Kris Kosaka 
Newly graduated, searching for her first job out of university, Elodie Dorso only knew she wanted to work in the medical industry. Although becoming a nurse or physician was “not in her genes,” Dorso’s early life experiences profoundly impacted the way she saw the world, guiding her toward the non-profit health care space. Now the … Read more
Come August, an important partnership between Pinellas County and the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg expands a healthy world of possibilities for Tampa Bay area middle school students. With the opening last December, of the sprawling, 19-acre Speer YMCA, everything is in place to welcome the first class of the new Mangrove Bay Middle School, … Read more
The sky’s the limit, this Easter weekend, across the Tampa Bay Area. It’s the top guns and right stuff, the dreams of our highest-flying armed forces: soaring, darting aircraft, dynamic daring from skydivers, aeronautical feats of wonder and precision. If you’ve never attended the Tampa Bay AirFest, the Bay area celebration at MacDill Airforce Base, … Read more
Anna Corman, interim director of the Hillsborough Education Foundation, believes in public education, both as her vocation and through her life experience. As a Tampa Bay area native, and graduate of St. Petersburg Collegiate High School, Corman knows firsthand how important it is for students to have choice, and innovation, within their local public schools. … Read more
Over the last decade, Erica Dhawan, a best-selling author, founder and chief executive officer of Cotential, a global business consultancy, has built an international reputation as an expert in connectional intelligence and digital communication – but at heart, she’s truly an insightful listener. Recently named as one of the top 50 Management Thinkers in the … Read more
In his last deployment to Afghanistan, as deputy commander for support with NATO Special Operations Component Command/Special Operations Task Force, Arch McLellan was too busy living in the present to think about his future. Two years later, in 2018, and back in the U.S. for his final assignment at MacDill Airforce Base, McLellan admits he … Read more
For Craig Beckinger, founder and chief executive officer of ABC Event Planning, becoming a 2023 Visionary of the Year candidate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s annual fundraising campaign is more than just working for a good cause. It’s a way to impact the lives of everyone around you, every day. As a Visionary candidate … Read more
For Kristina Lavallee, life keeps getting sweeter. Founder and namesake of local dessert company, The Cake Girl, Lavallee’s rise to success is already a sweet tale. She first dreamed of owning her own cake company as a little girl, growing up in Puerto Rico and baking with her mother, a chef and caterer, specializing in … Read more
For Kristina Lavallee, life keeps getting sweeter. Founder and namesake of local dessert company, The Cake Girl, Lavallee’s rise to success is already a sweet tale. Well-known, around the Tampa Bay area, for her award-winning cake designs (like her infamous “GOAT” cake for Tom Brady’s “100th” birthday), she and Kirby, her husband and business partner, … Read more
Transitioning from the military to civilian life is more than just a career change. It is a life transformation, often forcing a complete reworking of identity and a reconfiguring of self-worth. Operation New Uniform, a nonprofit organization founded in 2014, in Jacksonville, supports veterans and military spouses, across Florida, making this transition. By offering the … Read more
