Rob Whyte considered himself blessed that he and his wife, Jennifer, could move to Southwest Florida, be embraced by the community and then gain opportunities to give back to it.
The owner of the Fort Myers Brewing Co., celebrating its 10th anniversary, received the Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year award Tuesday night in Bonita Springs at the annual ceremony put on by Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University.
All 25 nominees were honored with plaques and time for networking during what is known as National Small Business Week.
“I didn’t expect to win,” said Rob Whyte, who lost large portions of his customer base with so many restaurants and bars wiped out by Hurricane Ian. His company has avoided any layoffs and is hoping to eventually expand. “So many people stepped up after the hurricane, and I’m honored. My wife and I picked the right place to move. We’ve met so many friends. We landed in the right spot.”
The Whytes moved from San Diego to Sacramento, California, to Southwest Florida about 12 years ago. Whyte, who has a background as a software developer, bartered about $100,000 worth of software in exchange for a 25% discount on $400,000 worth of beer-making equipment when he started the brewery.
The 24 other nominees had similar stories of perseverance.
Malike Adigun, owner of Curate Entertainment and winner of the Advocate of the Year award, has grown his small business to one that made $1.5 million in revenue last year, he said, with seven employees and a network of 16 freelance disc jockeys and 70 musicians to help put on parties, weddings and other events. His company manages about 500 events per year and continues to grow.
“We launched six months before [the COVID-19 pandemic began],” Adigun said. “We had 150 weddings on the books for 2020, and 75 were canceled and 50 were postponed.”
Adigun navigated his fledgling business through that.
“I’m not even supposed to be here,” he said.
Jeffrey Bonk, owner of Architectural Metal Flashings who received the Innovator of the Year award, faced pandemic challenges of another kind in supply chain shortages of his products, which include metal roofing materials.
“Being able to adapt and overcome,” Bonk said of what he learned in leading a Cape Coral-based company with 15 employees.
All 25 of the nominees were hailed as winners. Among them were Susan Frantz, owner of Frantz Marketing Solutions; RaSheka Fuller, owner of Career Clinic, Inc.; and Shalonda Washington, owner of Naples-based Reliable Permitting BSS, Inc.; and Craig Bamberg, owner of Platinum Dry Cleaners.
Bamberg and his brother, Chris Bamberg, have added digital technology to their business.
“All of us here understand the seasonality of Southwest Florida,” Craig Bamberg said. “We understand the potential for inclement weather. And we’re all independent business owners. These are not franchises. It’s an honor to be here with all the nominees.”
Washington is nicknamed the “permit queen.”
“I feel amazing,” Washington said. “It’s such an honor to be nominated. It feels good to know that when you’re doing what you love, and someone else recognizes that, that’s beyond words. So I’m very grateful for that.”
Said Frantz: “It’s pretty wild. I can’t believe how many people SBDC has impacted and brought into this room. Entrepreneurs in this room are so experienced and have given so much to the Southwest Florida community. It’s an honor to be included.”
Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University
2023 Distinguished Entrepreneur award nominees
Malike Adigun, Curate Entertainment
Jennifer Alvarez Linguidi, Purely You By Jenn
Craig Bamberg, Platinum Dry Cleaners
Jeffrey Bonk, Architectural Metal Flashings
Kyle Cebull, Millennial Brewing Company
Jocelyne Clarke, K&E Medical Training Center
Sharetha Davis, Roses From Concrete Public Relations
Zachary England, Ark Eco Construction & Roofing
Susan Frantz, Frantz Marketing Solutions
RaSheka Fuller, Career Clinic Inc.
Jaron Henkel, Southwest Florida Electric, Inc.
Glynis Jackson, Glynis Jackson Large Family Childcare Home
Jennifer Johnson, True Fashionistas
Harrison Kendall, SDVOS Laboratory/LabTECH Environments
Nazhae Lockwood, N.Y.A. Beauty LLC
Suzanne Noriega, Inceptus
P. Blake Renda, Veedor Holdings LLC
Louis Rosmy, Peyko LLC DBA Peyko Venue
Jaren Skinner, KayFi Holdings LLC, DBA Island Rides
Farrah Sturgis, KNK Exclusive Hair & Styles
Gary Tasman, Cushman & Wakefield SWFL
Charlene Towe, Studio 4:13
Shalonda Washington, Reliable Permitting BSS, Inc.
Rob Whyte, Fort Myers Brewing Company
Jaime Zabala, Advanced Hurricane Technology Inc.
