It’s a profound foundation for Suhail Rifaie, family. In almost every important matter in his life. Every goal he has ever set. It’s why he wanted to attend medical school, it’s why he set milestone markers on his life’s journey, with when in his life it was time to have a wife and children, and … Read more
Deborah Duffey says she is an extremely private person. Happiest at home, in her garden, spending time with her family, she lives a fairly quiet life, even if she has leadership positions at a handful of companies. She is president of Dermazone, chief executive officer at Kara Vita and chief operating officer at NuVessl. Chances … Read more
The dictionary definition of a father is as follows: one who loves, supports, guides, encourages and inspires his child or children. Sam Ellison, patriarch of the Ellison family, checks all those boxes and more. His eldest son, Casey Ellison, established EWI Construction, in Tampa, in 2007. His younger son, Cory, joined big brother as the … Read more
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
