People Profiles

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

Brian Travers stopped counting how many bones he’s broken “years ago.” Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, known as brittle bone disease, Travers started breaking bones at six weeks old. The condition led to multiple surgeries and visits to the ER where Travers became used to doctors assuming he was too young to answer questions—except for one

The episode: In December 1988, Susie Levan was the chief operating officer at I.R.E. Financial Corp., a publicly traded real estate company that originally hired her as a secretary nearly two decades earlier. Her new husband, Alan, was the CEO of BankAtlantic. Three days before Christmas, the couple entered their Coral Gables home and found

Scout Lessons When Madeleine Gonzalez sold the Girl Scouts’ famous cookies, she wasn’t just satisfying customer cravings for Thin Mints. She also was tapping into a passion for business and marketing. The lessons she learned from selling cookies—never giving up and letting her voice be heard—were put into action when the Miami Beach resident made

Pictured above: Connor Serrano with his mom, Jessica   On a humid summer evening, Julie, a single mom clad in a blue dress, black blazer and sensible pumps, enters a meeting room at the Boca Raton Community Center. It’s where a transgender support group is about to begin. A mix of transmen, transwomen and nonbinary

After living with her husband Matthew in Chicago for six years, Stefanie Harris was ready to head home to Miami. It wasn’t just about missing her family and the sunshine—it was the community. “The warmth of the people who live here and the sense of culture and community—I just think it’s very unique to Miami

Growing up in an Italian and Colombian household, Valentina Mussi developed a love for international foods, but she never thought she would transform that appreciation into a full-time job. Now 21, Mussi commands the attention of more than 100,000 Instagram users with her hundreds of lavish, over-the-top food-focused photos and videos on her account, @SweetPortfolio.