Bull-headed determination is not an overstatement when retelling Cammie Chatterton’s story. She established her own company, Bay Food Brokerage, based in Tampa, in 1993 in a male-dominated industry. The company has since grown to 43 employees and had revenue of $9.1 million in 2021, with projected revenue of $10 million to $11 million in 2022. … Read more
Julius Davis is a fourth-generation Tampa native. He grew up in Jackson Heights, went to Chamberlain High School, the University of South Florida … and has worked on some of the most iconic Tampa landmarks, to date. Ulele, Sparkman Wharf, projects at Tampa International Airport, projects that Tampanians drive by every day. His engineering firm, … Read more
Physician Jacqueline Darna checks a lot of boxes in the game of life. She’s a woman, Hispanic, a health care professional, an entrepreneur, intelligent yet a lot of fun, a mother, a wife. The only thing she really isn’t is stationary for long. She is a fiercely smart and driven woman who grew up believing, … Read more
Shilen Patel admits his story is just a portion of the larger story of his family and what they have built, since arriving in the United States. He was born in Tampa, but greatly appreciates the sacrifices and challenges of those that came before him. “Always around me, as a norm, was sort of risk-taking—this … Read more
It’s like the internet meme of where it started and where it ended up. Danny Persaud had dreams of attending Florida State University but he didn’t have a way to pay for it. So, he slept in his car outside of campus for three weeks, looking for work and trying to figure out how to … Read more
Joy Gendusa says she was a ‘ne’er-do-well’ young person. This self-deprecating style of humor couldn’t be more genuine, or endearing, than it is coming from her. With her perseverance, and tenacity, it’s hard to believe it was ever true. Nevertheless, it certainly couldn’t be attributed at this point in her life. Gendusa used her wits … Read more
Photos by Michael McCoy This is a story of a little boy who was born to a large family in India and had large ambitions for success. After seizing any, and every, opportunity to pursue education, he found himself in the United States … with only a few hundred bucks in his pocket. That little … Read more
Scott Fink has come a long way, in a lot of ways. He was raised in the projects of Brooklyn, New York, and through what he calls “being opportunistic,” has amassed an auto empire here in the Tampa Bay area—the Fink Auto Group. Fink Auto Group includes Genesis of New Port Richey, Volkswagen of New … Read more
One day, not too long ago, Erin Meagher was reading information about the benefits of coconut oil. Some of those benefits claimed it could help with brain and heart health, and even weight management, because it boosts metabolism. “I thought if this is real, why isn’t everyone using it?” Meagher says. “These are the three … Read more
Growing up, Tony DiBenedetto experienced firsthand what the common phrase “it takes a village” really means. At a young age, DiBenedetto found himself, essentially, caring for himself. When others his age were planning for homecoming he was couchsurfing, grateful for a place to sleep. He was, what he describes, a little “rough around the edges.” … Read more
