Profiles

Tim Marks never imagined he would become the chief executive officer of Metropolitan Ministries. An electrical engineer by trade and a corporate sales director by success, he spent the first half of his career far removed from the world of nonprofits.  “Anyone can make a difference in a nonprofit,” Marks says during a candid interview,

Danny Persaud is always a busy guy. He often has his business, and philanthropic, eyes on varying different projects and causes. With the racing his mind is often doing, it’s no surprise he also has a passion for race horsing.  After attending the Kentucky Derby, his interest grew and now, it’s another project he’s excited

On February 9, David Pizzo, market president of West Florida for Florida Blue, a Tampa Bay community leader and our friend, passed away, after silently battling pancreatic cancer.  Pizzo was with Florida Blue for 27 years. He was also known locally for his significant work, in the community, in the realm of economic development, nonprofits,

Over the last decade, Erica Dhawan, a best-selling author, founder and chief executive officer of Cotential, a global business consultancy, has built an international reputation as an expert in connectional intelligence and digital communication – but at heart, she’s truly an insightful listener.  Recently named as one of the top 50 Management Thinkers in the

For Kristina Lavallee, life keeps getting sweeter. Founder and namesake of local dessert company, The Cake Girl, Lavallee’s rise to success is already a sweet tale. She first dreamed of owning her own cake company as a little girl, growing up in Puerto Rico and baking with her mother, a chef and caterer, specializing in

When Jessica Barnes joined Vote Run Lead in 2021, she thought it was for only a few months. Two years later, she says she can’t imagine being anywhere else. And she won’t be anytime soon. She was recently appointed as project manager for the St. Petersburg group.  “Vote Run Lead is an organization that trains

Ernest Carrera is well suited behind his desk, as a wealth advisor at Carrera Financial, but he’s also comfortable steering planes high in the sky. Both of those businesses are more complementary than one might think, he says.  Carrera is a fourth-generation Tampa native. His parents met in Ybor City, both were born in Ybor

Giuseppe Greco immigrated from Santo Stefano, Quisquina, Sicily, to the United States in the late 1800s. Giuseppe’s son, Domenico, along with his wife, eventually established the King-Greco Hardware store in Ybor City. Domenico’s son, Dick Greco, would eventually spend his young years there, helping with the family business, before growing up to become mayor of

The day Roy Hellwege, formerly the central Florida president for Lake Michigan Credit Union, agreed to meet with us, he was completely at ease, lighthearted and seemingly content to chat as long as we wanted to. He had nowhere to be that day. Undoubtedly, it was a change of pace from when he was the

The previous CEO talks about the organization’s wins, the growth of the Tampa Bay region and pride for his successor.

Kristina Lavallee, also known as “The Cake Girl,” went viral on social media for designing Tom Brady’s 45th birthday cake, in the shape of a goat. Her business, which started off as a side hustle, in 2008, with Kristina and her husband, Kirby, selling cakes at markets and festivals has turned into a permanent storefront