i4 Business - Healthcare

Rush Construction: Enduring Values

Visit Orlando: ‘Brand Halo’

Social Entrepreneur: ecoSPEARS

Up Close with Kelli Nierstedt

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$4.95

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BUILDING LEGACY UCF Lake Nona Medical Center ACCELERATING INNOVATION WITH IMEC

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Entitled for up to 11 million GSF of mixedused spaces

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Home to BRIDG, imec, NeoCity Academy, and future companies to come NeoCityFL.com

i4 Business Advisory Board WE’D LIKE TO THANK OUR ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS FOR KEEPING THEIR FINGERS ON THE PULSE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPING US BRING YOU THE BEST STORIES FROM AROUND CENTRAL FLORIDA.

Thank You

Judi Awsumb, Awsumb Enterprises

This Month's Featured Advisory Board Members Lisa Lochridge Lisa Lochridge is the director of public affairs for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, where she oversees the organization’s communication with its members and the media on topics ranging from trade issues to food safety to immigration reform. Specializing in media relations and crisis communication, she previously served as vice president of CBR Public Relations. Before that, she was a veteran journalist, holding numerous news editor positions at the Orlando Sentinel for 21 years. Lochridge is a member of the board of directors for Second Harvest Food Bank, where she serves as secretary and chief governance officer.

Jim Bowie, University of Central Florida Business Incubator Program Jackie Brito, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College Elaine Brouca, Consulate General of Canada Office in Miami Cari Coats, Accendo Leadership Advisory Group Andrew Cole, East Orlando Chamber of Commerce John Davis, Orlando Regional Chamber Stina D'Uva, West Orange Chamber of Commerce Carol Ann Dykes Logue, University of Central Florida Business Incubator Program Harry Ellis, Next Horizon Susan Fernandez, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Lena Graham-Morris, HORUS Construction

Laureen Martinez Laureen Martinez is the senior director of marketing and communications at the Orlando Economic Partnership, where she leads media relations and all digital and traditional marketing and communications strategies. She began her career as a television reporter covering major events including the attacks of 9/11 and the Beltway sniper shootings, and interviewed personalities of note including President Jimmy Carter. Prior to joining the Partnership, she developed and implemented internal and external communications campaigns for Orange County Government and the American Red Cross MidFlorida Region.

Mark Allen Hayes, Stockworth Studios Gwen Hewitt, United Negro College Fund Karen Keene, ATHENA Orlando Women's Leadership and Dean Mead Attorneys at Law Shelley Lauten, Central Florida Commission on Homelessness Lisa Lochridge, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association Catherine Losey, Losey PLLC law firm Laureen Martinez, Orlando Economic Partnership Hope Edwards Newsome, Triloma Financial Group Rob Panepinto, Florentine Strategies Romaine Seguin, UPS Global Freight Forwarding Mary Shanklin, Fifth Estate Media Marni Spence, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)

Rob Panepinto Rob Panepinto is president of Florentine Strategies, which provides strategic consulting and investment capital for early stage companies. He is also the CEO of Entrepreneurs in Action, managing a local social venture fund.

Panepinto is a senior strategic advisor and director of the Downtown Innovation District for the University of Central Florida.

Previously, he was part of the founding executive team for Connextions, helping it grow from a small manufacturing company to an innovative health care technology/services organization with more than 5,000 employees. Panepinto is chairman of the Rally Social Enterprise Accelerator and past chair of the Central Florida Foundation.

Robert Utsey, Coastal Construction i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 5

JUNE 2019

Features 18

A Life Project

22

Accelerating Innovation, Reducing Risk

25

Robots at Work

28 32

Rush Construction: Enduring Values

UCF and HCA Build Legacy with Lake Nona Teaching Hospital

Belgian R&D Organization imec Finds Opportunity in Central Florida

Nicholson Center Offers Latest in High-Tech Surgical Training and Research

The History and Future of Wellness

West Orange Healthcare District

Building a Future for 35 Years

RUSH Construction: New Divisions, Enduring Values

Visit Orlando: ‘Brand Halo’

Social Entrepreneur: ecoSPEARS

ON THE COVER

Up Close with Kelli Nierstedt

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$4.95

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Wendy Brandon and Dr. Deborah Germanman

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Julie Fletcher

BUILDING LEGACY UCF Lake Nona Medical Center ACCELERATING INNOVATION WITH IMEC

6 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

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Promoting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

Celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that thrives in the Central Florida region

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Promoting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

BEST PRACTICES GUEST EXPERT COLUMNS

46

Online Privacy: You Can Run but You Can’t Hide Romaine Seguin | UPS International

48

Top 3 Reasons to Adopt Sales Enablement Cynthia Blackwell | Cynthia Blackwell Consulting

50

Why Podcasting Should Be Your Next Marketing Move Cherise Czaban | i4 Business

52

Promoting Growth Through Employee Volunteerism Brett Steele | Insperity

DEPARTMENTS

11

Publisher’s Perspective

13

From the Editor

14

Business Briefs

16

On the Rise Innovators | Influencers and Industry Leaders

34

Take 5 with Visit Orlando Creating a Healthy 'Brand Halo'

SPOTLIGHTS

38

36

Housing is Hope

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL Shari Dingle Costantini, RN, MBA | Avant Healthcare Solutions

Pathways Helps Homeless People Integrate Back into the Community

40

42

Up Close

Ismael El Korchi and Kent Winkelseth | Kindred Homes and Shelter Mortgage

With Kelly Nierstedt

41

54

Lauren Arevalo and Nicole McMurray | AppleOne

Social Entrepreneur

Revitalizing Toxic Waterways and Cities ecoSPEARS is Disrupting an Industry with NASA Environmental Technology

58

Downtime Unique Experiences for Your Day Off

60

Business Seens

64

Watercooler

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CEO | PUBLISHER Cherise Czaban

Promoting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Diane Sears DIRECTOR OF ENCOURAGEMENT Donna Duda COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Meaghan Branham DIGITAL BRAND MANAGER Elyssa Coultas MAIN PHOTOGRAPHY Julie Fletcher ART DIRECTOR Tanya Mutton - Sidekick Creations COPY EDITOR Susan Howard, APR CONTRIBUTORS Writers: George Aguel, Cynthia Blackwell, Meaghan Branham, Elyssa Coultas, Cherise Czaban, Shelley Lauten, Diane Sears, Brett Steele, Romaine Seguin Photography: Julie Fletcher ADVERTISING Cherise Czaban - 321.848.3530 i4 Business is a participating member of:

SPECIAL SECTION

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS The invaluable marketing tool will spotlight many of the top Young Professionals in Central Florida through comprehensive full-gloss color profiles in our print and digital editions.

The spotlight will also be published online at i4biz.com and promoted through our social media channels, in addition to our Special Edition YP newsletter.

Daniel Haddad

YOUNG PROFE

SSIONALS

Manager of Power Plan t Engineering

Orlando Utilities

yp

Commission

"

Creating an atmosphere whe re my team has the ability to succ eed is my favorite part of what I do.

— Daniel Hadd

ad

Setting an Example

Long before Danie l Haddad began his engin This stayed with eering career, him, and he was learning the while earning ins and outs a mechanical of the industry engineering degre from his father e at the , who worked at University of the Orlando Central Florid Utilities Comm a, Hadd ad became an ission (OUC – OUC coThe Reliable One) op student, a throu role ghout that led Haddad’s childh to a position as ood. a full-time seized opportuniti “He always engineer upon es to teach his graduation. me about ‘how things work’ in all areas of life, “Every role I’ve but held has in terms of engin especially prepared me in some way eering and problem solvin for my curren g,” said Haddad. t one,” he said.

“There are oppor tunities to Those learning grow your abiliti opportunities es in every role, led to an intere and taking those st in the field opportunities of engineering will prepare you , and in OUC for something as an employer. else someday “[My father] that you will often spoke about never be able to predict.” fortunate he was how to work for a company that That “something valued his commitment out to be his curren else” turned to his family above t position his job,” recall as manager of ed Haddad. power engineering, where plant he leads his

team through empowerment.

“I want them to be their absolu te best, and it’s my job to provide them with the opportunity to do that,” Hadd ad said.

Now, in his 11th year at OUC, and with three children of his own, he works to keep the company movin g forward, all while upholding the same respe ct for employees and their famili es that his father valued so much .

“We are alway s striving to improve and adapt to changing times, but we remain steadf ast in the sense that employees are valued over the bottom line,” said Haddad.

“I don’t see that changing anytim e soon.” ◆ i4Biz.com | OCTO

BER 2018 | 33

COMING September 2019! i4Biz.com Tel: 407.730.2961 i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 9

®

Promoting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

SPOTLIGHTING FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS The November 2019 edition will include a special marketing section spotlighting the achievements and offerings of financial professionals throughout the Orlando region.

SUBSCRIBE Visit i4biz.com or send $24.95 for a one-year (12 issues) or $39.95 for a two-year (24 issues) subscription to: i4 Business, 121 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1500, Orlando, FL 32801. Please include name, mailing address, city, state, ZIP code, phone number and email. Please allow 4-6 weeks for subscription to start.

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REPRINTS Reprints and commemorative plaques may be ordered from Meaghan Branham with i4 Business, 321-7598977. No other companies offering similar products or services are affiliated with i4 Business.

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Tel. 407-730-2961 | i4biz.com

This invaluable marketing tool will spotlight many of the top financial professionals in Central Florida through comprehensive full-gloss color profiles in our print and digital editions.

The spotlight will also be published online at i4biz.com and promoted through our social media channels, in addition to our Special Edition FP newsletter.

| FINANCIAL

ALS

Trisha Delatte TITLE: VP Treasur y Sales Manage r COMPANY: Axiom Bank YEARS IN AREA:

7

YEARS IN INDUST RY: 24 WEBSITE: www.Ax iomBan

T

king.com

risha started at Axiom Bank in May 2016, responsibilities where her primary are growing and deposit relations maintaining commer hips. She has deposit cial tailored to the relationship experien individual needs ce of the business clients.

This includes deposito commercial and small to electronic treasury ry accounts in addition services. She began career as a teller her 24-year banking at a small bank on the Naval Air Pensacola, FL. Since then, she Station in has held several increasing responsi positions with bility at various banks and credit The best advice she ever received unions.

— you can be you want to be whomever — has influenc ed her entire professio Because her top priority is to be nal life. a difference maker, pride in demonst she takes rating a positive spirit and helping achieve their goals. people ◆

42]NOVEMBER

i4biz.com Tel: 407.730.2961 10 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

PROFESSION

2017 i4Biz.com

The contents of i4 Business magazine, i4biz.com and any other media extensions related to the brand, including advertisements, articles, graphics, websites, web postings and all other information (“contents”) published, are for informational purposes only. i4 Business® and all other affiliated brands do not necessarily endorse, verify, or agree with the contents contained in i4 Business. i4 Business makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness, timeliness, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced. i4 Business shall not be held liable for any errors or omissions. © 2019. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Publisher's Perspective

SHARING THE STORIES SHAPING OUR FUTURE

“All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine.”

— Jim Rohn

E

very person — and every business — has a unique story to tell. And Central Florida is home to millions of those stories: all different, all remarkable and all worth telling.

Through these stories, we forge our understanding of ourselves, the people around us and the world we live in — creating relationships and inspiring others.

Creating a legacy for many generations to come … creating solutions … collaborating … accelerating innovation … these are just a few of the common threads you’ll see in this month’s issue.

The stories we have the privilege of telling are about those individuals who are creating legacies. They are stories about courageous people who believe in their dreams, are making a positive impact, personify the entrepreneurial spirit, bring out the best in others, and make a difference in people’s lives.

We are blessed to have an audience that is made up of the same type of individuals.

To your success,

Central Florida is a place of innovation, filled with industry leaders who invest themselves in building our community.

We have the privilege here at i4 Business of telling the stories of leaders in different industries, and one thing they have in common is their enthusiasm for the role they play in making a difference.

I’m a firm believer that if you truly love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life. Our passion and enthusiasm shines through because we have a clear vision about what we’re working to accomplish.

If we end up on the wrong path, we can tell by our lack of passion. It is within our power to choose a new path, and even do it again and again until we find the one that fits. You know when you’re doing something you’re passionate about because when you’re “in the zone,” you feel like you’re flying. You realize you’d do what you do for free if you had to — although you’re glad you don’t.

CEO and Publisher

Favorite quotes from this issue

“I was at a point in life, both personally and professionally, when I started thinking about, ‘What’s my legacy?”

“I was looking for a life project.

A project that would allow me to look back when I’m 90 like my dad and say, ‘Good job. You did something worthwhile. ’”

“The goal is that the company continues for many generations to come”

— Wendy Brandon, Page 19

— Dr. Deborah German, Page 20

— William Chivers – Page 33

i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 11

Communicat ion and deliver y platforms continually change and evolve. The constant in that change is the power of story. Print or digital, whatever platform you use, we have a way for you to connect to that story.

Connect with us on our social media channels: Facebook

to see where we are today

Connect With Us

12 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

Instagram

to join us in daily experiences

Twitter

for breaking news on us and our partners

LinkedIn

for our background and latest articles

From the Editor

A Healthy Outlook

I

t’s hard not to notice all the activity taking place in health care these days — and how it’s changing the Central Florida landscape.

Health care companies are buying up smaller hospitals, clinics, labs and other properties so they can expand the specialties they offer. They’re updating their brands to better promote proactive wellness instead of reactive treatment.

We are a reflection of what’s happening on a national scale. But we are also leading the way.

Health care organizations announced a record 115 merger and acquisition transactions in the United States in 2017 and an additional 90 deals in 2018, according to Chicago-based M&A advisory firm Kauffman Hall. Florida recorded the secondhighest number of deals last year with seven, topped only by Texas with eight.

What does this all mean? It indicates the health care industry is getting ready for the future. With baby boomers starting to age, and their children having babies and living life to the fullest as history’s largest generation, there’s an increasing need for more proactive measures to keep us healthy — and more people to help us heal when we get sick. Our article on the West Orange Healthcare District shows how our region is balancing wellness and treatment.

There’s also a lot of unusual activity in the industry that will lead to more competition, including discussion in the Florida Legislature about tossing out the requirements for hospitals to obtain a certificate of need to justify there is enough space for them in the market.

That’s why the upcoming addition of the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center and all it represents as a future world-class teaching hospital is so exciting. The hospital’s CEO, Wendy Brandon, said 1,100 new physicians in the United States who were seeking residencies this spring did not get

a match. The Lake Nona hospital will help fill gaps like that one in the future.

Technology will also play a major role in helping our health care system face the future. Central Florida is leading the way in that area, too. The futuristic work in research and development by Belgian not-for-profit imec and in robotic surgery training at the AdventHealth Nicholson Center, both profiled in this issue, is inspiring.

I recently spent time with a friend who was having inpatient surgery at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital on Turkey Lake Road, part of Orlando Health. We spoke about how great it was to be in a facility that had the relaxing feel of a smaller community hospital but the resources of the company’s larger Orlando Regional Medical Center campus downtown, including excellent medical and administrative staff. I’m happy to say he is recovering much quicker than expected.

We are fortunate in Central Florida to have renowned health care resources already, and these are only going to continue to get better.

One byproduct is the creation of more jobs, not only in the medical profession but also in architecture, construction, landscaping, interior design, technology, marketing, hospitality and other fields. That’s what I call healthy growth.

Have a great month!

Editor-in-Chief

i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 13

Business Briefs

Walt Disney World Invests $1.5 Million for New Valencia Culinary and Hospitality Space Walt Disney World has donated $1.5 million for the Valencia College culinary arts and hospitality program that will be housed in the school’s new shared campus with University of Central Florida (UCF) that opens in August in downtown Orlando.

The funding is for state-of-theart classrooms and cutting-edge equipment that will help the hospitality industry create a pipeline of talent.

Named the Walt Disney World Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality, the facility will offer degree programs, certificates and workforce training.

The programs will occupy three floors of a 15-story tower called UnionWest and will allow the college to triple the number of students enrolled.

Orlando Tops Tourism Record with 75 Million Orlando broke a national tourism record again in 2018, hosting 75 million visitors, according to Visit Orlando, the region’s tourism marketing agency.

The new number represents a 4.2 percent increase over the previous year, when the region hosted a record-breaking 72 million people as the most-visited destination in the United States. Visit Orlando President and CEO George Aguel announced the new numbers in May.

Orlando Health Donates $1 Million for Pulse Scholarship and Memorial Orlando Health has announced it will donate $1 million to help build the National Pulse Memorial & Museum in memory of the 49 people who died in the nightclub massacre on June 12, 2016. Most of the victims were treated at the not-for-profit health care organization’s Orlando Regional Medical Center located near the nightclub.

The donation will be for a memorial to be built on the site of the nightclub building, a museum to house 7,000 artifacts, and a walkway called the Orlando Health Survivors Walk to connect the memorial to a garden outside the ORMC emergency room entrance. The money also will go toward an endowed scholarship for someone majoring in health care.

Details have not been released.

The Florida Legislature has earmarked $500,000 for the memorial and museum, and the Orange County Commission has pledged $10 million in tourist taxes.

Business 14 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

Innovation

Education

History Center Wins Nation’s Top Award The Orange County Regional History Center has received the 2019 National Medal for Museum and Library Services, the highest honor in the United States for cultural institutions.

The History Center was also recognized in 2017 by the American Alliance of Museums for an exhibit chronicling the community’s response to the Pulse nightclub massacre of June 2016, when 49 people were killed in a mass shooting. Artifacts collected after the tragedy are viewable online at www.oneorlandocollection.com.

The museum, which opened in 2000, is located in the former Orange County Courthouse at 65 E. Central Blvd. in downtown Orlando and features exhibits on how the region grew from Native American roots to embrace the citrus, tourism, space and technology industries.

The Orange County Library System, which is based next door to the museum, received the 2018 National Medal for Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides federal support for museums and libraries.

Orlando Top U.S. City for Starting a Business

Demings Urges Sales Tax Hike to Improve Transportation In his first annual State of the County speech, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he is pushing for a one-cent sales tax increase to pay for improvements to the Lynx bus service, SunRail commuter rail and other transportation initiatives. The current Orange County sales tax is 6.5%.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 1,200 people at the Orange County Convention Center on May 16, Demings showed a video of Lynx riders expressing their thoughts about their experiences using bus transportation for daily trips throughout Central Florida. Commute times, which often take multiple hours on public transportation, could be shortened substantially with additional buses and routes, the mayor said.

Orlando was named as the top large city in the U.S. to start a business, according to personal finance website WalletHub, which released the findings in May. The organization’s study compared 100 cities in 19 key metrics that ranged from five-year business survival rate to office space affordability.

Oklahoma City was ranked second, followed by Miami at third. Rounding out the top 10 were Austin, Tampa, Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, Atlanta and Denver.

Jacksonville ranked 12th and St. Petersburg ranked 14th.

WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS? Do you have some news you’d like us to share with the community? Please be aware that we work two to three months in advance of our publication date. Submit press releases and announcements to press@i4biz.com.

Tourism

Growth

Inspiration i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 15

ON THE

RISE

iNNOVATORS | iNFLUENCERS | iNDUSTRY LEADERS

GEORGE TATE III Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, expanded its litigation bench in Orlando with Construction Law Florida Bar Certified Attorney George “Trey” Tate III. Tate is skilled in complex construction litigation and spearheaded the multiparty project agreements to begin construction of Medical City at Lake Nona.

JONATHAN PIERCE Pulte Group’s North Florida division has announced that Jonathan Pierce has been named vice president of construction. In this new role, Pierce will be responsible for overseeing construction operations, including construction, customer care and support teams for the North Florida division. The division closes on more than 1,500 homes annually.

MATTHEW DETZEL Litigation attorney Matthew Detzel has joined Holland & Knight’s Orlando office as a partner. Detzel focuses his practice on helping institutional clients detect, respond to and resolve complex fraud schemes, routinely serving as advisor, investigator and an advocate in litigation and appeals. Detzel earned a J.D. degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Florida.

16 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

ELISHA GONZÁLEZ BONNEWITZ FAIRWINDS Credit Union, one of the largest locally owned and operated financial institutions in Central Florida, has added Elisha González Bonnewitz as a new vice president of community relations and government affairs. Skilled in philanthropy, constituent outreach and issues management, she will oversee activities in Brevard, Volusia and Tampaarea markets.

CATHERINE NORRIS Catherine Norris has joined Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin as an associate. A member of the casualty department, she focuses her practice on automobile negligence and premises liability matters. A graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, she worked for U.S. Congressman Bill Posey on Capitol Hill and the Brevard County Attorney's Office.

SARA BERNARD Real estate attorney Sara Bernard has joined Holland & Knight’s Orlando office as a partner. Bernard handles a wide range of transactions as counsel for developers, builders, institutional lenders, and public and private entities.

She serves on the University of Central Florida Foundation board of directors and is an executive committee member of the University of Central Florida Alumni Association.

MATT RUSSO Matt Russo has rejoined RMC Group as vice president of operations. He will be responsible for providing direction and assistance to each division head in connection with the placement of business. He brings over 14 years of experience to the agency, with a diverse background in risk management and engineering. Russo graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a civil engineering degree.

ROSANGELA PARKER Restaurant Managers LLC acquired exclusive rights to the Salata Salad Kitchen brand for the state of Florida and has recruited Rosangela Parker as its marketing manager to assist with the rollout of a projected 35 locations statewide. Parker has more than 10 years of experience in tourism, marketing and brand development.

ON THE RISE features individuals in your organization who have been promoted, new team members, board appointments or other employee announcements.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AT: WWW.I4BIZ.COM/ONTHERISE

Giving Hope, Changing Lives 365 days of the year.

Since 1920, The Salvation Army Orlando Metropolitan Area Command has worked to improve quality of life for men, women and children. The Army offers an array of social services that range from providing shelter for the homeless to permanent housing for low-income seniors. Collaboration with local agencies helps the Army to combat homelessness, food insecurity and lack of affordable housing. Visit our website for a list of programs and services offered in your community.

407.423.8581 www.salvationarmyorlando.org Follow us on social media.

Facebook: @salvationarmyorlando Twitter: @salarmyorlando 416 West Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32804

A LIFE PROJECT UCF and HCA Healthcare Build a Legacy in Lake Nona On a 36-acre construction site near Orlando International Airport, UCF Lake Nona Medical Center is beginning to take shape. The 64-bed teaching hospital is set to open late next year. Already approved to expand to 500 beds over time, it will be part of the growing University of Central Florida Academic Health Sciences Campus.

18 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO BUILD HERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS A DESTINATION — AN ACADEMIC HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER THAT ALLOWS US TO COMPETE WITH THE VERY BEST IN THE COUNTRY. — Dr. Deborah German

Dr. Deborah German and Wendy Brandon

Beam in place at teaching hospital

But the site holds so much more than construction steel.

accept the dean position for a medical school that had not yet been built.

It holds the potential to put Central Florida on the map as a national and even worldwide destination for academic medical research and the future of patient care. It holds a planned pipeline of new medical professionals to help fill a statewide gap in talent in the coming years. It holds a place as a cornerstone, along with cutting-edge facilities including the VA Medical Center and Nemours Children's Hospital, in the emerging 7,000-acre Lake Nona Medical City developed by the Tavistock Group.

“What I saw when I looked at this was the opportunity to build this century’s premier medical school — one that would anchor a medical city that would one day be a global destination for research, patient care and education,” German said.

“To me it was like a dream come true. Who could turn down such an offer to come and build something that would have such impact not only on the Central Florida community but on the state and ultimately on the nation?”

And within all of that, it holds the promise of becoming the legacy of two powerhouse leaders who are staking their lifelong careers on making the teaching hospital not only a reality but a success. They are Dr. Deborah German, UCF’s vice president for health affairs and the founding dean of the UCF College of Medicine, and Wendy Brandon, a 24-year veteran of the nationwide HCA Healthcare organization who started her new role as CEO of the future teaching hospital in January.

For Brandon, the project represents a chance to build something unique to the 186-hospital HCA Healthcare system. As the CEO of HCA Healthcare’s 221-bed Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, she was helping with design plans for the Lake Nona facility when she realized she couldn’t hand it off to someone else. She had invested her heart.

For German, the hospital is key to her vision of creating an academic medical center that will join the ranks of the most prestigious in the nation, including Harvard Medical School in Boston, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It was this vision that spurred her to move to Orlando in 2006 to

“I was at a point in life, both personally and professionally, when I started thinking about, ‘What’s my legacy? Once I’ve retired and have been out of health care for a long time, what will I look back on and feel I’ve contributed to the community?’ I felt like the chance to come build the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center and lead the team into the future was an i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 19

opportunity I could not pass up. It’s going to be defining and change the landscape of health care in our community. That was the catalyst for me.”

Both leaders speak about the difference the teaching hospital will make for students, for patients, for UCF, for Central Florida, and potentially for the nation and the future of medicine. That makes the personal investment well worth their time and dedication.

“I was looking for a life project,” German said. “A project that would allow me to look back when I’m 90 like my dad and say, ‘Good job. You did something worthwhile.’ And when I saw the 7,000 acres and the airport, I thought, ‘This is it. This is the right place where you can paint a beautiful picture, and you can paint with a bunch of really talented people.’ The university was filled with talented people, the developer Tavistock was filled with high ideals and big dreams, and it just felt like this community was the right place — fertile ground for a big dream.”

A Shared Passion By coincidence, both women have deep connections to Nashville, Tennessee. Brandon was raised near there and earned her MBA from Belmont University in Nashville after getting a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin. HCA Healthcare was founded in Nashville and its headquarters are there.

German, who earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Boston University and her M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School, worked in Nashville for 17 years, first with Vanderbilt University and then with St. Thomas Hospital. Her roles bridged health care, academia and business while she continued to practice medicine as an internist and a rheumatologist.

But it was their passion for the health care industry that brought them together. The two met when Brandon reached out to German about having HCA Healthcare doctors serve as adjunct faculty for the new UCF College of Medicine, which admitted its first graduating class in the fall of 2009.

Brandon spoke about their connection in a March 2016 article in i4 Business: “Both Dr. German and I believe in the significance of investing in relationships. She was willing to come to my hospital and get to know me, and that meant so much. I’ve learned a great deal from her. When you make that type of investment, you never know where it will lead.”

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Today they spend a lot of time working together — and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

Getting Ready A lot of the initial work has been collaborating with architects and engineers. Each detail in the design and construction of the teaching hospital must be handled with an eye toward future expansion. For instance, areas that house support services on the first floor, where patients check in, can be reconfigured with growth. The hospital will start with three floors and the ability to add four more, and there is space carved out for another seven-story tower next door.

Brandon has turned her attention these days to hiring the right people to open and operate the hospital. She expects to have the staff in place by mid-2020, but an exact opening date is difficult to predict.

“Once the building is complete and ready for us to move in, there is a lot that will happen before we’re ready to open the doors of the hospital,” Brandon said. “Our team will move in, we’ll orient, we will do simulations of various patient care scenarios, test our systems. We’ll work very closely with some of our colleagues across HCA Healthcare who will come in and help us with a lot of that activity. And then there are many different surveying and accrediting bodies that will come in and make sure we’re ready.”

Once the hospital opens, it’s hard to know how quickly it will fill with patients. That patient volume is key to how quickly UCF and HCA Healthcare residency programs will begin at the facility.

Today, 445 physicians are training in UCF-HCA Healthcare residencies at HCA Healthcare hospitals in Kissimmee, Ocala, Gainesville and soon Pensacola. Residents eventually will work at the Lake Nona facility.

“Opening a hospital is a highly choreographed event,” German said. “We have to make sure all of the professionals are in place.

It will from the very beginning be a teaching hospital, which means there will be medical students in the hospital as learners.

The residency programs will come later. We want to make sure we have a high enough volume so that we can build a residency program that will give our residents substantial experiences.”

Teaching hospital rendering

I LOVE LEADING HOSPITALS — THAT’S WHAT I’VE DONE MY WHOLE CAREER. BUT THIS IS A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT I’VE ALWAYS DONE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, WITH A PARTNER WHO’S VERY FOCUSED ON EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. IT’S A GREAT MARRIAGE OF OUR GOALS. THAT’S WHAT DRIVES ME AND KEEPS ME EXCITED. — Wendy Brandon

Academic Benefits

What’s Next

Adding the teaching hospital is a critical piece for UCF, German said.

Through the hospital, HCA Healthcare and UCF will help fill the growing gap of health care workers not only locally but nationwide.

“The presence of a closely affiliated or owned hospital allows us to become an academic health science center,” she said.

“Those words probably don’t mean anything to most people.

But when you develop an academic health science center, you attract a different kind of student and a different kind of faculty.

People in the field recognize that academic health science centers are where development of the future takes place.”

The students will benefit by working with a hospital that is not only using today’s technology, cures and medicine but is also developing future technology, cures and medicine.

“For students, that is the most exciting thing of all because it’s the difference between learning a trade and creating the future,” German said.

“Because medicine is always advancing, you’re always a little bit behind unless you are creating the future.”

Working with the students will also benefit the hospital’s medical professionals, Brandon said.

“When someone is working alongside you and you’re explaining what you’re doing and why, it causes you to think differently,” she said. “You’re not just doing it automatically.

You’re having to give it real thought. That causes you to question whether that’s the best way. When you’re teaching as you’re doing, it keeps you sharp.”

“Central Floridians already have a great sense of pride for the University of Central Florida and the incredible work they’re doing,” Brandon said. “This is a crown jewel for the community to have a teaching hospital. Because when you train people in your community, they tend to stay there. You start building your life when you’re in medical school and move on to residency and fellowship training. The deeper our educational experience is in Orlando, the more physicians long-term who will be attracted to stay in our area, or even come to our area.”

Research and development taking place at the hospital will also attract other health care ventures to the Orlando area, Brandon said. As the ecosystem grows at the UCF Academic Health Sciences Campus, German will continue pushing for additional initiatives.

“We have at least 100 things to do after the teaching hospital,” German said. “We’re working on a number of centers and institutes, we need other colleges out here. Anything that is medical or health-related is on the agenda. Remember, it’s a life project, so we want to do everything.

“I have to say, there are days when I can’t believe we’ve done as much as we have, and there are other days when I think, ‘Why haven’t we finished?’ We’re having success. And there’s more to come. I don’t want anyone to think we’re done.” P i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 21

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Accelerating Innovation, Reducing Risk

Belgian R&D Organization imec Finds Opportunity in Central Florida

By Elyssa Coultas

M

emory foam was created in 1966 to protect astronauts during takeoff. Materials used in Nike Air trainers, developed in 1978, originated from spacesuit construction technology. Scientific cameras small enough to fit on spacecraft were developed in the 1990s during a project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA. At the intersection of science and business is research and development — integral practices for progress and innovation. Belgian-based imec is a global not-for-profit research and development institute with smart application areas spanning health care, smart cities and mobility, logistics, manufacturing and energy.

The U.S. headquarters in Florida, which is based at the BRIDG microelectronics manufacturing facility in the emerging NeoCity in Kissimmee, is specializing in advanced high-speed electronics, photonics and imaging technologies that will contribute to these application areas and others.

Concepts from imec appear in all kinds of technology products, from smartphones to laptops to wearables.

Inventions that were developed for use in space exploration, including infrared temperature sensing and liquid-cooled clothing, have been translated into applications people use every day in countries around the world. When people question the importance of space medicine and wonder, “We have so many challenges here on Earth — why are we trying to solve health issues in space?”

Imec Research and Development Manager Veerle Reumers has an answer.

“What people don’t realize is that many issues relevant in space have applications on Earth, which makes space health and life sciences a

relevant and applicable research topic,” she said.

“Put it this way: imec doesn’t sell products. We sell technology and knowledge, and we collaborate with different academic, government and industry partners. There are plenty of needs with respect to technology necessary for monitoring the health of the crew, which is mostly what we are currently working on. We are trying to leverage imec technology for space applications.”

Under Pressure Every human biological system is affected by gravity to some extent. “From bones to the cardiovascular system, all of these aspects are affected by the environment,” said Susana Zanello, another research and development manager at imec. “Therefore, there is a need to monitor these changes, as well as the efficacy of countermeasures, using various technologies.”

Developments in this area would allow for blood tests, for example. Focused on health technology including nanofluidic devices, biomechanics and wearable health applications for astronauts and those in remote locations, imec began to target health care research and product development more than 10 years ago. Along with nanofluidic testing, the company and its partners have collaborated to develop lens-free microscopy, which monitors and classifies airborne particles or blood cells, depending on the application.

“Another important challenge for human deep space exploration is the fact that it comes with a series of unique hazards such as remoteness, confinement and isolation,” Zanello said, “and with that, there is an increasing need for crews to gain autonomy in their operations.”

i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 23

IT’S NOT THAT WE ARE FOCUSING JUST ON THINGS THAT COULD ONLY HAPPEN IN SPACE. THESE DEVELOPMENTS BEAR A MUCH WIDER CONTEXT. — Veerle Reumers

In other words, astronauts must be equipped with the technology and knowledge to conduct medical procedures and testing while in isolated, extreme conditions where they don’t have the support of a whole scientific or medical team.

The goal for imec is to develop technologies that allow for a comprehensive physiology and molecular profile of how human systems are impacted after periods of being in the space environment. “The scientific community is trying to develop a profile in order to understand what happens to the body during the course of a mission,” Zanello said.

With progress in space exploration and a potential for humans to populate other planets, space health applications are paramount in enabling exploration and, in the process, developing current and future medical technologies. The team at imec feels that medical technology translates between space and Earth.

“It’s not that we are focusing just on things that could only happen in space,” Reumers said. “These developments bear a much wider context.”

One Small Step, One Giant Leap One of imec’s strongest markets is in the United States.

Positioned near Kennedy Space Center in one of the fastestgrowing counties in the country, imec found a home in 2016 at the heart of Osceola County in Florida’s High Tech Corridor.

In the BRIDG facility, imec works alongside other entities that are developing the most modern emerging technologies. BRIDG is the cornerstone of the future 500-acre NeoCity technology district about 60 miles from Kennedy Space Center.

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Reumers is imec’s first researcher to make the leap from its Belgian headquarters to Florida, and she brings with her deep expertise about how to use technology for life sciences applications. Zanello has 12 years of experience at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston and continues to run NASAfunded research projects at imec. “We’re working on multiple fronts to identify opportunities in Florida, Texas, and across the globe,” Reumers said.

Hope on the Horizon Staffed with a team of researchers, doctors and engineers, imec is equipped to establish predictions for precision medicine and make advancements in the field. “Even though we’re talking about astronauts, certain characteristics can be found in populations or circumstances on Earth,” Zanello said.

Reumers recalled a recent project she worked on while living in Belgium. “Your heart and brain cells communicate via electrical signals. So, we developed a chip to measure those electrical signals and packaged it in a way to build organ-on-a-chip platforms.”

Reumers’ aunt has Parkinson’s Disease, a degenerative disorder that affects neurological function, causing neurons to degrade or die. “What was cool for me is that the results of the project I worked on in Europe were picked up by the Chan-Zuckerberg foundation in the U.S. When my aunt learned about the project, she saw hope in the technology we were developing. She knew it was not going to mean treatment for her, but it inspired hope that there was more research being done to help people with degenerative diseases. These same platforms can be used by pharma companies to enable drug development, which is an activity they are also expanding into the space environment.” P

Robots at Work Nicholson Center Offers Latest in

HIGH-TECH SURGICAL TRAINING AND RESEARCH

By Diane Sears

W

ith straps around each middle finger and thumb, he peers into the visor at a screen where red, blue and yellow star-shaped jacks are scattered across a table. Each move he makes with his hands operates the arms on the screen as a computer tracks how quickly and accurately he can place the items into matchingcolor petri dishes. Getting them there involves dexterity and strategy — and a bit of just pure faith that the machine will follow his commands.

It seems like a children’s game, but it’s serious business.

Doctors use the dV-Trainer machine to get the feel for its more complicated cousin, the da Vinci Surgical System. Produced

by California-based company Intuitive, the da Vinci is used in abdominal surgery that is less invasive for the patient and more ergonomically fit for doctors.

It’s one of three types of robotic surgery systems in the training labs at the AdventHealth Nicholson Center in

Celebration. Since opening in 2001, the center has trained more than 50,000 professionals, ranging from surgeons to medical students to administrators, from all over the world.

Named after Orlando philanthropists Tony and Sonja Nicholson, who donated $5 million to create the center, the robotic surgery training facility has come a long way since it was formed in borrowed space in what was then Florida Hospital Celebration. The Nicholson Center moved in 2011 to its current location, a 54,000-square-foot building that includes auditorium, meeting, event and classroom space as well as surgery training bays with adjacent conference rooms for observation.

“When we moved in, we were rattling around here because we’d never had so much space,” said Roger Smith, the Nicholson Center’s chief technology officer. “So for the first couple of years, we were operating one or two events at a time, just like we always had, and then it gradually, like a snowball going downhill, i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 25

got bigger and bigger and bigger until we were operating six or seven or eight events at the same time. We went from being a modest production to something that is literally world-class.”

Better Medicine Doctors have been training at the Nicholson Center since 2001 because of the promise it offers in the future of robotic surgery.

Today its capabilities are growing, and the facility has the capacity to continue adding different kinds of robotic training to meet the increasing interest of surgeons, Smith said.

“A surgeon is like a carpenter with hand tools,” he said.

“Doctors are contorting for hours in a hunched position. They have worked under terrible ergonomic conditions, and that has just been considered normal. We’re just starting to give them smart power tools. All of the stresses are on the machine instead of the human body.”

The robots have changed everything. Video screens offer magnification so the surgeons can see better. Connective devices inside the patient give surgeons the ability to perform microscopic procedures without invasive incisions. Robotic arms operated by the surgeon’s hands and feet even give doctors something everyone has wished for at one time or another: a third hand. The da Vinci allows surgeons to hold back a flap of tissue, for instance, while the other two robotic hands perform the operation.

Surgeons are increasingly interested in how robots can help them increase not only their productivity but also their effectiveness. Traditionally, they have been limited by the amount of stress their bodies can endure as they bend over the operating table for sometimes hours at a time peering into the body of a patient.

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Roger Smith, the Nicholson Center’s chief technology officer “They experience the hardship on their own body firsthand,” Smith said, “so when someone demonstrates a robot to them that takes away all of those stress injuries they’re having, or the repetitive injuries like carpal tunnel, they get very interested.

They start thinking about the longevity of their career and how long they’ll be able to operate with these nagging pains that keep getting worse every year.”

Additionally, doctors are interested in anything that can improve the success rate of their surgeries. Robotics allow them to perform intricate functions that are difficult to do with human hands.

A SURGEON IS LIKE A CARPENTER WITH HAND TOOLS. DOCTORS ARE CONTORTING FOR HOURS IN A HUNCHED POSITION. THEY HAVE WORKED UNDER TERRIBLE ERGONOMIC CONDITIONS, AND THAT HAS JUST BEEN CONSIDERED NORMAL. WE’RE JUST STARTING TO GIVE THEM SMART POWER TOOLS. ALL OF THE STRESSES ARE ON THE MACHINE INSTEAD OF THE HUMAN BODY. — Roger Smith

“They’re aware of their own limitations when they’re doing surgery — where they’re successful and where they’re not,” Smith said. “When they can see an advanced tool that helps them be more successful more often, they’re very eager to do that.”

High Technology One thing visitors notice right away at the Nicholson Center is the number of televisions and video cameras throughout the three-story lobby, the seminar sections, the conference rooms and the surgery bays. The Nicholson Center’s technology team developed a device that allows for two-way audiovisual interaction: the B Hive Mobile Broadcast Solution, which is housed in a wheeled cabinet about the size of a microwave cart.

“When we use the remote connection, that’s the kind of training that’s mostly knowledge-based,” Smith said. “You can’t learn how to do surgery on the internet. But we offer systems where a course can be conducted here and then all of the content — whether it’s a video on a surgery, a video on a cadaver, or a lecture — whatever is happening here as part of the physical course can be beamed out to other people and they can get the intellectual part of that remotely.

“Conversely, the technology that lets that happen works both ways. You can have a doctor doing a surgery in New York and have that broadcast to an event here.”

Past, Present, Future Smith joined the Nicholson Center in 2010 just as it was branching into research in addition to training. As a computer scientist, he had worked for decades in the modeling, simulation and training industry, serving most recently as the chief scientist for all U.S. Army simulation operations in the country.

Since then, the center has continued to evolve and remain unique in the medical world. With its location in Celebration giving it easy proximity to Walt Disney World, the Nicholson Center has relied on its famous neighbor for advice.

“In the early days, we were patterning ourselves after Disney,” Smith said. “We had the Disney Institute come in and we asked, ‘How do you appeal to clients? How do you create a destination event for them? What does ‘front of house’ and ‘back of house’ mean, and how do you apply that here?’ We had a lot of inspiration and guidance from Disney when we first started.”

The facility started with the da Vinci robots and has added two more to its training capabilities. Mazor systems manufactured by Mazor Robotics in Israel, now owned by Medtronic Inc. in Minneapolis, assist with spinal surgery, and Mako systems, invented in Fort Lauderdale and now owned by Stryker Corp. in Michigan, work with hip and knee replacements.

About 18 months ago, Smith said, other robotic companies emerged on the scene with the express intent of ramping up the competition.

“As they came out, there were aware of how Intuitive, which creates the da Vinci robot, trains their surgeons and the part we’ve played in that,” he said. “All of them came to us and said, ‘We want the same quality of training that you’ve been doing for Intuitive. We want that for our clients as we come to market.’ That’s what’s most exciting to me. I get to see the robots before anyone outside of the companies.

“Each year you will see the Nicholson Center offering courses and research about a robotic device no one else is in a position to offer that material from. Eventually it’ll be open enough that other places will have their hands on it as well, but we’ll be the first. Then it’s our job to sustain that advantage.” P i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 27

West Orange

Healthcare District:

The History and Future of Wellness

H

ealth care debates, nutrition trends, conflicting research — it seems the news about health and wellness is changing every day. Creating a healthy community now means access to facilities and resources that shape a healthy lifestyle. As research unfolds to reveal the necessity of a holistic approach to health and wellness, the West Orange Healthcare District listens closely in order to continue a mission started 70 years ago: improve access to health care services and quality of care for residents of west Orange County.

By Meaghan Branham

soldiers returned, and the national focus shifting from the war to domestic policies.

Rural communities, especially, found themselves at the center of a conversation about accessible and affordable health care.

The solution? Special districts, where property taxes within their boundaries would support the construction and maintenance of health care facilities decided upon by a locally elected board, began cropping up throughout the country.

A group of citizens in Central Florida On October 11, 1949, the West Orange took up the mantle and soon formed a Healthcare District joined the ranks of a national movement. It was just after district, beginning with the construction World War II, with populations swelling as of West Orange Memorial Hospital.

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“I think for the first 60 years we really were focused largely on what many health care districts do, which is build,” said Tracy Swanson, who has served as CEO of the West Orange Healthcare District since 2015. After the first hospital came more facilities, with the area’s first emergency rescue and transportation program in the 1960s, a 118-bed nursing facility and a hospital expansion in the 1970s, and the opening of Health Central Hospital in the 1990s.

Parts of the Whole But just as it did in the years following the war, health care evolved, and the district began looking at more holistic and preventive approaches, with some retroactive help from its predecessors.

“Some districts have very limited or strict functions in terms of who they can serve,” Swanson said, “but I love that our past trustees saw fit to think about the health of all members of the community.”

In 2012, the board of trustees sold all of the district’s brick-and-mortar assets to Orlando Health, kicking off a partnership that would allow West Orange to continue the development of state-ofthe-art facilities and technologies in the community, including the Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center and a new skilled nursing facility. The district and Orlando Health also came together early in 2016 to champion Healthy West Orange, a movement to create the healthiest community in the nation.

Tucker Ranch

Oakland Nature Reserve

Winter Garden Farmers Market

“We’re taking a very strategic approach in terms of investing. Our trustees are very focused on prevention,” Swanson said.

“Health care has changed considerably.

It’s more than trying to eradicate disease and make sure you're taking care of people with chronic disease. Now there’s so much research around prevention and how to reduce the demand or need for hospitals.

It includes nutrition, overall health, fitness, and even beyond to include implications of stress and environment.”

Today the district provides grants to programs based on research and studies, including a Fitness in Nature program with the Oakland Nature Reserve, an Arts and Wellness program with Central Florida Community Arts, and a new 11,500-squarefoot Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida facility that includes computer and arts labs and a health and life sciences center. i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 29

HEALTH IS MORE THAN THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE. HEALTH IS ABOUT JOBS AND EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT GO INTO MAKING US HEALTHY — Jocelyn Elders, former Surgeon General of the United States

Health Central Employee Celebration, 1993

Tucker Ranch As part of a partnership with Healthy West Orange, the district and the City of Winter Garden announced plans in 2017 for a 12to 14-acre sustainable working and teaching farm. The district awarded a $1.7 million grant to the project, seeing Tucker Ranch as an opportunity for many of its initiatives to thrive as one.

According to a press release announcing the project, the farm is being designed based on the principles of “permaculture,” imitating natural ecosystems and their patterns to conserve soil and water and reduce waste. Frog Song Organics, a local grower that will help complete and operate the farm, provides both the model and the guidance to see it through.

“Most commercial farms grow one cash crop and rely upon chemicals and economies of scale to guarantee profits,” said Tanja Gerhartz, economic development director with the City of Winter Garden. “Permaculture relies upon a variety of crops that function together to create a viable and sustainable ecosystem. We hope to grow as many as 50 different crops.”

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An important part of the program will include the Institute of Health & Wellness, focusing on educational programing that features cooking and nutrition classes, farming instruction and a variety of health and wellness events and classes. The food grown at Tucker Ranch will stay in west Orange County, with much of it being sold at the Winter Garden Farmers Market, awarded America’s Favorite Farmers Market in 2018 by American Farmland Trust.

Through it all, the district remains committed to investing in the community and supporting Healthy West Orange as it becomes clear that the healthiest community is one that empowers its citizens to invest in their physical, emotional, psychological and environmental wellbeing.

“The community has embraced us with open arms,” Swanson said. “We went this route because ‘Healthy West Orange’ is a call to action for the entire community to come together, to do things in a fun and inviting way, and to meet people where they are.” P

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Building a Future for 35 Years

RUSH CONSTRUCTION:

New Divisions, Enduring Values

By Meaghan Branham

Driving, windows down, over the Indian River on the last stretch of the NASA Parkway, it’s hard not to notice as the horizon suddenly gives way to a spectacular view. Towering over visitors from all over the world at a height of more than 153 feet, the space shuttle’s iconic orange external tank welcomes you to the Kennedy Space Center.

For visitors, it calls to mind the legendary, larger-than-life missions of Neil Armstrong and Eileen Collins. But for Space Coast natives, it conjures up memories of sitting on a lawn chair in a yard on a warm summer night, following the shuttle through a sunset-colored sky.

Just a bit further down the road sits the headquarters of RUSH Construction Inc., which happens to manage the shuttle landing facility through RUSH Facilities, a firm that is part of the RUSH family of companies. Working so closely to what its leaders regard as a reminder of both the legacy of Central Florida and the heart of its residents, RUSH is doing its part to lay the foundation for the next stages.

On the Pulse of Change

Al Forbes, the executive vice president of RUSH Construction, recalls the buzzing energy of the community decades ago. “What we are seeing with health care, Port Canaveral, and privatizing of the space industry — I do not see it slowing down anytime soon.

Remember what it was like during the Apollo program? Multiply that by four and that’s what’s going to happen around here.”

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As Central Florida keeps its pace, more industries join aerospace to diversify the area’s portfolio — with changes that might otherwise take decades happening in just a few years.

According to a survey conducted by the Kauffman Foundation and reported in the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando’s metro area placed No. 4 in the nation for its density of highgrowth companies in the health industry, while already-established entities such as Orlando Health and AdventHealth are announcing expansions and new facilities at an astonishing pace.

Tourism, which has always been a stronghold of Central Florida’s economy, is hitting its stride as well, with an unprecedented 126 million visitors to the state and 75 million to Central Florida in 2018 alone. RUSH is paying attention to those numbers and has been for quite some time.

Before 2013, RUSH was primarily a federal government contractor.

When aerospace and defense budgets seemed to dry up overnight, the company found itself looking to branch out. President and CEO William Chivers met with Forbes, whose experience as the manager of facility construction

with Wuesthoff Health Systems in Rockledge and another area general contractor would prove invaluable in their ensuing partnership.

“When Forbes joined our team, this allowed us to grow our limited health care work into one of our primary markets,” Chivers said.

The company has evolved from a government aerospace/defense contractor into a diversified firm that handles construction and management of medical, commercial, marine and other kinds of facilities, Forbes said. In recent years, growth has been just as explosive for RUSH as it has been for the industries it serves. The two newest expansions, RUSH Marine and RUSH Facilities, are only 18 months old but have proved to be a catalyst for evolution.

RUSH employed almost 30 people by the end of 2017, and that number has almost tripled today. When a national peer group of construction companies RUSH regularly hosts returned to Central Florida for its first visit since February 2017, Chivers cautioned the visitors:

I DO NOT SEE IT SLOWING DOWN ANYTIME SOON. REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE DURING THE APOLLO PROGRAM? MULTIPLY THAT BY FOUR AND THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN AROUND HERE. — Al Forbes

William Chivers and Al Forbes “You’re going to recognize the building, you’ll recognize the faces, but you won’t recognize the company.”

The Growing Medical Sector

In Central Florida, the rapid growth in health care means demand for facilities that RUSH has been quick to answer as well. The list of partnerships that has included Health First, Halifax Health Medical Center and Parrish Healthcare will again see the construction company teaming up with Orlando Health.

RUSH Construction will be working on the health care giant’s downtown Orlando campus, with a 7,800-square-foot imaging center to be completed in the fall of 2019.

“These buildings will house state-of-the-art imaging equipment along with two MRIs,” Forbes said. “As technology changes from year to year, it’s getting much faster, with betterquality images, all while bringing the cost down.” The center will allow those who live and work in downtown Orlando and the surrounding areas more immediate and convenient access to these diagnostics.

Toward the Future May 2019 marked the start of the celebration for RUSH's 35th anniversary year, with plenty of accomplishments to toast.

But Chivers and Forbes are not planning to slow down. On the contrary, their focus is on the many more milestones ahead.

“The goal is that the company continues for many generations to come,” Chivers said. If they have anything to say about it, those generations will not only be a part of shaping RUSH’s legacy, they will be shaped by it.

“I always tell this story,” Chivers said, prefacing his next statement with a smile. “It sums us up so well. One day, at a staff meeting, I asked everybody in the room, ‘What is it that we do?’ Everyone’s answer was pretty similar. ‘We build stuff.’ And I told them, ‘That's not correct. We build things that make a difference.’”

For Central Florida’s future as a hub of innovation in health care, technology and other industries, that difference is exciting.

But for that of the engineer driving over the NASA Parkway each day, and for the little ones at home who will run outside one summer night to watch a launch their parents made possible, that difference means everything.

Orlando Health Imaging Center Rendering - downtown Orlando Rendering By: Gresham Smith

“I was born here in Brevard County, and it’s always been my home,” Chivers said. “My daughter and her husband live here. I have two grandkids who live here. To see the change in the community — which I know is going to provide a better quality of life for them, more things for them to do and more opportunities — is incredibly rewarding.” P i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 33

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DELIVERING RESULTS

Housing IS HOPE PATHWAYS HELPS HOMELESS PEOPLE INTEGRATE BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY Deafening rain smacked against the tin roof of a rusted old pickup truck. A soothing sound to some, it signaled an all-too-familiar threat for this young Central Florida resident.

Attempting to get comfortable, he struggled to stretch out his legs and rest his head on the side panel inside the vehicle. He pulled a tattered blanket over his head, closed his eyes and was overcome with grief.

This is one of the many stories clients have told Joel McNair, director of Florida operations at Pathways, an integral partner with the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness and the Central Florida Homeless Assistance Network. In his 28 years with Pathways, McNair has heard about so many hardships clients have faced.

“One client’s leg was amputated while he was homeless,” McNair recalled. “Being housed has given him the opportunity to have prosthetics shipped to his apartment with a limited inhome physical therapy component, which really helps keep his spirits up and motivates him to keep pushing forward.”

Built upon the foundation that homes end homelessness, a program the region is using today called Housing First places applicable candidates, or chronically homeless individuals, into homes and provides them with the support and care to end the cycle of homelessness.

“The Housing First approach integrates the belief that vulnerable and at-risk homeless individuals are more responsive to interventions and support services after they are in their own housing,” McNair said. With a 98% retention rate and community savings of more than $13,000 per person per year, the Housing First model is a solution for all members of a community.

One client’s leg was amputated while he was homeless. Being housed has given him the opportunity to have prosthetics shipped to his apartment.

— Joel McNair

BY THE NUMBERS

$13,000 Savings per person, per year with Housing First

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$1.3 million Annual savings to community for 100+ people in Pathways Housing First program

96%

Retention rate of local people in Housing First program

Chronically homeless individuals are those with severe mental illnesses and other disabilities who have histories of multiple prior hospitalizations, significant functional impairments, unemployment or underemployment, limited interpersonal skills and limited natural supports.

“One woman was living in the woods for years because she couldn’t get away from addiction and mental health issues,” McNair said. “We just signed her lease for the third year in housing, and she is now doing very well. She has received mental health assistance and has been clean for two years since being housed.

I see her volunteering her time to help other people get to their doctor appointments, and she often cooks food for others who need it.”

Pathways provides comprehensive case management services to assist chronically homeless adults and places them into permanent supportive housing, while providing them with the intensive wraparound services they need to reintegrate into stable community living.

All clients receive assistance in continuing to strengthen learned skills that support community integration and employment, such as medication management, symptom management, daily living skills and development of personal support systems. “The services are designed to enhance each consumer’s skills and enable them to become more self-sufficient,” said McNair, who is a licensed mental health counselor.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs classifies physiological needs and safety as the most basic of human constructs. After those two aspects are secured and met on a consistent basis, then the mind can flourish, and the individual can become a positive, functioning member of society. McNair recited case after case of success stories that reinforced the fact that the Housing First model of care works.

The program addresses health. It fosters care. It incites hope. P

CHANGING LIVES

By Shelley Lauten, CEO

Central Florida Commission on Homelessness

What comes “top of mind” when you consider what makes you proud of living in Central Florida? Did homelessness make your Top 10 list?

It should.

In fact, less than 10 years ago, leaders in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties committed to a new model of seeking permanent solutions to our homelessness crisis. We shifted from a fragmented, organization-byorganization approach providing short-term immediate needs (think temporary shelter, food and clothing) to a regionally coordinated effort that gets people permanently housed and supported … a model of care called Housing First.

The transition to a Housing First approach has not been an easy one. Change is hard! And it seemed ove r w h e l m i n g . S o we st a r te d small. We identified 100 of the most chronically homeless neighbors in our community to see if we could do what we saw other communities do — house them, keep them housed and do it more cost-effectively than leaving them on our streets.

The results were astounding. By working together within a coordinated system, we placed 339 individuals into housing with a retention rate of 97% and at a cost to the community of nearly $13,000 less per person than having them live on our streets.

Impressive. Innovative. Lifec h a n g i n g fo r o u r n e e d i e s t o f neighbors. However, now is not the time to rest on our laurels.

The 2019 homeless population count found 2,010 individuals living on the streets on one night in January across the region. This count reflects only those who are literally homeless … not those living in hotels and motels, or doubled up with other families.

Housing and supporting our literally homeless population is one part of our strategy. And, while the region has housed and provided support services to more than 900 individuals, we now have to scale this system to house other individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

And what about those who are precariously housed — typically only one crisis away from ending up on our streets? Like our efforts with our literally homeless population, we must start small and build an innovative, coordinated system of care for those who are facing growing economic pressures driven by escalating costs of housing, childcare, insurance and transportation while wages remain stagnant.

My tenure at the commission comes to an end this month. I am proud and privileged to have been a part of the change that has housed and supported individuals previously living on our streets or in our shelters.

I can’t wait to see how far we will go in expanding and sustaining this very young, very fragile system of care over the next five years to ensure homelessness across Central Florida is rare, brief and a one-time occurrence for individuals, families and youths.

i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 37

Health Care Professional Spotlight

Shari Dingle Costantini, RN, MBA Founder and CEO

Avant Healthcare Professionals

"

The health care professionals who spend years preparing, testing and gaining experience so they can work as a nurse or therapist in the U.S. are always an inspiration for me.

— Shari Dingle Costantini

Holistic and Human Healing

A

vant Healthcare Professionals Founder and CEO Shari Dingle (Sandifer) Costantini, RN, MBA, was diagnosed with viral encephalitis at 13 years old, an experience that led to a loss of much of her motor coordination. It also led to a personal understanding of the gravity of dealing with illness and the difference compassionate health care can make.

Eager to help others in fights similar to the one she faced, she studied to become a registered nurse, where her understanding of the patient experience dovetailed with a new familiarity with the struggles of increasing health care staff shortages.

She eventually transitioned to the position of nursing staff provider, founding Avant Healthcare Professionals in 2003.

Her own personal journey — from her experience with illness, to her career as a nurse, to her life as a mother and a CEO — has influenced Avant’s corporate culture.

Avant and Costantini have been recognized for their work by many organizations, with honors that include GrowFL’s

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Florida Companies to Watch, the Orlando Business Journal Women Who Mean Business, and a listing in Inc.’s 500/5000 list in 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018.

Today, her company focuses on a holistic definition of health and wellbeing, an approach that has helped Avant place thousands of international nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists throughout the country.

Avant was a founding member of the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment, and through the organization the company has taken an active role in immigration reform to ensure health care professionals can help fill gaps in the talent pipeline in the U.S. The mission has personal significance as well for the highly skilled health care professionals who are able to continue their work of bettering the quality of life for patients, Costantini said. “Seeing these health care professionals arrive in the U.S. to pursue their American dream brings our mission at Avant to life every day.” P

Partner Spotlight

Ismael El Korchi REALTOR®

Kindred Homes

Kent Winkelseth

Vice President and Production Manager Shelter Mortgage

"

His enthusiasm is contagious, and he is a blessing to be able to work alongside. I am continually reminded in working with Ismael that if there is a will, there is a way.

— Kent Winkelseth

© 2019 Shelter Mortgage Company, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. This communication does not constitute a commitment to lend or the guarantee of a specified interest rate. All loan programs and availability of cash proceeds are subject to credit, underwriting and property approval. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions apply. Shelter Mortgage Company, LLC |4000 W. Brown Deer Road, Brown Deer, WI 53209 | Corp NMLS#431223 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Equal Housing Lender. Kent Winkelseth, Mortgage Loan Specialist, NMLS ID: 552527 |408 East Ridgewood Street | Orlando, FL 32803 | (407) 765-3810 | Kent.Winkelseth@sheltermortgage.com

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Anchored and Adaptable

I

t is empowering to know you are great at what you do. Ismael El Korchi has found that the most rewarding part of what he does is the process: learning, listening and growing.

“I feel that continuously becoming better at what I do is helping me tremendously,” he said.

That “becoming” includes the partnerships he cultivates. As El Korchi has transitioned through his own career over the course of 12 years, leading to his current role as a REALTOR® with Kindred Homes in Kissimmee, Shelter Mortgage has proven to be a steady partner.

“Shelter Mortgage is the preferred lender with a lot of homebuilders due to the variety of loan programs and the customer service they bring to the table,” El Korchi said. “Experience is not the only recipe for success. The positive vibe, the constant communication and the human touch that the Shelter team brings to the table, that is what makes even a loan process enjoyable.”

And the Orlando Shelter team is just as sure of the match. “Ismael is a hard worker, passionate about helping families become homeowners, and is always willing to help in any way he can,” said Kent Winkelseth, vice president and production manager for Shelter Mortgage in Orlando. “His enthusiasm is contagious, and he is a blessing to be able to work alongside. I am continually reminded in working with Ismael that if there is a will, there is a way.”

Working together to guide buyers through every aspect of their journey, the team led by El Korchi and Winkelseth stays moored to its mission: finding clients not just a house, but a home.

El Korchi said that guiding light will remain constant, even in an ever-changing market and through his own personal and professional growth, because the end result is so satisfying. “It’s really the helping aspect of our work, to see that we are making a positive impact in someone’s life and helping people reach the American dream.” P

Spotlight

Lauren Arevalo Senior Manager

Nicole McMurray Regional Manager

AppleOne Employment Services

Instinct for Leadership

A

ppleOne Employment Services uses researchdriven benchmarks and assessments, and a bit of finely honed instinct, to align employees with employers for its “Hiring Made Human” mission. In its own offices, the largest woman-owned workforce management company founded in the U.S. leads by example with staff members who believe in that credo wholeheartedly.

"

Seeing people’s faces light up when they realize how valuable they are, and being an advocate for them, keeps me motivated every single day.

— Nicole McMurray

“Even within the culture of our company, there are so many ways to work in our mission statement,” said Nicole McMurray, the company’s regional manager in Orlando.

After 15 years there, McMurray’s accomplishments read like a case study of the potential that can be unlocked when the right candidate finds the right company. She continues to hone her skills as a member of CEO Leadership Forums, where AppleOne offers support for other growing businesses.

McMurray joined AppleOne as an account executive in 2004, remembered locally for an overactive storm season that included Hurricane Charley. McMurray thought companies might need extra help. Her hunch turned out to be right and led to her being named Rookie of the Year and promoted to branch manager.

McMurray’s survival instinct continued to steady her team throughout the decade. “When

the recession hit, I was a young leader, but I recognized the chance to strategize. I would say ‘We’re in a kayak right now, heading into a hurricane — but there are no other people I'd rather dump water out of the boat with.’’’

Today McMurray and her team celebrate smooth sailing, cultivating a culture that is intentional, collaborative and fun. Just ask Lauren Arevalo, a 20-year veteran of AppleOne who works with McMurray in Central Florida.

“I feel the most important part of leadership is leading by example,” Arevalo said. “I never ask my team to do anything I have not done. It’s vital to be positive and encouraging, and reward employees with things are specific and important to them.”

The two joined CEO Leadership Forums when McMurray was introduced to one of the organizers, Russell Slappey, managing partner of Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services. Professionals from across Central Florida come together to exchange information and create a rich referral network.

The forums empower them to see the bigger picture, offering a holistic and lasting way to help their clients grow business.

“Each member has the group’s best interests at heart,” McMurray said. “We always ensure we treat each other and our clients with respect.” P i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 41

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UP CLOSE Kelly Nierstedt With

By Meaghan Branham

Kelly Nierstedt began working at age 15, cooking, cleaning and eventually staffing the register at a Burger King in her hometown. The job brought with it some contempt from her high school peers. But as she watched her coworkers and her mother, who had served as a manager at the fast food chain for several years, she quickly learned there was no shame in a job well done. When she embarked on her health care career, it was that same humility, gratitude and work ethic that would guide her through physically, mentally and emotionally demanding roles. She worked for 11 years as a registered nurse, then went on to several administrative positions with Virtua Health, including vice president of women's and children's services, later becoming president of OSF Healthcare. With the advantage of an administrative bird’s-eye view of health care, and the passion of one who has spent decades working to improve the patient experience for women and children, she serves today as senior vice president of Orlando Health and president of the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.

What did you want to be growing up?

When I was about 8 years old, I was hospitalized for several days for what turned out to be a minor digestive issue. You would think I’d have terrible memories of that hospitalization, but I don’t. The only thing I’ve ever remembered was how cared for I felt by the nurses. At the time, they were the strongest, smartest and most caring people who had ever touched my life. Unfortunately, my family did not have the financial means to send me to college when I graduated high school, so starting in an entry-level position, I worked my way up the ranks in the financial sector. I was content for a few years, but my heart kept calling me back to nursing.

I finally quit my job on Wall Street and went to college to become a nurse.

What brought you to women’s and children’s health care?

As much as I knew I wanted to be a nurse, it wasn’t until I was in nursing school that I knew my passion was women’s and children’s health care. I completed my obstetrics training in Newark, New Jersey, which is one of the most underserved communities in the country. It broke my heart to see what I now know are disparities in healthcare for the poor. I watched my first delivery by the side of a teenage girl who was drug addicted and alone. I was so excited to be part of what should have been the happiest days in this young woman’s life, but I was also left wondering whether it would be, given all of the challenges she had to face caring for herself and her child. After that, I never considered doing anything other than serving the needs of women and children.

What inspired you to take on a new role in Orlando?

With 350 beds dedicated exclusively to the needs of women and babies, Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is known for having one of the largest and most comprehensive programs in the nation. In addition to other prestigious distinctions, Winnie Palmer is a Magnet

Hospital, the gold standard for nursing’s contribution to quality patient care, safety, research and service excellence.

In your time with Virtua Health, you created Virtua for Women, a program designed to meet women’s health needs. What inspired you to establish this, and what does comprehensive health care for women look like?

Honestly, as a woman over 40 at the time, I was extremely frustrated by the lack of health and wellness services designed for women. Even when services were available, access was limited and care was fragmented at best. Multiple focus groups with women of all ages confirmed I was not alone. We started by establishing a “women caring for women” model of primary care. The practice cared exclusively for females 13 and older. With hourlong appointments for new patients and 30-minute follow-ups, the providers were able to assess all aspects of a woman’s health and wellness, including diet, exercise, and sexual and mental health concerns. The next step was making sure all of the providers and services were easily accessible when needed, which often meant having them immediately available in the practice or the same location.

What aspects of women’s and children’s health care do you believe are in need of more careful attention?

The United States is ranked 46th when it comes to maternal mortality. Far too many women are dying during and after childbirth. The issue is complicated, with a number of factors contributing to the spike in maternal deaths. Some experts point to the fact that more women wait until they are older to have babies, and they often begin their pregnancies with conditions like high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

Many others believe a contributing factor is high C-section rates for first-time moms, which most times lead to repeat C-sections for subsequent pregnancies and an increased risk of surgical complications such as bleeding. Another staggering i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 43

UP CLOSE

statistic points to the fact that women of color are three to four times more likely, on average, to die in childbirth in our country. We can and must do better for these women. To start, everyone needs to do a better job listening to patients. Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital has invested in Triton, cutting-edge technology that uses an iPad to measure a woman’s blood loss at delivery. Knowing exactly how much blood has been lost allows providers to intervene quickly and often before symptoms are evident. As great as technology is, no matter what the findings, if a woman tells you something is wrong, she’s almost always right. Also, there needs to be more follow-up after delivery. Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies provides several weeks of home nursing for some of the highest-risk patients. Women in this program are provided with technology to monitor and transmit vital information to their provider. We are able to intervene earlier and can often avoid having that patient come back to the hospital.

Can you tell us a bit more about Orlando Health’s growth, and why it is so necessary now?

With Central Florida’s projected population growth in excess of 8% in the next few years, Orlando Health is establishing sites of care in locations that are close to home for the communities we serve. Over the last nine months, four new freestanding emergency departments have opened, with two more scheduled to open in the next 12 months. New medical pavilions are planned in Lake Mary and Lake Nona, and the Horizon West Hospital is under construction and scheduled to open in early 2021.

Women, especially single mothers, continue to be at a significantly higher risk of poverty than other demographics. What can we do to ensure that those who are more financially vulnerable still have access to quality health care?

Orlando Health partners with the exceptional community-based providers in our area’s health departments and federally qualified 44 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

health centers to provide care to women whose pregnancy develops high-risk conditions. Serving as one of the state’s 11 regional perinatal intensive care centers, Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital delivers the highest level of clinical care to all moms and babies who may experience health challenges that place them at a social and financial disadvantage. And we work tirelessly to connect all of our new moms to the community resources that are available to help support successful parenting and child development. The services offered through Orlando Health’s Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families are also an important component of the care that Orlando Health provides to vulnerable populations across our area.

Outside of work, what are your passions, interests and hobbies?

How do these contribute to your own personal sense of holistic health?

Like most women, I have a hectic schedule. I work very long hours, so finding time with my family is always my top priority. My husband and I like to take long weekends and visit new places throughout the United States. Our three children are young adults finding their own way in life, but if we’re lucky, one or all of them travel with us.

I also enjoy interior decorating on a really tight budget. My family makes fun of my bargain hunting and the fact that things in my house often still have tags on them — you never know when you might need to return something. And I enjoy my alone time. For me, being alone with my thoughts gives me the time I need to process the multiple things I’m juggling. If I really commit, I can settle myself long enough to practice mindfulness. Like most women I know, “me time” is often last on a very long list of things I need to accomplish in a day. Admittedly, I should probably take my own advice to slow down and be more present in the moment.

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

Pour yourself into everything you do. Then, success or failure, there will be no regrets because you have done your best. P

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Best Practice

Leadership Online Privacy: You Can Run but You Can’t Hide

Romaine Seguin is president of UPS Global Freight Forwarding, based in Atlanta. She can be reached at rseguin@ups.com.

In today’s world, any action or any word said can be made very public in a short amount of time. The impact of social media on personal and corporate brands has increased astronomically in recent years, and posts have sometimes been very damaging for individuals and companies.

It’s become such an important part of our culture that many organizations today screen social media before making a hiring decision on an applicant.

I was involved with a situation of hiring a senior individual in Mexico, and an internal employee was asked whether he knew this potential hire. The individual said no, but it was discovered on a social outlet that they had attended many gatherings together.

The employee is no longer with us, and the potential employee was not hired.

How do we begin to know the full breadth and visibility these social network platforms reveal about individuals, and how do we understand the potential impact of this public access to personal

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information? Whether you’re acting as a role model for your employees, your peers or your children, you need to be prepared to discuss what is posted on social media when the topic is brought to your attention.

Some of us did not grow up with so much information at our fingertips, so let me recommend a few pointers.

1.

Educate yourself on what is out there about you in the public domain. Any document that is registered with the government is public record, meaning it is open to anyone who wants to look into your background. For example, if you purchase a home and have two names on the deed, both names will show up as public record. The price you pay for your home is public, even if you pay cash, because the sale and the tax document create public listings. Your business filing with the state is public record, along with the principals in the company and the year your company was formed.

2. Know and monitor the social outlets your family members and friends use. With the tap of a cell phone, a photo can be posted in seconds. Is it the kind of picture you want your professional contacts to see? After my long weekend run, I sometimes join a group of local runners.

They are all on Facebook, and they know I do not want to be posted on social media. They respect my privacy and know I am not part of a group photo, unless it is for a charity. Make your views known on posting when it comes to family and friends.

3. Know your company’s policy when it comes to social media. Organizations have varied policies. LinkedIn is the most acceptable form of social media for companies that are handling business communications in this space, but Instagram and Twitter have become more accepted.

Anything you post about your organization typically shows up under your personal profile, so how are you projecting your professional image? Additionally, some organizations require that certain types of posts go through a marketing or legal team to be sure they are not communicating the wrong message or even something the company is not allowed to share.

4. Stay away from controversial topics in public and postings. Whether it’s politics, religion, guns or other topics that are subjects of hot debate in today’s world, sometimes differences of opinion can lead to people never speaking to one another again. Airing opinions about them in social media can even lead to people being removed from a job. When these topics come up online or in person, remove yourself from these conversations.

5. If you cannot write, post or say something that you are not willing to share with your grandparents, then do not write, post or say it. This is my favorite tip because I received this advice early in my career. I know some feel you need to be yourself and people should accept you for what you are and what you do, even if they are your grandparents. But if you’re a leader and a role model, you have an image to uphold.

Let’s think about today’s approach to communication. There are laws when it comes to television and radio production. In the U.S., broadcasting falls under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which monitors television and radio programming to make sure the law is not broken when it comes to obscene, indecent and profane content. If broadcast media is held to such a high standard, why can’t we hold ourselves to that same standard in person and on social media? P

i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 47

Best Practice

Business Development Top 3 Reasons to Adopt Sales Enablement

Cynthia Blackwell is called the “Rain-Maker” by clients and friends because she leads them through a methodical, multilevel planning process that encompasses both personal and professional aspects to drive aggressive business growth. She can be reached at www.cynthiablackwell.com.

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If you work in sales or are a small business owner and responsible for sales, chances are you’ve heard the term sales enablement. Although it’s a relatively hot topic, there seems to be some confusion around whether it’s just another buzzword or a specific practice or approach that delivers real benefits and results.

is a strategic approach to driving sales — qualified sales that increase your customer retention rate and sustainable revenue.

I LOVE it because it aligns with my life philosophy and approach, which is “Plan your work and work your plan.”

Well, yes, it is a real approach and yes, it can and will deliver results if truly adopted and actually implemented. But first, let’s define sales enablement so we can then explore how it can support achievement of sales goals. Then let’s look at the top three reasons you should adopt it to drive results.

Now, what it is NOT: Sales enablement is not a specific step-by-step plan. So don’t be fooled by an application or software that claims it can provide sales enablement for you because you still have to do the work to develop the strategy and plan, including tactics or activities. Take into consideration that this will depend upon your organization's size, resources, industry and life cycle.

Simply put, sales enablement is the process of providing the sales team with the information, content and tools they need to be able to sell more effectively and successfully engage the prospect/ buyer throughout the sales process. But more than that, it is a way of thinking. It

All organizations — no matter their size, industry or life cycle — can benefit from adopting sales enablement. Strategic planning is a partner to success. I want to stress the point that even small business owners can and will benefit from adopting sales enablement.

These are my top three reasons you should adopt sales enablement at your organization: 1.

Plan your work and work your plan. Always have a strategy and plan so your team members know what you want and expect. Engage them in the process. Ask them what is going well and what could be better. Make sure they know exactly what the sales goals are and how their activities contribute to achieving those goals.

During your planning session with team members, ask them vital questions to learn what obstacles they face and what their prospects are telling them they need from your products/services. Be sure to include your entire team in the process, including marketing and sales support. When people take part in the process to develop a strategy and plan, they buy in and deliver higher-thanexpected results.

2. Training is key. What if we train them and they leave to work with our competitors? The better question to ask is, what if we don’t and they stay? Yikes! Training is a key component of a successful sales enablement program.

Now that a strategy and plan have been developed to ensure success, empower your team with the knowledge and skills for successful outcomes. Your sales team relies heavily on you for direction. It is up to you to guide, lead and point team members to victory with proper training and encouragement. Review your current training material to ensure relevancy and refresh with new content. Consider a monthly training workshop as a part of your sales meeting. Use articles, videos and guest speakers or hire a professional trainer to customize a program for you and your organization.

3. Tools can help unlock opportunities. Your sales process and the team will be successful only if you have the right tools in place for salespeople to do their job — and that is to sell. For example, you need collateral that is powerful in messaging and easy to present that provides your team with the ability to have natural, engaging conversations with prospects. Another great example is a “qualifying questionnaire” that supports conversational discovery to properly qualify a prospect to either be placed in the pipeline as a qualified lead or not.

Adopting a sales enablement approach or philosophy is just good business and an effective way to drive sustainable revenue.

In essence, it is your personalized, customized “road map” to sales and revenue goal achievement. So, I will leave you with this question: Do you want to enable your team to drive sales? P

DID YOU KNOW 92%

of U.S. adults read magazines

Americans of all ages read magazines — especially younger adults.

91% of adults 94% of those under 30 95% of those under 25

Source: MPA – The Association of Magazine Media

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Best Practice

Marketing Why Podcasting Should Be Your Next Marketing Move Our morning commutes, our grocery shopping trips, our workouts: There are plenty of moments in our day that we wish were a bit more stimulating. Still, these hours are important, simply because they are often the only moments that are solely ours — which also means we want to get the most out of them.

Cherise Czaban

is the publisher and CEO of i4 Business.

She can be reached at cherise@i4biz.com.

"

I use social media as an idea generator, trend mapper and strategic compass for all of our online business ventures.

— Paul Barron, executive producer of Foodable Network

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And while you often can’t watch the news, read the paper or talk to an expert on your favorite subject while you go through these daily motions, many have found the next best thing in the podcast revolution.

Informative, entertaining and accessible, podcasts offer something for everyone in downloadable, talk radio-like bits of media, and the genre is evolving every day, covering any topic ranging from movies to math to marketing, and in formats that include Q&As, news downloads, musicals and live shows.

A survey by content and research firm Bredin revealed that one-third of business owners listen to podcasts, proving that the genre is reaching audience members where they are and giving them content they want — and it’s not nearly as hard as it might sound.

The breadth of information and freedom of creation available in the genre, however, can be intimidating for marketers taking the first steps toward their own content. This is an often-missed and extremely valuable opportunity. Many bigger companies have

already jumped on the podcast trend. Take a note from them and reap the benefits in all three of these categories:

Audience

As with all other marketing platforms, the focus is on your audience — in this case, your listeners.

• Broaden your reach. When you publish your podcast on one of the main platforms, your audience instantly becomes broader. You’ll suddenly have a new platform, a place to be seen both by those looking for your content and those who may stumble upon it on the home page of a podcast app.

• Increase accessibility. People listen to podcasts during some of the most personal parts of their days: in quiet moments before work, while folding laundry, while cooking dinner. When they do these kinds of tasks while listening to your content, they instantly feel more like they know you, which helps you build trust, loyalty and brand recognition faster than with most platforms. Most importantly, audience members have chosen to listen to you, meaning they are more likely to be receptive to your message.

Sales Strategy

A podcast can work well with your sales strategy, adding an effective step to your sales funnel.

The West Orange Chamber s

• A one-on-one sales pitch. A face-to-face interaction is the most powerful method of connecting with potential clients, but it’s impossible to get this kind of access to everyone. Thanks to the more casual and accessible format of a podcast, you have a chance to make your pitch in the same way you would one-on-one, but to a wider and already interested audience.

• Showcase your expertise. Your listeners are searching for information on your specialty, and they can get it directly from you in a podcast. This is a unique opportunity to position yourself not only as an expert in your field, but to do so in a personable way, through your own voice — literally. Think of it as one of the easiest ways to appeal to both the head and the heart.

• Cross-platform promotion. Any new platform presents an opportunity for exposure on others. Use web banners to advertise your latest podcast episode on your homepage, or even embed a playable link so visitors can listen right from there. Use the transcript from the episode as a blog post, or choose some of the most interesting quotes to share on Twitter or Facebook. Even taking a photo of your recording setup and posting to Instagram has been proven to interest audiences.

Brand and Culture

Steps for SUCCESS Become a West Orange Chamber Member Seize the Opportunities Get Results Repeat Daily

Any opportunity to more clearly define who you are and communicate to your potential clients is one you shouldn’t pass up.

• Personalize your brand. Letting your audience hear from you directly is one of the quickest and easiest ways to infuse your personality, or the personality you are creating for your company, into your brand.

• Create a tone. The same way you strive for consistency in the visual elements of your marketing, such as in the logo or your marketing materials, you should strive to create a consistent tone in your episodes. This may be light and conversational, or more academic and explanatory.

Consider the power music has in setting the tone as well, and select your introductory and transition music carefully.

• Team building. Setting up and orchestrating a podcast requires a team to work in synchronicity. The preparation process of scheduling interviews and writing a script, the actual fun of recording, and the final stages and editing process all require input from your whole team. This presents an opportunity for finding and tapping into individual strengths, creative collaboration and interesting conversations. P

Facilitating Opportunity for Over 45 Years

(407) 656-1304 wochamber.com Dr. Phillips | Gotha | Horizon West | Lake Avalon MetroWest | Oakland | Ocoee | Orlo Vista Pine Hills | Windermere | Winter Garden i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 51

Best Practice

Employment Branding Promoting Growth Through Employee Volunteerism

Brett Steele

is a district manager with Insperity in Orlando, a trusted advisor to America’s best businesses for more than 33 years.

As the labor market grows more and more competitive, many businesses are looking for innovative ways to stand out in a crowded field. In addition to traditional benefits, employers may attract candidates by implementing a corporate social responsibility strategy, including a focus on supporting and encouraging employee volunteerism as part of the broader strategy. Businesses that strengthen their commitment to the community not only help their neighbors, but also promote employee and business growth.

Here are some examples of how volunteerism initiatives can help employers of all sizes while creating memorable experiences for their team members: •

52 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

Develop new skills. Through volunteer efforts, employees may have the opportunity to develop new skills or refine existing ones, including event management, fundraising or team building.

Cultivating these abilities may prove useful to the company and result in additional responsibilities.

Additionally, it may be beneficial for these skills to be developed through real-world situations, rather than in general training sessions.

•

Forge new relationships. Volunteer events may enable employees to expand their network of both personal and professional contacts, some of whom could eventually become prospective clients.

These connections may be even stronger than those formed during networking events or professional outings because they are cultivated in a more natural setting through shared interests.

•

Boost engagement. In recent years, business leaders have emphasized the importance of employee engagement and debated how to stimulate participation among staff.

One way to boost buy-in may be to encourage volunteerism and provide opportunities for staffers to get involved in their community.

By supporting this involvement,

businesses may foster a stronger connection between their employees and the overall company, leading to increased motivation and engagement among employees. •

Develop a positive reputation. Earning the reputation as a company that actively demonstrates its core values and helps employees embody those ideals can be beneficial for both sales and recruiting. Many consumers, if given a choice, may prefer to buy a product or service from a business they view as a good corporate citizen. They may also favor companies that mirror their own beliefs and support causes that are close to their heart. Additionally, publicly aligning with positive values may help attract like-minded applicants for open positions. Therefore, it could make good business sense to be perceived as having a strong understanding of corporate citizenship by stakeholders and customers.

Volunteerism is not only a feel-good endeavor; it can have a variety of positive effects and make business sense from both the employer and employee perspective. Companies that enable, support or participate in volunteer efforts can encourage employee engagement and development, which can result in increased productivity and commitment. Businesses may also enhance their reputation in the community, which can be advantageous during hiring or new business discussions. P

DID YOU KNOW

The audience for print and digital magazines increased by 3.3 million adults from 2016 to 2017.

65% of readers take action after seeing a print magazine ad

Source: MPA – The Association of Magazine Media

i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 53

Social Entrepreneur

Revitalizing Toxic Waterways and Cities ecoSPEARS

is Disrupting an Industry with NASA Environmental Technology

By Elyssa Coultas Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are chemicals commonly found in electrical appliances, flame retardants, paint, caulk, building materials and insulation. These chemicals lurk in the sediments of waterways, slowly making their way up the food chain in a process known as biomagnification, threatening the health of the world’s seafood supplies.

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Developed in 1929, PCBs were later found to be cancercausing contaminants. In 2001, the Stockholm Convention signed by more than 190 nations agreed to eliminate PCBs by 2028. As of 2018, less than 5% of the PCBs ever manufactured had been removed from the environment.

PCBs were banned in the United States in 1979, but they remain in the environment until removed because they do not degrade naturally. A study done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2014 found that 94% of the fish sampled in U.S. waterways carried PCB contamination.

To eradicate these deadly toxins without harm to the environment, a team of NASA engineers designed a Sorbent Polymer Extraction and Remediation System (SPEARS) technology that absorbs PCBs “like a sponge” from the sediment layers of waterways. The devices, shaped like hollow tubes with pointed ends, remove and trap the toxins inside their interior walls. After the site is deemed clean by regulators, the SPEARS are then removed from the water body for safe disposal.

The work is important because PCBs can enter the body through the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract and the skin.

These chemicals are circulated in the blood and stored in fatty tissues and organs, including the liver, kidneys, lungs, adrenal glands, brain, heart and skin, eventually causing or contributing to cancers, brain disorders, birth defects and even death. The

Social Entrepreneur contaminants continue to be released into the environment through spills, leaks from old equipment such as electrical transformers, and improper disposal and storage of this equipment. PCBs are now considered the most widespread toxic contaminants in the world.

Realizing that there was an opportunity for launching a company by commercializing the space agency’s transformative solution, Sergie A. Albino partnered with a family friend, R. Ian Doromal, to form ecoSPEARS: a cleantech solutions provider of green cleanup technologies. Albino and Doromal founded ecoSPEARS in 2017 and became the exclusive licensee of NASA's SPEARS technology.

“NASA had its own PCB problems, much of it from older electrical equipment, lubricants, fuels and infrastructure,” Albino said. “It wasn't until they asked the question of how they could collect the PCBs from the environment — without causing further damage to the environment — that the SPEARS technology became a reality."

Today, the company’s technology solutions extract and destroy PCBs, dioxins and other chlorinated contaminants from the environment while protecting human health, wildlife and the environment.

“It’s funny — we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Dr. Jackie Quinn reading up on plastics in the ocean a few years before it became a mainstream topic,” Albino said. Quinn, an environmental engineer at Kennedy Space Center, noticed a growing trend of plastic pollution in the oceans containing toxic contaminants. “She knew when you take chlorinated contaminants and expose them to a material like plastic, the contaminants will migrate to the plastic material to escape the aqueous environment, or the water. That’s when she came up with the brilliant idea of developing a technology system that could absorb chlorinated contamination by giving them a better habitat to escape to.”

Quinn has since been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her involvement in developing the emulsified zero-valent iron (EZVI) technology used to combat chlorinated solvent contaminants left over from the early years of space exploration. In a press release about the ceremony in May 2018, Kennedy Space Center’s chief technologist, Barbara Brown, commented on the significance of Quinn’s

"

It’s funny — we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Dr. Jackie Quinn reading up on plastics in the ocean a few years before it became a mainstream topic.

— Sergie A. Albino

work: “This is a proud moment for Kennedy Space Center. It’s immensely satisfying to see one of our own recognized and celebrated for her hard work and ingenuity. Her inventions … have not only furthered NASA’s mission, they have also benefited humanity, and it doesn’t get any better than that.”

How It Works

The set of SPEARS is inserted into the contaminated sediment or waterway.

The devices attract the contaminants, including PCBs, enabling a passive extraction method. After the SPEARS are pulled out of the environment, they are analyzed to confirm the PCBs have been absorbed into the plastic and removed from the sediment or water.

The SPEARS are then processed via a reductive integrated destruction system (RIDS) to destroy the PCB molecules completely.

Albino reminisced about the moment he realized this technology could be scaled to help solve the global PCB problem. “SPEARS is truly game-changing when it comes to a more costeffective and eco-friendly method for contaminated sediment. Our team is focused on scaling this technology to tackle bigger and more challenging areas.”

The company’s flagship SPEARS technology was developed by Quinn, Dr. Robert DeVor and Dr. Phillip Maloney. “ecoSPEARS expanded on the design of the technology to extract contaminants deeper in the sediment layer,” said Maloney, who was an analytical chemist at NASA-Kennedy Space Center before joining ecoSPEARS full-time as the company’s principal scientist.

The EPA acknowledges contaminants within the first 6 inches of sediment

Dr. Phillip Maloney and Sergie Albino i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 55

Social Entrepreneur

as a potential health risk. Knowing that organisms, which eventually wind up in the human food chain, exist deeper than 6 inches, ecoSPEARS made it a mission to go beyond the minimum requirement.

“Our smallest SPEARS design is 12 inches long,” Albino said. “If we can reduce the concentration of bioavailable PCBs in the upper sediment layers, that leaves fewer PCBs available for fish to ingest, reducing the probability of those PCBs bioaccumulating further up the food chain and eventually ending up on our own plates.”

A Toxic National Treasure

From the 1940s until 1977, millions of tons of PCBs were dumped into the Hudson River in upstate New York from various manufacturers and distributors of PCBs. The improper disposal practices led to PCB contamination of sediments, soil and groundwater in and around the Hudson River, which resulted in more than 200 miles of the 315-mile-long waterway being classified as a Superfund site in 1984. Superfund, the informal name for the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, is a program designed to fund the cleanup of sites identified by the U.S. government as posing contamination risks to human health and the environment. These sites are ultimately unusable for industries such as tourism, agriculture or fishing.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the EPA and 56 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

responsible parties led cleanup activities at the Hudson River site between 2009 and 2016, costing more than $1.7 billion. However, the contamination still remains today, with more work required before the river can be deemed clean.

“There are over 1,300 superfund sites and 450,000 brownfield sites in the USA that pose ongoing health threats to the community,” Doromal said. “The current cleanup options are both environmentally destructive and cost prohibitive. It’s time for a better, more sustainable approach.”

The most common methods of PCB remediation for waterways are capping and dredging, yet neither process destroys the PCBs. Additionally, both are expensive, time-consuming and destructive to ecosystems and wildlife.

“Ultimately, the goal is to reduce risk and exposure to people,” Doromal said, “but we also have a unique opportunity to remediate many of these contaminated sites for economic development.”

Strategy and Sustainability

Seeing the innovative and versatile potential of the SPEARS technology, Albino assembled a team of students from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College to help determine how to launch the business. “I wanted to get a young group of MBAfocused students who were capable of operating on ramen noodles and rice and beans, as start-up entrepreneurs are often forced to do, focused on general goto-market strategies. It wasn't until the

second year that I tailored the students to be more focused toward how we can monetize and eventually commercialize this type of business venture.”

The Entrepreneurs in Action (EiA) Social Enterprise Fund, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage forprofit social enterprises, learned about ecoSPEARS and decided to get involved.

“It’s a big idea,” said Rob Panepinto, the CEO of EiA. “I think one of the things that’s wonderful about social enterprises is they are focused on solving problems that affect humanity. Not only is ecoSPEARS solving contamination problems affecting our own community, but in this case, they’re also solving the problem on a global scale. They have a real business strategy around innovating and scaling their technology, so that was an amazing combination that we don’t always see in social enterprises.”

The company is all about thinking better — not just for the growth of the company, but for the health of the planet, Albino said. “Our impact as a business reaches beyond just profitability or introducing an innovative product. For us, it’s about impact. It’s about being able to get to the root cause of these issues and cleaning our environment and communities. If we remove these contaminants from our land and waterways, not only do we now have access to more vibrant real estate, but we’ve also ensured that these toxins never pose a threat to humans again.” P

Welcome to tomorrow land.

We’ve got land for expansion, manpower to empower and forward-thinking infrastructure investments that top $10 billion. We’ve evolved from a university town built to win the space race to one of the most imaginative cities in America. Our evolution didn’t happen overnight; we’ve been preparing for our explosive growth for more than a decade. And you thought you knew everything about Orlando. Ready to learn more?

Orlando.org

Downtime

Unique experiences for your day off ORLANDO Kings Dining & Entertainment Kings Dining & Entertainment is an award-winning gathering place on International Drive where people connect, play, eat, drink and laugh together.

Each location across the country is designed with unique offerings of community-inspired social experiences such as luxury bowling, larger-than-life sports viewing, nostalgic retro video gaming, and over-the-top scratch food and craft cocktails. Kings is the trusted backdrop for first dates, birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette celebrations, corporate outings, community fundraisers, engagements and more. No matter the occasion, the talented and motivated Kings team sets the stage for great times and lasting memories.

www.kings-de.com

WINTER GARDEN SOUL Haven Ranch If you’re seeking an experience that soothes the soul, visit SOUL Haven Ranch. Comfortably guarded by the shade of grand canopy oaks, the ranch offers an elegant stay in a Victorianstyle guest house, along with horsedrawn carriage rides and bonding with miniature horses for love and healing.

Enjoy a cold drink while reading a book on the wraparound porch that overlooks four acres of breezy fields. The house’s four guest quarters guarantee a relaxing stay for anyone, from couples looking for romance to parents with special-needs children and hospice patients seeking a peaceful experience.

www.soulhavenranch.com

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Downtime

DADE CITY Giraffe Ranch Located just 45 minutes north of Tampa, Giraffe Ranch is situated on 47 acres of rolling countryside adjoining Florida’s secondlargest wilderness area, the Green Swamp. With towering live oaks, native orchids, lush pastures and ephemeral wetlands, this native wildlife preserve offers animals room to roam while serving as a licensed working ranch. Giraffe Ranch provides four safari options. A driver-guide in a customized four-wheel-drive vehicle leads the signature vehicle safari experience. Under the truck’s shaded canopy, guests are safe, cool and comfortable year-round, and everyone has the perfect view. Visitors can feed the giraffes and see other animals, including zebras, camels, rhinos, pygmy hippos, Austrian Haflinger horses and tiny Irish Dexter cattle.

www.girafferanch.com CENTRAL FLORIDA Hop On! Brew Tours Experience Central Florida’s rapidly growing craft beer scene and sample some of the finest brews the Sunshine State has to offer. Hop On! tours up to 15 breweries featuring more than 2,000 beers. Just choose a route, sit back and enjoy a personalized guided four-hour tour aboard a private bus, complete with games, music and trivia.

www.hopon.tours

ORLANDO Madame Tussauds Orlando Madame Tussauds Orlando is the only place in the city where guests can get up-close and personal with the hottest celebrities, enjoy the glitz and glamour of Hollywood life and save the world with the Justice League. Throughout its 250year history, Madame Tussauds has brought to life thousands of historical icons, Hollywood stars and superheroes — in accurately detailed life-size wax figures. Madame Tussauds Orlando is home to the Justice League: A Call for Heroes Experience, featuring an immersive and interactive mission, where guests can save the world alongside Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash.

Visitors can party with Pitbull, co-host a show with Oprah or have breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn.

www.madametussauds.com/Orlando i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 59

Business Seen

BOY SCOUTS METRO ORLANDO GOLDEN EAGLE DINNER With the support of more than 700 guests and 100 event sponsors, and the leadership of Event Chairman Jeff Jennings, the Central Florida Council of Boy Scouts of America was pleased to honor Mayor Jerry Demings for his continued investment of time, talent and treasure into the Central Florida community. At the annual Metro Orlando Golden Eagle Dinner held April 16 at the Amway Arena, Boy Scouts of America raised more than $550,000 to support the 22,000 youths enrolled in area Scouting programs.

Photography: Brion Price Photography

Cub Scouts

Scout Color Guard, Crew 911

Congresswoman Val Demings and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer

Orange County Sheriff John Mina

Caroline Hawks and Charles Gray

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Business Seen

Orange County Sheriff’s Office

Boy Scouts of America Southern Region Director Ron Oats, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, BSA Central Florida Council Scout Executive and CEO Eric Magendantz, Cub Scout Omari, Scout Julia, Scout Kyle, Event Chairman Jeff Jennings and Orange County Sheriff John Mina

Jerry Demings and Eric Magendantz

Eagle Award

i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 61

Business Seen

ORLANDO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP BBQ ON THE BOULEVARD The Orlando Economic Partnership held its 2019 BBQ on the Boulevard on May 7. Known as one of Central Florida's most highly anticipated business events of the year, the 29th annual gathering attracted more than 1,000 of the region's community, elected and business leaders for an evening of fun and networking, as well as barbecue, beverages and other treats from more than a dozen local vendors. The event was held on East Central Boulevard next to Lake Eola Park.

George Waldenberger, Laureen Martinez, Tom Terry

Tim Giuliani and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer

Lee Hale, Rachel Andre, Bruce Hall, Jason Bullard

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings

Adhi Vyas, Kristine Palkowetz

Cameron Moreau

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Business Seen

Kingston, Hanna Swidler, Shades, CB

Attendees numbered more than 1,000

Claude Richardson, Meghan Gaborko, Bo Outlaw, Remonda Youssef, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Tien Le

Kendra Cassell, Dale Haupt, Debra Teply, Tyler Kirby, James Hamil

ARE YOU A BUSINESS HERO? EVERY HERO NEEDS A

- GRAPHIC DESIGN - WEB DESIGN

SIDEKICK - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

- marketing - recruiting

Working behind the scenes to make you look good!

sidekickcreations.com | 321.704.2393 i4Biz.com | JUNE 2019 | 63

Watercooler

Stuff you didn’t know you wanted to know

10,000 60,000 The number of people who moved to Orlando from mid-2017 to mid-2018 — almost enough to fill the stands at Camping World Stadium.

2/3 Number of new Orlando residents from outside the 50 U.S. states.

Number of people employed at 150-plus modeling, simulation and training companies at the Central Florida Research Park

HE HAS A QUALITY THAT I THINK IS ON A SHORT LIST OF CHARACTERISTICS THAT DRIVE SUCCESS, AND THAT IS CURIOSITY.

“If

our neighbors and fellow citizens hurt, all of us hurt.”

— Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings on announcing a Housing for All task force during his first State of the County speech

“We

have to create

the carrot to entice developers to build more affordable housing options.”

— Olan Hill, assistant manager in the planning division of Orange County Source: Associated Press

— Apple CEO Tim Cook, after awarding Lyman High School sophomore Liam Rosenfeld a prize during an appearance at Mall at Millenia in Orlando Source: Orlando Sentinel

5 Orlando’s ranking among fastest-growing metro areas in the United States in 2018, surpassed only by Dallas, Phoenix, Houston and Atlanta.

Source: Associated Press

64 | JUNE 2019 | i4Biz.com

50,000 Number of degrees earned at University of Central Florida since 2006 by DirectConnect transfers from 6 state college partners

“We haven’t fully engaged this whole city, but it’s a whole lot more captivated than it was before. Black and gold is a much bigger deal in Orlando than it was before, but there’s a lot of room for growth.”

— UCF Athletics Director Danny White, on announcing an anticipated sold-out football season Source: Orlando Sentinel

Giving to Goodwill is good for business.

Strengthening our community means Building Lives That Work. Through a wide array of career services and vocational programs, Goodwill provides tools that help people overcome barriers to employment and find a permanent path out of poverty.

When you shop at or donate to Goodwill, you’re funding services that help people find jobs and achieve economic self-sufficiency . . . right here in our community. In 2017, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida served 47,531 people and placed more than 8,100 individuals into jobs.

7531 SOUTH ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAIL | ORLANDO, FL 32809 | 407. 857. 0659 | GOODWILLCF L.ORG

© 2015 Southwest Airlines Co.

Without a Heart, it’s just a machine.

So in 1971, a little Heart built a different kind of airline—one that made sure everyone could fly.

Everyone has important places to go. So we invented low-fares to help them get there.

To us, you’re not 1A or 17B. You’re a person with a name, like Steve.

Here, we think everyone deserves to feel special, no matter where you sit or how much you fly.

And with all the places we’re going next, we’ll always put you first, because our love of People is still our most powerful fuel.

Some say we do things differently.

We say, why would we do things any other way?

Without a Heart, it’s just a machine.