Entrepreneur Aakash Patel founded Elevate, a Tampa-based strategic business consulting firm providing public relations, community relations, targeted networking and social media, in 2012. Elevate has served over 150 companies to date. A Florida State University graduate, before Elevate’s launch, Patel was an editorial assistant in the Tampa Bay Times’ Tallahassee bureau, the public relations coordinator … Read more

Bruce Lamb is a shareholder and head of the Gunster law firm’s health care practice. Lamb is board-certified by the Florida Bar in state and federal government and administrative practice. He is focused on the representation of health care industry professionals, and entities, before regulatory bodies and in structuring commercial relationships that meet complex regulatory … Read more

Wendy Leigh has had a unique career trajectory: in education, entertainment, the arts, community engagement, marketing, public relations and development and as an executive on a leadership team. In 1999, she won the USF Distinguished Alumna Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Arts—marking the first time it had been given to a theater major. … Read more

Jim Daly is regional president for the West Florida Region at Truist Financial Corp. He assumed his current position in December 2019, upon the closing of the merger of equals between BB&T Corp. and SunTrust Banks. In this role, Daly is the company’s senior leader in the market responsible for delivering the full complement of … Read more

Sarah Combs is the chief executive officer of the University Area Community Development Corp. She joined the organization in 2010, and under her leadership the organization has more than tripled the number of children and adults it reaches with education, health, workforce, cultural arts and other programs. With more than 16 years’ experience in the … Read more

James “Jim” Eisch joined Pinch A Penny in 1992 as chief financial officer and executive vice president. In 2001, he became chief operating officer. He is a certified public accountant and a graduate from the University of Minnesota. Prior to working with Pinch A Penny, Eisch worked for KPMG Peat Marwick as an audit senior … Read more

Ron Christaldi is president and CEO of Shumaker Advisors Florida. He is a board certified health lawyer and chair of Shumaker’s Health Care Practice group in Florida. Christaldi gives back to the community by serving in a variety of organizations in a leadership capacity, including serving as the past chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber … Read more

Porter Smith serves as Tampa Bay market president for American Momentum Bank, a community bank with total assets of more than $1.7 billion. With more than  15 years’ experience in commercial banking, Smith leads the growth of the bank in the Tampa Bay area. He serves commercial business clients and real estate developers out of … Read more

Brian A. Ford Jr. joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 and in his role, oversees all aspects of the organization’s day-to-day business operations and community involvement. He works directly with team ownership to ensure that Buccaneers fans, season pass members and corporate sponsors receive a first- in-class experience. Under Ford’s leadership, the Buccaneers have … Read more