And just like that, September is over! Can you believe it? In case you missed any of SRQ Magazine’s September Edition, we’ve linked it here. You can expect to receive a wrap-up just like this one at the end of every month. And, be sure to read our October Edition hitting newsstands now!
As visionary arts advocate Patricia Caswell retires, she leaves behind monuments to the creative process. She draws, she cuts, she glues; she’s the amazing X-acto knife collage artist, Philomena Marano.
[Sarasota, FL] SRQ MEDIA, powered by the Women Who Roar Initiative, hosted the 6th Annual Women Who Roar: Together We Roar Leadership and Awards Luncheon on Friday May 13, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. The Women Who Roar Initiative was formed nine years ago as a year-round program engaging the participants in the annual Women Who Roar Competition to create highly-dynamic personal networking that catalyzes positive community engagement through the science and art of mentorship among the generations of women who call our area home.
“We know how powerful personal relationships are in cultivating and empowering change,” says SRQ MEDIA CEO and President Lisl Liang. “The Women Who Roar Initiative serves to provide authentic, memorable mentorship experiences that create connective tissue within our community of passionate women and ultimately strengthen our mission to Live Local. Love Local.”
As women representing diverse professional industries in Sarasota and Manatee Counties reconnected with one another for the first time since the most recent pre-pandemic luncheon in 2019, Liang took the stage and welcomed the more than 260 guests and honorees who were nominated during the years of 2020, 2021 and 2022 and expressed gratitude for being able to gather in person once again after a two year hiatus.
Steve Altier of Seaside National Bank & Trust, a champion partner/sponsor of the event spoke next and shared his thoughts about the importance of mentorship before turning the stage over to Keynote Guest Speaker, Kathy Kristof, Editor/Founder and CEO of SideHusl.com. With a significant career in financial investigative journalism, Kristof has formed her company to navigate a safe financial space for freelancers by presenting ways to make money in the gig economy.
Trailblazer Award Recipient, Cyma Zarghami spoke next. Zarghami is the CEO/Founder of Mimo Studios, a female-owned and operated media company that specializes in kids and family content spanning live action, animation and preschool and former president of the Nickelodeon franchise.
At the awards ceremony, the following 17 new ambassadors were inducted into the Women Who Roar Leadership Circle, resulting in many smiles and lots of hugs:
Marianne Chapel
Taylor Collins
Cheri Coryea
Julie Deffense
Aurilla (Dee Dee) Fusco
Jane Gill Watt
Roxie Jerde
Jennifer Johnston
Victoria Kasdan
Melissa Larkin-Skinner
Meg Lowman
Kristie O’Kon
Carol Probstfeld
Dr. Bridget Ratner
Casey Siljestrom
Terri Syros
Judy Wang
The Leadership Circle Ambassadors of the Women Who Roar Initiative engage in curated mentorship programming throughout the year including SkillSHARE: Mentorship at the Speed of Life and SMARTgirls: Futures and Mentorship Summit.
For more information, we invite you to visit SRQMAG.COM.
You spoke up, and we listened. From vets and videographers to cocktails and chiropractors, BOSRQ Local is back with a brand new batch of the cities’ finest fare, favorite services, most sought-after places and beloved businesses—a grand tally thanks to all your voting (a record-breaking 78,000 votes to be exact!). And now we are happy to present you with the leading legends, the new voices and the rising nominees of this year’s competition. And this time around, we’ve themed the visuals of this feature around the iconic images of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe—a timely homage to the current exhibit showing at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, ‘Flowers, Poetry, and Light’. This vanguard artist of the late 20th century, combined with the entrepreneurs, designers, restaurateurs, physicians and specialists listed among the proceeding pages, continue to put Sarasota-Manatee Counties on the map—proving evolutionary and eclectic aren’t just for the big cities. Ready, set, celebrate!
SRQist
Banyan Coffee Co. owner, Josh Schmitt, spills the beans on how this specialty coffee roaster came to be. Blaise Ryndes, creator of the Spheres Bubble Show, dazzled audiences at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime.
Culture City
The Sarasota Film Festival returns for its 24th year this month with fresh programming and events. Dramaturg and Literary Manager at Asolo Repertory Theatre Adam Ashraf Elsayigh discusses how his unique background impacts his new role.
Cargo
April showers takes The Goods by storm. King of vintage designer, Cameron Silver, discusses his passion for fashion after a local visit at T.Georgiano’s boutique.
Home remains the most significant architectural place we experience throughout our lives. It represents safety, ownership, privacy, stability and personality. As we continue to investigate the role that homes play in our daily lives, the annual SRQ Magazine Home of the Year Competition invites local architects, builders, interior designers and landscape artists to present us with new notions of home environments by submitting their recent residential projects.
SRQist
Seventh generation circus bareback horse rider, Ermes Zamperla is Sarasota’s very own piece of living history. Alpine Steakhouse – a fixture in the Sarasota dining community for nearly a half-century – has emerged from an intensive revamping with a new look and outlook. New Crew SRQ, an inclusive rowing team pioneered by a student at New College of Florida, is racing into top-level rankings. Circus veteran sisters, Kay and Ellian Rosaire share their love for exotic animals at the Big Cat Habitat.
Culture City
Three years after her passing, Master Painter Eleanor Merritt makes her way to The Ringling Museum. The Herbarium at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, home to more than 117,000 collections of flora – is a wonderland of tropical beauty.
Forage
Southeast Asian cuisine goes contemporary casual at Stiks. A brew that calls itself “the drink of joy,” Boombacha Kombucha is a Sarasota-made staple that is, well…booming.
Giving Coast
Local Good Hero Jim Tollerton shares wisdom and lessons learned from a lifelong passion for helping people succeed.
As President and CEO of FNA, Perwaiz strengthens, promotes and advocates on behalf of Florida’s nonprofit sector. During her tenure, FNA has expanded on its research portfolio with Florida’s first nonprofit economic impact report, nonprofit compensation surveys and a state of the sector. Prior to joining the organization, Perwaiz was a researcher for Vital Voices Global Partnership, served as Special Projects Manager for Pace Center for Girls, implemented an Early Childhood Education program with Aide et Action in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and led the Earn Up initiative for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
Since 2012, Perwaiz has led the all volunteer team for TEDxJacksonville. She serves on the board of directors of the National Council of Nonprofits and United Way of Northeast Florida and as Vice President of Women’s Giving Alliance. Perwaiz is a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida Connect. She has been named an Aspen Ideas Scholar, Woman of Influence, 40 under 40 and a National Business Journal Influencer. She has also received a One Jax Humanitarian award. Perwaiz served on Florida’s Commission on Community Service from 2018-2021.
Perwaiz earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and pre-medicine from City College of New York and her master’s in International Development from the University of Birmingham in the UK. An avid traveler, Perwaiz has visited over 42 countries and hopes to visit at least 100 in her lifetime. She and her husband, Asghar, are proud parents of Raza and Ayah.
The SB2 Transformation in Philanthropy Luncheon will explore how nonprofits ride the wave of change, particularly after a year of extreme change. In addition to hearing from Sabeen Perwaiz, we will speak to the Change Agent Award Catalysts to learn how their organizations embraced and catalyzed change in the past year. The luncheon will take place on Thursday, March 10, 2022 from 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Tickets are on sale now!
Cyma is a 33-year veteran of Viacom’s largest and most profitable divisions, Nickelodeon – the premiere kids’ entertainment brand that consists of 5 TV channels, a global consumer products business, digital apps and mobile content, feature films and location-based experiences. From the beginning of her career at Nickelodeon in 1985, to being named its President in 2006, Zarghami is credited with nurturing the explosive growth and expansion of what was initially a single cable channel into what is now a multi platform kids and family lifestyle brand.
Cyma ensured that the company’s output and workplace culture remained true to the brand’s primary mission to serve and be inclusive to all kids. This led Nickelodeon being cited for decades as one of the most diverse and successful entertainment businesses, and the corporate culture was heralded as a model of teamwork, inclusivity and opportunity.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear from Cyma herself on May 13th, 2022at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. You can purchase tickets here!
Kathy is a long-time financial journalist and author. During her 19-year tenure at the Los Angeles Times, she wrote a syndicated personal finance column that reached over 40 million readers nationwide. She has written for MSN, CBS News, Kiplinger, Forbes, Reuters and dozens more. It was while she was writing for these various publications that she stumbled on the burgeoning gig economy.
In an effort to keep track of the vast number of new job and money-making options, she started SideHusl.com, which creates standard disclosures for pay, commissions and fees, risks, rewards, and requirements. In just 3 years, the company has helped millions of customers through 400+ reviews!
Kathy is the mother of four adult children and likes to read, bike, garden and paddle board in her free time.
Good food heals all – a thriving community of supporters and fundraisers experienced a taste of real Florida at Resilient Retreat’s Farm to Table Feast, benefiting individual’s of mental, emotional or physical trauma.
Neuro Nurturing
Staying healthy goes far beyond opting to take the stairs or walking down that extra block with the dog. Aside from getting exercise, which is certainly important medicine for the brain, SRQ teams up with the brains behind The Brain Health Initiative (BHI) to explore fundamental areas of focus to boost the mental state of our central organ, this New Year and beyond.
SRQist
SUP Yoga SRQ’s Stephanie Ouellette teaches yogis the benefits of anchoring on the water. Jaymie Klauber of Epic Equine Experiences lends a helping hoof for those who need a horseback pick-me-up. Sarasota Memorial Hospital transcends into 3D-printed equipment to improve the work lives of its staff and the safety of patients. TerraNova Equestrian Center showcases Olympic Eventing in Southwest Florida.
A collaboration of music and dance creates Bach Immersion. a Ringling College VR student helps Moffitt Cancer Center gamify they system for patient care. Executive Director Virginia Shearer brings vision and a sense of play to the Sarasota Art Museum.
Stay a step ahead, keep the lower extremities moving with performance footwear and foot recovery gear. Joie Inn makes its colorful debut on Anna Maria Island, with four color-themed guest suites.
Opus Restaurant brings new Mediterranean compositions to Gulf Gate. No dream, or bowl, is too big for Dream Earth Bowls at the Sarasota Farmers Market.
The voting round for the 2022 Best of SRQ Local Competition has only been open a week, and we already have over28,000 votes! Yes, you read that number right! Keep voting for your favorites now until February 9, 2022.
Find eight eye-catching themes and over 50 gift ideas for just about everyone on you holiday shopping list. From boutiques at the tip of Anna Maria Island to downtown Venice and a grab bag of local gems in-between, you’re sure to find a few hot ticketed items to wrap up in paper and tie with a bow.
SRQist
Teen competitor Enzo Deferrari Wilson gains fame as the youngest American Ninja Warrior in history. Celestron Telescopes’ Ed McDonough brings childlike wonder for all ages through his lens at The Bishop Museum. Busker and YouTube phenom Dovydas claims St. Armands as his stage.
Explore the charm and operations of one of the last small coastal fishing villages – Cortez Village. Celebrate the holidays with eclectic goods from local Bradenton boutiques. Old Florida gets a little fancy at The Porch on Anna Maria Island. Seeking out local produce and artisans at our local farmers’ market from Anna Maria Island to Downtown Bradenton.
Co-founder and Vice Chair of Save our Seabirds, Ann Anders on sees philanthropy take flight. The pandemic expanded the number of students turning to telehealth services for mental health care.
After a year of postponements, cancellations, experiments and half-measures, Sarasota’s arts and culture scene rebounds with a season full of world premiers, big ideas and joyous reunions of old friends. Culture Primer highlights not-to-be-missed performances for the 2021-22 season.
In an industrial playground, Marianne Chapel and a band of local artists build SPAACES. A year of service with Miss Florida 2021, Leah Roddenberry, as she looks o represent in the 100th Miss America Competition. Meet Janus and Iclyn at The Bishop Museum’s newly-renovated and expanded manatee rehabilitation exhibit.
From boot, baggy, flare and straight-leg cut, this is your denim jean trend guide. Delight your sensibilities with Kenzie Fisher’s ELU Parfums, inspired by the Mediterranean coast of the French Riviera.
SRQ Inside the Brand 