Editor’s Choice

Photos by Penny Rogo Michael Saunders is an iconic member of the Sarasota business community, you may know her by her colorful scarves. The woman with a man’s name built her waterfront luxury real estate business during a time when women needed a male signature to get a $5,000 loan. She’s a leader that doesn’t

►Family-owned, international berry supplier Wish Farms broke ground on its new  headquarters in Plant City. ►Polk State College and United Way of Central Florida launched a pilot program to provide students financial assistance, called “Destination Graduation.” ►Kaylee Strickland of Lithia opened The Back Pocket Recording Studio in Plant City at 1514 S. Alexander St., suite

► The Sarasota YMCA Schoolhouse Link program received a grant of $2,000 from the Millie Rice Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support the educational needs of homeless youth.  ► M/I Homes promoted Kevin Archer to vice president of operations in Sarasota. ► Watercrest Senior Living Group and United Properties will start

►The Sembler Company, a St. Petersburg-based shopping center developer, completed construction of Disston Plaza, a Publix-anchored neighborhood center at the corner of 49th St. N. and 38th Ave. N. ►Digital Media Solutions in Clearwater, an independent digital advertising agency, acquired the BetterLoanChoice.com personal lending marketplace. ►Protect My Car announced that funds managed by Crestview Partners,

►Heart Gallery of Tampa, an organization that creates photographic exhibits aimed at placing foster children in permanent homes, named Amanda Page-Zwierko as executive director. ►Automated Industrial Machinery, a CNC wire bending machine supplier, will relocate its headquarters from Addison, Illinois to Hillsborough County. ►Kyle Mynatt, vice president of technology solutions for DAS Health in Tampa,

Tampa Bay area businessman Bill Edwards sold the Tampa Bay Rowdies  to the Tampa Bay Rays for an undisclosed sum. Management will transition at the conclusion of the season, at which time the Rays will take over the existing contract with the City of St Petersburg for management of Al Lang Stadium, where the team

Photo by Rod Millington My downtown St. Petersburg neighbor Roger Dow is a globetrotter. I love running into him unexpectedly, at an outdoor café on Beach Drive, and listening to him describe his worldwide travels. In fact, he’s my travel hero.  As the CEO and president of the U.S. Travel Association, his Washington, D.C.-based organization

Strategic Property Partners plans to introduce the city’s first hotel-branded condominiums with The Residences at the Tampa EDITION as part of Water Street Tampa, the 50-acre mixed-use development project currently under construction. At the top 15 floors of a 26-story tower, the Residences at the Tampa EDITION will sit above the recently announced 173-room, five-star

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is investing $2.4 billion in its signature Florida casinos, with the latest announcement a $700 million expansion of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. At the same time, the tribe and two partners just completed a $300 million makeover of the former Trump Taj Majal in Atlantic City, New

By Jo-Lynn Brown Tampa Bay area businessman Bill Edwards sold the Tampa Bay Rowdies team to the Tampa Bay Rays for an undisclosed sum. Management will transition at the conclusion of the season, at which time the Rays will take over the existing contract with the City of St Petersburg for management of Al Lang

By Jo-Lynn Brown Photos by Penny Rogo Jeff Gigante is starting a new journey with his newest concept, Forbici. This transition is pivotal because Gigante is arguably one of Tampa Bay’s busiest restaurateurs, with eight restaurants  under the Ciccio umbrella and a long list of philanthropic endeavors. The restaurant group employs more than 1,300 workers

Punit Shah’s latest investment is something completely out of his wheelhouse, and he seems giddy just speaking about it. I’ve always aspired to be part of a professional sports team, and when the opportunity presented itself in early 2017, I pursued it passionately,” Shah says. After approaching multiple groups attempting to be involved, Shah proactively