The final SRQ SB2 Symposium of 2019 took place at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota on Monday, December 9. The SB2: Philanthropic Agenda luncheon and panel discussion explored the dynamic and ever changing world of non-profits.

The program began with welcoming remarks by Series Sponsor Brian Mariash, Senior Vice President of Mariash Lowther Wealth Management. Event Sponsor Neil McCurry, President & CEO of Sabal Palm Bank also welcomed the audience to SB2 and raffled off a generous gift of $1,000 to a non-profit in the room. Congratulations to the raffle winner, Sarasota Cuban Ballet School!

SB2: Philanthropic Agenda continued with commentary by Keynote Speaker Mark Brewer of the Central Florida Foundation and moved into a dynamic panel discussion featuring John Annis of the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Carol Butera of the Selby Foundation, Mark Pritchett of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and Roxie Jerde of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Moderated by SRQ Executive Publisher Wes Roberts, the panel engaged in a conversation that covered topics that ranged from ethics, social justice, and diversity.

The afternoon culminated with the Local Philanthropy Hero Awards presented by Heidi Brown of the JFCS Of The Suncoast where SRQ honored individuals who have impacted our community in meaningful ways. SRQ MEDIA extends warm congratulations to the recipients of two Volunteer Awards to Ann Walborn of Mote Marine and Suzanne King of Selby Gardens; a Staff Award to Barbara Van Essen from Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast; two Board Member Awards to Jonna Keller of Boys & Girls Club Sarasota and Ann Anderson of Save Our Seabirds; a Donor Award to Robert Bernhard; two New Nonprofit Awards to Peter Skokos and Chef Bryan Jacobs; and, a Corporate Hero Award to Rae Dowling.

Thank you to the SB2: Transformation in Philanthropy event sponsors Sabal Palm Bank and Sue Ellen’s Floral Boutique and to the 2019-2020 SB2 Series sponsors: Merrill Lynch Mariash Lowther Wealth Management, JFCS of the Suncoast, The Hyatt Regency Sarasota and PSAV for their support for this community program.

Additional Photos from the event are available HERE

The next SB2 Symposium, The State of the Regional Economy and Economic Engines and the 2020 Localpreneneur of the Year awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 20, 2020. For more information visit SRQSB2.com.

Since its lobby doors opened in 1974 as Sarasota’s first full-service hotel in the downtown area, the Hyatt Regency Sarasota is taking a look back at all it has accomplished. From impactful community partnerships to the guest experience and the team behind the scenes – the Hyatt’s SRQ BrandStory delves into the hotel’s past and looks ahead to its future.

Read the Hyatt Regency Sarasota’s BrandStory HERE

As part of the SRQ Modern Home Magazine programming, SRQ MEDIA hosted the 2019 Modern Home Symposium. An evening focused on modern architecture along the Gulf Coast, local architects and builders that participated in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the SRQ Modern Home Magazine engaged in a moderated discussion, where they had an opportunity to discuss their design ethos and expand on how architecture and design plays a factor in the aesthetic of our region.

Panelists included Mark Sultana, DSDG Architects; Nathan Cross, NWC Construction; Jonathan Parks, SOLSTICE Planning and Architecture and Steve Murray; Murray Homes. The panelists discussed topics that ranged from environmental practices, client relationships, technology, and the past, present and future of architecture in the Suncoast region.

Mark Sultana, AIA, Principal Architect at DSDG Architects discussed how his firm facilitates the design process through state-of-the-art renderings to give clients a hyper-realistic understanding of projects. Using three-dimensional modeling that bridges concept and construction, Sultana described how technology is changing how architects can interface with clients in dynamic and visually engaging ways. He highlighted several of the firm’s recent residential projects, which are clean and elegant concepts that incorporate sustainability and a ‘warm modern’ aesthetic. Sultana also acknowledged the area’s unique architectural history as being a catalyst for modern residential design. “Sarasota is all about good architecture,” explained Sultana, “Not only do the architects care about architecture, but the community cares about architecture.”Nathan Cross of NWC Construction delved into the custom home building process and emphasized the importance of incorporating sustainably-driven practices and materials into his work. He shared that as a craftsman who often creates high-end, bespoke elements within his custom homes, strong client relationships are invaluable to successful design. For Cross, who takes on two to three projects at a time, it’s all about finding the right, mutual fit. “I interview our clients just as much as they interview us,” shared Cross. This focus and attention to detail allows NWC to build with integrity and quality. “I think of it this way,” said Cross, “While I’m building your home, in the moment, I’m actually building my own home.”Jonathan Parks, AIA of SOLSTICE Planning & Architecture has an extensive portfolio of both commercial and modern, residential design. As the architect behind well-known civic spaces, hospitality and multi-use buildings, Jonathan Parks expanded on how he considers the urban gesture to guide the design of his projects. Parks provided the audience with insight into his thought process behind the Art Ovation Hotel and the St. Armand’s parking garage. Rooted in concept and experiential design, Parks envisions the planning of projects in a holistic way that remains appropriate to scale and site.  As an architect who has seen Sarasota evolve throughout the years, Jonathan Parks discussed regionalism and what makes Sarasota unique:  “There are lot of places that have beaches, sand and the sun, but what makes Sarasota special and separates it, is the arts,” Parks said. “What’s changing is, Sarasota used to be very inward focused, but with more young people here than ever before, it’s become more of an outward focused place with a ton of things to do, shows to see, places to go. The architecture community is building upon that.”Steve Murray, President of Murray Homes discussed the family-owned firm’s luxury, residential design and custom home building practices. “If you cannot find what you want to buy, you have build it. It has to be designed.” stressed Murray. Working closely with clients to establish a plan for their dream home often evolves into tight-knit relationships, which is a rewarding aspect of the process for Murray that also establishes repeat clients. Murray shared that he has once worked with a client nine times, a testament to the quality of a custom Murray Home residence as well as the high level of client engagement. Guided by a series of core values that have become the firm’s philosophy: Dream Big. Build Better, Murray shared with the audience that, “We always place our core values at the front of our conversations with clients.”

The insightful evening culminated with audience q+a and post-presentation networking between designers, architects, builders, and industry experts.

A special thank you to our stellar panelists for participating in the SRQ Modern Home Symposium and to all of our attendees. To learn more about the panelists, read the latest edition of SRQ Modern Home Magazine ONLINE.

Click here to view more photos from the 2019 SRQ Modern Home Symposium

SRQ MEDIA is pleased to share Every 1 Counts, the latest video documentary produced by Moving Stories, SRQ’s new in-house video and documentary division. Created for Step Up Suncoast, Every 1 Counts highlights the nonprofit’s ongoing Every 1 Counts campaign as well as the critical early childhood programs offered by this community-focused organization.

SRQ MEDIA worked closely with Step Up Suncoast and Grapevine Communications to develop the video documentary. “As a full-service creative agency, we immerse ourselves into each project to develop a distinct artistic vision, so we are very particular about choosing our partners in production to help bring all the facets of that vision to life,” reflects Kristie O’Kon, Director of Client Relations of Grapevine Communications. “From the start, the SRQ video team shared our passion for Step Up Suncoast and took the lead to ensure their story was told. The resulting video exceeded both our and our client’s expectations and seamlessly conveyed the message we envisioned.”

Click here to view Every 1 Counts 

Moving Stories employs the authentic documentarian process to create videos projects that share compelling stories about companies and organizations in our community. Rooted in video, design and authentic storytelling, the SRQ Moving Stories division produces media productions that evoke emotion and inspire action.

SRQ MEDIA is currently booking productions for Spring 2020. If you would like to experience the Moving Stories authentic filmic storytelling approach, please contact our team at: GrowMyBuiness@SRQME.COM

On Wednesday, October 23, 2019 SRQ MEDIA hosted the Modern Education Symposium, which explored local private and charter schools in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Representatives from The Out-Of-Door Academy, NewGate School, St. Martha Catholic School, Sarasota Christian School, The Pinnacle Academy and Island Village Montessori School engaged in a lively moderated panel discussion that covered topics ranging from curriculum and educational programming to guidance for parents on how to choose the school that is best for their child.

The evening kicked off with a short presentation by each school representative.

Principals, Educators, and Headmasters provided insight about their school’s mission and values and shared heartwarming stories about students and alumni. The audience learned about the ethos of each private school that was represented–from faith-based education, to brain-based learning, to the Montessori approach.

The evening continued with a moderated panel discussion, where SRQ MEDIA‘s Executive Publisher Wes Roberts asked the MOED Symposium participants a series of questions that delved into education. The panelists discussed how parents can match their child to a school that connects to their best way of learning and opened up a conversation about the value of private education within the community.

When asked about aspects that drive parents to enroll their children in a private or charter school answers ranged from individualized attention, a different way of learning, adaptability, safety, happiness, and a place where their students can feel loved and accepted.

The flexibility to adapt, innovate and change is a big factor for parents to enroll their children in a private education. “We almost never have the same classrooms each year,” remarked Head of School Dr. Kirstina Ordetx from The Pinnacle Academy. “They’re redesigned every year. Next year we’re piloting a classroom specifically designed for twice exceptional learners, who have been duly diagnosed as both gifted and needing remediation. Every one of us can make those types of changes on a needed basis…after all, that’s private school. We can do that!”

When asked about how to adapt to the changing needs of a child, St. Martha Catholic School Principal Siobhan Young described their school’s dedication to individualized education. “Our Pre-K student’s goals change on a weekly basis and are specific to their individualized needs, which is something that we offer to all of our students. As our students grow older we ask them to then set goals for themselves. They should be part of that goal setting process”

“As a Montessori school, we’re very focused on offering a multi-age environment, which works its own magic. Having everyone on one campus together benefits a wide range of students,” said Arts Educator Nancy Clarke from Island Village Montessori, Venice campus.

“Gone are the days when one teacher stands at the front of the room teaching one batch of information and hoping that most kids catch it,” said Christine Bradford, Elementary and Middle School Principal of Sarasota Christian School. “You want to hear the word ‘differentiation’ from educators about how they’re going to approach teaching and learning differently within the classroom to help the varying needs of students.”

The panel also discussed topics like financial aid (with the exception of Island Village Montessori school, which is tuition-free, all schools that were represented do offer tuition assistance through a variety of methods and programs), diversity, STEAM, and the hot topic of how much homework is too much homework? In response, Cindy Hoffman, Principal of Island Village Montessori Sarasota campus shared, “My campus goes through fifth grade and you can find studies that say for younger children, homework is actually quite detrimental. Kids need to be kids and we do work them hard all day. They need to go home and play. Our philosophy is to provide just a little bit of homework to hone time management and responsibility skills.”

Guiding parents on the selection process Tim Seldin, Head of NewGate School commented, “We really encourage you as parents to take your time, get to know us, talk with other parents, spend time with us in the classroom. Each one of us reflects a unique educational choice and it’s so incredible that for a small town, there’s such a rich tapestry of options for children.”

While each school presented their individual missions and pathways to learning, among the panelists there was consensus that ultimately, each educational organization genuinely supports and advocates for the very best education possible for the future generation. “We have a long road to figure out what your child’s passion is going to be and it’s our goal to help them find their passion. It’s a journey, not a race. And, we want your children to love school. We want our students to become life long learners,” remarked Laura Murphy, Admissions Director of Lower School Admissions & Alumni Relations from The Out-Of-Door Academy.

A thank you to our fantastic Modern Education Symposium panelists for their insightful contributions to the conversation and to Mattison’s for catering the evening!

Want to learn more? Check out the SRQ RocketKids Magazine to learn more about the schools represented on the SRQ Modern Education Panel.

 

SRQ MEDIA recently hosted the seventh rendition of SkillSHARE, a Mentorship Summit where a powerhouse group of women from a variety of professions and backgrounds met to engage through conversation and deep relationship building.

Dubbed ‘Mentorship at the Speed of Light,’ SkillSHARE is a networking-focused program that engages insightful interactions between local women professionals.

Mentors from the SRQ Women in Business Leadership Circle exchanged valuable, experience-based advice and guidance with a group of motivated mentees through deep dive engagement, ah-ha! moments, and dialogue.

A huge thank you to our fabulous mentors and mentees who participated in SkillSHARE at SRQ Studios this October! Photos from the program can be viewed HERE.

Missed this session? The next SkillSHARE program will take place in February 2020. Learn more at: srqhearmeroar.com

Now available for view and download, the SRQ October BrandStory highlights the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Master Site Plan.

As Marie Selby Botanical Gardens engages in a visionary ten-year, three-phase Master Site Plan, sharing the positive cultural, environmental and preservational impacts of the next evolution of this treasured cultural institution has never been more significant. Printed in the SRQ October 2019 magazine, the Selby’s BrandStory explores facets of the organization’s Master Site Plan and shares the Botanical Garden’s commitment to the preservation of their beloved living collection. The feature addresses expanded public accessibility, efforts required to remain resilient in an evolving environment, and the Plan’s visionary direction for the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to become the world’s first certified Net Positive Energy botanical garden complex.

VIEW THE SELBY GARDENS BRANDSTORY HERE