybersecurity tabletop exercise:

1. Assemble the team: Bring together representatives from across your organization, including IT, human resources, legal and public relations. This ensures you have diverse perspectives when discussing potential threats and solutions.

2. Develop scenarios: Identify specific cyber threats relevant to your business and create scenarios around them. Use recent realworld examples to make the exercise more engaging and realistic.

3. Evaluate and improve: After the exercise, evaluate your organization’s response and identify areas for improvement. Implement changes to your cybersecurity plan and schedule regular tabletop exercises to keep your team up-to-date.

If you struggle thinking of a real-world scenario, you can use one that we encountered re-

For more business news, visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com

cently. A hacker gained access to your computer after an employee searched Google for “Quickbooks Support” and let the “support” person into their computer. The hacker has installed ransomware on your main accounting computer and encrypted all the data and is demanding 1.5 bitcoins (the equivalent of $31,000). You can even add to the scenario that your offsite backup hasn’t run in 7 months. In this case, that was true.

The world of business has changed and cybersecurity preparedness is no longer optional – it’s essential. Just like fire drills prepared us for potential disasters, cybersecurity tabletop exercises equip small businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to defend against cyber threats. It’s time to take action and the best way to start is by conducting your own cybersecurity fire drill.

Matthew Rebstock is the CEO of Tech in a Flash and has over two decades of experience in the IT field. Contact him at matthew@techinaflash.net or (239) 789-2700.

New

malware

warning:

Fake W-9 tax forms allegedly from the IRS

Scammers and criminals are never on a break and typically find new and creative ways to trick their targets. With Tax Season in full swing, we want to inform you about a new Emotet Malware phishing campaign that sends out fake W-9 tax forms to U.S. taxpayers while impersonating the IRS. Emotet Malware was commonly distributed through phishing emails containing Microsoft WORD or Excel documents with malicious macros that install malware on the target users’ system. Microsoft implemented software recently to block macros by default in downloaded Office documents, so the Emotet has switched to Microsoft OneNote files that contain embedded scripts that will install the malware.

Once a user’s system has been infected with the malware, it can access and steal their email accounts, resulting in reply-chain email attacks, sending of spam emails and installing additional malware programs.

In this campaign, the scammers send emails to their targets titled ‘IRS Tax Forms W-9’ as they impersonate an IRS ‘Inspector.’ These emails will have a ‘W-9 form.zip’ file attached which contains a malicious Word document created so it is difficult for the Microsoft software to detect it. With the security software Microsoft uses, there are challenges to installing the malware, which is why Emotet uses the hijacked emails to send the files through Microsoft OneNote, pretending to be a business or a person you would trust.

We are sharing this information so you can be alert to any messages you may receive regarding your tax or personal information. Please take advantage of scanning software you may have before opening any forms, but it is suggested not to upload them to cloud-based scanning services. Today, tax forms are usually distributed as PDFs instead of Microsoft Word, so if you receive official documents in Word, avoid opening them and enable your macros. Also, tax forms are not usually sent in Microsoft OneNote, so if you receive an email using that program, you should not open it and delete the email.

Sadly, in this digital age, we must be vigilant in protecting our personal and business identities and assets due to evolving malware programs. Therefore, if you receive emails from someone you do not know, it is best to discard them. And if you know the sender but feel unsure about the message’s legitimacy, please call them on the phone to confirm it is something from them.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, or your personal tax advisor.

Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company is an accounting firm with offices in Fort Myers and Naples. Contact (239) 433-5554 or (239) 261-5554.

DISASTER SERVICES

How criminals can take advantage of current events

We all know how stressful living in an age where news is more accessible than ever can be. With a 24hour news cycle and a never-ending stream of information available at our fingertips, it’s easy to feel like we’re constantly bombarded with world events, politics and economical issues.

While being informed is still extremely important, the constant barrage of news can cloud our judgment more than we’d like to think it does. Cyber criminals know this better than anybody, and love to take advantage of the fear and panic created by what’s in the headlines; the recent chaos involving the Silicon Valley Bank closures being a perfect example.

Silicon Valley Bank

If you haven’t seen the news lately, there’s been a surge of panic over the financial failure of two reasonably size banks, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

Without going into too much detail about what happened, the bank’s investments weren’t even close to the value of their customers’ deposits. When a bunch of the customers withdrew their money, the bank ended up in billions of dollars of debt.

Unfortunately, the threat of a “potential banking crisis” isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. Criminals won’t turn down a good opportunity and are already working towards turning this event into a way to make money off innocent people.

Scammers are targeting individuals who are concerned about their economic security after this bank’s failure and already started trying to trick people into giving out their financial information.

One way they’re doing it is by pretending to be a representative from your current bank. They will state your money was held in an account that had connections to Silicon Valley and they need a new routing number to safely transfer your assets.

Under normal circumstances, this may sound obviously sketchy, but fear and panic are great motivators for people to make rash decisions.

But the Silicon Valley Bank closures are only a recent example of criminals benefiting of what we see in the news. There are plenty of other situations where events heavily reported by the media have spawned some popular scams.

Natural Disaster Scams

This is something we’ve touched after Hurricane Ian struck southern Florida. When natural disaster strike such as hurricanes or earthquakes, criminals

BY CARRIE KERSKIE Guest Columnist

may pose as relief workers or charities to solicit donations. They’ll create real websites and social media pages to try to appear as legitimate as possible.

COVID-19 Scams

A bit outdated currently, but since the beginning of the pandemic, scammers have taken advantage of people’s fears about the virus affecting their livelihood. Fake testing kits were sold online, medical information was harvested and fraudulent business loans were offered by fraudsters.

War or Conflict Scams

Seen recently with the conflict over in Eastern Europe, cyber criminals may pose as soldiers or innocent people affected by the war, claiming to need money for bills or to help their families. Plenty of fake profiles, charities or crowdfunding campaigns are started by scammers to elicit funds for their own benefit.

What should you take away from this?

Even though watching the news has its own share of pros and cons, we could all argue it’s still important to stay up to date on current events.

However, it’s just as important to not let the media influence the way you think when it comes to decision-making online. The methods you can use to protect yourself from news related scams, or any scam for that matter, stay the same.

Before you ever give money or information away, always verify the legitimacy of the organization or individual.

Additionally, don’t feel pressured to act quickly— no serious person or organization will ever rush you, and this is a tell-tale sign that it’s a scam.

At the end of the day, a scam is a scam, regardless of the context. Being overly cautious about a suspicious message can make all difference when staying safe online.

Kyle and Carrie Kerskie are nationally recognized identity theft and privacy experts located in Southwest Florida. Carrie in 2001 founded the Kerskie Group, a private investigation agency dedicated to helping identity theft victims to recover effectively and efficiently. Contact her at ck@kerskie.com

“A large portion of my responsibilities includes promoting the event, our winners, our sponsors, and Southwest Florida as not only a vacation destination, but a place to live, work, and grow your business.”

— Lindsay Burch, Director of Marketing & Client Engagement, Edison Awards

EDISON PAGE 1

Lindsay Burch, Director of Marketing & Client Engagement, Edison Awards, shared her thoughts about the event at a recent meeting of the Lee County Horizon Council, which is comprised of local business owners. The Horizon Council, along with the Lee County Horizon Foundation and the City of Fort Myers, have been the major sponsors of the Edison Awards’ three-day event in Fort Myers for the past three years, and will continue that sponsorship for the next five.

“For those who aren’t familiar,” Burch explained, “last month the Edison Awards hosted over 500 individuals from 23 countries - the majority of these individuals were C-level executives - across every industry - from start-ups to Fortune 500s.” Thirty U.S. states were represented at the event this year.

The three-day event opened with a reception at the Edison-Ford Estates in Fort Myers. The next day provided the opportunity to hear from and connect with the brightest minds in the world, as well to see some of the world’s most innovative products on display, followed by the awards event. The final day, Community Day, was open to all and highlighted the winners of the Young Edison Challenge, which invites young innovators from

across the globe to share their ideas in a competitive forum.

Community Day also featured a business pitch panel where Edison Award medalists compete for investment dollars. Students from a variety of local schools attended and participate in activities.

A more recent addition to the Edison Awards was recognition of the Lewis Latimer Fellows. Launched in 2022, the program, named in honor of Thomas Edison’s principal collaborator Lewis Latimer, an AfricanAmerican who was also a successful inventor with several patents to his name, embraces a core philosophy of driving innovation with “profitwith-purpose.” The Fellows program recognized black innovators from around the United States.

Burch concluded, “It’s hard to measure the overall impact of our efforts but I do know the Edison Awards were mentioned in 297 publications between April 6-23, and the Lewis Latimer Fellowship content was picked up by another 193 outlets. According to the algorithms, the potential audience reach is just shy of 180 million people. Getting to share such a positive story with 180 million people makes me very happy — so thank you for allowing us to continue to host and promote this event in Southwest Florida for at least the next five years.”

Remember to always use good password hygiene

Passwords, passwords and more passwords! Many of my clients would like to do away with passwords altogether. They forget the password, then have to reset them. The fact is that 60% to 80% of breaches are password related.

Device passwords

These are the passwords that are used to unlock/sign into your devices for use:

• Microsoft – sign-on password or numeric PIN that you set up (for computer or laptop)

• Apple – unlock pass code and Apple ID email and password (for iPhone, iPad, or iMac)

• Android – Google email and password (for Android phone, tablet, or Chromebook)

Record your device passwords

None of us are getting any younger. If you forget a device password, become ill, or God forbid pass away, neither you, your family nor the executor for your estate will be able to access any of the data on that device. For security reasons, Apple, Microsoft and Google will not give your passwords. Too many attempts with the wrong password and the device thinks it has been stolen. The device may be locked; too many more attempts and the device may be wiped of all data. You will enjoy using your device with less frustration when the password to sign-in to turn on your device is known. What you can do

Write down your device passwords/ PINs/pass codes in your list, address book or little password book (be sure to update it should you change the device sign on password). Date the entry, so you know the vintage of the password. Put a note with your important papers about where to find your device passwords.

Ways to remember your passwords

1. More organized people keep their passwords in their ‘little book of passwords’. When they change a password, they sometimes forget to record the new password in their little book.

2. Some people use a Word or Excel file on their computer with passwords listed: by accounts, user ID and passwords. CONS: Many of these printouts are scribbled on with new passwords, meaning the computer file may be out of date. I worry that if the computer gets malware, the password file may be harvested and sent to the scammers.

3. Some people try to make it easier

BY LINDA LINDQUIST Guest Columnist

to remember their passwords by always using the same password for all online accounts. CONS: This is not a good idea because if a scammer gets a user ID/password combination for one account, they will try that combination everywhere to try to get into accounts where you have financial information saved.

4. Some people rely on their memory, writing nothing down. CONS: We all have experienced how our memories falter as we age. There is nothing more frustrating than not knowing how to access an account (usually occurs when setting up a new device).

5. Save passwords in your Google Chrome synced account.

This free and convenient password manager is available only when accessing websites from Google Chrome. To see what is stored in Chrome, you must also enter the password for your Microsoft Windows logon (make this strong and do not share it).

6. I do not save any passwords for my financial accounts (online banking, PayPal, etc.)

7. I steer clear of password management Apps, because some have been hacked by scammers. If you choose to use one, read more here: www. tomsguide.com/us/best-passwordmanagers,review-3785.html

Good Password Hygiene: Unique, strong passwords

Create different passwords for your various online accounts.

Strong passwords are more than 8 characters with at least three of the following: UPPER CASE - A, B, C; lower case - a, b, c; number - 1, 2, 3; special character - @, #, $, %, !.

I urge you to use good password hygiene to protect yourself and your money from hackers and scammers.

Linda Lindquist is the founder of Computer and Internet Help, based in North Fort Myers. Learn more at computerandinternethelp.com. Contact (239) 567-0104 or pccoach@live.com.

Pillbot: My encounter with a ‘game changer’

Special to SWFBT

Submitted by: Karen P. Moore, Publisher

I’m at the opening night reception of the 36th annual international Edison Awards. Innovators from close to 25 countries and 30 states have gathered in Fort Myers to honor some of the most innovative of innovators across the globe.

As a Southwest Florida resident and business owner, I want to make our prestigious visitors feel welcome. I turn to the young gentleman on my right and introduce myself. With a mischievous grin, he says, “Close your eyes and put out your hand.” When I open my eyes, I see a clear capsule, about the size of a gelatin capsule, sitting in my palm. I immediately exclaim, “That’s Pillbot! When I swallow it, it will diagnose what is wrong with me. It’s a game changer that will change everyone’s lives.”

The young man, Chris Green, is stunned. He replies, “No one has ever been able to tell me what that is when I do that.”

That’s how I came to have the honor of speaking with the Co-Founder and CEO of endiatx, (pronounced “endeeoddix”), Torrey Smith, as well as Green, the company’s Chief Business Officer. Smith’s innovation, Pillbot, was named a Game Changer by the 2023 Edison Awards judges because of its potentially game-changing impact on the world.

Smith explains. “Pillbot is basically our attempt to show the world that you can actually do the medicine inside the human body using a tiny robot as a platform. And so, I’ll be honest with you, that a little swimming drone in the stomach is not our ultimate goal. We want to go further, we want to do brain surgery using rice grainsized versions of this, possibly nuclear-powered. But you have to have some tangible place to begin, and we think a little friendly moving eyeball in the stomach is the way to go.”

Green said Pillbot will replace the majority of Esoph-

Pillbot will replace the majority of Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or EGDs, a test to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum).

agogastroduodenoscopy, or EGDs, a test to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum). “Instead of taking a day off and being under sedation with a crew of four at a hospital, you can swallow Pillbot and have it examine your stomach remotely and you can participate in real time to see your own body and receive a diagnosis and treatment.

“It could be part of worldwide screening that preempts cancer. You don’t have to die of colon cancer as both of my grandfathers did before I was born. If we’d had Pillbot back then, they might have still been around to meet me when I was born.”

He continued, “So Pillbot is a tool for gastroenterologists, where it can streamline their workflow and it could reduce the burden on their facilities and their own schedules.”

Smith, who has been developing medical devices for 17 years, and before that, was an aerospace engineer, tells me what originally inspired him to create Pillbot.

“Like many other kids, I was exposed to amazing science fiction, right? And for me, the specific movie that really blew my mind was called ‘Innerspace’ in the

1980s, where Dennis Quaid gets shrunk down into this submarine and is injected into Martin Short. I’m a kid and I’m just taking this at face value. I just kind of assumed that kind of technology would be real by the time I was an adult.”

He continued with this fascinating true story.

“And when you become an adult, you begin having adult problems, you start having friends who get sick, you start seeing your loved ones go to the hospital. And you ask yourself, ‘Where is all that science fiction?’ And when you realize that the standard of care is sometimes rooted in technology from a few decades behind us, you say to yourself, ‘Well maybe we can do something about this.’

“We’ve heard stories of patients getting on an airplane to get to an endoscopy clinic in parts of Asia and India and it’s sad when you realize that stomachache could actually be insidious. But, I say, ‘Why wonder?’ Let’s just have a look around. And let’s make that cheap and easy.”

Smith goes on to explain how Pillbot can help speed up the diagnosis and treatment process. “This problem is related to late diagnosis. So if we can make a screening tool that can go all around the world, and put the best doctors into the living rooms of patients or refugee camps or military vessels or forward operating areas, we’re basically saying we’re going to put the hospital into pill form and make that cheap and accessible. That is, in my opinion, the foundation, of a kind of a new deal for patients.”

He added, “For us, it means drastically expanding access to procedures like the EGD. You know, our goal with Pillbot is to basically take something that can be built relatively cheaply, you know, 25-50 bucks—and then, because it is so cheap, we think we can make it 10 times more accessible around the world.”

Their hope is to bring this product to market in the next two to three years.

To think, I actually held this game changer, Pillbot, in the palm of my hand.

to the Edison Winners! Congratulations ard

As the co-founders and leaders of the oldest community bank in Lee County, Robbie and Geoff Roepstorff applaud innovation in our community. Like Thomas Edison said, “There is always a better way... Find it.”

Now celebrating the bank’s 26th anniversary, the Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands team is dedicated to expertly blending tradition and innovation with a personal approach to remarkable banking services.

President

Robbie Roepstorff, President and Geoff Roepstorff, CEO