Valerie Lavin

Army veteran Valerie Lavin is helping Tampa Bay’s veterans and first responders turn service into successful startups.

► The Pinellas County Commission held a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the ARK Innovation Center, a new 45,000-square-foot business incubator, at 1101 4th St S., in St. Petersburg. (Photo above) ► Bohemios, a tapas restaurant and wine bar that debuted five years ago, in Sarasota, is planning to open a downtown St. Petersburg location,

Valerie and Jeremy Lavin, the founders of Luminary Global, a St. Petersburg-based, veteran-owned and operated company that provides emergency products to citizens, first responders, safety professionals and the military, have entered into a new venture with four former United States Army Green Berets to form a new company called ViTAC Solutions, which officially launches in