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STARTUP ACCELERATOR PROGRAM LAUNCHES

The Southwest Florida Enterprise Center’s (SWFLEC) nine-week startup accelerator program will begin today at SWFLEC’s Fort Myers headquarters. The curriculum features Kauffman Fast Trac augmented by custom content and one-on-one coaching sessions. The facilitators are Mike O’Donnell, serial entrepreneur and angel investor, and Mike Love, director, SWFLEC.

In addition, the program features talks by local entrepreneurs who have recently raised capital and launched a new business. Program sessions are every Wednesday in February and March, with the exception of the investor pitch night taking place on March 26 at the Riverside Community Center in Fort Myers.

The participation cost is $50 per session for each of the eight sessions, or $350 for all eight sessions in advance. Participants must attend at least six sessions to be eligible to pitch at the final session and win prizes. The program is taking reservations for Sessions two through nine. For more information or to register for the program, contact Love at (239) 321-7086 or mlove@cityftmyers.com.

BUSINESS HALL OF FAME, LEE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARD NAMED

Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida announces the members of its 2019 Business Hall of Fame, Lee County Advisory Board. The committee will be led by co-chairs Scott Fischer, president of Scott Fischer Enterprises, and Sharon Torregrossa, real estate agent for VIP Realty Group Inc.

The 2019 Business Hall of Fame, Lee County is slated for April 18 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs.

Other members selected to this year’s board include: Brandon Box, IBERIABANK; Jason Brewer, BB&T; Richard Durnwald, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.; Jan-Erik Hustrulid, Owen-Ames-Kimball Company; Travis Merrick, GFA International, Inc.; Laurie Moore, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management; Sandy Stilwell-Youngquist, Stilwell Enterprises & Restaurant Group; Gary Tasman, Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida; and Mary Vlasak Snell, Pavese Law Firm.

For more information, visit www.JASWFL.org.

CMCD BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TAKE OFFICE

Sandra Lee Buxton, John Johnson and Jacquelyn D. Thompson-Fresenius took the oath of office on Jan. 24 as newly elected members of the Collier Mosquito Control District (CMCD) Board of Commissioners, during the organization’s monthly board meeting.

They join board members David H. Farmer and Michael Reagen. The district’s five commissioners are elected at-large and serve four-year terms. Commissioners elected Thompson-Fresenius as board chair, Johnson as vice chair/secretary, and Farmer as treasurer. The CMCD Board meetings are open to the public, and the 2019 schedule is available at cmcd.org.

WWRE NAMES SHIPLEY PRESIDENT

Wiltshire, Whitley, Richardson & English P.A. (WWRE) has appointed Brad Shipley as president. Shipley has been employed by WWRE since 2006 and a shareholder since 2015. A specialist in tax planning and preparation for both individuals and businesses, Shipley is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Estate Planning Council of Lee County and Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Shipley received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Richmond in 2003. He is a board member for Classic Basketball Inc., organizer of the annual City of Palms Classic high school basketball tournament. He is also a board member at Bishop Verot and chairs his alma mater’s finance committee, and is an associate member of the Gulf Citrus Growers Association. He is a graduate of the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2015-16.

STARTUP CITY AWARDS iGPS

Startup City Magazine named Southwest Florida-based iGPS as one of the nation’s 15 most-promising wearable tech startups. The award and a feature story in the most recent issue of the magazine boosts the firm’s reputation as the leading provider of parent-controlled smartwatches that monitor children’s safety, a press release states. Using iGPS’ secure mobile-phone app, parents can see their children’s location on a map, send them messages and even speak with them when they’re wearing the colorful child-sized GPS-enabled watch.

The company’s innovation has been chosen as a Capstone Project for EMBA students at UCLA Anderson School of Management, the graduate business school at the University of California, Los Angeles. iGPS had to qualify and then be selected among several competing projects that were presented to EMBA students and staff. The UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator recently invited iGPS to pitch to venture-capital investors.

OCEANA GLOBAL LOGISTICS CEO HONORED

Oceana Global Logistics CEO and Director of Sales Sissil Dep has been awarded the CEO Today USA 2018 award. This national award recognizes executives and leaders who are flourishing in their respective industries and are at the leading edge of business growth, product design and service innovation.

Dep founded Oceana Global Logistics in 2011 with partner Renuka Deva and has grown the company from ground zero to a successful operational logistics firm handling multi-million dollar accounts and shipments worldwide. Fort Myers-based Oceana Global Logistics provides international services to meet supply chain needs through air, ocean, road and rail freight to deliver imports and exports in North America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE TALK SET

The Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership Tech Talk will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 at Two39 Work Offices in Bonita Springs.

A panel of experts will discuss the facts of cyber liability Insurance for business including what is not covered, security incidents and investigations, crisis management, and cyber extortion cost versus cyber insurance cost. Panelist include David Anderson of Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners, Scott Gregory of McGriff Insurance Services, Alicia Rosier-Stevens of Rosier Insurance and Lee County Independent Insurance Association, and Jeremy Stakely of ITVantage. Register at swfrtp.org.      

TEAMLOGIC IT EXPANDS STAFF

TeamLogic IT has undergone several staff changes to support its growing number of clients. Russell Barrick is the newest member of the TeamLogic IT tech team. He joined the company as a technical support specialist.

Other recent staff promotions include: Matthew Thomas, director of technical services; Samantha Howard-Russo, client experience advocate; and Joy Garafola, account executive. TeamLogic IT has been recognized as one of the top MSPs (Managed Service Provider) on the Channel Futures MSP 501 Worldwide Rankings.

CHARITABLE NOTES

Gala circus experience planned for February

The annual Fun Time Early Childhood Academy Gala, “Fun Time Under the Big Top,” will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 at The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. Guests will experience a circus-themed atmosphere hosted by NBC2 News Anchor Stacey Deffenbaugh, featuring acrobats, clowns and more. Live and silent auctions will take place. The live auction features special guest auctioneer Naples Mayor Bill Barnett. Event tickets are $300 and patron tickets are $500. To purchase tickets and for more information about Fun Time Early Childhood Academy, contact Barbara Tyrrell at (239) 261-8284 or BTyrrell@funtimeacademy.org.

Naples Senior Center receives $2 million gift

The Naples Senior Center announced a $2-million gift from the Brookdale Foundation Group. With this donation, the senior center will name its dementia respite program the Brookdale Respite Program. Brookdale offers seed grants for two major initiatives—its National Group Respite Program and its Relatives as Parents Program—and strives to cultivate emerging leaders in the field of aging.  

The Naples Senior Center is the only human services agency of its kind, providing “one-stop shop” services addressing the emotional and social needs of seniors in Collier and southern Lee counties. To accommodate future growth, the Naples Senior Center has recently embarked on “A New Era for Seniors” capital campaign to raise $15 million for a new state-of-the-art facility. For more information, visit www.NaplesSeniorCenter.org.

 Miromar Outlets supports Lee County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol

Miromar Outlets presented a $3,500 donation check to the Lee County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol on Monday, thanking the volunteers for their support. The Mounted Patrol has saddled up to escort Miromar Outlets’ shoppers every year for over a decade during the holiday shopping season.

The Lee County Mounted Patrol is made up of volunteers and their personal horses that are qualified and trained in community policing procedures including crowd and traffic control by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Training is paid for through donations and the volunteers transport the horses at their own expense.  

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