SRQ Magazine | December 2023 Holidays + Philanthropy by SRQ MEDIA

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Contents december 2023

35 under 35 honorees 27

SRQ Magazine is proud to recognize this year’s 35 Under 35 Honorees. These young professionals strive to improve and strengthen our community through their innovation, philanthropy and entrepreneurship. Not only are these exceptional individuals inﬂuencing the community through their professional endeavors, but they are also inspiring the next generation of leaders who will soon follow in their footsteps. COMPILED BY MEGAN MITCHELL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN AND WES ROBERTS.

holiday cheer 65

The holiday season is upon us, meaning it’s time to ﬁnd those perfect, swoon-worthy gifts for all the loved ones in your life. STYLED BY MV PAIGE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

2gen, one family 94

By simultaneously working with children and the adults in their lives together, Community Foundation of Sarasota County utilizes the 2Gen approach to create a legacy of educational success and economic prosperity that passes from one generation to the next. WRITTEN BY BARBIE HEIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

This page: A few of this year’s 35 Under 35 Honorees Luke Nicholas, Mallory Bauer Esq., Ali Hopper and Lauren Nielsen.

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contents december 2023

79 IN CONVERSATION JEFF COOPER OF BRIGHTSTAR CARE® OF NORTH SARASOTA AND BRADENTON COUNTIES 99 SPIRIT OF GIVING ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO CAT DEPOT CHILDREN FIRST IMPACT 100 NAMI SARASOTA MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION SPARCC THE BISHOP MUSEUM THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD UNITED WAY SUNCOAST YMCA OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

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Armed with scholarships and a new arena, the Ringling Rollers are taking esports to the next level. Bia Candle Co. launched its newest gourmand creation at Resilient Retreat’s annual event. Former NASA engineer Evelyn Miralles visits Ringling College of Art and Design to talk about her career and discuss the connection between technologies and the art world. Phillip Lanham wants Gulf Coast Community Foundation lifting all voices, and won’t tolerate intolerance.

culture city 54

Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota Ballet and Sarasota Opera have put in the time and effort to grow the next generation of arts patrons and professionals. Jennifer Mitchell, Executive Vice President and COO of the Circus Arts Conservatory, speaks on the history of the Sailor Circus Academy and what the future holds for the program.

forage 86

Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill casts a spell on diners looking for authentic Mexican flavors.

good hero 89

With a sense of humor and a heart of giving, Chip Gaylor has made a significant impact on our community. Cover: Holiday gift guide, styled by MV Paige; photography by Wyatt Kostygan. This page: Phillip Lanham of Gulf Coast Community Foundation, photography by Wes Roberts; Bia Candle Co., photography by Wyatt Kostygan; and (left to right) Mary Tucker, Kirsten Russell, Jamie Kattrien and Regina Morris of The Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s 2Gen initiative, photography by Wes Roberts.

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DECEMBER 2023 CEO / PRESIDENT / EDITOR IN CHIEF

LISL LIANG

21ST ANNUAL HOME OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 2023 BEST SUSTAINABILITY

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

WES ROBERTS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT

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DIGITAL MARKETING + EVENTS MANAGER

Megan Mitchell CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR + SENIOR DESIGNER

Virginia Jankovsky EDITORIAL ASSOCIATES

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2023 BEST REMODEL RENOVATION

Dylan Campbell Emma Dannenfelser Laura Paquette CONTRIBUTING EDITORS + ARTISTS

Andrew Fabian, Kari King, Phil Lederer, Chris Leverett, Jacob Ogles, Kate Wight

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ORIGINS OF “SRQ” The “SRQ” in SRQ magazine originates from the designated call letters for the local Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. “SR” was the original abbreviation for the airport before the growth in total number of airports required the use of a three-letter code. Letters like “X” and “Q” were used as ﬁller, thus the original “SR” was revised to “SRQ,” much as the Los Angeles airport became “LAX.” As a regional publication committed to the residents of and visitors to both Sarasota and Manatee counties, SRQ captures the place that we call home. LOCAL PUBLISHERS OF SRQ MAGAZINE, LIVING LAKEWOOD, SRQ TOP DOCTORS MEDICAL RESOURCE GUIDE, SRQ ELITE TOP ATTORNEYS PROGRAM, SRQ HOME & DESIGN, SHE ROARS AND WELLEN PARK LIVING MAGAZINE.

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CA LL FO R E N T R I E S DEC E M BE R 8 , 2023 S RQ M AG .CO M / H OT Y

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Vol. 26, Issue 260 Copyright © 2023 SRQ MEDIA. SRQ: Live Local | Love Locall. Sarasota and Bradenton Area is published 10 times a year. IMPORTANT NOTICE: The entire contents of SRQ are copyrighted by Trafalger Communications, Inc. Column and department names are property of Trafalger Communications, Inc. and may not be used or reproduced without express written permission of the publisher. SUBSCRIPTION: Subscriptions to SRQ are $36 for 20 issues. Single copies are $4 at area newsstands.

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STORIES ABOUT THE LOCAL PEOPLE, PLACES AND EXPERIENCES THAT DEFINE OUR HOMETOWN

This page: Colin Whitney, Varsity Overwatch, IGL (left) and Erin Traver, Varsity Overwatch Team Captain and Esports President (right) go to battle with their weapon of choice: a keyboard.

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ROLLING TO VICTORY The Ringling Rollers are making waves as Ringling College’s esports program. Dylan Campbell

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Below: Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the arena is the viewing arena for spectators. With gameplay mirrored onto large television screens, fellow students can cheer on the Rollers live and in person. “We had our jersey unboxing event last year and for many of the teammates on Valorant and Overwatch, this was their first time meeting each other in person, despite the fact that they had been playing together for five or six months. Now they practice together at least once a week,” says Ramey. “It’s switched that normality of individualistic, isolated gaming–they’re able to create these bonds that they weren’t able to before.”

BLISTERED FINGERS. GAME TAPE. FILM REVIEWS. You’d think this was a story about a college football team, but Ringling College doesn’t have a football team. In fact, they don’t have any NCAA athletics at all. What they do have, however, are the Ringling Rollers, the college’s Varsity esports team. Since the program’s inception in 2020, the Rollers have proven to be just as exciting–and competitive–as any traditional sports team. Esports have been around about as long as video games have been, with roots in face-toface arcade video game competitions. However, the industry’s come a long way since your dad went head to head with his buddies in Space Invaders.

In the 2010’s esports became a global phenomenon, with tournaments featuring million dollar purses and online streaming services allowing people across the globe to watch these matchups. It only made sense then, that in March 2020 Ringling College began an intramural esports program with games from Super Smash Brothers to Call of Duty. “When I came to Ringling in 2015 I was kind of surprised that we didn’t have an esports program,” says E Ramey, Director of Recreation and Student Wellness at Ringling College and founder of the program. “For me, starting the program was just a lot of trial and error in figuring out what the students’ interests were. We already had 14 | srq magazine_ DEC23 live local

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a pretty big Super Smash Brothers club that we knew we could either turn into a JV or Varsity team. After starting the program virtually, all things were a go when we came back to campus in person.” In the Spring of 2021, three clubs were formed in Super Smash Bros, Overwatch and Valorant to determine how the Varsity team would be constructed. With the help of newly hired Head Coach Nick DeAngelis the Ringling Rollers were off to the races with their first Varsity season. In gaming terms, the fall of 2021 was a “beta” season for the Rollers–the team had to gel and come together, as well as switch to the Open league for better competition. “The leagues for college esports aren’t as straightforward as the NCAA,” says DeAngelis. “Obviously NACE (The National Association of Collegiate Esports) is one of them. We had to work to get our team into the proper channels so that we could scrimmage other teams, schedule practices and compete with other schools. If you have a team it doesn’t matter how talented they may be if they can’t compete against other teams.” And so the Rollers competed. That next semester, the Rollers Varsity Super Smash Brothers Ultimate team had a perfect 18-0 record en route to being crowned the Varsity Plus Fall 2022 East Coast Divisional Champs in NACE’s Star League. In the spring, the JV team won the 2023 East 5 conference. The success, it turns out, wasn’t just good for the Rollers as a whole but for the individual team members as well. “What’s really cool is that a lot of these students haven’t really done team based anything. I’ve seen so many of these people not only get better at the game, but break out of their shell,” says DeAngelis. “These students are building communication interpersonal skills and I’ve seen them become a lot more articulate and outgoing–not only in the game but just as people as well.” Now entering the fall 2023 season, the Ringling Rollers have teams dedicated to three different games: Valorant, Super Smash Bros and Overwatch, with Varsity and JV members for each game. The Rollers have come a long way since the days of casual video game clubs– all Varsity team members receive a scholarship as well as branded jerseys and gear along with a new home–a 1,200 square foot esports arena with 10 state-of-the-art gaming stations, with 4 console stations all including an 83” television, an Xbox Series X, a Playstation 5 and a Nintendo Switch. “The arena is a huge step in the right direction for the program here,” says Ramey. “It gives back to the community, but also to the students who have been fighting to have this aspect of the esports program. Previously, it was like playing tennis with wooden rackets instead of titanium. Now, we have the ability to figure out how to be the best program that we can be.” SRQ PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.

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BEING LIGHT

Bia Candle Co. Sheds Light on Resilient Retreat. Emma Dannenfelser

Below: Bia Candle Co.'s newest scented candle is gourmandinspired and features notes of pistachio and salted caramel. For more information, visit biacandleco.com.

CREATOR OF BIA CANDLE CO. BIA ANTUNES launched her newest scent at the Resilient Retreat Farm to Table fundraiser where every guest went

home with a gourmand inspired candle. She chose the decadent, warm scent to match the culinary theme of the event, but also to pay tribute to Floridian summers by including fruity, coconut notes and in turn creating something completely unique to her online collection. “I wanted something that was more summery, fun and sexy. Kind of like suntan lotion, like a ‘you’re on a really great vacation’ kind of scent,” Antunes says. She began a relationship with Resilient Retreat last year when the center officially opened. “Their mission is to help people who have suffered any type of trauma and they actually got in touch with me because they thought candles bring light and scent, which is a form of therapy as well,” Antunes says. The Resilient Retreat’s Farm to Table event featured local chefs who created an incredible, multi-course meal using ingredients from local gardens and will serve as a way for local supporters to learn more about the nonprofit and the work it is doing to support trauma survivors in Florida. The idea of creating a candle company sparked when Antunes was living in Brazil, a country where candles were primarily used for religious traditions and scented candles were not accessible. “When I would visit the U.S. I would fill my suitcases up with candles to take back to Brazil, and people would say ‘You’re crazy, those are so heavy’. But I would put them in a suitcase and bring them home and give them to friends as gifts,” Antunes said. “That's how I decided to start making candles as a business in Brazil.” In 2022 the company launched in many Whole Foods Market locations across the East Coast, including all 30 locations in Florida. SRQ 16 | srq magazine_ DEC23 live local

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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TWO WORLDS COLLIDING Former NASA engineer Evelyn Miralles visits Ringling College of Art and Design. Interview by Wes Roberts. Edited by Barbie Heit.

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Left: Former chief engineer from NASA Evelyn Miralles shared a VR presentation at Ringling College of Art and Design.

cameo

EVELYN MIRALLES, NASA’S FORMER CHIEF ENGINEER FOR THE VIRTUAL REALITY LAB AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS visited Ringling College of Art and Design last month to talk about her career

with NASA, and discuss the connections and intersections between technologies and the art world. Miralles recently became Founder and CEO of Xploration LLC in 2023, a futuristic tech consulting company specializing in the dynamic intersection of knowledge between “aerospace, technology, and education.” In an interview with Wes Roberts, Miralles talked about her experience and what she sees as opportunities for students interested in art design intertwined with technology. YOU ARE WELL KNOWN FOR YOUR TIME AT NASA. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ARC OF THAT CAREER. EVELYN MIRALLES: I worked at NASA

Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for 27 years, since 1992. I retired in 2019 and went to work for the University of Houston Clear Lake, serving as the vice president for Strategic Information Initiatives and Technology. Since then, I have become the founder and CEO of Xploration. The company concentrates on supporting the industry in aerospace, higher education and general business in terms of technology and new technology applications. I’m here, at Ringling College, doing a presentation and a lecture to students, to discuss the opportunities in immersive technology and applications all related to art design intertwined with technology. YOU STARTED IN 1992 WITH NASA, THAT SEEMS REALLY EARLY IN THE HISTORY OF VR. Yes. When

I started, I had just finished my college education at the University of Houston. I have two degrees, one in computer graphics, and one in computer information systems. And right at that time in 1992, NASA was looking for computer scientists that had a graphics background and I was selected and went to work for them to support them and create a next generation system to help train astronauts for different activities. IN 1992, HOW DID YOU FIND A PASSION FOR VR WHEN 3D RENDERING BARELY EXISTED? Well, I

didn't. That's the fun part about that. NASA realized that the computing power was getting better, hardware was getting better faster, and that the possibility was there to build a graphical twin of whatever space scenario NASA needed for training. NASA decided to begin building the team that would support activities such as spacewalking, robotics operation and spatial awareness outside a space vehicle, and what other way to do it than by using immersive technology. We just needed to build it. When I started at NASA, the first agenda was figuring out how to put all these pieces together to generate some form of a system that could simulate these missions that we were going to start doing. This is NASA's perspective; that they were going to start moving PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

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toward the future where they would build an International Space Station. The first mission that I supported with VR was the repair of the Hubble space telescope. The astronaut has to capture this impressive telescope, put it back in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle, and then repair it. And all that activity was rehearsed using VR for the first time ever in history for the space program. WHAT LANGUAGE WERE YOU PROGRAMMING IN?.

C++. Of course it is not just the software, everything is part of a system. On one side, you have the virtual reality environment, the IO, the helmet, that's the immersion part, which is what people think of as VR. Then, for us, we also had the mathematical simulations from different sources, it could be MATLAB or others that actually coordinate how the movements work for the pieces that we send to space. And then we also have the graphic engine, all the inputs for the models and everything that gets built to create this scenario. WAS THERE A PARTICULAR MOMENT WHEN THIS NEW IDEA, IMMERSIVE VR, WAS SUDDENLY ABLE TO APPROXIMATE REALITY? Yes and no. The

resolution of this scenario is that what we were building [in those early days] and trying to capture was limited by the technology we had. You could always tell it's synthetic, it's not real. But when we immersed astronauts in these systems, they became so acclimated to the visual cues [until it seemed real to them] because every part or component they were turning and looking at existed in space. We made sure to have the earth rotating, we have the lighting of the earth changing to match the pace they would actually experience. These scenarios built with VR for NASA have always been specifically for a specific mission. So you have a target, you have a mission, and [for the astronauts] you have a certain amount of time to do the activity. When you go into space, you have some hours to do this activity, and there is very little room for error, but in our lab you can repeat it, we can do it again and again until the astronaut knows exactly what they need to do to accomplish the mission. Having a very specific goal in a very limited time is different from when you're gaming or you're just enjoying a VR experience. srq magazine_ DEC23 live local | 19

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cameo that's when I got into computers. And then at some point I thought it was impossible. I said, "Well, I can't merge computer and art." And guess what? When I was at NASA, one of my biggest influences on the team was the creative side of it. Because even though the technology is all very engineering-related, you need creativity, you need vision. You need to have that potential of observing that comes from the arts. When you're building applications and you build a user interface, it's not just math and physics, but it's also how you interact with the human being. FOR MANY YEARS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS SCHOOL, LARRY THOMPSON, HAS TALKED ABOUT ADDING THE LETTER A, FOR ART, TO STEM. SO HE TALKS ABOUT STEAM, NOT JUST STEM. I think

this is very important. I’ve always thought that having the interdisciplinary approach sounds very good, but I think at the end of the day, that's an individual choice. Some students will gravitate to that and some other people might not. That's why I do think the humanities has to be offered to students. Some may continue to exclusively take everything technical, and then some others say, "You know what? I do need to paint. I can be creative as well as technical,” Those kids may end up working in something where they use those components, and their combined skills are needed. It's important to offer it, but it's going to differ by individual at the end. IF YOU WANT TO EXCITE AND ENERGIZE A STUDENT ABOUT VR OR THE SPACE INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? At this moment we are in the

DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC ANECDOTES ABOUT ASTRONAUTS' EXPERIENCES? Our lab was really a Above: Miralles worked with students to draw connections between VR technology and real-life situations.

small lab. It was only supported by about five to seven individuals, people, engineers. We were all in different areas of computer science or aerospace and electric. We found ways to have fun, because the work was very intensive and could be tedious. So when the astronauts would come to train with us as a team, sometimes they would go up to space and we'd create tricks. We’d add some comical pieces. One time we built a SpongeBob figure and we changed the face to the face of the astronaut. The astronaut was moving in space in VR on the outside of the Space Station, and then suddenly there was SpongeBob looking at him. We did things like that many times just to take off the intensity. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT SYNERGY BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND ARTS, AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE RINGLING COLLEGE? It’s very important. In my own

experience, I wanted to be an architect. I had the artistic abilities, but because of my brothers who are engineers, I wanted to educate myself more about other areas and 20 | srq magazine_ DEC23 live local

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transition into the fourth industrial revolution. This has to do with digitalization of our world. I wouldn't want to say that everything is going to be replaced by something that is not human, but we can definitely create better tools that people can use and make their life easier, faster, better. They can have more time. Maybe we don't work 40 hours a week. Maybe we work less because we use better tools. With VR to train or teach a concept that maybe was difficult before now, we're going to become more intelligent or educated in less time. This is an incredible time for all this technology. The hardware is here, the streaming is here because that's another thing that was missing. How do you stream that data back and forth? I know it's a little sideways, but there was one time we had a meeting with Facebook, Meta now, and they wanted to be the first ones to capture somebody on the moon or an astronaut arriving on the moon. I said, "Well, what could be more exciting than VR?" Can you imagine every child in the world having access to an VR helmet and following an astronaut just landing on the moon real time? Years ago that could have been impossible. But now we have SpaceX sending all these satellites up, literally connecting our world with data. Now we can stream high-quality videos and real-time videos easily to any remote place in the world. Is it good? Is it bad? That's something that we shall discuss in another interview, but it is the future. SRQ PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.

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CREATING OPPORTUNITY Phillip Lanham wants Gulf Coast Community Foundation lifting all voices, and won’t tolerate intolerance. Interview by Jacob Ogles.

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Left: Gulf Coast Community Foundation's President and CEO Phillip Lanham strives to create a vibrant community with opportunities for all.

interview with

BEFORE TAKING OVER AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, PHILLIP LANHAM WORKED HIS ENTIRE CAREER IN OHIO, most recently as Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Greater

Cincinnati Foundation. Now he’s taking the reins in a region where philanthropy means big business, and where the needs and priorities of the community constantly shift. But Lanham said the chief objectives for Gulf Coast remain constant. “We have to stay true to our vision and our mission, which is creating a vibrant community with opportunities for all,” Lanham told SRQ. “And when we say all, we mean it. It's our job to keep working until that is a reality.” Just over 100 days into his tenure, SRQ Magazine sat down with Lanham to discuss the change he plans to deliver to the world of giving. WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS COMMUNITY? PHILLIP LANHAM: One aspect that really drew me to this region

in this role was the culture of philanthropy, not just from individuals but the sheer size and number of foundations that are here. Whether it's the Patterson Foundation, the Barancik Foundation, the Selby Foundation or the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The partnership that I see and the connection that we have with each other, I don't always see that in other communities. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do together. There's potential for us to do more together. There's been moments in the past where we have worked collaboratively with each other and I want to do more of that. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW YOUR TIME IN CINCINNATI CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? I was born,

raised and educated in Cincinnati, so over the years I accumulated information and developed my career. One of the things that really made Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Sarasota County appealing to me was having an experience outside of my hometown. In some aspects, it's been smoother than expected. Because of the organization I represent, people are very welcoming and opening doors, and Gulf Coast has such a strong brand in this community that people appreciate that. But overall, people are just very generous in this community. MORE THAN 100 DAYS INTO THE JOB, WHAT HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR? The number one goal

of being a transplant to this region was to get to know the people who make it so special. I've done that through site visits with nonprofits, meeting nonprofit leaders here in this very room that I'm sitting in today. At the same time, getting to know our donors and our philanthropic families with whom we work, to understand what their priorities are and how we can best serve them. My experience has been so great so far because I'm working with people who love this community so much they give their own financial resources back to the community.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

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GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS OFTEN LED CONVERSATIONS, WHETHER THAT’S ON HOMELESSNESS OR EDUCATION IN THE DIGITAL ERA. DO YOU SEE A NEED TO LEAD THE WAY ON NEW ISSUES? Our three priority areas will

continue to be affordable housing, mental health and the environment with a focus on water quality. In addition, we support other sectors like arts and arts and culture and capacity building in the entire nonprofit sector. The one area that has shown up in our most recent regional scan, and it's something Gulf Coast has a history of working on in the past and we may need to revisit it as we develop our strategy for the future, is weaving civility through everything we do. As a region, just the climate that we find ourselves in as Americans right now, keeping civility at the core of everything we do as a society will be critical for the success of our democracy. SARASOTA STARTED TO DEVELOP A DIFFERENT NATIONAL REPUTATION WITH A LOT OF MORE EXTREME VOICES ON DOMESTIC POLITICS MOVING TO THE AREA. DO YOU SEE THAT IMPACTING OUR CIVIC DISCOURSE? One-hundred

percent, that is affecting the nonprofit community, mostly the nonprofit community who serves marginalized communities. They aren't feeling the support that they deserve, in my opinion, and it's something that we will continue to support. We’ll try to shift the conversation to supporting this region for opportunities for everyone, not just a select few. I'm not going to name any names because there's already been so many of them dragged through the mud. I'm not going to allow that to happen. When you have proximity to people who aren't like you, and you can break bread and understand someone else's experience, it builds empathy. I strive to be a very empathetic person and connect with people who are different from me, because I want to grow as a person but also just because it makes life better. Like, it's so boring if I’m with a bunch of white dudes. It's just not as dynamic and fun. How can we as a community build empathy so we aren't quick to judge but are quick to support each other? srq magazine_ DEC23 live local | 23

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interview with WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION YOU CAN BRING TO GULF COAST THAT HASN’T BEEN THERE BEFORE? In Cincinnati, I was responsible for an

impact investing program, which is essentially making loans to nonprofits, often at a larger amount than a grant would be. Community foundations are known for grant making, but we have other tools in our toolbox. Impact investing is a powerful tool where larger amounts can be invested in the nonprofit at below market interest rates, which in a high interest rate environment is very appealing. AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS BEEN AN ISSUE NONPROFITS IN THIS COMMUNITY WRESTLED WITH FOR YEARS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY? There has to be a shared

understanding of what the problem is—and if there is a problem—across the board, between the foundations, the elected officials and the business sector. The business sector and business leaders with whom I've visited have seen it as a problem because their workforce is struggling to find sustainable housing. It's not ideal for anyone to have an hour-long commute or even a 30-minute commute. We want people to live close to where they work, to improve their lives and make their lives richer. There's the alignment that there is a problem. There's a whole spectrum of housing that we have to ensure that our economy has, and rentals will be a big part of that. As people develop in their careers and their income grows, they then move to homeownership. In America, we focus so much on homeownership that we forget the rental piece of it. It happened in Cincinnati. It's happening here. We really need a strong rental market across those income levels to make sure working families have a solid roof over their head. HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE TO DONORS THE VALUE OF THEIR INVESTMENT AND ENSURE THE FOUNDATION IS PROVIDING THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS? Something I learned

very early in my career is just because someone's wealthy doesn't make them charitable. Our objective is to find those high net worth individuals who are also charitable and help maximize their giving locally. It's those people who have an open mind and want to grow and understand. Another person's or group of people's experience is where the magic really happens. Often the funders, including Gulf Coast when we're the funder, don't have the answer. Research shows people with lived experience create the best solutions to the problems that they're experiencing. Often the people with the resources, when I say everyone needs shoes and here's your size 12, they're not a size 12. The solution doesn’t fit them right. It is finding that person with that growth mindset and who wants to learn and help and not always be the solution provider.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WAITING FOR THE DIRECTION FROM YOUR BOARD AND DONORS? They hired me,

right? During the recruiting process, I was able to lay out what I would want to have happen here. Through that process, they've endorsed that. Now that I'm here and understand the community better, it needs to be refined. I often say I have wicked smart people on our leadership team and in our organization who have their own thoughts and ideas. I strive to have collaboration at the core of everything I do. I'm rarely the smartest person in the room, but my gift is to bring out the best ideas from other people and to create a plan and vision for the organization moving forward. WHAT PART OF THE VISION YOU LAID OUT IN THE HIRING PROCESS GOT YOU THIS JOB? I showed up for

each of my interactions with the search committee, and the thing I had in the back of my mind, like little postcards like on my personal computer hanging off my monitor, was to stay authentic. Don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. Don't give them the answers they want to hear. Give them the answers that are true to your heart. HOW DOES THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE, AND MATTERS LIKE INTEREST RATES, IMPACT PHILANTHROPY AND FISCAL STRATEGY? At my

last organization, every time we had a down year from fundraising, I could go back and map it to the S&P 500 being down. Based on conversations I've had here with our philanthropy team, that holds true here as well. Interest rates are one thing. They actually help in some aspects of our investment strategy and help our donors and some of their investment strategies because they're making 5-6% right now in a very safe vehicle. It’s really about how the stock market reacts that usually influences how donors leverage a community foundation. If the stock market stays strong, because most donors will give appreciated assets from their portfolios to their donor advised funds, that will drive the decisions more than interest rates specifically. HOW DOES YOUR BACKGROUND IN THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF PHILANTHROPY CONTRIBUTE TO THIS ORGANIZATION? I like to measure lots of things. Yes,

this business might be touchy feely and you lead with a heart. At the same time, we want to see outcomes and improvement in the clients’ lives in the nonprofit sector. Yesterday we were debating if we should support an arts organization, and I said we need a business plan. Yes, there’s a vision here, but what's the business plan we can invest in right now. Without that, we don't have any hard numbers to react to. My business education kicks in when it gets too squishy and we need to know where the rubber hits the road. We lean into that business education to make decisions. That's sometimes a fun place for me to live. SRQ

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RECOGNIZING 35 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS UNDER 35 ON THE GULF COAST

This page, left to right: Kenneth Antonetti, Jacob Kinsel, Thomas Scheip, Jaquelyn Daum, Andrew Neal

PRESENTING SPONSOR

We are proud to recognize this year’s 35 Under 35 Honorees. These young professionals strive to improve and strengthen our community through their innovation, philanthropy and entrepreneurship. Not only are these exceptional individuals inﬂuencing the community through their professional endeavors, but they are also inspiring the next generation of leaders who will soon follow in their footsteps. PRODUCED BY SRQ MEDIA | PHOTOS BY WYATT KOSTYGAN, WES ROBERTS | COMPETITION PRODUCED BY MEGAN MITCHELL

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BECKY ABRAHAM

MANAGER OF SPECIAL EVENTS & DONOR ENGAGEMENT, ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I am proud of successfully managing the return of All Faiths Food Bank’s signature events. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we welcomed back our four popular events that raise money to provide food and assistance for those facing hunger in Sarasota and Desoto counties. Despite Hurricane Ian directly hitting Southwest Florida only days before our first event and All Faiths Food Bank jumping into action to provide food and support to those affected by the hurricane, our event season was a huge success, raising more than $500,000 that will benefit our neighbors. Seeing the smiles on our guests’ faces during these events and knowing the substantial impact these funds will have on our neighbors is what makes me most proud of this accomplishment.

What is your top professional goal? My top professional goal is to become an executive director of a nonproﬁt organization. With a proven track record as a fundraiser and event planner, I hope to unite communities, catalyze change and leave a lasting, meaningful impact in the nonproﬁt sector.

What are your favorite ways to unwind over the weekend? Outside of work, I unwind with a good book, attend church, binge-watch Netﬂix and occasionally walk along the beach.

What is your favorite dish to order for delivery? My go-to dish is always Indian food, speciﬁcally Matar Paneer, Paneer Butter Masala and samosas. The hotter the better!

EVAN ACKERMAN

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, CHILDREN FIRST Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I had the opportunity to work directly with a parent whose child was enrolled in our program at Children First. She was the keynote speaker for our biggest fundraising event of the year. I worked with the parent to learn her story and translate it into a speech that showcased how Children First and our Head Start program have changed the trajectory of her life, and that of her family. It was Head Start’s “birthday” as a federal program, and I shared the parent’s story on our Facebook page while tagging the National Head Start Association (NHSA). Two months later, a representative from the NHSA reached out asking if she wanted to share her story on the nation-

al stage. She was invited to serve as the keynote speaker in a room of 800 people at the National Head Start Association’s annual Parent and Family Engagement Conference, which took place in Dallas, Texas, this past December. What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Not learning how to say “no.” Setting boundaries is incredibly important for not only the quality of your work as an individual employee, but is also critical to the longevity and success of the team you work within. Realizing where you need to step in and when it’s okay to step back is the most valuable skill I continue to learn in my professional career.

What’s your favorite podcast? National Park After Dark or the Prosecutors Podcast. Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I decided to be more mindful and set boundaries in all non-work hours throughout the day. This means choosing 30 minutes of meditation, reading a book of choice or listening to music before “plugging in” to the news, social media and anything workrelated when I start my day. This has led me to trying out every dog-friendly park and walking trail in Sarasota County and now I am working my way through Charlotte and Manatee counties!

When things get tough, I just remember… if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

KENNETH ANTONETTI

DOCTOR/OWNER, SPINE WELL CHIROPRACTIC Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. Opening my own clinic here in Sarasota. It has been both a challenging and immensely rewarding experience that has allowed me to give so much back to the community.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Not having a cohesive vision for a team. When a group is not on the same purpose, diﬀerences in direction can easily pull a team apart.

What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? One day while looking at my laptop screensaver that showed a picture of a beach, I decided I would book a trip and take my own photo of this beach. The beach was in Thailand and it took me an entire month of island hopping to ﬁnd it, but I ﬁnally did and it was even more surreal than I could have ever imagined.

When things get tough, I just remember… this is when most people stop and this is why they don’t win. It’s a quote I heard on Chris Williamsons’ Modern Wisdom Podcast.

MALLORY BAUER, ESQ.

PARTNER/ATTORNEY, BERLIN PATTEN EBLING, PLLC Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. In January 2023, I became a shareholder/partner of Berlin Patten Ebling. I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment and am thrilled to be a part of this ﬁrm.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Not knowing when to say “no.” In law school, we are taught to never say “no” in our legal careers and expect to work 10-12 hours a day. Being a woman in the legal ﬁeld, expectations always felt elevated-I always felt like I had to say “yes” to prove myself. Always saying “yes” leads to burnout and the constant feeling of being overwhelmed. I quickly learned that I cannot say “yes” to everything and it is perfectly acceptable to say “no.” Now, I manage expectations by under promising and over delivering.

What are your top three items on your bucket list? Complete a stand-up comedy class and perform for an audience. Retire young so I can travel the world with my husband. Go to the Super Bowl.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I recently started using the “Do Not Disturb” function on my iPhone from 9pm to 8am. I am constantly receiving emails, texts or phone calls after hours. If you don’t prioritize time management, it is easy to get burnt out and stressed. Putting my phone on “Do Not Disturb” allows me time to wind down at night, read my book and relax with my husband and dog. It has been a game changer!

What are your favorite ways to unwind over the weekend? Seeing the newest movie at the Lakewood Ranch Movie Theatre, reading a thriller book, spending time outside with my husband and dog, watching the Buﬀ alo Bills during football season and exercising!

When things get tough, I just remember… how hard I worked to get here. Nothing worth having comes easy.

TEYLOR BOUCHARD CHEF, HAMLET’S EATERY

Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. I was recognized as one of the Best Chef’s in SRQ Best of Local Competition while at Hamlet’s Eatery. Hamlet’s Eatery was also recognized as “Best Local Vegan,” which as a vegan, is very meaningful and says a lot because Hamlet’s Eatery menu consists of only half vegan options.

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How did you make your start in your profession? I loved watching Rachel Ray’s show 30 Minute Meals—it inspired me to be a chef. In high school, I took culinary opps and my teacher was the one who encouraged me to go to culinary school.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Giving up on my granola business. The product was loved universally but I ran out of money, patience and time. In hindsight, I should have been more fortuitous in my approach.

at this role because I found myself focused on the perception of having the role over my own growth and development. I wouldn’t call any career decision a mistake-only a chapter in my professional journey. This chapter taught me that putting my growth and development first and finding a role where I am supported and encouraged to “fly” is above all else the priority.

If you could dedicate your life to solving one problem, what problem would you choose?

journey this year. Not only does it include running with my husband, but we are taking ice baths for cold therapy.

Quality and affordable childcare in the U.S. It is an unbelievable cost burden–at times the first or second most expensive obligation for a family each month. It’s not only critical for a child’s development, but it also ensures a successful working society. I couldn’t do what I do, have the impact on our community and learn and grow myself without the childcare I have been lucky to find. I want that for every single working family.

What is your formula for success? Now in

What is your formula for success? Listen, pause,

What is your top professional goal? To own my own restaurant one day and be featured on a Guy Fieri cooking show.

Share something you did in the past year to balance your work and personal lives. I started a ﬁtness

my thirties, I’m realizing that a clear vision, fortitude, passion and self-belief are crucial to achieving success.

What is your favorite podcast or Youtube channel? High Carb Hannah has inspired me over the years and I love her YouTube channel. She primarily focuses on healthy, plant-based food.

KELLY CARLSTEIN

VICE PRESIDENT OF BRAND STRATEGY, GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. At Gulf Coast we believe our team is our brand. After a successful brand evolution we knew the next step was to empower our team to confidently represent our brand through a Brand Story Playbook. A tool designed to educate and empower the reader to understand our brand from voice, to logo, to graphics, to emotions. We successfully rolled out this new “tool in our toolbox.” I recently welcomed a new teammate to our team who worked on this project, not only completing it in her first 60 days, but exceeding all expectations for the project. Seeing her find passion and excitement in her work and knowing that I can be there to continue to support that fire was an extremely proud moment.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? A wise mentor once told me, never let your wings be clipped. We need to be able to be set free to explore, fail and succeed. I found myself in a role that was not allowing my wings of creativity to ﬂy-but it was a well known company in a highly sought after industry. I turned down many job oﬀers while working

react. In this busy world we live in it’s often easy to get caught up in the fast paced nature of decision making. Taking a moment to pause before you react and before you decide can help you to ensure you have the right frame of mind and details to make the best decision to lead you to a successful outcome. This can be tough for us millennials. I resigned and ﬂipped my life upside down.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. Creating boundaries can be difficult—especially when you are a Type A and always on-the-go. I have a sweet 4-year-old and a baby girl on the way, so this past year, creating balance was not only something I wanted to do, I needed to do it. The best way I found to do this is making daily promises to myself. Today, I will not access email after my son gets home. Today, I will leave my laptop in the car until the morning so I can focus on my family. Today, I will go into the office early so that I can pick up my son from school and get him an ice cream treat. Balance can look different every day—it’s about finding the balance that allows you to be your best self.

Share with us a current topic or trend that you are concerned about at the local level. As a mother, I am all too familiar with the exorbitant costs of childcare. Childcare is my second most expensive monthly cost, next to housing, and I need to secure my spot at a facility nearly one year in advance of needing the service. I know that I am surrounded in the community by mothers and famlies who are not in that same position. Childcare is a basic need. If we want to work, we need childcare. If we want to eat, we need to work. I’m concerned for our workforce, for

working mothers considering moving to our region that the lack of aﬀordable and quality childcare would be a barrier to their goals.

HUNTER CARPENTER

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER, FIRST WATCH Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. As the first Community Liaison Director of the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, I’ve had the privilege of guiding the creation of our inaugural pro-bono program–“Mission Mavericks: Fly Far with PR.” Think PR with a purpose. Combining our chapter’s spirit of volunteerism with our drive to advance our profession, the program aims to make a positive impact in our community while showcasing the value that PR can offer local causes. After a year of strategic planning and pressure testing, we officially launched the program this fall and received more than 30 applications from local organizations. As the program enters its execution phase, I look forward to serving as the project lead to help local causes fly far with PR, with the hope others will be inspired to join in on the journey.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Don’t be afraid to change your narrative to turn a negative into a positive. Sometimes, life gives you gifts and it’s up to you to recognize them as such. There’s something to being grateful about how far you’ve come and being conﬁdent that you’ve chosen the best path for you and now are stronger because of it. Taking that calculated leap of faith can make all the diﬀerence between the person you are now and the person you want to be. Do so with pride.

What is your top professional goal? Becoming a New York Times best-selling author.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I started a new after-work ritual of putting on my running shoes and hitting the pavement at some of my favorite locations around town like Nathan Benderson Park and Lido Beach. I intentionally run without earbuds or my phone to avoid distractions and take in everything, moment by moment. What once was a competitive sport for me in my school days has turned into a unique form of meditation, a way to mute all the noise and declutter all the thoughts from my dayto-day grind.

What is the first job you ever held? Ripping tickets and making popcorn at our local AMC Movie Theatre. For this movie-lover, you couldn’t beat the perks, the organized chaos of a midnight premiere and–most of all–the

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team, who were just as much into Star Wars as they were the latest Pixar ﬁlm. Even after all these years, I still go to the movies at least once a week–so you can trust me as your local IMDb.

When things get tough, I just remember … to slow down to speed up. All of us are juggling immense plates in our personal and professional lives, and if we let our to-do list become who we are, we can inadvertently hinder our happiness and potential. Give yourself the patience and the time to refresh, reset boundaries and recover so you can bring your full self to every moment. We owe ourselves that much (and a whole lot more).

CHRISTINE CUA

QUALITY ASSURANCE HEAD, DMSI INTERNATIONAL Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. One of my recent achievements that I am most proud of is being promoted to Quality Assurance Head. I am not used to leading and teaching others, but I have adapted to my new role and I am happy that I can support them and impart my knowledge.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? The mistake in my career that taught me the biggest lesson was my fear of big changes. I already have a lot of good opportunities that I wasted because I was afraid of failing without even trying. I am still in the process of improving myself and I am learning to just take risks and see where they lead me. Whether it’ll be a success or not, at least I tried and learned from the experience.

When things get tough, I just remember … I always have God beside me, no matter what. I know I can overcome any problem life throws at me. I always remember the reason why I am striving: for my family, the people I cherish and myself. This too shall pass, and there is a reason for everything that happens.

What are the top three items on your bucket list? The top three items on my bucket list are: skydiving, scuba diving and traveling to my dream destinations. I always wanted to go on some adventures, maybe soon.

What is your guilty pleasure? I can drink iced coﬀee anytime, and I always crave for some Korean BBQ, boba milk tea and ice cream. A happy tummy means a happy life.

CAMERON CURRY OWNER, MARKET BOTANY

Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. I think the most signiﬁcant decision I made to date that led me to my proudest

achievement has been pivoting Market Botany from a plant nursery to a plant-care product brand. This change allowed for the context of the brand I was building to still be relevant and gave an even better purpose to educating the consumer on caring for their plants, and most of all eliminated the constant worry about the live plant inventory dying if my time was consumed by other operational tasks in the business. This pivot allowed me to streamline everything and really take hold of my margins. With this newfound organization and plan I applied for a competition called “Lowe’s Into the Blue” where I was selected to pitch my products at the Lowe’s Home Improvement headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, directly in front of the Lead Merchant staff and CEOs. Anticipation was intense, as I had never communicated with professionals at this scale of retail, or ever been involved in that kind of a corporate environment. But, as the underdog amongst other much more established and financially backed businesses competing for the same prize, Market Botany left with a huge purchase order. I’m beyond proud. But most of all I’m eternally grateful to say that Market Botany Products will be on shelves at the first 500 Lowe’s store locations across America (including all Sarasota Lowe’s store locations) as early as this December.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? I value every mistake I make so much and consider mistakes to be one of the most important contributions to ﬁguring this whole entrepreneurship thing out. Every single one of my mistakes has given me an opportunity to learn. In my career, I’ve had to teach myself to perceive mistakes diﬀerently because when we are growing up we are taught that mistakes equal failure, and that we should fear and avoid mistakes at all cost if we want “success”. Now, I embrace mistakes . . . anticipate them, heck, even welcome mistakes with open arms. I know now that mistakes are the moment where you learn exactly what you need to know to take the next step forward. I like to say: “There are no mistakes, just lessons learned and there is no failure so long as you make the choice to try again.”

What is your top professional goal? My top professional goal is to become the modern version of Martha Stewart (mixed with a little bit of Steve Erwin). With the right strategy and placement, I believe I can establish a well-respected reputation for being a multi-passionate person where my credibility is supported in every extension of who I am. So I can build a personal lifestyle brand that is not conﬁned by one product category or niche. I dream of continuing to delve into all of the things that drive my passions in life while striving to inspire others and innovating and bringing new products to the market.

How did you get your starts in your profession? For the majority of my time as a student at Sarasota Middle School, I was making specialty cakes out of my home kitchen, “Cakes By Cameron” #TBT. I worked as a food runner at Shore Diner on St. Armands when they ﬁrst opened, completed the culinary program at SCTI and then continued to culinary school in Miami. After college, I worked as a line cook at Duval’s on Main Street, as a personal chef at private events and assisted with the holiday gingerbread display at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. After all of the years honing my skills and crafting my reputation as a chef, it may be shocking that the business I’ve established is a plant care product brand.

Do you have any ridiculous goals in life? I’d say most of my goals probably sound pretty wild. But at the top of that list is to explore the world by boat for research to discover plant and animal species, and to create an exotic wildlife sanctuary and conservatory that focuses on tropical and subtropical ecosystems.

CASSI DAMBROGIO OWNER, FACEPOP

Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. My team. I am so proud of their drive and dedication to Facepop and helping people feel conﬁdent in their skin again. Recently I went back to school and the way they have stepped up and killed it is something I couldn’t be more proud of.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Holding on to people or certain things because of emotions. At the end of the day, your numbers are telling you a story and you need to listen to them.

How do you spend your time outside of work? Playing pickleball, visiting somewhere in the mountains or binge-watching anything on Bravo.

If you could ask someone any question in the world (living or from the past), who would that person be and what would your question be? I would love to be able to ask my Grandad more questions about his childhood and life in England during the war.

Share a current topic or trends that you are concerned about at the local level. Not wearing sunscreen! Daily suncreen is extremely important to protect you from harmful UV rays that can cause skin cancer. Protecting yourself can also slow down the aging process.

What are the top three items on your bucket list? Go to Norway, learn to kite surf and live in Europe.

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JACQUELYN DAUM

HEAD OF PRODUCTION, OWNER, TEST FLIGHT STUDIOS Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. While there are a lot of things I am proud of, I would say what I did my senior year of college was the catalyst for continually doing what others deemed impossible. Since I knew I wanted my career to be defined both by my work as an artist and as a business person, I knew I needed to have a portfolio that included both upon college graduation. Therefore, I decided to do a business senior thesis (which includes producing a group of three artist’s short films and creating a full production binder) and a computer animation senior thesis (creating a fully animated short by myself). Doing a computer animation thesis independently is seen as an incredible feat, as in just 1.5 years I would need to write, storyboard, model, light, texture, animate and post-produce a short. I was warned that if I also produced a short in addition to directing one, there was a very real possibility that I would not finish and fail my senior year. No one else had ever done that. It took 1.5 years of sleeping 4-5 hours a night (and often on a friend’s couch), working weekends and holidays to successfully complete both theses. It almost killed me. However, not only did I complete them but my business senior thesis ended up winning Bronze in the Best of Ringling show. The short project I managed won the President’s Award for Computer Animation.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? The biggest thing I’ve overcome was actuallyaninternalchallengeIfacedwhenIstarted my career. Being immediately thrust into a position of leadership in my ﬁrst job made me a perfect candidate for imposter syndrome. Even though I saw positive results in my work environment, I worried that I might not be ready for my role. I would be in meetings with marketing executives of million/billion dollar companies and I was the one in charge of projects. Heck, most of the time, I was in charge of the meetings. With powerful people often at least one to two decades older than you, you begin to experience an immense amount of self doubt. At one point on a project, it kept me from reaching out for help even though I was spread too thin because I was worried about my team’s perception of me. The projects’ problems snowballed, and ended up costing my company tens of thousands of dollars. Thank goodness we can learn from our mistakes, because that never happened to me again. Through wonderful mentors, such as my parents and other seasoned producers in the industry, I found my internal footing.

If you could ask someone any question in the world (living or from the past), who would the person be and what would your question be? Ed Catmull, Former President and Founder of Pixar is my hero. It is genuinely and truly my hope that one day I will get to meet him, and thank him for what he has done for the animation and entertainment industry. In short, he is one of the most important ﬁgures in making the technology for computer animation possible. After gushing, I’d ask him how do you face the unknown, and conquer self-doubt to the point where you create a technology and an industry that didn’t exist before you? In other words, what kind of mindset do you have to have to be a trailblazer and overcome self-doubt? There are very few people in the world who can do what he does, and I just want to know how.

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? I bought my house without seeing it. I just trusted my brother to pick one out for me, and I made a decision based on his recommendation and the pictures he sent. It turned out great; I don’t have any regrets.

JOSHUA DAY

FINANCIAL CENTER MANAGER, FIFTH THIRD BANK Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I am most proud of my recent promotion as a Financial Center Manager for Fifth Third Bank. It has been an honor to grow with my team and to help them advance in their careers. Generally, my days consist of working with small businesses, learning how they operate, and figuring out where I fit in to help them achieve their financial goals.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Mistakes are inevitable, however, making the same mistake twice is not. We learn more from our mistakes than we do from our accomplishments. I would say the one mistake that taught me the biggest lesson is to stop trying to do everything yourself. Working as a team and reaching out to people for assistance can not only make your job easier, but it greatly reduces stress as well.

What is your formula for success? My formula for success is to be ﬂuid, determined and build good habits. Very rarely do I ﬁnd a clear path from point A to point B. Things happen, sometimes there are setbacks, sometimes there are mistakes and sometimes you must push through. You must be determined, and you must be able to adjust while not getting discouraged. The most important part is to practice building good habits. Once something becomes a habit or a lifestyle it no longer feels

like an extra task it’s just what you do.

What is the first job you ever held? Hopefully, my father doesn’t get in trouble as this is probably against OSHA. I learned what a strong work ethic was at a young age due to working with my father every summer. He was a carpenter that built houses for more than 30 years. When I was about 8 years old, he started bringing me with him to work. I started with small tasks, cleaning up the scraps, carrying materials through the unﬁnished houses and upstairs to hand them to him. I eventually started working the table saw and using the brake to bend aluminum. He paid me $50 to $100 a week to teach me how to budget. My ﬁrst taxed job is another story, but I was an actor who played the role of Billy the Kid. It was a fun time robbing stagecoaches and riding horses.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I let go of perfectionism. Work-life balance is all about time management. There is a neverending list of things to do. Take care of the big rocks first and things will flow a lot smoother. Take care of necessities first, then if time allows, tackle the inessentials. Spend as much time as you can with your family and friends, especially if you have little ones at home.

What are the top three items on your bucket list? I would say the biggest item on my bucket list is to return to Europe. I am obsessed with the history of castles, and I have a long list of them that I need to visit. The next item on my bucket list is to bring my family back home to New Hampshire during the winter. I want to take them snowboarding, sledding, snow mobiling and to visit the NH ice castles. Finally, I would love to get my hands on an old Mustang from the late ‘60s or early ‘70s that I could restore as a project car.

STEFANIA FOCHI

OWNER, THE EMPANADA GIRL

Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. After being in the empanada business for over a decade, I finally decided to do something about the plentiful requests I’d constantly receive for gluten-free empanadas. It ended up being a larger endeavor than I anticipated, but in my quest to be as inclusive as possible with my menu, I was up to the challenge. I started out by finding and importing a very specific empanada machine from Colombia. I then had to purchase and install a 60-gallon air compressor for this machine. The air compressor had to be stored outside which resulted in me having to have a small shed custom built for it. Once the machinery infrastructure was in place, I was able to get to work on the dough—the star of the

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This page, left to right: Taylor Robison, Teylor Bouchard, Derek Ober, Christina Maksoud, Evan Ackerman, Patrick Iyampillai

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This page, left to right: Laura Honors, Cameron Curry, McKenna Tanski

pre-mixed gluten-free flours—I really wanted to have a little control over the ratios of the different flours. I took a class on gluten-free dough to get my bearings and got to work. It took more than 55 individual trials, all done in my free time, to finally reach a recipe that I was happy with. I did not use xanthan gum because I could not base an entire line of products on an ingredient I couldn’t fully get behind. Finding dough binders to replace xanthan gum was an achievement in and of itself. At the end of the day, the glutenfree empanadas that we currently manufacture and sell are the result of an absolute labor of love. I am quite proud to be able to offer a tasty gluten-free option to people who were not able to have my empanadas until now.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is about hiring and firing. The only way to find your ideal team is by letting go of the people that aren’t it. I have made the mistake of keeping employees for the wrong reasons and not only did it never end well, but it hindered my ability to hire the right people for my team. I now have a structure that I follow with hiring and firing that has allowed me to let go of the people who were not the right fit while keeping those who were the right fit for my business and me at the time. It’s now of the utmost importance to me that everyone in my team is conscious of the importance of putting love into the food, of treating the food, each other and our customers with gratitude

and respect. Making sure that my team members all align with my company’s values has been a very fruitful and rewarding lesson.

What is your top professional goal? My main professional goal is to make a positive contribution to our community by using food as a boat to spread love and joy. I aim to make a positive contribution to everyone who eats my empanadas as well as everyone who works hard to make or sell our empanadas. We put a lot of love into the food with the intention that it nourishes everyone who eats it, that our empanadas bring loved ones together as they experience the sharing of a delicious meal, and that the experience of biting into a crispy and hot empanada ﬁlls everyone with joy.

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JORDAN PRITCHARD PRINCIPAL | CS&L CPAS

Jordan Pritchard is a Principal at CS&L CPA’s, a full-service public accounting firm specializing in tax, audit, and outsourced CFO services. He has been a CPA for more than 10 years and provides services to not-for-profit organizations, closely-held businesses, and individuals through his roles in our outsourced CFO and tax services. Jordan brings to our clients the added perspective of having been a Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer for closelyheld businesses. He was responsible for cash management, development of internal controls, and financial reporting for both management and outside parties. Through this experience he is able to help our clients grow and support their complicated business needs. Jordan began his career as an intern with CS&L CPAs and is thrilled to be back with the firm. He is looking forward to growing with the firm as a newly appointed Principal. CS&L CPAs has been a leader in the community since the firm was established in 1954 due to our commitment to understanding each client’s unique situation, providing a high-quality service experience, and offering exceptional solutions based on our clients’ personal goals or business objectives. CS&L CPAs’ principals and staff are highly involved in the surrounding communities; many serving on local non-profit boards, frequently attending community meetings and events, and supporting a variety of charitable activities.

“I am fortunate to work in a ﬁeld that I am passionate about. I ﬁnd great joy in working with our clients to help them by providing solutions to reach their goals.” —Jordan Pritchard

cslcpas.com

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BRADENTON 1001 3rd Avenue West Suite 700 941.748.1040

Since returning to his hometown of Bradenton with his wife, Megan, Jordan has become active with the Bradenton and Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. He and Megan can be seen around town trying new restaurants and attending wine-tasting events. When you see him, stop and say hello.

SARASOTA 1515 Ringling Blvd Suite 900 941.954.4040

TAMPA 101 E. Kennedy Blvd Suite 1460 813.490.4490

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What is your formula for success? My main formula for success is primarily to listen to the signs that lead me and to put love into everything I do. It is unbelievably important to listen to the cues from the universe that lead us where to go-to not waste time when it is not the time or place. Forcing situations rarely gives us the results we are seeking. Rather, being in tune enough to stay in alignment and flow easefully into what we are meant to be doing next is key. And then it is equally important to do it with love. There have been many times when I have had an idea for a project and tried to pursue it and would hit roadblocks. Through the years, I have been able to hone in on this to gain the discernment of whether the roadblock is telling me I need to take a different approach, or if it is a redirection subtly letting me know it is not the time or place. Sometimes, after revisiting projects in a different time and space, I find things flow much more easefully and I’m able to do what I sought out to do with success. Learning to hone in on that discernment has been monumental.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I actually gave birth to twin boys. Passing down the reins to my trusted team to continue the goings-on for me to be able to take a few months of maternity leave was the ultimate challenge.

Share with us a current topic or trend that you are concerned about at the local level. I am very concerned about the lack of aﬀordable housing. It has caused an unprecedented issue that every one of us is feeling the brunt of. The level of inﬂation that we have experienced in the last three years has been almost impossible to keep up with.

LAURA HONORS

OWNER & PRINCIPAL DESIGNER, HONORS INTERIORS Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I’m incredibly proud to have a business that supports our clients as well as we do. Every project we complete I’m so proud of. I consider completing any project on time and on budget, with a super happy client, to be a huge win. We’ve recently spent a lot of time documenting our process and I’m so happy with how we’re working.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? When we started as an interior design

ﬁrm, I expected clients to be willing to wait for me, to have a basic understanding of the industry and not need to be hand-held really at all. Truly the biggest aspect I’ve changed in my business as we’ve grown is realizing that it’s not a client’s fault if they have to ask questions about

what’s going on, or if they feel overwhelmed or like they don’t know what the next steps are. It’s a mind shift as a business owner to realize that just because you know how the business runs, doesn’t mean everyone else does, and you can’t expect them to. It’s not hand-holding, it’s setting expectations and communicating. I lost a big project early in the business because I didn’t remind someone of their design presentation. Because they didn’t get that reminder, they thought we had quit the job. It seems like a small thing, but it’s the most profound mistake I’ve made that has forced me to do a lot of thinking, and build out our process and client experience to make sure that our clients are in-the-know and feel conﬁdent in every stage of their relationship with us.

What is your top professional goal? For me, this answer is completely tied to my personal goals as well. As a creative industry entrepreneur we start our businesses to live the life we want, doing what we love. My most important goal is to be able to live in an environment that brings me joy and peace, surrounded by my family, while running Honors Interiors in a way that supports all of our team in their goals, and creates a wonderful experience for all of our clients. Of course completing projects with a high level of design. Everything I do every day is with that vision in mind. What is your formula for success? The most important thing here is taking accountability. Every time something goes wrong, you’re not 100% innocent. Where did the communication break down? What could you have done better? Even the smallest nuances. Take care of the client, take note of what went wrong, document the new process and get better every time. The second thing is not expecting other people to come in and complete or ﬁx things for you. Don’t have an attitude like you’re too good to do something. I spend hundreds of hours designing projects and then when install comes, I’m right there helping move boxes and cleaning the ﬂoors, staying on-site until 10 p.m. The goal is to have a high-level completed project and ecstatic client. You have to do whatever it takes.

When things get tough, I just remember . . . the bigger goal. In business it can feel like you’re going nowhere, spinning your wheels, and then all of the sudden the little things you’ve been doing every day have actually helped you turn a corner you didn’t realize you were at. Looking back two years to where we are now, it’s insane motivation to just keep doing what we’re doing, and keep getting better. Every tough moment is temporary.

ALI HOPPER

PROJECT AND STRATEGY COORDINATOR, OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, SARASOTA COUNTY GOVERNMENT Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. A year ago when Hurricane Ian hit, I had only been in my project manager role with Sarasota County for about 2 months. In a declared emergency, county staﬀ assume emergency roles and perform the duties that align with an assigned role. I was assigned to 1 of the 14 county evacuation shelters and co-led a team that worked side-by side with Sarasota County District personnel to mobilize and shelter over 800 people, 600 of which arrived within a 12-hour window. Once the shelters closed, I reported to an POD (Point of Distribution) and distributed food, water and tarps alongside the National Guard to those in need and later assisted with translation services at the FEMA assistance location established at the Shannon Staub Library. Throughout this entire process, we all worked together tirelessly to serve our fellow citizens in a time of crisis despite the various challenges that arose during the hurricane and successfully provided personal safety and aid to hundreds looking to us for help and care.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? I would not consider following a mistake but rather a characteristic I have learned to utilize more effectively – the manner of perspective. I have always been known to lead with my heart and put 110% into everything I do. Earlier in my career, I would find myself in discussions about projects I was working on and when I would receive feedback that was contrary to my own perspective, I would perceive that as a negative reflection of me and become overly critical of my work. I have learned through personal and career experiences the importance and value of having the right perspective and have since been able to shift my perspective from seeing criticisms to seeing opportunities.

What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? The most profound experience that comes to mind is moving to Hawaii. When my husband was in the military and I found out he was deploying, I knew I didn’t want to stay behind by myself. Knowing we had family living in Hawaii, I sold everything, put my car in storage and moved out there to stay with them for a few months. While on the island, I was fortunate enough to hike some of the most picturesque trails, swim in the most stunning waterfalls, and even got my open water diving

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LAURA HONORS

FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL INTERIOR DESIGNER | HONORS INTERIORS Laura Honors is the founder and Principal Interior Designer at Honors Interiors. Her team designs and manages remodels and furnishings projects for their clients’ luxury vacation properties. Her business and construction background along with her MBA from the University of South Florida have created the perfect framework for launching a design ﬁrm centered around executing large scale projects for home owners who don’t primarily live in the State. Laura is originally from Toronto, ON Canada, and she brings not only a more Northern design take on the traditional coastal look, but also the client experience understanding of trying to build a home in a new place. The company has developed a fun and clear way to create gorgeous and serene Florida properties ready to enjoy. Honors Interiors has recently been named a ﬁnalist in the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year awards, has been featured in Home & Design Suncoast Magazine, FloridaDesign,SarasotaMagazine,Rankedonthe Best of Florida 2023 list, and won Best of Houzz Service for the past two years.

“Interior Design is about a lot more than conceptualizing beautiful spaces, it’s about managing logistics, diving into use and functionality, expert project management, building & nurturing vendor relationships, and so much more.” —Laura Honors

1937 Manatee Ave W. Bradenton FL 34205 941.773.1092 HonorsInteriors.com @HonorsInteriors

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certiﬁcation and dove in some of the most beautiful waters and reefs. It truly was the experience of a lifetime.

Share with us a current topic or trend that you are concerned about at the local level. Current topics that are near and dear to my heart are support for our veterans and mental health. As the wife of a military veteran, I know personally how important being in a positive and healthy mental state can ensure the success of a veteran reintegrating into the community once they have completed their service to our country. Through strengthening programs that support our veterans and their mental health, we can lower negative outcomes such as suicide rates, substance abuse, etc. while enhancing and increasing positive results, beneﬁtting not only the veteran,but their families and the community.

What are the top three items on your bucket list? To get my master diver certiﬁcation, followed by my private pilot’s license and then travel to the Mediterranean. Not only do I ﬁnd the architecture, history and landscape captivating, being able to go diving and pilot a plane there, I would be able to get the full all-encompassing experience of the Mediterranean from the land, air and sea.

PATRICK IYAMPILLAI ATTORNEY & PARTNER, HALE LAW

Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. My team and I won a four-day jury trial. I had a very deserving client who was being lowballed by the defendant’s insurance company so we took them to trial. After four days, the jury came back in our favor. It was a very trying process as it took us three weeks to prepare for trial and then during the trial we worked at least three 16 hour days. In the end, it was all worth it for the client.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Losing my ﬁrst trial. You never know what the jury will decide at trial. No matter how much you believe in your case, things still may not go your way. You have to not take it personally and know you gave it your all for the client by putting in the work and going all the way to trial. Losses in life are always learning experiences.

How do you spend your time outside of work? Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, attending live music concerts, playing music and golﬁng.

What movie, show or cartoon character would you like to play in real life and why? I’d love to play Han Solo. He’s witty, resourceful and has a deep sense of loyalty–traits I admire and relate to.

JACOB KINSEL

MANAGER, MAULDIN & JENKINS, LLC Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. Professionally, I would say a recent achievement that I am most proud of would be as a recipient of the 2023 Horizon Award from the Florida Institute of Certiﬁed Public Accountants (FICPA). Accolades aside, I am most proud to welcome our second child into this world during 2023, and to provide a life and example for my family, which is my central motivation for my career.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? One of the earliest mistakes in my career wasn’t as a CPA, but as a maintenance professional in student housing apartments in Tallahassee, and it was not having the humility to seek out professional opinions and mentorship. Life often teaches us to “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps” to be successful. I’ve come to believe that our success is deﬁned by our own determination and also the valuable investment of other people in our lives.

What was the first job you ever held? The ﬁrst job I ever held was as a groundskeeper for a multi-family apartment complex. The job consisted of picking up garbage and maintaining the property’s pools. It taught me that the little things matter, and you are never too important to “take out the trash.”

How do you spend your time outside of work? My time outside of work is spent giving back to my family. As a husband and father of two kids, the time spent after work to be with my family, while often draining, is the most rewarding. I get to watch my kids learn and grow into amazing humans, and I get to be the supporting arm for a bright and beautiful woman.

SHANE LAMAY

PROJECT MANAGER AND ARCHITECT, SWEET SPARKMAN ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. I was fortunate to be given an opportunity to design buildings and structures for phase 1 of The Bay Park. Much of the work I do is for private clients, including companies or even municipalities for that matter, which means the public rarely, if ever, gets to interact with those projects. The Bay is an incredible project for many reasons, including an incredible ownership team, a really talented design team and great community support, so I’m always happy to show it oﬀ to friends and family when they visit. I’m proud of the things I’ve worked

on there, but I’m even more proud that our city is putting eﬀort into providing world-class public access to our greatest natural resources.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? We do a lot of work on the barrier islands. Those projects are always very complex because they must abide by a mixture of federal guidelines, state laws, local ordinances and regulations. Our clients often want to push the envelope in terms of design, which means we really need to understand our boundaries in terms of code compliance. One of the projects I was managing a few years ago didn’t ﬁt the mold, and I misinterpreted a critical county ordinance, which led to a lengthy redesign. From that, I learned that having a solid understanding of codes and regulations allows for more freedom in design. Knowledge is power, and the more architects understand the rules, the more freedom we have to design.

What is your top professional goal? To create spaces that outlive my generation. It seems that we’re purposely building things to last 30-50 years. That may work in the short term, but long term I ﬁnd it wasteful and senseless. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? My appendix burst when I was in high school the day before I was supposed to go on a spring break road trip with my friends. I went in for surgery and I woke up to my friends, including my girlfriend, Allison, at the time, visiting me in the hospital. They surprised me with some spare clothes and a packed bag. I ripped the IV out of my arm and they helped me sneak out of the hospital so we could all go on the trip. The doctor called my dad, he was furious, but we were already in the clear. Oh, and Allison and I are now married.

How do you spend your time outside of work? My wife and I have been slowly renovating and rebuilding a shabby 1950s ranch house from the ground up. It’s been four years of many late nights and weekends. We’re so excited to ﬁnally be wrapping up the last few parts. If I’m not working on the house, I’m hanging out with my 6-month-old daughter.

Share a current topic or trend that you are concerned about at the local level. The charm and character that makes Sarasota a unique place is at risk from uninspired developed-driven projects. I’m all for growing and I think it’s a necessary and positive thing, but many of these new buildings lack soul and I’m worried that the city itself will become souless as a result. Sarasota isn’t afriad to be vibrant and experimental. That willingness to be different both reflects the community’s values and influences how the community sees itself.

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MUFFY LAVENS

at the games we attended, so Stephanie’s dad suggested we start a podcast. We launched it last year and are really starting to make strides now with our second season.

Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. In August, I accepted an Award of

How do you spend your time outside of work?

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, VAN WEZEL PERFORMING ARTS HALL

Distinction at the Florida Public Relations Association’s Golden Image Awards. This award was for the Hurricane Ian Relief Concert hosted by the Van Wezel and Sarasota Orchestra last year. It took hours of work to complete the application for the award and it was an honor to be recognized.

One of my favorite ways to spend my free time is walking dogs at Satchel’s Last Resort & Sanctuary, a true no-kill animal shelter in Sarasota County. It’s a great way to clear my head, get some exercise and enjoy some puppy love. I am also a licensed Zumba Instructor, and while I don’t teach regularly anymore, I do often attend Zumba classes.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? When working at Feld

STACEY MARKS

Entertainment, I coordinated public relations efforts across multiple Disney On Ice shows and in various markets both locally and globally. While not entirely a mistake, there was a major learning curve for different countries. I spearheaded a Healthy Living program where the Disney On Ice skaters would go to in-studio TV appearances for cooking segments to talk about how they stay healthy on the road. My team started creating specific “Disneythemed” recipes to use for this. We had a couple of recipes that used peanut butter, as it was a great way for the skaters to get protein. When pitching these ideas to the Asia-Pacific team, it was brought to my attention that peanut butter was not a common food in Japan. The team and I had to pivot and enlist the help of our international partners to make this campaign work. It taught me that I need to research and be aware of the culture and norms in a particular market to build a successful campaign.

CEO, FLY DANCE FITNESS

What is the first job you ever held? My ﬁrst job was

personal life, I’ve learned that holding onto people (whether it be a boyfriend, employee or friend), purely based on their potential is a recipe for disaster. Although I am a firm believer in the saying “nice girls finish first” instead of last, I also believe that nice girls also take forever to get anything done because we are too focused on playing nice in the sandbox. A big lesson I learned this year was to take my rose-colored glasses off and clearly define roles and expectations with those I work with. We are having an incredible transformation take place in our business and although all hands need to be on deck, the right people need to be on the ship. Having clear expectations and making adjustments to the team as needed will be a big focus of this coming year.

coaching a synchronized skating team at my hometown ice arena in Michigan. I grew up as a ﬁgure skater, so I jumped at the opportunity to coach a young team. In this role, I helped choreograph the team’s program, traveled alongside the team, and helped organize competition days with the other coaches. To this day, I’m still in touch with a few of my students, which is so wonderful. I’m also looking forward to the potential ice rink opening in town where Stardust used to be. It may be an opportunity to lace up my skates and start coaching again.

What’s your favorite podcast or Youtube channel? I absolutely love podcasts! A few of my favorites are Stuﬀ You Missed in History Class, The Last Soviet and The BoozySitters Club. I enjoy podcasts so much I actually co-host and co-produce an ice hockey-themed podcast called, Shut Your Five Hole & Listen! My friend Stephanie and I are huge hockey fans. We would always have outrageous commentary

Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. Exactly one year ago, my business partner, Kari, and I decided to franchise our fitness studio. As of May 1, 2023, we not only announced the official launch of Fly Dance Fitness® Franchising, we received over 400 candidate applications within the first month and awarded our first franchise in June. Simultaneously, we hosted special guests in our studio such as The Savannah Bananas, toured multiple states across the U.S. and expanded our brand awareness with a following of 645,000 on TikTok. What was once a small (but very special) studio is now becoming a monster in an emerging market. I’m so proud of our female-owned and operated business and excited to bring Fly Dance Fitness studios to cities nationwide.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Throughout my career and

If you could dedicate your life to solving one problem, what problem would you choose? Providing education, tools, resources and mentorships to young girls and women who want to pursue their own passions. We’ve

come a long way in terms of female-owned businesses but there is still a long way to go. After graduating college, I felt really lost and I was also pregnant with my daughter at the time. Having a small business of my own allowed me to have the ﬂexibility to be the mother she needed and make an income. On the other hand, I had no idea what I was doing and wished I had a mentor or someone to just point me in the right direction. I feel more equipped now with years of trial and error under my belt but would have loved a mentor to guide me along the way.

CHRISTINA MAKSOUD CO-OWNER | CREATIVE DIRECTOR, MAKSCHU PRODUCTIONS

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? My first-ever client taught me the most and I had earned the least from. Before I graduated from Ringling College, I was studying Motion Graphics and was desperately looking for ways to pay rent. I was determined to not move back home to my family and had started picking up odd jobs that involved design or animation. Ringling was great for being able to connect small startups or individuals for freelance jobs through their job board/portal. I remember I had picked up a logo design job for a gentleman who said he was teaching guitar lessons. In hindsight, I should have not taken the job once I gave my hourly rate for designing because his immediate reaction was to belittle me. His exact words were “It took me 30 years to get to that hourly rate for teaching guitar, this better be worth it.” The rest of the process was a slew of insults not only about my work but my actual physical appearance too. After several iterations of designs he was basically asking for, I just had to walk away and not communicate with him anymore. This was a very hard thing for me to do. I grew up doing several customer service jobs and the idea of “the customer is always right” or “do whatever makes the customer happy” was ingrained into me. I never sent him an invoice, I stopped responding to his emails. The biggest lesson I learned from this client was that there was no way of making everyone happy. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out, and self-worth is more important.

What is the first job you ever held? The ﬁrst job I ever held was working as the “Ice Cream Window Girl” at Cooper’s Beach in Southampton, Long Island. I was only 13 or 14 at the time, and I think I learned a tremendous amount about customer service in this role. By the time I went to college, I had a multitude of diﬀerent customer service positions (everything from

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DR. BROOKS TRACEY EDUCATOR & VISUAL ARTIST | SARASOTA ART MUSEUM How did you make your start in your profession and what aspect of your work do you find the most meaningful? I have loved the visual arts throughout my entire life. I am now lucky enough to do what I love. I can take my passion for the arts and use it to nurture the next generation’s creativity. I am proud to be teaching art at the same middle school (and the same classroom) I attended as a student. Growing up in Sarasota, a personal goal of mine was to work for Ringling College. Over the past few years, I have been lucky enough to teach a variety of studio courses for them, and “I am honored to be the lead instructor of the Kutya Major Foundation’s Teen Arts Council at Sarasota Art Museum. I have always had the drive to create my own work and this past year has been the most productive of my life. This has led to several solo exhibitions, allowing my work to be acquired by numerous private collections. Finally, the thing I ﬁnd most meaningful about my career is that I get to do it in a town that I love. Being able to give back to our local community is the least I can do for a city that has played an integral role throughout my whole life.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal life. Outside of work, I can usually be found around town, enjoying the abundance of amenities our local community has to offer. But this past year, since finishing my doctorate, I have gotten back into creating more of my own personal art. This has proven to become not only a way to relax and express myself, but it has also turned into a successful side venture. Over the past year, my paintings have been acquired by numerous private collections and have been displayed throughout our community, including at Art Ovation Hotel, Pastry Art Café, Artful Giraffe Gallery, and Kahwa Coffee. Being a visual arts educator, I am lucky to be able to have a skill that I can use for both professional and personal growth.

Dr. Brooks Tracey is an accomplished visual artist and a talented educator with a passion for inspiring emerging creatives. “He has been and instructor at Sarasota Art Museum since 2022 and a teacher in the Sarasota County School system since 2013. Among his many notable contributions is his ability to nurture passion for art making in his students from middle schoolers to teenagers to adult lifelong learners.

“It is an honor to be a part of this distinguished group of young professionals.” —Dr. Brooks Tracey

1001 South Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34236 info@sarasota.artl 941.309.4300

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receptionist for a real estate oﬃce, sales at Bed, Bath & Beyond, food sales at a movie theater, etc.) and I think all of this experience had not only helped with me in my success in college but to grow my business. There were many classmates I had who never even had a job, and therefore didn’t know how to communicate with people needing a task done for them. This skill I learned all the way back from being the “Ice Cream Window Girl” is what laid down my position and business today.

Do you have any ridiculous goals in life? I would like to be “retired” yesterday! In all seriousness, I’d love to be able to grow my team so I can lead from the sidelines and not be as active in the day-to-day operations. So if my husband and I retire by 45, I’d love that goal for us. If you could compete in an Olympic sport, which one would it be? I actually have two. I used to be an excellent softball player in high school and almost went to college for softball before tearing my ACL at 16 and ﬁnishing my career. I could have probably worked my butt oﬀ to compete in the Olympics because I was a top hitter at the time. My true passion was horseback riding, I was the nerd up at 3 a.m. to watch the dressage competitions at the Olympics and always dreamed what it had been like to be in those arenas.

P.J. MILLS

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, HI-LITE AIRFIELD SERVICE, LLC Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. One of the pinnacles of my career has been spearheading transformative revenue growth at Axtell’s, Inc. In my previous role as Director of Business Development, I oversaw a growth in revenue from $870K in 2013 to over $10M by 2022. This accomplishment wasn’t just about numbers; it encapsulated strategic market penetrations, an overhaul of our bidding processes, and fostering a team that grew threefold in size. Additionally, I worked with ownership to lead the successful merger and acquisition negotiations between Axtell’s and Hi-Lite Airﬁeld Services. In January of 2023, I had the privilege to close the acquisition deal between Axtell’s and Hi-Lite and have since moved from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Bradenton, Florida, to assume my current role.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? The biggest mistake I made early on in my career was thinking I was irreplaceable and prioritizing work over my personal and family life. As a result, I had a terrible work-life balance and my workload burned me out. I took a sabbatical and realized that the

team was working great without me and that I didn’t need to place the weight of the world on my shoulders. As a result, I learned to establish better boundaries, implement a healthy work-life balance and reorient my priorities. The result was greater productivity, increased happiness and satisfaction with my work and a healthier team culture in the company.

Share with us a current topic or trend that you are concerned about at the local level. Two areas of concern: the environment and transportation and infrastructure. In the last two years our area has had close calls with Hurricanes Ian and Idalia. I fear we are not sufficiently prepared. As the area grows, so do its transportation needs. The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, for example, illustrates this dramatic growth as they have had a nearly 15% yearly growth in passenger growth. All of this growth will require significant planning in order to efficiently manage traffic patterns and foster a safe driving environment.

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? In January of 2017, I ﬂew to Iraq and along with a friend visited the frontlines of the war against ISIL near Mosul. The sights and sounds from that trip signiﬁcantly impacted my perspectives on many areas of life and are something I will always remember.

When things get tough, I just remember . . . the pathway to triumph is often paved with trials, each one an opportunity to rise stronger and wiser. Every setback can be a lesson; each failure is a foundation; and adversity, with the right attitude, can become an ally in my odyssey towards excellence. When things get tough, I am also reminded to live out the words I constantly preach to those around me: winners never quit, and quitters never win. The only way to fail when things get tough is to quit, so a humble attitude that is eager to learn along with perseverance is vitally important.

AUDE-EUREKA MONDÉ

MANAGER, NONPROFIT SERVICES, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I recently planned and coordinated a nonprofit training with over 80 individuals in attendance. With the pandemic, all of the Community Foundation’s training offerings were online. Since events have transitioned back to hybrid and in-person, our in-person attendance has been slowly picking back up. Having an in-person attendance of over 80 people has been the highest we’ve had for nonprofit training in years.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Early on after graduating from college, I learned how important it is to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Working hard and having high standards for yourself is great, but once that starts turning into major stress outside of work and you cannot relax doing activities you enjoy doing in your spare time, that’s your cue to set boundaries.

What is your formula for success? The formula that worked for my mentors in their lives, leading them to success and happiness. It involves three simple things: working hard, doing things with purpose and, above all, staying true to who I am as a person. Thank you, Coach Paul and Mitzie Williams, for all the lessons you’ve taught me that have helped get me to this point in my life. How do you spend your time outside of work? Outside of work, I enjoy working out and staying active. That can mean going for a walk or a bike ride at a local park, or simply gardening. According to my Fitbit, gardening is a workout that gets my heart rate up.

Share a current topic or trend that you are concerned about at the local level. Affordable housing is a huge concern of mine. I have friends and colleagues who are from Sarasota who have lived here for years, that can no longer afford to live here. If the working class cannot live where they work, they’ll have to leave. The jobs they vacate will remain vacant because others cannot afford to live here, causing a labor shortage.

CHIP MURPHY

VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WORK, MICHAEL SAUNDERS & COMPANY Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. Locally, I was fortunate to have been admitted to this year’s Leadership Sarasota program through the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. As someone who is relatively new to our region, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to have a deeper understanding of what makes Sarasota so special-the people, the local businesses, the non-proﬁt community and the incredible landscape that surrounds us. One of my most memorable achievements was being recognized by the National Association of Realtors “30 Under 30” in 2018. This helped to set the stage for my interest in contributing to the real estate industry on a larger scale.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? I’ve made countless mistakes and remind myself after each that a mistake is

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MALLORY BAUER, ESQ. ATTORNEY/SHAREHOLDER | BERLIN PATTEN EBLING, PLLC

How did you make your start in your profession and what aspect of your work do you find the most meaningful? I had a unique start to my career. Prior to graduating law school, I worked as a transaction coordinator for a real estate team where I learned the inner workings of a successful real estate team. After that, I worked as a real estate paralegal learning the processing and systems of a real estate law ﬁrm. Once I passed the bar, I wanted to begin my legal career at Berlin Patten Ebling (BPE) due to their overwhelming presence in the Southwest Florida area. Five and a half years later, I am a shareholder at BPE and couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. I hit the jackpot working in transactional real estate law because I have the opportunity to work with people every day and truly help them with their real estate goals.

“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.” — Reba 3700 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239 mbauer@berlinpatten.com 941.954.9991

LUKE NICHOLAS, CFA, CFP

MARINER WEALTH ADVISORS | DIRECTOR & SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR How did you make your start in your profession and what aspect of your work do you find the most meaningful? I have always had a passion for helping others, and I knew very early in college that I wanted to pursue a career as a financial advisor. While at UF, I worked an internship at a wealth management firm, and was able to see the positive impact that financial advisors can have in acting as a trusted advisor for their clients. After that internship, I began looking for a job in wealth management back home in Sarasota and was lucky to find a great fit at Mariner. 100% the most meaningful part of my work is the relationships that I am able to build with my clients. I take great pride in being someone my clients can rely on with any questions/problems they may have - financial or not.

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” —Babe Ruth 240 S. Pineapple Ave. Suite 601 Sarasota, FL 34236 941.365.3745 marinerwealthadvisors.com

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always an opportunity to learn. When I transitioned from a sales role to management in 2016, I remember accepting the position thinking that management was what I considered to be a “9 to 5.” I quickly learned that in order to be an effective manager, you must be a leader. To be a leader, you set an example around the clock and put others first. I can confidently say that every achievement I’ve met has been because of my ability to empathize and put others first. When you value the people around you, you become better.

What are your favorite ways to unwind over the weekend? There are too many to list. One of my favorite parts about living in this region is that there is so much to do. You can’t go wrong with lounging at the beach (Longboat is my personal favorite) or grabbing dinner and a cocktail downtown (Kojo and Veronica are go-to’s). The tiki bar at the Ritz on Lido was the ﬁrst place I watched the sunset on my initial visit when I decided to move here in 2022, so that’s a favorite as well. If I’m not spending time here in Sarasota, you can likely ﬁnd me at the SRQ Airport as I love traveling in my free time.

tience. We live in a world of instant gratiﬁcation and entitlement. Whether you went to college or not, we think that hard work entitles you to high salary raises, titles or recognition. The reality I found is hard work is the entry price to success. It is through small consistent eﬀort that I have found has the most impact. If you are patient and work hard consistently, there will be a moment of opportunity that you will get, and it’s on us as individuals to seize that moment for our internal growth as individuals.

What is your formula for success? Rather than trying to make enormous strides each day, focus on one area of improvement and get better by 1% each day. At ﬁrst, the changes may seem insigniﬁcant, but over time those changes not only compound but create new habits. These habits are ultimately what shape your daily efforts as an individual.

What’s your favorite podcast or Youtube channel?

a subjective term and I think we all experience and define it differently. For me, success is not only about personal achievements, but about ways in which we can positively impact those who surround us. My formula for success revolves around having a people-first mentality, holding myself accountable, and viewing every challenge as an opportunity. Maintaining a positive mindset has always been important to me. If something is out of my control, I’d rather be an optimist than not.

The All In Podcast, hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks and David Freeburg, stands out due to their extensive experience in the tech and venture capital sphere. This podcast isn’t confined to a single niche; it delves into a broad array of subjects encompassing technology, investment, startup culture and prevailing events. What differentiates it is not solely their open and unfiltered conversations but also their ability to provide an insider’s perspective on the tech industry and the world of venture capital. Their keen awareness of current events and their ability to connect these developments with our interconnected lives make for an engaging and entertaining two-hour experience each week.

ANDREW NEAL

Share a current topic or trend that you are concerned about at the local level. Keeping young

What is your formula for success? Success is

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, SCANCO Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. From being awarded the prestigious 40 under 40 award from Business Observer, to being recognized as a Top 10 Warehouse Solution from Logistics Tech Outlook, 2023 has been a year of transformation and growth for me as an individual. The achievement I am most proud of this year is that Scanco was recognized and awarded by Top Places to Work for Sarasota. This was a proud moment for me as this is an award that is based on employee feedback. Having been in my role for nearly two years, it has been very important to me to instill a strong and healthy work culture in our team.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? The mistake that has taught me the biggest lesson isn’t any one speciﬁc instance, but rather the fact to practice pa-

talent here in the Sarasota area. Typically when you think of cities that have a strong software presence, you think of San Francisco, Austin or maybe even Tampa. I am proud to have come up through the Sarasota school system and when I left for college, I always knew that once I graduated I would come back to Sarasota.

HILLARY NEWTON

OFFICE COORDINATOR, GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. One of my recent achievements that ﬁlls me with immense pride is graduating this past winter from the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!) with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. While academic accomplishments are often celebrated, this achievement holds a special place

in my heart because it represents a significant milestone in my journey as a first-generation college student. What makes this accomplishment even more meaningful to me is my family’s unique circumstances. At the age of 18, I became the guardian of my five-year-old brother and six-year-old sister. Balancing the responsibilities of raising them while pursuing higher education presented a set of challenges that felt, to say the least, daunting at times. However, I recognized that it was also an opportunity to show my siblings that they could achieve absolutely anything they set their minds to, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. Being the oldest of six siblings, I’ve embraced a role model position, and it brings me profound joy to serve as an example for my younger siblings. I want them to understand that with dedication, hard work and unwavering determination, they can overcome any obstacle and reach for the stars.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? One of the most signiﬁcant mistakes I’ve made in my career was my reluctance to ask questions when I needed more clarity. For a long time, I grappled with a fear that asking questions might be perceived as incompetence or a lack of knowledge, and this fear created a considerable amount of anxiety. Instead of seeking clariﬁcation when faced with uncertainties, I would often overthink and overanalyze situations, which, in retrospect, only exacerbated the problem. It became increasingly apparent that my reluctance to seek help when needed was not only limiting my potential but also impacting the quality of my work. To address this challenge, I began writing on sticky notes and placing them in my pocket as a simple but powerful reminder: ‘You have permission to ask questions.’ This small act served as a tangible reminder that it was not only acceptable but also essential to seek clarity and guidance when required. I learned that asking questions is a sign of curiosity, a desire to learn and a commitment to excellence rather than a sign of weakness.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I can become deeply engrossed in my tasks, inadvertently neglecting my own body’s essential needs. Questions like, “How long as it been since I looked away from the screen?” or, “Am I hungry? Have I had any water today?” have become important reminders for me to pause and reassess. I’ve embarked on a transformative journey of cultivating new habits that I aﬀectionately refer to as my ‘anchor habits.’ These daily practices form the bedrock of my overall well-being. One of my favorite anchor habits is dedicating at least 10 minutes each day to engage in an activity that brings me pure joy.

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Recently, for me, that activity has been playing piano, which I have been learning for the past 13 weeks. This practice not only provides a moment of respite, but also rejuvenated my spirit.

What is your favorite dish to order for delivery? I could probably eat Indian every single day and never get tired of it. Speciﬁcally, Chicken Tikka Masala with garlic naan and an order of pakora.

What movie, show or cartoon character would you want to play in real life and why. I would love to play Mia Thermopolis (aka Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo Princess of Genovia) from Princess Diaries. It’s a story about a regular teenage girl who ﬁnds out she’s actually the princess of another country. Her life changes basically overnight as she learns how to step into royalty. I used to watch that movie all the time and was even partially convinced that maybe I was a princess too and just didn’t know it.

LUKE NICHOLAS

DIRECTOR & SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR, MARINER WEALTH ADVISORS Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I have been a board member for the Suncoast chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation for ﬁve years now. I was recently chosen to chair our upcoming Walk for Wishes event. I am very proud to have the opportunity to organize an event in our community, which will support a cause that I am extremely passionate about.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? I think that early on in my career I pressed too hard to prove how much I knew when speaking with clients. I feel that with the experience that I have, I do a better job of focusing more on listening to the client so that we can get to the root of what they are truly trying to accomplish.

What is your formula for success? In my opinion the key to success is building a solid team around you. There are simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done yourself, so you must have a team that you trust and can properly delegate to. I am extremely fortunate to have an incredibly talented and hardworking team around me, which improves the experience I can provide for my clients. Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. My wife, Elizabeth, and I have a 14-month-old son (Ricky) at home and a daughter due this November. We recently made the move “out east” and are living on six acres. We have horses on our property. Spending time with them and my family is a great way to unwind after a long day.

What is your favorite dish to order for delivery? I am a sucker for Thai food. I change up my order a lot, but I would have to say my go-to is Chicken Pad Thai. My wife loves Thai food too, so we get it at least once a week.

What are the top three items on your bucket list? Attend a Super Bowl, World Series and NBA Finals game (yes, that only counts as one). Go skiing in the Alps. Travel through Italy with my wife. We were supposed to go for our honeymoon, but were unable to due to COVID travel restrictions.

LAUREN NIELSEN

DIRECTOR OF DONOR ENGAGEMENT - INDIVIDUAL GIVING AND CORPORATE, SARASOTA ORCHESTRA Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I was recently promoted to add Corporate Giving to my title of Director of Donor Engagement for Individual giving at the Sarasota Orchestra while simultaneously planning my wedding to a Major in the US Army stationed overseas, getting nationally certiﬁed to be a group ﬁtness trainer, and becoming a new dog mom. On February 22, 2022, Sarasota County named the day Lauren Nielsen day in honor of my service to Sarasota with over 7,000 community service hours and for being Miss Sarasota.

How did you make your starts in your profession and what aspect of your work do you find the most meaningful? I have always had a love of classical music. As a trained opera and musical theatre singer with a new master’s degree, I wanted the opportunity to make a lasting impact on my community. I had to learn to be open to how my career may change course. My professional performing journey drastically changed due to the pandemic. I went from performing professionally in commercials, operas, theme parks and cruise lines to all live theater and productions being shut down. However, it led me to one of my favorite and most fulﬁlling jobs I’ve had at Sarasota Orchestra. I even got to sing the National Anthen at our Pops concert at Ed Smith stadium. Life has a funny way of changing when you least expect it.

Share with us a current topic or trend that you are concerned about. In a world where it feels like most people do not agree on much, I feel as if music has the power as the universal language to unite people. My goal is to inspire children and people of all ages, especially young people, to expand their mind with the power and science behind music, positively impact our brain health and happiness and to not let classical music die. Classical music has won the hearts of individuals since the 1800s and I for one, want to see it thrive in the 20th century.

What movie, show or cartoon character would you like to play in real life and why? I would like to play Belle in Beauty in the Beast. I love books, performing, castles, crowns and hello . . . Paris.

DEREK OBER

FINANCIAL ADVISOR, NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL SARASOTA-MANATEE Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. I was recently selected through a rigorous application process to speak at TEDxBradenton. I am proud to be speaking on ﬁnancial literacy and its importance.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? You don’t need to know it all. You cannot be everything to everyone. I made that mistake when starting my practice. I felt I needed to be “the guy” for everything. I strung myself so thin that it almost ended everything. My wonderful wife told me when I was about to call it quits, “Derek, you are great, but in order for your practice to be great, you need to let others shine bigger than yourself.” That hit me like a ton of bricks, and since that day, letting others shine in their roles has been a major focus.

If you could ask someone any question in the world (living or from the past), who would the person be and what would your question be? It would have to be Stephen Hawking. He held a party and invited guests after the party was completed, as a way to show time travel doesn’t exist. If I could, I would travel back in time to ask Stephen Hawking if he now believed in time travel.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I am committed to being present for my now two-year-old son. I decided I would take the last Friday of every month oﬀ to spend time with him for the whole day— a day of fun activities and waﬄes. Or as we call it, Daddy’s Day with Daddy’s Boy. it has been a blessing in my life and something I look forward to.

What movie, show or cartoon character would you like to play in real life and why? I would love to be Mario in real life for a day and ﬁght Bowser. My two-year-old son loves Mario and wants me to play the game for him all the time.

JORDAN PRITCHARD PRINCIPAL, CS&L CPAS

Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. Earlier this year I had the privilege of being named a Principal at my ﬁrm, CS&L CPAs. In this role, I am helping to lead our outsourced CFO team and work with our internal

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LAUREN NIELSEN

DIRECTOR OF DONOR ENGAGEMENT-INDIVIDUAL GIVING AND CORPORATE How did you make your start in your profession and what aspect of your work do you find the most meaningful? Lauren’s career in the arts began in the spotlight; she has performed as a singer, actor, and dancer in over 30 professional productions. A Sarasota native, Lauren earned a BFA in Musical Theatre and a master’s in Professional Communication from The University of Tampa. For ﬁve years, she taught at Sarasota Academy of the Arts. She also competed for nine years in the Miss America and Miss USA organizations, recently serving as Miss Sarasota USA. At Sarasota Orchestra, Lauren is thriving as the Director of Donor Engagement, Individual Giving and Corporate. She supports the Marketing and Donor Engagement teams in implementing appeal strategies, developing relationships with new contributors, and stewarding ongoing donor relationships to inspire increased engagement. Lauren’s role allows her to utilize her entire skill set, as well as her passion for the arts, to connect with people from all walks of life and share the transformative power of music.

“I feel lucky to live in Sarasota which has such a vibrant arts community. In my role at Sarasota Orchestra, it is my job to help share the power of music that truly touches the soul.”— Lauren Nielsen

709 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34236 941.953.4252 SarasotaOrchestra.org

AUDE-EUREKA MONDÉ

MANAGER, NONPROFIT SERVICES

What aspect of your work do you find the most meaningful? In my role as Manager of Nonprofit Services at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, I am responsible for planning and implementing nonprofit trainings, educational opportunities, and other services to help nonprofit organizations assess needs and build capacity. Connecting nonprofits to resources that help strengthen their missions is very meaningful to me because I am a product of the positive work nonprofits do for our community. Local nonprofits put food on my table when my family was financially struggling. They created memorable grade school field trips that introduced me to the arts and sciences. When it came time for me to go to college, it was the scholarships of several local foundations that put me, a first-generation college student, through school. In a way, my career in philanthropy began when I was in grade school, touched by many nonprofits that had a lasting positive impact on my life. 2635 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34237 941.955.3000 | cfsarasota.org

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“Always make time for the people you love and the simple things that bring joy to your life.” — Aude-Eureka Mondé

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team and clients to grow this line of business. Becoming a Principal of the Firm has always been a career goal of mine and I am honored to get to work beside the incredible team at CS&L

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? I feel the biggest mistake I have made is not raising my hand and saying that I need help. I have always tried to take on as much as I can, but sometimes that can be detrimental to your career growth and others. I have learned from this that it is okay to ask for help or set expectations on when you can truly get something ﬁnished.

Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal lives. I took time off during our busiest time of year to travel with my wife and best friends to surprise officiate their 10-year vow renewal. I typically would never take time off during this part of the year, but I knew it was something I had to be a part of. I am so glad I did. It was a great experience with lifelong friends.

What is your favorite dish to order for delivery? I have a problem with ordering too much and too often on UberEats, but it is just too convenient and easy. My biggest struggle is ﬁnding dishes that travel well, which is why I ﬁnd myself ordering from Chipotle often. I enjoy a burrito bowl with carnitas, rice, black beans, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream and of course guacamole.

What are the top three items on your bucket list? I have not traveled very much in my life and am an avid sports fan, so most of my bucket list items revolve around these three things: I would love to do a trip to Australia/New Zealand and see the various sites and outdoor activities. I love watching golf and keep hoping I am able to obtain tickets to see the Masters one day. A trip to France to see the sites in Paris and travel through wine country.

TAYLOR ROBISON

OWNER, OPERATOR AND “PLANT LADY,” PILEA PLANTS & THINGS Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. Plants are for everyone, therefore, accessible and aﬀordable. As a mobile plant shop, I have been able to implement that by partnering with local small businesses to do workshops and get plants in spaces where people are already comfortable spending their time. Recently, I have had the incredible opportunity to partner with Passion Roots. There is a large variety of low-maintenance plants that help provide decor for the space, but most importantly, people are able to shop and take plants home.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? It’s imperative to create contracts and written agreements and I did not apply that rule in the beginning. It’s nice to think that everyone has the same vision and understanding, but it’s just not realistic. I was a bit naive at the start of my business venture, but I am thankful that this hard lesson was learned early.

What is your formula for success? Understanding that there is no formula, rather a loose recipe where success can be measured in diﬀerent ways. I hinder myself when I think of success in linear terms because it leads to comparison. For some it’s about income, for others, it’s simply waking up to experience a new day. Whatever the loose recipe is, faith and gratitude are key ingredients that I try to include. What is your guilty pleasure? I love gummy candy, especially Haribos! When my husband and I were dating, he sent me pounds of Haribo gummy bears in the mail. We got engaged shortly after.

KEVIN SALVATORE

LOAN OFFICER, LENDIRECTMORTGAGE, INC. Share a recent achievement for which you are the most proud. Currently, I am proud of the fact that while many mortgage lenders are struggling in their business due to the current market conditions, I have been able to keep up my monthly production and add 12 new referral partners this past month alone. I feel my business is in a good place in terms of the tech stacks to bring the lending process into 2023, the loan products and rates I’m oﬀering which are more consumer-friendly being wholesale direct, and the growth protocols I have in place for new partnerships under the guidance and good mentorship of Sal Morabito, President and CEO of LENDirect. I am looking at building for next year and years to come.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? The mindset of allowing others to either control my process or make me deviate from it. Many people who don’t understand my craft or process often want me to cut corners whether they think a requested document was unnecessary or they want me to rush a pre-approval on my end preemptively to achieve their perceived momentary positive outcome, but the reality is, the outcome that I oﬀer that I advertise and brag about that people rave about is achieved through my process and not deviating from it. Any time there have been mistakes in my professional career on my part, it’s because I had the momentary lapse in judgment where a client or referral partner wanted me to deviate or cut corners and I wanted to please them, so I caved rather than stand my ground. Almost always this had ended up in a negative outcome

one way or another. Now I am an avid protector of my process. No one transaction, referral partner or client is worth potentially compromising it.

What is your guilty pleasure? I am going to get a lot of eyerolls, but I would have to say taking the time with anything to do with selfcare, health, wellness and exercise. I do not drink, but I do enjoy taking a pause in the day for the occasional cigar at the new Corona Cigar Lounge downtown or on my back deck. How do you spend your time outside of work? Outside of work and working on myself via the gym, I really enjoy spending a lot of my time with my wife, kids and family. A lot of my days are spent packing our kids up in the car, driving around with my better half, running caffeine-fueled errands, grabbing ingredients for dinner with our local family later that night and making leisure stops. My wife and I have our best communication driving around in the car, so I really enjoy those conversations with my best friend. She really understands me like no one else and makes me feel heard when a lot of the time I feel out of place making small talk after hours when I have been doing that all day for work. In the evenings, anyone who knows us knows we are huge horror and true crime fans, so that makes up most of our streaming algorithm. Of course, playing and loving on my little girls is my number-one, guaranteed source of pure joy. My a bsolute favorite activity, outside of time with the family or the gym, is diving and spearfishing our local waters. I love getting under the water and seeing marine life (sometimes taking it home for dinner). There is something about gliding through the water that is akin to flying and the silence is almost meditative.

THOMAS SCHEIP

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND TEACHER, CARDINAL MOONEY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. I recently won the Mr. and Mrs. John Troiano Excellence in Teaching Award for the 2022-2023 school year. I am especially proud of this award because it was achieved through votes by my peers at Cardinal Mooney. To be recognized by other teachers (whom I deem much better teachers than myself) was a humbling moment. We don’t teach for validation or awards, but I was quite happy to know that I was at least doing something right in the eyes of people whom I look up to.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? I think my biggest mistake early on was being less transparent with students about why certain decisions were made from

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the teaching perspective. Somewhat like the Wizard of Oz, I felt the need to ‘hide’ elements of ‘why things were the way they were.’ But when you pull back the curtain and explain to students why assignments are graded a certain way, or why classroom rules need to be enforced, they are much more understanding. Honesty has many rewards. So, I have learned that open and transparent communication is one of the most eﬀective ways to get students to buy into their own education.

What is your formula for success? Honestly, it’s cliché, but I would say my formula is about staying positive. There’s an optimism to me that always trusts that things will work out, even when logic might say otherwise. I once convinced myself that I liked the cold to help me endure a winter in Wisconsin.

Share something you did in the past year to balance your work and personal lives. My wife Bianca and I welcomed our ﬁrst child into our young family. Baby Cora has put a lot into perspective for me. She has reminded me the importance of family. With our limited time on this Earth, we have to make the most of the moments we get with those close to us. I have dialed back on some of my involvement in extra-curriculars so that I can have more time with my daughter. I no longer collect tickets at the gate for our Friday night football games— instead, I sit in the crowd with my wife and child.

How do you spend your time outside of work? I love to cook, and I think sharing a meal with someone is one of the nicest things you can do. Maybe in another life, I own and operate a food truck, selling fried eggplant sandwiches and chimichangas.

If you could ask someone any question in the world (living or from the past), who would the person be and what would your question be? Don DeLillo is my favorite author and the reason I studied writing in college. I would love to ask him about the writing process for Underworld, an epic novel that starts with the Bobby Thomson’s 1951 walkoﬀ home-run called the ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ but ends up spanning much of the 20th century and concerning issues like the cold war, waste management and the personal history we leave behind.

MCKENNA TANSKI

MARKETING MANAGER, NEWSOUTH WINDOW SOLUTIONS, PGT INNOVATIONS Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. Being promoted to Marketing Manager for NewSouth Window Solutions, part of the PGT Innovations family of brands,

from my old role, Marketing Specialist for PGT Innovations. In my new role, I’ve been able to use my finance minor more, I run budgets for over 18 different markets, I’ve been able to see more of the backend of the business and also how financing operates behind marketing. In my personal life, one thing I’m most proud of is becoming a mom this year. Giving birth is really hard, and adjusting to mom life is difficult while also attempting to keep up with your career. However, I am excited to find the right balance between work and home life and show my son what a strong, independent, successful woman looks like. It’s definitely something I’m extremely proud of.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? Recently, someone on my team that reports to me failed to meet a deadline for something that is very vital to the operation of our company. While this wasn’t directly my mistake, I learned that I need to manage in a more effective way, which includes checking in on every aspect and detail of someone’s job and helping them grow and perform at their highest ability. PGT Innovations is about serving, leading and thriving, so to serve as a leader, I need to make sure that my team has all the tools they need to succeed.

What is your formula for success? The formula for success that’s worked best for me consists of three words: routine, consistency, adaptability. Whenever I create an eﬀective routine, stay consistent in that routine in all seasons, and be ready to adapt to what may come, I’ve found that success comes easier. To eﬀectively achieve success, you have to shift your mindset from ‘can’ to ‘will’.

What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Gone shark diving! I’ve always loved the ocean but was absolutely terriﬁed to dive with hundreds of sharks more than 80 feet down. However, it was the most magical, peaceful experience I have ever been a part of and I ended up going again!

Do you have any ridiculous goals in life? I’d love to learn how to summit some of the world’s largest mountains. I’ve always felt like this is a stretch goal and may never happen but has been something I want to do to test myself physically and mentally. I also have a goal of going on the TV show Survivor to test my skills and ﬁnd my limits.

DR. BROOKS TRACEY

VISUAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR, SARASOTA COUNTY SCHOOLS & RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN Share a recent achievement for which you are most proud. It was almost exactly one year ago

that I completed my Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Florida. This journey involved three years of coursework and a year of independent research/dissertation writing. The thing that I am most proud of is that I accomplished this while still working full-time. As an educator, I have always believed in being a lifelong learner.

What mistake in your career taught you the biggest lesson? I began my journey as an arts educator a little over a decade ago. Throughout that time, there have been many successes and many learning opportunities. I’ve learned to not get pulled down by negatives and to focus on the positives. Early on, if I had one diﬃcult point in my day, that would be the thing I would think about. I failed to realize that the other 99% of my day was a success. It took time to adjust, but I am now able to learn from adversity and be proud of all the positives each day provides.

How do you spend your time outside of work? Recently, I have gotten back into creating my own personal art. This has proven to become not only a way to relax and express myself, but it has also turned into a successful side venture. Over the past year, my paintings have been acquired by numerous private collections and have been displayed at locations such as Art Ovation, Pastry Art Café, Artful Giraﬀe Gallery and Kahwa Coﬀee.

What is your formula for success? I once heard Coach Tony Dungy give a speech on how to be successful in any workplace. His three pillars for success have always stuck with me. The first, is to be reliable. It is important to be an individual who is competent and someone who can be counted on to do their job and do it well. The second is to get along with everyone. Being able to have positive relationships with one’s colleagues allows for a more welcoming and collaborative work environment. Finally, find your added value. Having an extra skill that can be utilized in your work environment will allow you to stand out from your colleagues. Share something you did this past year to balance your work and personal life. Since finishing my doctorate, I have gotten back into creating more of my personal art not only to relax and express myself, but it has also turned into a successful side venture. My paintings have been acquired by numerous private collections and have been displayed throughout the community at Art Ovation Hotel, Pastry Art Café, Artful Giraffe Gallery and Kahwa Coffee.

What are the top three items on your bucket list? Play a round of golf on The Old Course at St. Andrews, teach a class at my alma mater (the University of Florida) and get a cartoon published in The New Yorker. SRQ

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LOCAL PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS+CULTURE

culture city

PAVING THE WAY Three arts organizations dedicate themselves to sharing the arts with the next generation. Dlyan Campbell

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PART OF BEING THE CULTURAL HUB OF FLORIDA’S GULF COAST INVOLVES THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE. For the arts organizations

around Sarasota, the future doesn’t just mean the next show, production or performance. The future is more than just next year’s slate or the year after or even five years from now–the future is about educating the next generation of arts patrons and professionals. Children of the 21st century are surrounded by the media more than ever before. From social media to streaming services to good old fashioned cable television, curbing what your children ingest can be a nearly impossible task. What well-meaning parents can do, however, is point their children in the right direction by providing them with enriching experiences that are sure to stick with them in the future. Fortunately, parents in the area don’t have to look too far, for the very same performing arts institutions that they frequent by themselves offer similar opportunities for their children.

Spread: A child plays a chimney sweep in the Sarasota Youth Opera. A cast of professional actors perform The Power of Peanut Butter and Other Winning Plays in FST’s Annual Young Playwrights Festival. Young dancers in the Ballet School and Dance—The Next Generation (DNG) programs at Sarasota Ballet.

Organizations such as the Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Ballet and Florida Studio Theatre have dedicated themselves to bringing productions for kids—and oftentimes by kids—to their main stages. “We are an after-school performance program that focuses on giving the kids a professional experience within the opera world. The program is almost 40 years old; we began back in 1984,” says Maestro Jesse Martins, the Youth Opera Music Director at Sarasota Opera. Since its inception in 1984, the Sarasota Youth Opera has prided itself on being different—it is the only program in the country committed to not only presenting an annual full-scale opera production for young voices, but equally committed to accepting all potential participants regardless of skill level or ability to pay the tuition. The Youth Opera is a year-round program with three different semesters: fall, winter and summer. “The fall is our signature semester, which is dedicated to a fully

IMAGE COURTESY OF FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE, SARASOTA BALLET AND SARASOTA OPERA.

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professional production where the youth take all the roles,” says Martha Collins, Director of Education. “The production features a full professional orchestra and the same people that do the sets, costumes, wigs and production elements of the adult opera also work on the youth opera as well. In the winter, we focus more on doing concerts—Maestro works a lot more with them in repertoire in foreign languages, so they get a taste of what that is. In the summer, we have our camp with the goal there being to explore everything that goes into opera. They learn about props, costumes, wigs and makeup—they write their own little opera scenes and perform them too.” While the Youth Opera specializes in educating and training children ages eight to 18 in the ways of the opera, the goal isn’t necessarily to produce the next generation of opera singers. “We are, of course, thrilled when we help create future opera singers. It’s something that we’ve done before,” says Collins. “However, our main srq magazine_ DEC23 live local | 55

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goal is to build confidence and a sense of community so that the kids can understand what it means to be collaborators and work together on a team.” It’s one of the reasons why the program is so inviting to all who want to join. “Most programs that are performance based have an entry audition, but we do not. We will work with your level and then once you’re in the program, then there are audition only opportunities for those kids that either want to do a solo role or maybe they want to be in a children’s chorus on a main stage show like Carmen in this upcoming winter,” says Martins. “I think that’s another thing that makes us accessible to all, basically, to give it a try if they want to.” “One of the sweetest things of the program is to see the little munchkins at age eight who might be shy and watch as their confidence builds and their confidence in their singing builds and their understanding of where they fit in the art form grows,” says Collins. “And then to see those kids taking the stage and being stars, that’s incredibly rewarding. Being able to watch them grow and feel that we have a part in the development of their confidence is a really important part of this to us.” Just down the street, the Children’s Theatre Program at Florida Studio Theatre is also paving the way for future fans of the arts. FST’s Children’s Theatre Program looks to bring families into the theater in two different ways. The first, is through their Weekend Children’s Theatre Series–four productions that will air on the weekend throughout the entirety of the school year, designed to create a haven for families to experience the theater at an affordable price. The plays are professionally vetted and 56 | srq magazine_ DEC23 live local

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produced, just like any other play at FST, only this time they are geared solely toward a familial audience. “Going into this season, we’re trying to make our studio here a destination for families. I want every family in Sarasota to know that they can come almost every weekend of the school year—from September until May–and experience theater together as a family,” says Caroline Saldivar, Director of Children’s Theatre at Florida Studio Theatre. “It’s not just for children, not just for adults, it’s really for the whole family to come and have this special in-person experience together. It’s different than taking your kid to see a movie and different than watching Netflix on your couch–this is happening in this room just for you. Every time it’s brand new.” The second way that FST looks to spread the love of theater to the next generation is through the schools. FST’s Write A Play, now in its 33rd year of operation, is a year-round arts integration program that reaches over 30,000 students annually across the state of Florida and even more nationally and internationally. The program is designed to do exactly what it says in its name: teach students how to write a play. Through supervision of teachers, students from across the country build their writing and storytelling skills through the medium of theater. The Write A Play program starts in September, when students can see the “example play”–either The Velveteen Rabbit via a field trip to FST or Red Riding Hood, which will tour through the schools. Next comes the second play, the one designed to inspire students to write their own original plays. “The Playmakers Tour will perform plays that have won the Young Playwrights

Above, left to right:

FST’s Velveteen Rabbit is just one example of the original programming the FST’s Children’s Theatre Series provides; The Sarasota Youth Opera Program gives an opportunity for children to not only experience and become trained in the art of operatic singing, but also perform on the big stage as well.

IMAGES COURTESY OF FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE AND SARASOTA OPERA.

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Below: Dance—The Next Generation (DNG) performing Latin Saute.

Festival in the past for students aged kindergarten through sixth grade,” says Saldivar. “They will also act out the students’ dialogue and ideas on stage, before those same actors head into the classroom and teach intro to playwriting. The students start by writing a group play and after we leave they work with a teacher to write their own play.” Students are then encouraged to submit their plays to FST’s annual Young Playwrights Festival, the winners of which will be performed by a cast of professional actors at the end of the year in the production The Power of Peanut Butter and Other Winning Plays. “We often recognize young people for athletic and academic achievement, but we can forget to recognize their artistic and creative achievements. Playwriting is a form of creativity that’s different from being a visual artist or being on the stage, this is something that happens in your mind and you record on the page,” says Saldivar. “I think that’s something that we need, we need more storytellers and these children are expert storytellers. We are creatures of story and they already at this young age have mastered this art form to the best of their abilities. It’s so important that we celebrate them and encourage them to continue to create stories that only they can imagine.” The Sarasota Ballet also works tirelessly to grow the next generation of ballet dancers and enthusiasts in a multitude of ways. The first is through their educational programs: the Sarasota Ballet School, the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory, the Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and the company’s summer intensive courses. “Whether you’re a three-year-old who has never danced before or a 16-year-old with professional aspirations, we

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have real opportunities for anyone who’s interested in dance,” says Christopher Hird, Education Director at the Sarasota Ballet. “Our Ballet School is open to anyone from age three and above. We’ve tried to create a fun and creative environment for the students to learn safely and correctly. Ballet is using the body so we wanna make sure that it’s done safely. With that, all our faculty are certified in the American Ballet Theater national training curriculum, which I think makes us really unique.” Above the Ballet School is the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory–an audition-based, pre-professional program offering elevated teaching and performance opportunities–and just above the Conservatory, the Sarasota Ballet’s esteemed Trainee Program. “At the age of 12, students can audition for the Conservatory, which goes until about age 20. Above that is our Trainee Program, from which we have students come from across the country because of the reputation of the program,” says Hird. “And then, each year students from the Trainee Program have the potential to move into the Sarasota Ballet Studio Company, which is sort of a bridge between student and professional life. We have a high percentage of Studio Company dancers that have come from our Trainee Program which is a really great thing because it shows that we’re training our dancers well–not only do we enable our students to get into the Sarasota Ballet Studio Company, but they also have graduated to performing with other ballet companies across the country.” However, not all that the Sarasota Ballet does in the educational realm is about developing the next generation of elite ballet dancers. It’s also about using dance as a platform for personal and academic growth, across all age groups. That’s where the company’s community engagement initiative, Dance For All, comes into play. Dance For All houses the Ballet’s six different community engagement programs: Dance—The Next Generation (DNG), a tuition-free, dance education program that has been offered to underserved students across the area for more than thirty years, Silver Swans, a dance and movement program for dance enthusiasts 55 and over, Joyful Movement Through Parkinsons, Community Performances, In-school Performances and programs and Lectures, Tickets, and Tours–field trips for students from marginalized communities to explore ballet at little to no cost. “I like to say that this ballet company has such a soul,” says Doricha Sales, Community Engagement Program Director at Sarasota Ballet. “While the artists on stage are just incredible, I think the fact that the company has made community engagement such a big part of its mission is remarkable. I’ve always loved community engagement and programs like DNG, because every single week the children are going to be amazed by the magic of dance.” SRQ

IMAGE COURTESY OF SARASOTA BALLET.

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This page: Jennifer Mitchelle serves as Executive VP/COO of the “Greatest Little Show on Earth.”

SAIL AWAY TO THE CIRCUS The Sailor Circus Academy, America’s oldest youth circus, has risen from its humble beginnings into a multi-leveled academy that teaches so much more than just acrobatics. Dylan Campbell

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This page:

The students of the Sailor Circus Academy learn circus arts in a safe and nurturing atmosphere.

ONE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A PROGRAM MORE ENTRENCHED IN THE HISTORY OF SARASOTA THAN THE SAILOR CIRCUS ACADEMY. The program, now run by the Circus Arts Conservatory, is the nation’s oldest youth circus and originated in 1949 as

an outlet for the uniquely skilled children of the Ringling circus performers. 73 years later, Sailor Circus has blossomed into a multi-tiered developmental program, focused on building not just the next generation of acrobats, but the next generation of arts patrons and sterling citizens as well. Executive Vice President/COO of the Conservatory Jennifer Mitchell sat down with SRQ Magazine to discuss how the organization melded the Sailor Circus program into what it is today.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.

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Right: The training

at the Academy provides a rigorous program where students learn life management skills.

SHARE WITH US THE SAILOR CIRCUS PROGRAM AND ITS HISTORY? JENNIFER MITCHELL: Well, it is going to be celebrating

its 75th anniversary next year in 2024. The Sailor Circus program originated in 1949 as part of Sarasota High School’s gymnastics program. In the ‘40s there were so many Ringling families and performers that were homesteading here in Sarasota, with children that were going to normal school but had extraordinary talents that were different from your run-of-the-mill football or baseball player. It became obvious at that point in time to the school that they could develop a very unique program. Sailor Circus is the longest running youth program in the country, and they had that program for a number of years running under the auspices of Sarasota High School and the school board. At some point in early ‘90s, they had an alumni show for alumni performers who had been involved in the Sailor Circus as youth and there was an injury during that show. Afterwards, the school board said this is just really not something that we can sustain. They didn’t really see how the school board could really intersect and decided to stop funding the program. In response to that, another nonprofit organization, the Police Athletic League, didn’t want to see this amazing program just fall to the wind and picked up stewardship of the Sailor Circus for a number of years. I like to call it the gap years because those were the years where it was not obviously being funded by the school board, and it was not being run really by an organization that had the time, the talent, the funding and the resources to keep Sailor Circus operating at the optimal level that it should be. 62 | srq magazine_ DEC23 live local

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So around 2010/2011, we were approached by the Police Athletic League and the Sheriff’s office to discuss potentially taking over the Sailor Circus program. For me, it felt like a nobrainer as an executive for the company. It just was like, wow, this is the right thing to do for Sailor Circus. And it had always been within our mission and within our vision to either operate or open a circus school–youth education really has become a primary pillar for the Circus Arts Conservatory. That’s when the Circus Arts Conservatory was birthed as the umbrella of all our programs, with Circus Sarasota as the professional arm, and then of course the Sailor Circus Academy, which all our educational programs and youth training would fall under. In that first year, we had about 100 kids in the Sailor Circus Academy and launched a summer program in tandem with the Academy. We were so excited. Today, we have over 1,000 kids who participate in our camp program and another 200 who perform year round with us in our academy programs.

benefits of already being a bona fide nonprofit in town was that we were able to bring funding resources to this amazing program of the Sailor Circus. We launched a capital campaign that we completed in 2019, which was a $5 million dollar full renovation of the arena space that brought air conditioning and climate control to the building, new audio-visual equipment, retractable seating and a performance safety floor. Since then we’ve invested another half million dollars into staging equipment, new training equipment, new coaches and human resources to keep advancing our programming.

WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES OR HEADWINDS THAT YOU RAN INTO FIRST WHEN YOU TOOK ON THE SAILOR CIRCUS PROGRAM? First of all, we took on a program

YOU MENTIONED THERE ARE ANCILLARY PROGRAMS THAT YOU DEVELOPED IN THAT TIME SPAN OF BUILDING SAILOR CIRCUS TO WHAT IT IS TODAY. WHAT WERE SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS? With

that was financially in arrears. The training facility was dilapidated and needed a lot of updates. Programmatically we needed to have and have since instilled a lot of new policies, procedures and training curriculum to enhance the actual program itself. The first thing we did was take a look at the fiscal situation of the academy and develop ancillary programs that could help support it. I think one of the real

WHY IS IT CALLED SAILOR CIRCUS? It’s

called Sailor Circus because the program originated as part of Sarasota High School and their mascot is the Sailor. I actually found out from one of the high school historians that they are called the Sailors because before we had the Skyway Bridge, the football team used to sail across Tampa Bay and play the Tampa High School Buccaneers.

trial and error, we really started a lot of different things. We started the summer camp program, one that has really grown and is flourishing and is so engaging for young kids. We started a preperformance, pre-professional program where students who have gone through the Sailor Circus and are career driven into the performing arts, can train with us at a higher level. We work with them for one to two years after they’ve PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.

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graduated to help them really launch that professional career within the circus industry or within the entertainment industry. People ask me all the time about what graduates can do beyond being a circus artist. We’ve had students that have gone on to become stunt doubles in Hollywood or stunt doubles for movies or gone on to be television commentators. We have more recently developed a robust group of education programs, and those are our circus science machine program where students in the fifth grade are learning Newton’s laws. We use students of the Sailor Circus to perform so that we can sometimes show how these really difficult concepts like force, acceleration and gravity can be explained and articulated and learned through the circus arts. We have also launched a program in collaboration with Booker Middle School. Students from Booker Middle School will come here and take one period a day in the circus/circus arts. And then four, almost five years ago, we launched the nation’s first and still the only accredited high school circus program (magnet). Instead of taking traditional electives, students in Sarasota High School have the opportunity to become part of our magnet program, where they take two periods a day earning credit hours and studying within the circus arts. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT FOR YOU TO DO OUTREACH AND EDUCATION?

Very important. I think that leadership here believes that we are helping to develop our next generation arts patron, our next generation volunteer, the next generation of educators. We also believe that the circus arts has a very strong platform in helping young people form 21st century skills that they need, whether they go on to perform or not–they are still building their self-confidence and their ability to communicate and work as a team. WHAT SKILLS ARE THE KIDS BUILDING OUTSIDE OF THEIR ABILITY TO PERFORM AS CIRCUS ARTISTS? Particularly for me as

an employer, I find it important to look at not just what does your resume say in terms of where you’ve graduated, but what did you really learn within those institutions or within your different job experiences? I find it so rewarding to hear that alumni will oftentimes say that they used their time in the circus as one of their main talking points in a job interview. For example, there was a young man that graduated a number of years ago from Sailor Circus. He went on to work with Nik Wallenda in a seven person pyramid professionally while

also going to college, where he was studying medicine. Two years ago he was interviewed at Shands in Gainesville, which is one of the high level medical facilities here in Florida, where he is now a trauma emergency nurse. In his interview, they asked him several questions about performing under pressure, about changing environments, about what it’s like to be part of a team and be a part of something bigger than just yourself in your job. And he was able to correlate all of those things to his work and his studies and training in the circus because he was part of a flying trapeze team. If you’re not communicating with your catcher, you cannot execute a trick well. That same philosophy comes into play when you’re assisting the surgeon in a surgical room. It’s this idea that you know your role and be part of a team, while also being adaptable and able to work on the fly. AS A MOM, HAS IT GIVEN YOU A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO THE PROGRAM? Certainly. I think not only has

it personally helped me to invest more of my own time and talent into our youth programs, but it has also given me a perspective on what all the students have the potential for. I would also say that the students are lucky, because Emma’s always advocating for the kids in my ear, trying to make sure that the program can be the best that it can be while also knowing the reality is that 99% of the kids won’t go on to be a professional circus artist. We don’t expect that we’re pumping out hundreds of skilled professional circus artists, but we know that the skills that they’re taking are going to really help them in whatever career path they choose. However, we still want the program to be at the top level so that if a student does desire to go out and work within the circus industry, they have gained enough training here to do so. There are a lot of professional circuses. There are a lot of really great circus schools, but we are the only one in the country that combines producing a professional circus, while also mentoring and stewarding a youth school. AS SOMEONE WHO’S HAD A DAUGHTER GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND THEN SHEPHERDED THIS PROGRAM TO WHERE IT IS TODAY, COULD YOU SHARE ANY SPECIFIC MEMORIES THAT ENCAPSULATE HOW IT’S GROWN? Good

question. Well, I can just say personally that my Emma is one of the first that we refer to as a graduate of our program that’s gone on to be

professional. She is performing this summer with Nik Wallenda as the aerialist, the solo aerialist in his show. And I’m so proud not just of her and her perseverance, but of our entire team because I think that it really shows that if we are moving our programs forward the way we had intended, these are the results. Sarasota is full of great youth programs and all my kids have been involved in a lot of other programs, but for her, she didn’t quite find the fit until she got into the circus. None of my other kids are actually involved in the circus. But for Emma, it definitely made her heart beat. I’m proud that through Emma’s challenges, we as a company have grown. For example, she had a very serious knee injury. We traveled all over Colorado and Florida, trying to find specialists. We learned that she was hypermobile and I wanted to understand, well, what does that mean for her training regimen and what does that mean for other kids that are hypermobile here within Circus? We learned a lot and we learned which kids need to work specifically on joint strengthening and we’ve infused that into the program. And some of the kids ask, “why are we doing this now?” Well, we’re doing it now because we learned something. I’m so grateful that the journey wasn’t just about me. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE SAILOR CIRCUS PROGRAM? We’re also

looking at how technology can be infused within our performing art. You’re seeing now in Europe, some of the circuses who don’t want to actually showcase animals anymore will do hologram elephants. So we’re continuing to look at how we’re producing the art form and how we’re training in the art form and evolving. One of the big ways that we’re implementing that within the Sailor Circus Academy is by taking a deeper look into the biomechanics of the body. We’re hiring circus trainers who are also physical therapists or who have also studied within kinesiology or biology so that they have a really good understanding of strength and conditioning programs and the different types of mobility. We’re trying to evolve in that area instead of just saying, ‘hey let’s just try and do that exercise’. We’ve really executed some new policies and procedures on how we get students to, let’s say, gain their split. I look to liken it to what IMG is doing as an academy with their athletes. In some cases we’re talking to students about their diet plans. Are they hydrating enough? It’s not just going out there and doing it, but maintaining their bodies for consistency and longevity. SRQ srq magazine_ DEC23 live local | 63

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BOUTIQUE SHOPPING, HOME DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE AND TRENDS

GRACEFUL HOLIDAYS The holiday season is upon us— time to find those swoon-worthy gifts for all the loved ones in your life. Make this year of giving the best one yet with SRQ’s annual holiday gift guide, from pickleball champs to style icons. COMPILED BY MV PAIGE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

MORNING MUST-HAVES Breakfast wine coffee cup, $14, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727; Lembre coffee cup, $15, Marmalade Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Dr, unit 108, Sarasota, 941-3585683; Blanket, $99, Cariloha, 349 St Armands Cir, Sarasota, 941-3880412; Beaded necklace, $238, Foxy Lady St. Armands Circle, 481 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-388-5239; Lelu coffee, $14, Postcards, $2 each, Marmalade Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Dr, unit 108, Sarasota, 941-358-5683; Santorini spray, $39, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: TREASURED TRINKETS Bamboo box, $32, Marmalade Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Dr, unit 108, Sarasota, 941-358-5683; Necklace, $23, Apricot Lane Boutique, 464 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-960-1435; Heart shaped tray, $22, Bangles, $8 each, Scissors, $32, Marmalade Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Dr, unit 108, Sarasota, 941-3585683; Tic-Tac Florida, $26, Pampelone Romy Maxi Dress, $182, WE ARE Family Boutique, 21 Fillmore Dr, Sarasota, 941-529-7704; Corn skewers, $12, Mercantile Home & Apparel, 1463 Main St, Sarasota, 941-366-2457; Horse decor, $255, Copenhagen Imports, 7211 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-923-2569. THIS PAGE: POOCH PARTY Starbucks dog toy, $18, Thread crossbody, $40, Little Words Project bracelets, $25 each, Pink & Navy Boutique, 259 12th St W, Bradenton, 941-896-4073; Beaded bracelet, $22, Mercantile Home & Apparel, 1463 Main St, Sarasota, 941-366-2457; Dog People/Animal Lovers soap, $12 each, Apricot Lane Boutique, 464 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-960-1435; Rescue candle, $48, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727.

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THIS PAGE: FASHION-LOVER FINDS Knit Sweater, $89, Pink & Navy Boutique, 259 12th St W, Bradenton, 941-896-4073; St. Armand Circle tote, $59, Apricot Lane Boutique, 464 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-960-1435; French Riviera boots, $658, Foxy Lady St. Armands Circle, 481 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-388-5239. OPPOSITE PAGE: OUTDOOR NECESSITIES Yeti cooler, $80, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-552-9805; True Blue trucker hat, $58, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727; Howler men’s button-up, $119, Nixon men’s watch, $175, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-552-9805; Men’s bracelets, $50, WE ARE Family Boutique, 21 Fillmore Dr, Sarasota, 941-529-7704; Olakai flip-flops, $140, Fly tying tool, $23, Fly lure, $6, Binoculars, $95, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-552-9805; Shoreline tassel, $16, Marmalade Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Dr, unit 108, Sarasota, 941-358-5683.

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LAVISHLY LUXURIOUS Bia Candle Co. candle, $32, Bia Candle Co., 1316 Central Ave, Sarasota, 941-787-0898; Pink beaded necklace, $338, Foxy Lady St. Armands Circle, 481 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-388-5239; Buffalo sculpture, $295, Copenhagen Imports, 7211 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-923-2569; Laines London slippers, $88, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727; Teal beaded necklace, $238, Foxy Lady St. Armands Circle, 481 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-388-5239.

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ROMANTIC BEACH NIGHT Candles, $2.99 each, Morton’s Gourmet Market, 1924 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-955-9856; Mini games club, $7.50, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727; Sand Cloud throw, Pink & Navy Boutique, 259 12th St W, Bradenton, 941-896-4073; Virtue earrings, $40, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727; Chocolate, $4.59 each, Morton’s Gourmet Market, 1924 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-955-9856; Surf Durt sunscreen, $24.99, Marmalade Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Dr, unit 108, Sarasota, 941-358-5683; Mixers, $20, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727.

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FAMILY FUN Girls dress and bloomer set, $46.50, WE ARE Family Boutique, 21 Fillmore Dr, Sarasota, 941-529-7704; Fish dish, $7.25 each, Mercantile Home & Apparel, 1463 Main St, Sarasota, 941-366-2457; Palma fringe tote, $150, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727; Plush dinos, $29.50, Boys set, $52.50, WE ARE Family Boutique, 21 Fillmore Dr, Sarasota, 941-529-7704.

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LEFT: THE FINER THINGS Couples Sculpture, $295, Copenhagen Imports, 7211 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-923-2569; Mermaid glasses, $7.50, Zebra marble set, $58, Craft cocktail kit, $24, Mercantile Home & Apparel, 1463 Main St, Sarasota, 941-366-2457. RIGHT: DATE NIGHT ESSENTIALS Leather jacket, $54, Pink & Navy Boutique, 259 12th St W, Bradenton, 941-896-4073; Beaded necklace, $24, Apricot Lane Boutique, 464 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-960-1435; Couples card, $8, WE ARE Family Boutique, 21 Fillmore Dr, Sarasota, 941-529-7704; Wine umbrella, $26, Apricot Lane Boutique, 464 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-960-1435; Men’s gift set, $45, WE ARE Family Boutique, 21 Fillmore Dr, Sarasota, 941-529-7704.

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PICKLEBALL PROFESSIONAL Two-toned Shorts, $62, Pickleball sticker, $4, Pink & Navy Boutique, 259 12th St W, Bradenton, 941-896-4073; Platform loafers, $285, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B 1st St, Sarasota, 941-870-3727; Corkcicle bottle, $54.95, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-552-9805; Beaded tennis clutch, $188, Foxy Lady St. Armands Circle, 481 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, 941-388-5239; goodr glasses, $25, Pink & Navy Boutique, 259 12th St W, Bradenton, 941-8964073; Pickleball paddle, $69, Marmalade Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Dr, unit 108, Sarasota, 941-358-5683.

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DECEMBER 2023 EDITION

IN CONVERSATION: ON AGING GRACEFULLY INTERVIEW BY WES ROBERTS EDITED BY BARBIE HEIT

In Conversation

JEFF COOPER OWNER, BRIGHTSTAR CARE OF NORTH SARASOTA AND BRADENTON COUNTIES Cooper graduated from the University of Kentucky where he studied psychology. A er graduating, he moved back to Michigan and jumped into a career in Real Estate sales. A er years of work in the sales field, he was promoted to Vice President of Sales for a national home builder, which moved him and his family to Sarasota, Florida. With a passion for giving back to others, he carried his success and knowledge as a VP over into the Home Healthcare industry. He and his wife Susan have spent the last 13 years building BrightStar Care into the successful and trusted agency that it is today. Jeff holds himself and his team to a higher standard of care, which allows BrightStar Care’s clients to live their best life through their dedicated and experienced caregivers. Jeff and his wife have been residents of Sarasota since 2007 and feel privileged to be able to run a business that gives back to their community. Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, playing golf, spending weekends boating and of course watching football.

TELL US ABOUT BRIGHTSTAR CARE AND YOUR ROLE. JEFF COOPER BrightStar Care is a private duty home health agency, and we service individuals in the community ranging from birth through end of life. Our work includes everything from companion care through personal care, through skilled nursing. Primarily that means we are taking care of those individuals who want to age in place and people who would prefer to stay at home as opposed to going into an independent or assisted living community. We will work closely with adult children or significant others. Companion care means we are going in and doing crossword puzzles, hanging

out with somebody and watching The Golden Girls or something like that. So we’re hanging out being a companion, ensuring that they’re getting a proper diet, and we’ll accompany them to breakfast, lunch or dinner. The personal care side of things is where we’ll assist people with activities of daily life, such as bathing, toileting, dressing, meal prep, things like that. Then once you go to skilled nursing, that’s where you get into med management and medication administration. So we’re actually giving people their meds because they’re not capable of taking them themselves at that point. We do infusions, OT, PT, speech therapy. Whatever somebody’s needs are,

we can go into their home or if they are in a community, we can still come in even though they have their own staff there. So those are the three different buckets of services that we provide. DO YOU ALSO TAKE CARE OF YOUNGER PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES? We do. It’s not as frequent though as it is with your older generation. I think a part of that is a lot of those individuals who might have special needs are already part of certain programs, whether it be within the county or the state. They’ve got care that’s been provided, and it might sometimes be under Medicaid, but when it comes to

private duty, somebody’s paying for these services out of their pocket. There is also supplemental care through different programs, they’ll tend to go that way. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AGING AND THE INEVITABLE LOSS OF CAPACITIES THAT WE ALL FEEL AS WE GET OLDER, PEOPLE DON’T REALLY WANT TO CONFRONT THAT. IS THAT A CHALLENGE WITH THE CLIENTS OR THEIR FAMILIES? We have people that will call us, and they’ve done a tremendous amount of planning and calling and have had conversations with their parents or their significant other, and they realize it might be time.

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Then there’s those that don’t and they call us spur of the moment and say, “Oh my gosh, I live out of state and mom just fell and broke her hip. We don’t know what to do.” And that’s where we’re there to counsel. Sometimes it doesn’t necessarily lead to business for us. We might take them to Medicare agencies or what have you. But that’s where we can really start counseling them and basically let them know that they’re not out there alone. We get it daily, especially with adult children living out of state. That tends to be a real source of worry and concern because they don’t live here, and in a lot of cases they might have their own job and they can’t leave to come and take care of mom and dad. That’s where we really try to give them the peace of mind in knowing that they can stay there. We communicate with them about the care, any issues that might be happening, doctor’s appointments, we can help manage the meds a little bit so that they’re getting proper medication. We can manage their diet, so they make sure that they’re getting properly nourished. That tends to give, in most cases, adult children who live out of state a lot of peace of mind. So we kind of see it both ways where people are calling in panic and then we see some who have planned very well and know exactly what they want to do. DID THE PANDEMIC AND THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD CHANGE HOW PEOPLE THINK ABOUT YOUR INDUSTRY OR THE NEEDS OF THEIR AGING FAMILY MEMBERS? The biggest concern was putting somebody in with mom or dad–does that make them more susceptible to getting COVID? When we were going into people’s homes, we had a lot of individuals who were very concerned, so we had to make sure that we were gearing up properly

with gowns and masks and gloves and taking all the proper precautions to make sure not only that we weren’t getting anybody sick when we entered their home, but also weren’t taking anything out of that home and going back to our own children who are going to school perhaps. PRE COVID, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE LONELY TO BEGIN WITH AND I’M WONDERING IF YOU’VE NOTICED THAT THE LOCKDOWNS MADE THAT WORSE. When you are in an active adult or assisted living community,

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ARE THERE ANECDOTES OR EXAMPLES YOU HAVE OF OLDER CUSTOMERS THAT MAYBE WERE FAILING AND THEN BEGAN TO FLOURISH WITH ADDITIONAL ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT? Where we’ve seen that we can really help out are with those that have had a setback after a surgery or a broken hip, knee replacements, things like that where they’re not as mobile or they need somebody to come in and help them for a couple of weeks. We also make sure that they’re compliant with whatever discharge orders they have, taking meds, wound care,

“Let’s say we have a husband and wife and one of them tends to be the primary caregiver. If you have individuals who maybe are in their 80s and one is taking care of the another in their illness, we tend to ﬁnd that the primary caregiver will start to decline faster bcause they’re wearing themselves out. So with us giving them some respite where we’ll come in, even if it’s to them get back out, recharge their batteries, go play golf with the guys or the girls, it really helps that primary caregiver.” they provide activities and there’s socialization if you’re going down to have meals in a dining room. But even pre COVID, mom and dad may be sitting in their room alone most of the day, which is unfortunate, but it’s just the nature of the world that we live in and this isn’t a knock on communities. They do a great job, but they don’t have one-on-one care with people in their apartments all day, every day. That’s where a lot of individuals will reach out to us and say, “I just want somebody to come in with my mom and dad for a couple hours a day.” Sometimes we’re there all day and not through the night. Sometimes we go in through the night just to ensure, if mom or dad might be a fall risk, we’re there at least when it’s dark and to assist with restroom use. Again, we are there just giving peace of mind.

changing out bandages. We can have nurses go in and change out bandages and make sure things don’t get infected because those are typically things that’ll put somebody back in the hospital. So those are where we see most of our success stories. When it comes to those that are aging in place, whether it be in a community or at home, I think every day is truly a success story in that we’re giving people the best possible days that they could have. Because if you’re just sitting alone, whether it’s in your home or a community and you’re all by yourself, that’s a pretty lonesome place to be. Also, let’s say we have a husband and wife and one of them tends to be the primary caregiver. If you have individuals who maybe are in their 80s and one is taking care of another in their illness, we tend to find that the primary caregiver

will start to decline faster because they’re wearing themselves out taking care of their husband or their wife. So with us giving them some respite where we’ll come in, even if it’s to let them get back out, recharge their batteries, go play golf with the guys or the girls type of a thing, do the heavy lifting, it really helps that primary caregiver and allows them to stay together in the home. Because once we take Mr. or Mrs. from their home and they transition to a community, well now you’ve got two people that are alone. So when we can keep people together, I think that is a huge success and tends to give them the best possible days that they can have together. We’ve been doing this almost 13 years now, and truly every day is a success story from that perspective. I look at it also from the perspective that I consider all my employees to be customers as well, and we employ a lot of people and allow them to take care of their families and try to make it feel like a team. So that’s a success story too that I always love to look at. I will never forget about my staff and those caregivers. They’re special people that go out there and do that work. HOW DO YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE ON DETERMINING WHAT STAGE OF CARE THEY’RE IN? ARE YOU ABLE TO INTERFACE WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HOSPICE? We’re representing the family. Hospice is called in for whatever level of care they’re coming in to provide. If that person gets well enough again then hospice might step out of the picture and we’re still there doing what we were doing. There also might be cases where hospice goes in with somebody who’s declining, they call us and say, “Hey, the family would like somebody to sit with mom or dad through the evening, or through the night. Can you guys provide somebody?” And we will. Again,

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it sometimes just comes down to comforting the client, but also giving the family peace of mind, knowing somebody’s there. HOW DO THE EXPENSES AND COSTS WORK? IS THERE ANY INSURANCE THAT COVERS THIS SORT OF CARE OR IS IT ALL OUT OF POCKET? It’s mostly out of pocket. Some individuals years ago signed up with longterm care insurance. We would then contact that company, find out what their benefits are because the packages can be a little bit different, so many hours a week, so many days a week, et cetera. They’ll have elimination periods where they might have to do 90 days where they’re actually physically paying us, representing to the insurance company that yes, they do need this care. Then we have to make sure that we’re typically providing three of the major activities of daily life. So the toileting, the transferring, bathing, food preparation, things like that. Once we’ve shown that and our elimination period is over, then we still are billing the client, but we are sending the paperwork into the insurance and the client gets reimbursed for those services. IS THERE SOMETHING AN ADULT CHILD SHOULD BE WATCHING FOR TO KNOW WHEN YOUR SERVICES ARE NEEDED? I IMAGINE IT CAN BECOME EXPENSIVE AND THAT MIGHT CONCERN A LOT OF FAMILIES. I think no matter how you slice it, as we age, if we all live long enough, we’re going to have to probably have some level of care, whether it’s through family, through an agency like myself or through a community. So if it’s the family that’s just dealing with it, there’s a cost. It might not be a monetary cost or maybe it is, maybe people are having to take days off work to take care of mom or dad, and then the brother comes in the evening and the

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“I love the veterans that we take care of because many of the freedoms that I enjoy with my family are because of them and the sacriﬁces that they made. We work closely with the VA up in Bay Pines. We’ll go in and we’ll take care of them a few hours a week and just give them some companionship and in some cases, some personal care if needed.” daughter comes in the next morning. But there’s a cost associated even if it’s not monetary. They’re sacrificing their health, their time and their life balance with their own children. So there might be sacrifices there. When you come to an agency like mine there’s those costs that are associated with the care that we’re providing. And if somebody then progresses and chooses not to use an agency for in-home care, there’s a cost associated with those facilities. So once we’ve all kind of gotten to that point, you have to make a decision one way or another. What kind of cost are we looking at? And then certain facilities will have different pricing that some might say, “Hey, this facility is the top notch one in town, but they cost X, and then here’s the middle of the road and then here’s your entry level.” And then they have packages within those facilities. And how much service do you want while your loved one is here? WHAT ARE THE BIG CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY? HOW HAS IT EVOLVED IN RECENT YEARS AND WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE? Well, the industry hasn’t changed a ton or drastically. It got a little strange there during COVID just because nobody knew what to do. Everybody was very concerned. Who do we let in? Who do we not let in? How do we keep COVID out of our community or out of our homes? So that was a change from what we had experienced for the first eight years that we were in business. Afterwards, the landscape changed for caregivers and nurses. I think some just took early retirement, got out

of the field. There’s a shortage of caregivers and nurses right now. So a lot of us are vying for the same people, which makes it a little more challenging. And then what makes it even more challenging is the rate at which baby boomers are turning 65. There’s 10,000 people that turn 65 every single day, and that’s expected to go on for the next 10 to 15 years. I think it’s something like 20% of the population by 2050 will be 65 or better. So not everybody at 65 needs care, but that’s huge, when you’ve got 20% of the United States that’s going to be needing probably some level of care. WHAT KEEPS THE PASSION THERE FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE? I just honestly think it’s our nature. We’re in the business every day. My wife went on and got her master’s in social work. She worked in psych wards in the hospital in her past life. She has worked with troubled children when we were living in Indiana and when we found this opportunity, she first and foremost was very drawn to it because it’s right up her alley. I too think of myself as a very caring person. She’s got a psychology degree. I’ve got a psychology degree. I’ve always been into just people and trying to help them out. And this is one of the best jobs or professions that we could ever have in terms of not only helping people that have the immediate need, but also giving the adult children that peace of mind. And as I’ve aged and been in this business, I’m recognizing that now more and more with my own parents–we are now facing these types of decisions with them.

So it is hugely rewarding to help people and give them the best possible life. I don’t want to single out veterans, but they’re near and dear to my heart. I love the veterans that we take care of because many of the freedoms that I enjoy with my family are because of them and the sacrifices that they made. We work closely with the VA up in Bay Pines, and they’re local here in our area. We’ll go in and take care of them a few hours a week and just give them some companionship and in some cases, some personal care if needed. So often the veterans don’t even understand what is available to them for the services that they provided our country. So it’s nice when we can say, “Hey, do you know you’ve got 12 hours a week where we can come in and help you and just make sure you don’t have food in your refrigerator that’s spoiled, and we can do things like that.” And it’s just really, really rewarding to help people. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER BUSINESSES IN THIS ARENA? There are other good agencies out there that do what we do and do a good job of it. But I think what our unique selling position is that we are just uber focused on exceeding our customer’s expectations. We are very passionate about it and we’re in it every single day. Whereas in some companies, the owners aren’t involved. It doesn’t mean a bad company, but it just makes them different. We’ve got that down home feel where we’re actually in there and meeting with people, making sure that our staff’s doing what’s needed and addressing issues if they arise. I think that’s what makes us a little unique. SRQ

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forage LOCAL EPICUREAN ADVENTURES AT THE TABLE

This page: At Kolucan, enjoy Cochinita Pibil, a roasted pork dish from the Yucatán.

CULINARY ALCHEMY

Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill invites guests to step into the magical world of authentic Mexican cuisine. Laura Paquette HANDMADE TORTILLAS WARMED ON THE FOGÓN, A RUSTIC FIREWOOD STOVE, in Reyna Europa’s kitchen in Puebla, Mexico. As she

shaped the tortillas, she tossed tomatoes, onions and peppers onto the coals. Smoke curled around the fresh veggies, roasting them until they reached chargrilled perfection. Under the inquisitive eye of her young son, Gino Calleja, Europa took the roasted ingredients and transformed them into salsa asada, the same salsa that Calleja serves today at Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill.

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Above: The Parrillada de Sonora, Cochinita Pibil and Guacamole con Chicharrón pair well with freshly-made corn tortillas and refreshing cocktails like the Paloma de Hibisco and the House Margarita.

“Every time I get behind the line and start cooking, I think of my mom. I remember how, with no sweat, she would prepare a meal on the spot for us to eat,” says Calleja, reflecting back on his early initiation into the culinary world. “She trusted me to cook with her. Eventually, she let me cook for my brothers and sisters. I enjoyed the creative part of it—and the fact that nobody died,” he adds. In 1986, Calleja emigrated from Puebla to New York City, following his brother and working in upscale restaurants in the Big Apple. “There, I saw a different cuisine. It was American, but I was intrigued by how they came out with these nicely composed dishes,” Calleja says. Determined to uncover the secrets behind the final plates, he showed up to work at 6am and left at 11pm, using the extra time to practice butchering fish, opening oysters and preparing vegetables. During this period, Calleja trained under Executive Chef David Chaiken. “David said I didn’t have to be here all day, but I wanted to learn. He wouldn’t have time to teach me during service, so I would take it upon myself to be there three or four hours early when he was there,” he adds. “I remember saying, ‘I want you to teach me.’ And David said ‘I’ll teach you, but the one thing that I ask from you is that whoever asks you the same thing, you pass it on.’”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ZACH DAUTH.

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Calleja kept his word, training chefs in New York and Sarasota, where he opened two locations of Reyna’s Taqueria, named after his mom and original mentor. Intending to scale back, Calleja sold Reyna’s Taqueria on North Beneva but kept the location on South Tamiami Trail. “It was a struggle because it took a lot to build Reyna’s, but I said maybe we’ll take a little break,” he says. Calleja’s break was short-lived, for he came across an opportunity to open a new restaurant and became curious about the possibilities there. “My dream was to oﬀer something authentic that you don’t see anywhere else. The ﬂavors that my mom came out with were so rustic, and I wanted to bring those childhood memories here,” he adds. Calleja partnered with fellow chef José Rojas to establish Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill, a restaurant that weaves together both chefs’ inspirations to create a timeless yet inventive menu that celebrates tradition while catering to modern diners. The restaurant is named after the town in which Calleja and his parents were born, San Lucas Colucán. In the bright and airy restaurant space, friendly servers present dishes, remarking that Kolucan’s menu reminds them of something that their own parents would make. The salsa asada that Calleja grew up watching his mom prepare introduces guests srq magazine_ DEC23 live local | 87

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forage to the culinary immersion that they’re about to experience. The smokiness of the spicy, fireroasted salsa pairs well with the homemade tortilla chips. Patrons delight in Kolucan’s handmade corn tortillas, the blue corn variety of which accompanies the Queso Fundido, a skillet filled to the brim with Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheese, chorizo and pico de gallo. Yellow corn tortillas are served with Guacamole con Chicharrón, which comes topped with roasted pork belly, serrano toreado (panseared serrano chiles) and a garnish of confit tomatoes and papalo, an herb that evokes flavors of cilantro. The robust taste of the corn tortillas, almost thin enough to see through yet unyielding to fillings that would make others fall apart, complements each aperitivo. Larger dishes, or platos fuertes, invite diners to step beyond the walls of Reyna’s kitchen and head to the nopal cactus-covered mountains of Puebla, where Calleja’s family would spend the entire day cooking and visiting. “When you go to the campo, to the mountains, it’s like camping. My mom loved it because the whole family would gather together. We would take the meats and vegetables and do a parrillada, which we serve here,” he says. Using a makeshift grill, the men in Calleja’s family would cook up the meats and vegetables,

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Below, left to right: Chef Gino Calleja is proud to share authentic Mexican flavors; over a steaming Parrillada de Sonora and Guacamole con Chicharrón, guests can imageine Calleja’s experiences eating these dishes in the mountains of Mexico. Kolucan Mexican Bar and Grill, 6644 Gateway Ave., Sarasota, 941-921-3133, kolucan.com.

while the women made tamales and chile atole, a spicy corn soup. “We would go when the corn fields were ready to be harvested, and my mom would make tamales and chile atole right on the spot,” he adds. Kolucan’s Parrillada de Sonora pays homage to the Mexican mountains with carne asada steak, mesquite chicken breast, chorizo links, spicy shrimp, Asadero cheese, cactus, grilled onions and chile toreado. Rice, beans and warm tortillas round out the meal, which is perfect for sharing. “The parrillada became a tradition, and when we traveled to Mexico, we would let everyone know that we were coming so that they could organize it and call my aunts and uncles. Everybody would come, and we would spend the whole day there,” he says. Other platos fuertes include Calleja’s mom’s take on cochinita pibil, a staple from the Yucatán state. Traditionally, tender pork is wrapped in banana and avocado leaves, then roasted in the ground as a base for the dish, but the team at Kolucan marinates the pork overnight, wraps it in the leaves and slowly roasts it in the oven. While much of the menu honors tradition, many of Rojas’ contributions, like the Chiles Rellenos, or poblano peppers stuffed with potatoes, mushrooms, onions, confit tomatoes and

roasted carrots in a vegetable mole with cashew sour cream, adapt dishes for patrons with vegetarian and vegan needs. The Moctezuma’s Lush, a pasilla ancho (a type of chile) chocolate cake with Abuelita’s chocolate mousse and cinnamon crème anglaise provides a sweet finish. Freshly made cocktails, like the Paloma de Hibisco or the Paloma Chula and the iconic margarita, are perfect for happy hour or after-dinner drinks. In the Frida Lounge, a separate area of the restaurant that pays homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, diners can enjoy a cocktail and small bites or attend special events like wine and tequila tastings. At a table in the main dining room, lucky guests sit beside a portrait of a woman, meant to represent Calleja’s mom, standing among the nopal fields of San Lucas Colucán, gazing out at the mountains. Maybe it’s something in the salsa, the painting’s vivid colors or the knowledge that these recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, but if guests close their eyes, they might hear the smoldering of the fogón and glimpse Europa in her kitchen, tossing veggies onto the coals as her son watches, enraptured, unaware that he’s destined to craft that same culinary alchemy in a city hundreds of miles from the mountain town where it all began. SRQ

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STORIES FROM OUR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY

giving coast LEADING WITH A LAUGH

With a sense of humor and a heart of giving, Chip Gaylor has made a significant impact on our community. Barbie Heit

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giving coast

WHEN ASKED ABOUT A WORD THAT HE THINKS HIS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES MIGHT USE TO DESCRIBE HIM, CHIP GAYLOR SAYS,“I believe it would be humorous. I try to find

humor and the positive side to issues.” This light-hearted attitude has served the senior law partner well in his personal, professional and philanthropic endeavors, as evidenced by his 2023 SRQ Good Hero nomination.

W. E. “Chip” Gaylor was born at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and lived in Sarasota until age 10 when his family moved to Nokomis. There, he attended Nokomis Elementary, Venice Junior High and Venice High where he graduated in 1982. He later graduated from Asbury College in 1986 with a BA, The Washington College of Law at the American University in 1989 with his JD and the University of Miami Law School in 1990 with his LL.M. (Master’s in Law in Estate Planning). He feels fortunate to have his parents who still live in Nokomis and is proud to be married to Bryle Gaylor, a CAD interior designer with Westwater Construction. Gaylor first practiced law with the Sarasota/Venice law firm of Isphording, Korp, Payne, Muirhead, White and Horlick, PA. In 1992, attorney Bill Muirhead asked him to join him in a new practice which is known today as Muirhead Gaylor Steves & Waskom, P.A. where Gaylor serves as managing partner. In his first year of practice in the Isphording firm, attorney Cliff White introduced him to Stewart Stearns, the CEO and President of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Shortly thereafter Gaylor was asked to serve on the board of directors, which he did for nine years, serving as Chair of the board from 1995-1997. After he termed off the board in 1998, along with his partner David Steves, he was asked to serve as general counsel to the Foundation. He still serves in this capacity today. Gaylor’s philanthropic spirit is something that comes naturally to him, although he attributes much of it to being a local resident. “Living in Sarasota County, one is surrounded by a history of extremely generous people who gave so selflessly,” shares Gaylor. “That giving spirit continues with new arrivals daily. It is life affirming

In his free time, Gaylor enjoys all waterrelated activities including boating, scuba diving and fishing. He also likes to work in his yard and read, and is currently exploring setting up a podcast to discuss solutions to our nation’s problems instead of just complaining about them. “I plan to call it Down the Middle,” he says “as the vast majority of Americans are sick and tired of the two extremes. “All of us are smarter than one “Living in Sarasota County, one is surrounded of us,” a saying that by a history of extremely generous people who he freely admits stealing from Roxie gave so selflessly. That giving spirit continues Jerde, the CEO of with new arrivals daily.” — W.E. “Chip” Gaylor the Community Foundation of In addition to his involvement with Sarasota County is a favorite of Gaylor’s, the Community Foundation of Sarasota and a testament to what can happen when a County, Gaylor has served on several community works together to solve issues. boards, including the Sarasota County “I also love the saying, ‘if money can fix a Bar Association (President 2017-2018.), problem, it is not a problem’,” he adds. Living by his own personal rules: ‘if it is the Southeastern Council of Foundations in Atlanta, GA (Chaired 2000-2002), the not chocolate, it is not desert’ and ‘visiting New College Library Association, the New family is not a vacation,’ Chip Gaylor’s sense College Foundation, the Sarasota Yacht of humor, outstanding civic and charitable Club, the Sarasota Arts Council, SCOPE, leadership qualities and commitment to the the American Cancer Society—South community make him a true local hero. SRQ county and the Laurel Civic Association. Chip Gaylor was honored as one of SRQ Magazine’s Currently, he does not serve on a board, good heroes in March 2023. nor does he intend to. Instead, he enjoys serving on task forces with a defined goal to be achieved. Most recently, he served as cochair of the Disaster Recovery Task Force at the Community Foundation addressing needs after Hurricane Ian. Good friend and nonprofit consultant Julie McMullen says “Chip’s concern and desire to make a difference is deep within his character. Most people who know him have witnessed his charitable spirit.” to be around these individuals, and it just inspires me to do what I can to add to the philanthropic fabric of our community.” With many success stories to share, Gaylor especially enjoys hearing feedback about how a scholarship to a non-traditional student has changed his or her life. “Having a direct positive impact on an individual who is trying to better his or life is extremely satisfying,” he says.

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By working with the child and parent as a whole family unit, the 2Gen approach creates a legacy of educational success and economic prosperity that passes from one generation to the next. Barbie Heit

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2genonefamily The 2Gen Approach You can invest in a child or you can invest in a parent. But when you invest in a child and a parent intentionally and simultaneously, you begin to build sustainable impacts and results across the region for families struggling to make ends meet. This is the philosophy behind the 2Gen Approach, a program out of Ascend at the Aspen Institute that has been embraced by philanthropic partners like Community Foundation of Sarasota County (CFSC) for the past decade. Since 2013, CFSC has invested in educational programs to benefit low-income children in north Sarasota County, while also providing comprehensive support for their parents. When CFSC first began implementing the 2Gen approach, Alta Vista Elementary School was the pilot school through Suncoast Technical College (STC). A full classroom was built on the Alta Vista campus, so parents could attend classes to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs) using grants at the same time and location as their children attended school, removing major barriers to parent postsecondary education. Over the years, additional training and programs have been added and hundreds of families have been served. “We’ve loved the concept from the very beginning and we’ve been really embracing this whole approach in the work that we do,” shares Kirsten Russell, CFSC’s Vice President of Community Impact. “One of the things that impacted me pretty early on in my time here was listening to a child tell a story. The child had won the prize for the week for good behavior, and she went into the prize box and picked out flashcards. When asked why she picked out flashcards, she said, ‘Well, it’s because my mom’s in school too and this is how she studies’ And that was just a beautiful connection to see.” Russell shares that while each part of our county is unique, north Sarasota County tends to have a lot of single moms who grew up there and for whatever reason, their hopes and dreams were shattered at some point. With the help of the 2Gen program, these women are able to reimagine their futures. “By providing the stipends and the support needed for these families to put food on the table and keep their lights on, we are allowing the parents to focus on their academic or workforce development.” says Russell. “Whatever path you take and whatever your life looks like, there are individuals who make up families, families make up neighborhoods, neighborhoods make up our school system and our community. And when each of those pieces are successful, it means our community is successful. We all want this to be a place that we’re proud to call home and by pouring into the people that make up this community, the return on investment is incredible, but it’s also sustainable.”

This spread, left to right: Taren Battie,

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Samantha Huﬀman, Shanel Siplin, Jalysa Davis and Vanshell Monix are working toward a career in a year with the help of 2Gen partners. Right, left to right: Mary Tucker, Kirsten Russell, Jamie Kattrien and Regina Morris.

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2genonefamily A Partnership with Many While CFSC is very much the funder of the 2Gen programs, Russell shares that it takes a lot of collaboration with several different partners to really run the programs and work with the families. Some of those partnerships include the Housing Authority, Women’s Resource Center (WRC), Parenting Matters, Harvest House, the local school district, Take Stock in Children, Suncoast Technical College, State College of Florida, and so many other organizations that are pouring into the idea of the whole family approach. And, of course, the Aspen Institute remains important to the success of the programming. In fact, on February 6th, CFCS is holding their third Summit in which they are working with Aspen to bring national and local voices together to discuss the innovative practices that support families on their generational journeys to economic stability and educational success. “Hundreds and hundreds of families have been touched in some way, and through different organizations,” shares Russell. “So whether it’s UnidosNow helping our Hispanic population understand how to navigate the school district or Harvest House providing housing and mental health support or Boys & Girls Club offering after-school and summer programming, so many families are being served on some level.” REGINA MORRIS, CASE MANAGER As Case Manager at Women’s Resource Center (WRC), Regina Morris works individually with clients in the program to prioritize their needs and help them create a plan. This plan typically includes linking them to resources within the Center and/or other agencies in the community. “Once the parent receives their scholarship stipend, she will come to me to figure out which bills can be paid based on the amount of money rewarded,” Morris says. In addition to help with bills, WRC offers mental health support, coaching, resume writing and various workshops that all the participants in this program have access to at no cost. “Once they’re done we hope they’ll remember us and stay with us,” Morris adds. “I’ll be here as long as they want me.”

MARY TUCKER, PARENT EDUCATION NAVIGATOR While going back to school and changing the path they’re on might seem impossible to struggling families, help is available and reaching out for it is the first step. Very often, the connections between a parent and support systems are made through referrals from school or community members when they hear the parent say, “I can’t pay my electric bill” or “I can’t pay rent this month.” Through different conversations, the parent may get directed to Mary Tucker, parent education navigator now in her 8th year in the role. 96 | srq magazine_ DEC23 live local

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Tucker works closely with parents with children attending Alta Vista, Emma E. Booker, Gocio and Tuttle Elementary Schools who want to go back to school themselves. “It’s all about making sure they are successful so I try to meet them where they are and find out where the barriers are to them achieving that success,” she says. “It may be that they need help with FAFSA, school applications or career counseling. Whatever it is, we are there to help.” As many of these families are often dealing with some level of trauma, it is important they have trust in Tucker to help treat the trauma and change the trajectory. Since children are in elementary school longer than they are in middle or high school, the parents usually come to see Tucker as a stable person that they always have access to during their journey and they begin to build a relationship and feel comfortable asking for help.

JAMIE KATTRIEN, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY IMPACT In her role as Director of Community Impact at CFSC, Jamie Kattrein leads the foundation’s twogeneration approach and works with organizations to develop opportunities that benefit and support the whole family. “I have the incredible role of working with our 2Gen moms to ensure that the support they need to achieve success and to follow on their path to stability is at their fingertips,” she says.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

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A Career In A Year The five women we meet next have tried to gain an education in the past but between family responsibilities and financial difficulties, they haven’t been able to achieve their goals until now. With the help of 2Gen partners, these adult learners are part of the LPN Cohort which started in February 2023 and will end in February 2024, giving them ‘a career in a year’. “We always say that we don’t work with the willing, we work with the very willing, because at the end of the day, it’s hard work,” shares Russell. “Just because it’s not your funds and it happens to be philanthropy that’s going to support you, does not mean it’s easy. It’s a lot of work to go back to school. These programs are challenging. They’re rigorous. So we want to help someone who really wants to do the work.” While very grateful for their mentors and support systems, they have also become a group of strong women relying on one another to get through a very challenging year-long program.

JALYSA DAVIS has often wanted to go back to school for a career in healthcare but there was always something holding her back. “With the help of Ms. Mary, I knew it was finally the right time,” she says. “I have three boys but once I had my daughter, I knew it was different. I want to be a strong woman and a good role model for her.” Davis has plans to become a registered nurse in the future.

SAMANTHA HUFFMAN is a returning student who started the program last year. Now that her 16 year-old daughter is able to help out with childcare, she feels confident that she’ll be able to complete the program this year. Huffman also plans to come back for the RN program. “I’m very thankful for these ladies taking a little weight off our shoulders so we can do this,” she says.

VANSHELL MONIX felt like she was on a roller coaster for

This spread:

Adrianne Luetzow is a hands-on mom to her five children thanks in part to help she received from the 2Gen program; clockwise: Zacharias Quamina (age 14,) Hezekiah Quamina (age 10,) Abijah Quamina (age 6,) and Naomi Quamina (age 8). To learn more about Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the 2Gen program, please visit www. cfsarasota.org.

a long time when trying to go to school and start a career. Now that her children are older, she feels that they are more selfsufficient and she can focus on this more. Her long-term goals include becoming a registered nurse in women’s healthcare.

TAREN BATTIE couldn’t imagine ever making it back to school. After a friend referred her to the program, she applied, was accepted and connected to all the resources she needed, including a computer, uniform, shoes and backpack. Battie says the journey has been mentally hard but she tells her children, “Let me get through this year and I promise, it’ll get greater later. They are trusting in me and so I need to trust in myself.” SHANEL SIPLA After losing her 52 year-old mom last December, Shanel decided to get back to school. The journey was tough from the start, she says. She was using her mom’s car but it broke down. As the mother of four daughters, one who is completely disabled, she felt hopeless. Her classmate Taren came to her rescue by driving her to class every day. “When I have a career in nursing I’ll be able to better care for my daughter in the long run,” she says. “I am so grateful for these ladies giving us a little cushion because without them and my classmates, this would be so much tougher.”

Adrianne’s Story Adrianne Leutzow had a rough childhood. Bounced around in youth shelters and group homes, Leutzow fell in with a bad crowd and found herself in prison, missing out on the first few years of her two oldest children’s lives. Faced with debt upon her release and a suspension of her drivers license, Leutzow recalls feeling desperate with no way out. And then she learned about the 2Gen program which allowed her to continue her education, send her children to summer camp and spend much needed time with her family. Now the mother of five children ranging in age from six-16, Leutzow is adamant about setting a good example for her kids and helping others who find themselves in bad situations. She is grateful to the 2Gen community partners who have given her so much assistance, but also to other parents in the program who have become her support system and her friends. Her advice to other parents who fall upon hard times: “Keep putting one foot in front of the other and take one step at a time. Get an idea of what you want and anything is possible. Along the way, connect with whoever or whatever is available around you and don’t feel shame, guilt or fear about sharing what is going on in your life. You can’t get the help you need unless others know what you’re dealing with.” SRQ

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S TOR Y OF GI V I N G

2023 AMBASSADORS

SPIRIT OF GIVING CHAMPIONS SHARE THEIR STORIES Philanthropically-minded companies and individuals engage with an incredibly vibrant and diverse ecosystem of nonprofit organizations powering good in Sarasota and Manatee.

ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES CAT DEPOT CHILDREN FIRST IMPACT100 SRQ NAMI SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTIES SAFE PLACE AND RAPE CRISIS CENTER (SPARCC) SARASOTA MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION THE BISHOP MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND NATURE THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD UNITED WAY SUNCOAST YMCA OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WUSF

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S T OR Y O F GIVING

ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK A

ll Faiths Food Bank is the only food bank and largest hunger relief organization in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, providing millions of meals each year through robust programs and partnerships with hundreds of charitable organizations in the community. All Faiths strives to not only solve the immediate problem of food insecurity, but is working to end hunger – forever – by addressing its root causes and helping families achieve self-sufficiency.

WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO THE HOLIDAYS— the gatherings with friends and loved ones, and delicious meals featuring our holiday favorites. But with the high cost of groceries and other essentials, more of our neighbors are turning to the food bank for help. For many years, All Faiths has worked to ensure that EVERYONE can feel the joy of the season. Gifts to the ThankFULL campaign support efforts to bring delicious food and joy to households where they may, otherwise, be in short supply. This year, our goal is to distribute 13,000 turkeys and 3.6 million holiday meals. You can help showcase the true meaning of the season, so everyone can be ThankFULL this holiday. Please consider making a gift to the ThankFULL campaign today. ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK 8171 BLAIKIE COURT, SARASOTA, FL 34240 941.379.6333 | INFO@ALLFAITHSFOODBANK.ORG ALLFAITHSFOODBANK.ORG FACEBOOK.COM/ALLFAITHSFOODBANK INSTAGRAM.COM/ALLFAITHSFOODBANK LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ALL-FAITHS-FOOD-BANK

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S TOR Y OF GI V I N G

CAT DEPOT C

at Depot is Sarasota’s leading feline-only free-roaming rescue, adoption, and education center recognized for excellence in serving the community and leadership in rescuing and finding homes for more than 19,800 homeless and abandoned cats and kittens since 2003. Cat Depot believes in treating every cat with humane kindness, love, and care.

TOGETHER – WE ARE CAT DEPOT! Cat Depot saves lives, finds loving homes, and provides resources and education needed to improve the destiny of homeless cats. Simply put – we help cats and the people who love them. With your help, our priority focus is to keep cats safe and healthy, in their homes, and our lifesaving programs running at full capacity: • RESCUE Cat Depot works daily to rescue abandoned, abused, injured, and free-roaming community/ feral cats and kittens. In 2022, Cat Depot assisted with local and national rescues due to both natural and man-made disasters. • ADOPTION Our goal is to find a good match and loving home for every cat who enters Cat Depot. Nearly 1,200 cats and kittens found forever homes this year through Cat Depot’s adoption program. • COMMUNITY FOOD BANK Cat Depot provides food for over 1000 community cats and underserved personal pets each month. • CAT CARE CLINIC In an effort to care for sick and injured cats and their distressed owners, Cat Depot opened an affordable care clinic in November 2014. Over 4,000 cats and kittens receive treatment each year in the Cat Care Clinic.

2542 17TH STREET, SARASOTA, FL 34234 DIRECT: 941-366-2404 INFO@CATDEPOT.ORG CATDEPOT.ORG

• HUMANE EDUCATION Cat Depot is continually working to offer and develop pertinent educational programs and activities that will meet the needs of both homeless cats and members of the community.

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S T OR Y O F GIVING

THE BISHOP MUSEUM he Bishop ignites passion for science and nature to transform our community and our world. As stewards of science and nature, The Bishop inspires curiosity, builds connections, and creates impactful experiences. The Bishop pursues excellence in integrity, curiosity, and stewardship. We operate with accountability, transparency, and inclusivity. We act with empathy. We have a strong desire to learn and the courage to try new things. We properly represent the scientific method. We care for the Museum and its mission. We care for the items and living things within our walls.

THE BISHOP MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND NATURE IS PROFOUNDLY COMMITTED to creating a spectrum of experiences that inspires the joy of discovery and wonder for all ages! The Bishop contributes to a world where people are connected to science and nature and inspired to learn by incorporating fun, interactive, and memorable experiences that lead to an appreciation of natural history, science, and exploration. The Museum is designed for kids and grown-ups of all ages who are interested in exploring and learning. The Bishop’s special learning programs are a driving influence of the local learning ecosystem, leveraging The Bishop’s thought-provoking exhibits and interactive environments like The Mosaic Backyard Universe— Southwest Florida’s coolest backyard—where students have hands-on opportunities to learn about science, engineering, and experimentation. The Planetarium at The Bishop is a remarkable resource for astronomy education, allowing visitors to explore the far reaches of the cosmos through immersive, virtual journeys of space. The Planetarium uses a state-of-theart projection system and software to lift off from Earth and fly beyond our solar system, out of our galaxy, towards the very edge of the universe. The Bishop also plays a much-needed role in the rehabilitation of Florida manatees. The Bishop’s Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat is a Stage 2 rehabilitation facility—a temporary home where manatees come after their initial critical care needs have been met in manatee hospitals. This second-stage facility offers manatees the opportunity to gain exposure to natural foods and feeding strategies while gaining weight for their return to the wild. Your support is critical to helping The Bishop maintain its role as an educational resource for engaging programs and exhibitions for curious visitors and students and sustaining a successful rehabilitation program for Florida manatees. We hope to inspire future archeologists, nature lovers, scientists, and space explorers. THE BISHOP MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND NATURE 201 10TH STREET WEST, BRADENTON, FL 34205 | 941.746.4131 BISHOPSCIENCE.ORG | INFO@BISHOPSCIENCE.ORG INSTAGRAM: @BISHOPSCIENCEFL | FACEBOOK: @BISHOPSCIENCEFL TIKTOK @BISHOPSCIENCEFL | TWITTER/X @BISHOPSCIENCEFL

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S TOR Y OF GI V I N G

UNITED WAY SUNCOAST

THE HOLIDAYS REPRESENT A SEASON OF GIVING, A TIME FOR JOY. We get it and we love it, but at United Way Suncoast we strive to extend our giving to 365 days. We elevate early learning and education and empower families through financial stability. We work every day to give people the “Freedom To Rise,” and our mission creates a sense of community, whether it’s for people recovering from a hurricane or folks dealing with life’s daily storms. Since 1924, we’ve taken pride in responding to immediate needs while working to create lasting community impact. We’re particularly focused on our ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families who need support 365 days a year. These are families that stand just one unexpected expense away from dire circumstances. A surprising medical expense, a critical home repair or a car issue can arise on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day or any other day. We’re here for our community members every day of the year. Of course, we recognize the festive nature of the holidays. We designated November as the Month of Gratitude, and dedicated those days to giving thanks to our partners, donors and board members who help amplify the good of our mission. Whether it's All Faiths Food Bank, Children First, Jewish Family & Services of the Suncoast, Dreamers Academy, the Women’s Resource Center or our other partners, we’re grateful for all the organizations who help us create lasting change throughout all of Sarasota County and our five-county region, including DeSoto and Manatee counties. Overall, we infuse education, financial stability and support services to lift up working families long after the holiday decorations have come down and the New Year’s Eve confetti has been swept away. We’re here every day for community members because we know no other approach than to be present. We’re here because for 100 years we’ve known no other way than the United Way: bringing together caring stakeholders to make a difference. We’re here and we’ll continue to be here. That’s why we always say: United We Rise, United We Win.

single father of three who works two jobs to make ends meet came to United Way Suncoast to take advantage of our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. In the past, he went to a tax preparer in his neighborhood who prepared his taxes for $200, but couldn’t afford it this year. VITA not only offers free tax preparation, but the IRS trains our volunteers. The two volunteers who worked with the father helped him receive a tax return higher than he had received in previous years. When he wondered why he received a higher return, the volunteers reviewed his tax returns from the past two years and discovered the previous preparer didn’t include one of his children as a dependent. The volunteers filed amendments to his prior tax returns and helped him claim the additional credits due to him. VITA annually prepares thousands of tax returns, returning between $11 million and $13 million to the region. We’re creating economic impact, and giving community members the “Freedom To Rise.”

UNITED WAY SUNCOAST 4215 CONCEPT COURT | LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL 34211 941.748.1313 UNITEDWAYSUNCOAST.ORG

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S T OR Y O F GIVING

YMCA OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA C

The Mission of the YMCA is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. As an inclusive, cause-driven organization, YMCA of Southwest Florida is committed to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. YMCA programs and services are focused on our primary areas of impact that help people achieve their goals and strengthen communities. We create opportunities for people to improve their lives and their communities. Through empowering young people, improving individual and community well-being and inspiring action, we aim to create meaningful change across our communities.

701 CENTER ROAD VENICE, FL 34285 GIVE@YMCASWFL.ORG YMCASWFL.ORG

FOR OVER 56 YEARS, YMCA of Southwest Florida has been a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose and each other. YMCA of Southwest Florida operates ten YMCA facilities, two charter middle schools, four early learning academies and various camps and after school programs across Southwest Florida from Manatee County to Bonita Springs. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, we ensure that everyone has access to the opportunities, relationships and resources necessary to learn, grow and thrive. Giving back and providing support to our neighbors is the heartbeat of the Y. And meeting the emerging needs of our communities is where the Y is often needed the most. The Y ensures life-changing programs and services are available to all. In our communities, the Y has the presence and partnerships to not just promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. In partnering with the Y, you can feel confident your gift is making a positive impact.

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S TOR Y OF GI V I N G

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES has been one of the leading youth-serving organizations in the area for over 50 years. Thousands of kids and teens, ages 6 to 18, across Sarasota and DeSoto counties depend on the Boys & Girls Clubs to access critical resources that empower them to achieve their full potential. The organization is dedicated to helping every individual Club member succeed after high school graduation through its slate of award-winning programs that inspire them to excel in school, become leaders, practice healthy habits, and explore career paths. Together, we can help Club members reach their full potential by making a meaningful impact, inspiring lasting change, and creating the world in which they want to live. We invite you to realize the signiﬁcant impact your support today can have on the leaders of tomorrow.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES 3130 FRUITVILLE ROAD SARASOTA, FL 34237 941.366-3911 BGCSDC.ORG

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S T OR Y O F GIVING

CHILDREN FIRST AS SARASOTA COUNTY’S EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START SERVICES, Children First offers high-quality, comprehensive services to hundreds of at-risk children and families each year at multiple locations across North Port, Sarasota, and Venice. The education, care, and comprehensive services we offer ensure a healthy and strong foundation for success. Through Children First, children receive the social and cognitive skills needed to enter kindergarten on track, nutritious meals, and comprehensive services to support their well-being. Every family works one-on-one with a Family Advocate in setting and meeting financial, educational, and occupational goals to achieve self-sufficiency. We are grateful for your philanthropy that provides what every child and family deserve - access to the services they need to thrive and opportunities for success. OUR MISSION Strengthening children and families by improving the quality of their lives through a comprehensive approach to development, education, health, and well-being. We envision a vibrant community that cherishes education, provides opportunities for children and families to grow and thrive, and encourages and empowers families in supporting their children. CHILDREN FIRST | 1723 N. ORANGE AVENUE, SARASOTA, FL 34234 | 941.953.3877 INFO@CHILDRENFIRST.NET | CHILDRENFIRST.NET | FACEBOOK: @CHILDRENFIRSTHEADSTART INSTAGRAM: @CHILDRENFIRST.HEADSTART | LINKEDIN: @CHILDRENFIRSTHEADSTART

IMPACT100 SRQ IMPACT100 SRQ HAS FUNDED 22 GRANTS TOTALING $2.4 MILLION IN ITS FIRST 5 YEARS The mission of Impact100 SRQ is to empower women to collectively fund transformational grants to nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The model is simple. At least 100 women come together, each makes an annual $1,000 tax-deductible donation, and collectively their donations become part of a grant of at least $100,000 awarded to a local nonprofit. Impact100 SRQ members awarded grants totaling $763,000 in 2023.

• Impact100 SRQ is a self-sustaining, all-volunteer organization, allowing 100% of each member’s annual donation to go toward grant funding. • The more women who join the organization, the more grants Impact100 SRQ can fund. • Impact100 SRQ funds nonprofits for initiatives that are sustainable, and that will provide high impact in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. For more information on how to become a member or apply for a grant, visit our website at www.Impact100SRQ.org or use the QR code below.

Impact100 SRQ’s 2022 Grant Recipients.

IMPACT100 SRQ P.O. BOX 49887 | SARASOTA FLORIDA 34230 INFO@IMPACT100SRQ.ORG ONE WOMAN • ONE VOTE • ONE MISSION

Impact100 SRQ is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization.

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S TOR Y OF GI V I N G

SAFE PLACE AND RAPE CRISIS CENTER, INC. (SPARCC) SPARCC is the only state-certified center for domestic and sexual violence in Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. For over four decades, SPARCC has worked tirelessly to help survivors rebuild their lives. THE MISSION of SPARCC is to provide a safe haven and promote empowerment, awareness, and social change to end domestic and sexual violence. SPARCC serves survivors and children through an outreach center in downtown Sarasota, satellite offices in Venice, North Port and Arcadia and a shelter operating 365 days a year. Wraparound services also include a 24-hour crisis helpline, counseling, hospital response, court advocacy, legal services, economic empowerment, support groups, housing stability and community education. All programs and services are free and confidential.

MAKE A GIFT TO SPARCC With your help, SPARCC can continue to provide lifesaving programs and services for survivors and create a brighter future for all. Donate today at www.SPARCC.net!

SPARCC 2139 MAIN STREET, SARASOTA, FL 34237 | 941.365.0208 | WWW.SPARCC.NET FACEBOOK.COM/SPARCC | INSTAGRAM.COM/SPARCC_SARASOTA

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S T OR Y O F GIVING

NAMI MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS. We know that 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness each year, 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and suicide remains the 2nd leading cause of death among youth aged 10-14. Support is critical to recovery, and for more than 30 years, NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties has provided peer-led mental health support and education programs to individuals and families throughout our community. We focus daily on our mission to improve the lives of individuals, families, and caregivers on their journey to mental wellness. NAMI SERVES MORE THAN 10,000 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES each year through our young adult and adult support groups and education classes, navigation for families with children (0-25), school-based mental health education, and drop-in wellness services for adults. Your support enables us to continue to offer ALL programs AT NO COST for participants.

NAMI SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTIES 2911 FRUTIVILLE ROAD | SARASOTA, FL 34237 941-376-9361 | INFO@NAMISARASOTAMANATEE.ORG NAMISARASOTAMANATEE.ORG

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last flight

BEING IN CHARGE

Brian Walton, CEO, Save Our Seabirds Barbie Heit

he put the call on hold and turned to everyone else and said, with a very confused look “The caller wants to donate 100 cinches.” We were bewildered and a conversation ensued – “what’s a cinch?” We googled it. What could we do with 100 of those? Why would they think we could use them? Then we asked the caller for a picture. Turns out it was 100 finches!

Your favorite virtue is. . . Gratitude. Gratefulness is the opposite of entitlement in my book.

When you were a kid you dreamed of . . . being in charge. It seemed like only then would I have the freedom to do whatever I wanted. I now understand that the person in charge has the least freedom of all.

Your guilty pleasure . . .

As with most–there’s a lot of email, and a lot of meetings. And our office is really small, so we’re all up in each other’s business. The phone rings a lot and those calls usually go the 112 | srq magazine_ DEC23 live local

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What was the funniest thing you remember doing as a kid? My brothers and I used to throw our mattresses out the upstairs window, pile them up and then take turns jumping out onto them.

Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in your life? A pause button would be nice. It definitely feels like things are moving too fast sometimes.

If you had your own talk show, who would your first two guests be? Elon

Your favorite food of the moment is . . . quarter

Musk and Joe Rogan.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? I jumped

I can’t believe I didn’t drive by one McDonalds. There should be a McDonalds on North Tamiami somewhere.

Calzony at Little Caesars. Try it before you judge me!

Your favorite villains in fiction . . . Hans Gruber (Die

Love by Bob Marley.

My last supper would include . . . a larger than

a recent day in the life?

phone answering systems.

Thought you had driving to work this morning . . .

(Tiger King).

same way. Where is the bird located? What is he doing? Can he fly? But today was different. The volunteer answering the phone sounded confused and asked the person on the other end to spell something. Then

If you could undo one invention in the world, what would it be? Automated

out of a plane at 18,000 feet.

Your favorite villains in real life . . . Joe Exotic

executive director of Save Our Seabirds, one of the largest bird rescue and rehabilitation centers in Florida, So sit back, pour yourself a glass of bourbon and get to know Brian.

took me deeper than I intended to go. I’m content being me.

Bourbon. I’m a bourbon snob. On the rocks please. And by “on the rocks” I mean actual frozen stones. I don’t like the ice melting and watering down my drink.

Hard), Hannibal Lector, Annie Wilkes (Misery).

IN THIS INQUISITIVE Q&A SERIES, we get personal with the new

If not yourself, who would you be? I admit it. This question

life ribeye steak cooked medium rare, big loaded baked potato and Pappy Van Winkle.

What song best describes your life right now? One Biggest fashion faux pas? Dress pants on men that are too short with no socks. I just don’t get it.

If you could snap your fingers and appear somewhere else, where would you be? Cape Point, South Africa. Without a doubt the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

Words you use too often . . . “ Yes, dear . . .”

Which cartoon character best represents your personal philosophy? Popeye

With two more hours in the day, I would . . . cram two

— At this point in life “I am what I am and that’s all that I am.”

more hours of work and activity and still not get enough sleep.

You have to wear a t-shirt with one word on it, what would it be? Shhhhhhh. SRQ

Your favorite music artists . . . Muddy Waters, Bob Seger, Chris Botti.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS LEVERETT.

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