People Profiles

The era of must-see TV in the 1980s and ’90s—back when networks packed their Thursday night schedules with ratings juggernauts—had passed when Joseph Ladin launched SFLMaven nearly 20 years ago. But the idea piqued his interest. His fledgling fine jewelry/accessories storefront on eBay needed a hook—and a Thursday night auction, with bidding for premium pieces,

Sheila Smith was no stranger to the world of social services before being hired in 2008 as chief executive officer at 211 Broward. Her background included executive director positions at Salvation Army Center of Hope and its transitional housing program, as well as at the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County. But where there were

Leah Carpenter thought she had seen pretty much everything during her 30-plus years in health care, first as a registered nurse and then, for the last two decades, in hospital management—including her current role as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Memorial Healthcare System. But nothing, she admits, compares to what she’s experienced

The daily struggle of being a mother of young children is certainly not unique to Jaclyn Strauss (pictured) of Fort Lauderdale. Like many during the past year, Strauss was juggling full-time work, elementary-aged children and the COVID-19 realities while trying to maintain her peace of mind. Strauss realized that she could turn the everyday struggles

Serious practitioners of yoga have a vocabulary all their own. In addition to the many types of yoga—vinyasa, hatha, kundalini, and ashtanga, to name a few—there’s a glossary of holistic terms that can find their way into conversations. Like the concept of surrender. In the yoga world, it’s the idea of looking within, of yielding

When Kim Colletti slipped into a single scull in the summer of 2006, it wasn’t with life-altering intent. She was part of the sweep rowing team at Northeastern University in Boston, the discipline where each athlete on the four-person or eight-person squad handles one oar. In the single skull that she used for an offseason

When Justine Sinclair invested her savings in a fledgling app that combines social media and TV talent shows with a Big Brothers Big Sisters vibe, it wasn’t necessarily with her mother in mind. But as the South Florida resident reflects on her own past, it’s evident that the opportunity she’s hoping to provide through her

As president of the South Florida Underwater Photography Society, Lureen Ferretti understands that nothing comes easy when capturing moments below sea level.  In addition to being an above-average diver, she explains the importance of buoyancy control to steady yourself against currents, of having constant awareness of your surroundings, and of knowing your camera and lighting

Winter Spell Though a Broward native, Lisa Scott-Founds thinks about winter all year. The Stranahan High graduate started watching the Winterfest Boat Parade the year it began in 1971 with her mother, who was a waitress at Pier Sixty-Six Hotel. She went on to be a volunteer and its PR director before becoming the Winterfest

When asked how the conversation around child sexual abuse has changed in the 13 years since she launched a nonprofit organization devoted to supporting survivors and protecting youth from predators, Lauren Book notes that, for the first time, she sees people leaning into the discomfort of the topic. It’s an apt turn of phrase coming

A window of voting that has the potential to be the most complex in United States history is open, but you wouldn’t know it from the calm exuded over the phone by the woman who oversees the largest elections operation in Florida—and seventh largest in the nation. Christina White, supervisor of elections for Miami-Dade County,

The moment was not lost on Dan Solomon as the Parkland resident stood inside a sold-out Orleans Arena in Las Vegas last fall during Olympia weekend, the Super Bowl of the fitness world. Some 20 years earlier, during his less-than-fulfilling days as a financial planner, he had entered a different arena—New York City’s Madison Square