Chris Pello, an educator and school operations specialist with more than 20 years’ of experience in the Tampa Bay area, has spent his career creating opportunities for students with cognitive challenges. Recognizing a dearth of choices for children with a range of special needs, from autism to Down’s syndrome, Pello and his wife, Bernadette, founded … Read more
Anyone who was lucky enough to have had a summer job knows it can be a rite of passage giving teens some spending cash and a peek into the working world. But it can also be equally beneficial for employers, particularly small businesses. You know those little projects that have been stacking up because you … Read more
It was August 2021, between the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the 20th anniversary of 9/11, when Bryan Stern met his destiny as a first responder. Stern, a former intelligence operative and agent for the Department of Defense, was cruising 33,000 feet over the Atlantic, using spotty airplane Wi-Fi, when he filed the official paperwork … Read more
More than four decades ago, when she first started working in the complicated courts of family law, Jeanne Tate wasn’t looking to revolutionize adoption in Florida. She was simply a young female lawyer in a bustling, all-male office, determined to forge her own path. Searching for a way to specialize and build up her client … Read more
Feeding Tampa Bay is close to reaching its fundraising goal for a new project call the Hub of Opportunity. “As Feeding Tampa Bay works to end hunger in our region, with more meals to our food insecure neighbors, now adding benefits-assistance and job training to bring families to true personal sustainability, a new facility is … Read more
Luminary Global, a St. Petersburg-based, veteran-owned company has donated more than $100,000 in StatPacks medical bags, since the start of 2023. Since the beginning of the year, Luminary has donated 246 medical bags, which are designed to be stocked with life-saving items for advanced life support or basic life support situations. The bag is also … Read more
Back in late 2020, when Jennifer Webb was approached by a friend about a potential leadership role for a new initiative, she had no idea that she stood at an intersection of fate. Rick Homans, then president and chief executive officer of the Tampa Bay Partnership, and David Pizzo, West Central market president, reached out … Read more
Tampa Bay area native Kristen Bracey discovered her life’s vocation while earning her master’s degree in social justice and human rights at Arizona State University. Working in ASU’s office of sex trafficking intervention research, Bracey had the opportunity to take part in a court-mandated diversionary program supported by Catholic Charities. For six years, Bracey … Read more
Community leaders, from organizations in the Tampa Bay area, are working together to build a home for a local family, in the Lealman community, in St. Petersburg. This week, Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties launched its second annual CEO Build, led by honorary Chairs Bill Brand, chief executive officer of Rue21 … Read more
Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation (also known as the Van Wezel Foundation) announced a $10 million contribution from the Paul Seed Fund at KBF CANADA to the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, to support the architect and design team in building a new performing arts center. Paul Seed founded StarTech.com, a company specializing in connectivity … Read more
