How a trip to Japan proved crucial to molding the business methods of Andrew Koenig, CEO of City Furniture

Andrew Koenig’s thirst for knowledge is palpable. While still in college, the CEO of the thriving, and ubiquitous, City Furniture, which is based in Fort Lauderdale and operates nearly two dozen Florida showrooms, traveled more than halfway across the world to learn about excellence in production from the best: Toyota. Hungry luxury companies (such as … Read more

What does it cost to live on a 40-home island with Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen?

A $59 million compound on the star-studded Indian Creek is emerging as a tropical modern playhouse being developed by Todd Michael Glaser and is now accepting bitcoin as payment. The new construction spans nearly 16,000 square feet, featuring architecture and interiors by Kobi Karp, with 12 bedrooms on a 53,696-square-foot lot with 134 feet of … Read more

University of South Florida hits fundraising record with more than $151 million in gifts

►The Florida Board of Governors voted unanimously to formally designate USF as a “Preeminent State Research University,” which will bring the school $6.15 million in additional funding. The University of South Florida also appointed Michael Kelly the new vice president of athletics.

Philanthropic gifts from the University of South Florida community exceeded $151 million in fiscal year 2021-22, the highest amount in the institution’s nearly 70-year history. “Our university has a history of setting ambitious goals and surpassing expectations,” said USF President Rhea Law, in a statement. “I want to convey my deep gratitude to the thousands … Read more

Fixing Tampa Bay’s housing crisis

By Willy Nunn, president and chief executive officer of Homes by West Bay  Attainable. Affordable. Housing. Tampa Bay no longer has a reasonable, available housing market. Rather, frightening statistics covered by local media outlets confirming that we are facing a housing crisis and, potentially, an even bigger economic one. Consider this data: Tampa Bay’s housing … Read more

Valspar Championship generated more than $1.7 million for charity in 2022

The 2022 Valspar Championship, Tampa Bay’s PGA TOUR event, generated charitable contributions of $1,750,364 for charity. The tournament’s charitable initiatives are sponsored through Copperhead Charities. “We are proud of raising this amount, up 7% from last year, while we also provided an outstanding tournament with increased amenities for our fans,” says Ronde Barber, general chair … Read more

College planning strategies to save like an advisor

By Stacey Pittman, CFA, CFP, CPWA, Managing Director, BT Wealth Advisors As a wealth advisor and the mom of a college freshman (Go Gators!), I am acutely aware of the challenges of planning for college. In speaking with clients, I emphasize that education planning is often the most challenging of the areas of financial planning. … Read more

How the pandemic spurred the ‘Great Relocation’ to Tampa Bay

By Ali St Cyr, Broker/Owner at Tomlin St Cyr The pandemic has changed the housing market indefinitely. From what people want in their homes to where they want to live, the real estate industry has transformed over the past two years. Now homes are for working, learning, exercising, entertaining and more. And Florida, particularly Tampa … Read more

Tampa Bay Bowl announces Reliaquest as title sponsor (PHOTOS)

The Tampa Bay Bowl announced Reliaquest as its title sponsorship, changing its name to Reliaquest Bowl. The announcement was made today at a live press conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside. “Reliaquest is a leader in cybersecurity and a key business leader in the Tampa Bay region,” said Troy Atlas, the Bowl Association chairman. “This … Read more