A-C-T is a 32-year old professional environmental sciences, engineering and field services firm providing innovative and tried-and-true solutions in the markets it serves. Its staff strives to deliver great Attitude-Contribution-Teamwork.
a-c-t.com
Robert O. Kincart, BS ‘72
President
Environmental Services
Bartow, FL
AcuteCare Telemedicine is the leading practice-based provider of telemedicine services for hospitals seeking emergency neurological care. At least one patient in the United States will suffer a stroke in the time it takes to read this paragraph. However, there is a growing shortage of experienced physicians available to provide coverage, and it is critical to address this problem. Founded in 2009, ACT delivers complete on-call emergency neurology coverage, improves patient outcomes, and establishes a sustainable financial model for patient care.
“The harder you work the luckier you get.”
acutecaretelemed.com
James M. Kiely, BS ‘87
CIO
Healthcare
Atlanta, GA
Adesis, a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal Display Corp., is a contract research organization supporting the life science industries. Its efforts are in various stages of scientific research, method development, technology transfer and manufacturing. It specializes in all sizes of organic synthesis, from milligram to multi-kilogram quantities.
adesisinc.com
Andrew Cottone, III, Ph.D. ‘00
Manufacturing
New Castle, DE
Advantage Inspection is the standard for home inspections, and was the first home warranty company to computerize the home inspection business. For more than 23 years, Advantage Inspection's real estate services and reporting have been the deciding factor for the clients we serve: real estate agents, home inspectors, home owners, buyers and sellers. In 2017, Advantage Inspection will launch YourHouse.com.
adrdu.com
Christie Park, BSAC ‘82
Co-Owner
Dave Park, BBC ‘82
Real Estate
Raleigh, NC
Sue is President and CEO of AGTC, a clinical-stage biotechnology company that uses its proprietary gene therapy platform to develop products designed to transform the lives of patients with severe diseases, with an initial focus in ophthalmology. AGTC uses cutting-edge techniques to offer hope to patients with rare diseases and unmet medical needs.
agtc.com
Sue Washer, MBA '92
President & CEO
Biotechnology
Alachua, FL
AIT Life Safety, Inc., is a commercial Fire Protection & Life Safety subcontractor that services the Central Florida commercial construction market. Vince serves as Vice President of Operations while his wife, Leigh Ann, is the CEO. The two focus on fulfilling the company’s mission: To continuously improve and deploy the best people, products and processes to provide a single-source life safety integration solution to current and future customers.
“Treat your people better than your customers, but never forget that without your customers you will not have a company.”
aitlifesafety.com
Leigh Ann Horton, BSAC ‘94, MACC ‘94
President & Co-Owner
Vince Horton, BA ‘93
Principal & Co-Owner
Security
Orlando, FL
Allison is a millennial on a mission. At the age of 20, she founded her real estate brokerage with the intent of using technology to provide her customers an experience not available at traditional real estate firms. AllisonAbles.com consistently ranks in the top of all Gainesville real estate Internet searches, and has supported a high percentage of home sales sold directly over the Internet to families relocating to Gainesville.
“Start a business you’re passionate about, and make sure you’ve clearly articulated that vision to your team. The better you can clarify what you stand for, the faster you’ll attract like-minded people that will help you get there.
allisonables.com
Allison Ables, BSBA ‘09
Owner
Newberry, FL
Edouard co-founded Alter Eco in 2004 with a vision to change the world and introduce delicious, nutritious and environmentally responsible products. Alter Eco is a pioneer of globally-crafted organic foods, including delicious Swiss-made chocolate bars and truffles, Bolivian Royal heirloom quinoa, heirloom Thai rice and Mascobado cane sugar. All Alter Eco products are USDA Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified, Carbon Neutral Certified, Non-GMO Project Verified and Certified Gluten-Free.
“Just do it! The power of naivety is the #1 reason for many entrepreneurs’ success stories.”
alterecofoods.com
Edouard Rollet, MAMC ‘01
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Food and Beverage
San Francisco, CA
American Management Group is a full-service residential community association and project management company, offering cutting-edge solutions, technology, veteran property managers and world-class service to exceed the expectations of even the most demanding clients. Erik co-founded American Management Group, and serves as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.
“Prepare a detailed business plan, which will provide a strong foundation for your venture. A well-researched business plan will ensure that you are prepared to address and resolve any issues that may arise."
americanmgmt.net
Erik Levin, BSBA ‘04
COO
Pembroke Pines, FL
Leah is not only the owner of the Pandora franchise stores in the Gainesville and Jacksonville area, but doubles as the founder and owner of Artsy Abode, a unique group of 15 gift boutiques with colorful flair and style. The goal is to provide shoppers with personal attention to find that perfect something that brings a smile—to both the shopper and the end recipient.
“Any failure you go through may seem like a stopping point, but it will probably be one of the most important pieces of information you gain, and you can only learn it through failure."
artsyabode.com
Leah Lytle, BSPR ‘94, MAMC ‘96, MBA ‘02
CEO
Consumer Products and Services
Middleburg, FL
Justin is the President and Founder of Bintelli, LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of power sports products, with a focus on electric vehicles, gas powered motor scooters, and racing go karts. With dealerships and customers around the globe, Bintelli’s products are quickly becoming a household name in their product categories. Their electric vehicles range from two to 29 passengers, with both retail and commercial applications available in over 40 different chassis configurations.
“Don’t give up just because you hear “no” a few [hundred] times! Keep pressing on, believe in what you’re trying to accomplish, and fight through all the negativity to find a way to get it done!”
bintellielectricvehicles.com
bintelliscooters.com
Ashley Jackrel, BSA ‘07
Justin Jackrel, BABA ‘05
Charleston, SC
Formed in 2006, Blood Company represents artists including Skrillex, Zedd, Bea Miller and Boys Noize, as well as younger acts including BloodPop, Ghostemane, Mr. Carmack and more. Completely independent, Blood Company focuses strongly on youth culture and community, on real relationships and true synergy between clients and allies. Accolades include nine Grammy awards, multiplatinum album and song sales, magazine covers including Rolling Stone, Forbes, SPIN, WIRED and NME.
bloodcompany.net
Timothy Smith, BABA '98
Founder & CEO
Business Products & Services
A short time after leaving UF, a serendipitous walk through the mall led to Sheryl’s new research question: Can video games be the “enriched environment” humans respond to best? After spending five years in academia studying off-the shelf games and building prototypes, she decided to start a company focused on designing and developing games solely for rehabilitation. So, in 2008, she founded Blue Marble Game Co, a software company that aims to improve brain rehabilitation outcomes through digital games. Sheryl and her team use evidence based medicine and science to drive design and performance metrics used to determine outcomes.
“Surround yourself with the most talented, creative, intelligent, passionate, trustworthy people you can find. Together you will be unstoppable."
bluemarblehealthco.com
Sheryl Flynn, MHS ‘97, PHD ‘01
Founder/CEO
Health
Altadena, CA
Formally Kitchen Resource Direct
Cabinets.com is a nationwide online retailer of assembled and ready-to-assemble kitchen and bath cabinets, with offices in Tampa and Maitland. Cabinets.com provides free professional kitchen design services, including 3-D renderings, as well as detailed pricing and information. The company’s goal is to make buying cabinets easy and affordable, while offering more styles and options than any other online company.
cabinets.com
Benjamin Gordon, BSBA ‘04
CTO & Managing Partner
Christopher Larsen, BDES ‘04
CEO & Managing Partner
Tampa, FL
Carolina Classic Builders was founded on bringing customer service back to homebuilding. The firm balances all factors of construction: form, function, cost, attainability, look and feel. Each project is value engineered to ensure each dollar is allotted in the best possible way, maximizing efficiency and style. Carolina Classic strives to be innovative and ahead of the curve, utilizing software to keep customers up-to-date and provide the best customer service.
carolinaclassicbuilders.com
Evan Weiss, BABA ‘99
Construction and Design
Charlotte, NC
Carolina Lift Stations provides maintenance and repair of pump stations and water/wastewater treatment plants. Rebecca co-owns the business with her husband, James. As Director of Operations, Rebecca has been instrumental in the growth of the company from a garage with two employees and two vehicles, to a 10,000-square-foot shop/office with 17 employees and a fleet of 10 service vehicles. Rebecca remains positive when thinking back on her success.
“Anything is possible when you have the right team in place.”
clsholdings.us
Rebecca Knowles Caldwell, BA ‘92
Owner & CFO
Government Services
York, SC
As President of Coastal Construction Company, a business which handles design and construction from commercial buildings to disaster recovery, Dan is responsible for leading the commercial and condominium companies. Having received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in building construction, and his Ph.D. in Design, Construction, and Planning, Dan leads one of the top 100 construction management companies in the country.
“There is one quote that I was taught by my mother almost 60 years ago. It can be found more often now, and is listed as Anonymous, but she had me memorize it from the time I was a small boy. “If a job is one begun, never leave it til it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all."
coastalconstruction.com
Sean Murphy, BBC ‘95
Co-President
Tom C. Murphy, BBC ‘92
Daniel Whiteman, BBC ‘69, MBC ‘92, PHD ‘02
Vice Chairman
Miami, FL
Compass Office Solutions is a full-service, modular interior construction and office furniture dealer, serving the corporate, healthcare, government and educational markets. Compass, established by Bill in 2006, has become a leader in providing office furnishings and working environments. The Compass team believes that a flexible, well designed, well-appointed office space improves productivity, raises morale, allows for change and can improve the performance of a business.
“Learn as much as you can about business fundamentals before your launch or bring someone on board who has these skills. This will enable profitable growth.”
compass-office.com
Bill White, BSBA ‘88
Principal
Miramar, FL
In 1989, Rick founded CTD Holdings, a developing and marketing business of cyclodextrins and related products for a wide range of industries. CTD Holdings has been the go-to company for over 20 years for anyone in need of high quality cyclodextrin compounds and expertise, and has the largest catalogue of cyclodextrins in the world.
“Be sure you can work in this venture 24 hours a day for $5000/month. All compensation beyond that is a bonus. The other $15,000/month you deserve comes from having a place you can spend your time on your terms.”
cyclotherapeutics.com
C.E. "Rick" Strattan, BS ‘67, MS ‘80, MBA ‘82
Chairman Emeritus
Ctrip.com International is a leading provider of online travel and related services, including accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and in-destination services and corporate travel management. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip Group has become one of the largest travel service providers in the world.
ctrip.com
Jane Sun, BSAC '92
Travel & Hospitality
Shanghai, China
For the professionals at Dental Associates of Florida Tampa Office, you are more than just a patient. You are an individual with specific needs. Licensed and certified, these dental professionals provide a wide range of services. They offer a range of advanced services and techniques including dental implants, LANAP laser gum surgery, precision fit cosmetic dentures, TMJ treatments, and a wide range of cosmetic services including dental bridges, crowns and Invisalign.
“Setting short-term and long-term goals is critical to maintaining focus. In our experience, having those goals gives you a finish line to strive for."
smilesincluded.com
John Carter, DMD ‘96
Co-Founder
William “Trey” Mueller, III, BSA ‘01, DMD ‘05
Stephen J. “Trey” Walding, III, BSA ‘92, DMD ‘96
Plant City, FL
Destinations to Explore is an online travel agency specializing in family travel. The company has expanded to 70 agents and over 800 websites that consider them their official travel agency. Destinations to Explore has received accolades including Universal Orlando Travel Agency of the Year for three years, Disney Destinations Top Sales Performer for two years, Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for 10 years, FunJet 500 Club, and more.
“RISK! Everything we do as an entrepreneur is risky. You have to be strong enough to take that leap and try it, even if you are scared.”
destinationsinflorida.com
Allison Jones, BSR ‘95
Owner & President
Tim Jones, BSBC ‘98
Co-Founder & COO
Travel and Hospitality
Jacksonville Beach, FL
Debbie is President and CEO of DEVAL LLC. She started her financial, loan servicing and management consulting business out of her home in 2002, and it has grown to a multimillion-dollar operation with four locations and more than 100 staff members, serving such clients as the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and American Express. Today, DEVAL is the only Hispanic woman owned non-bank loan servicing business in the nation.
“Pray, believe in yourself, forgive yourself, work hard, work smart, save money for investment opportunities; and always be prepared."
deval.us
Deborah Garcia-Gratacos, JD ‘99, MARE ‘00
Financial Services
Vienna, VA
DirecLogix was founded with the mission of assisting companies with the entire information technology lifecycle. It has been successfully executing its vision since 2005 and adding value in the areas of technology consulting, acquisition, planning and implementation. DirecLogix is committed to helping clients explore, embrace and maximize the benefits of the ever-changing technology landscape.
direclogix.com
Aleef Adam, BA ‘90
Managing Partner
IT Services
Parkland, FL
Drape98 sells, manufactures and installs custom drapes, shades and other window treatments throughout the Southeast and beyond. The company works with interior designers, architects, builders and developers, and owners for both residential and commercial properties. Its specialty is high-end, custom designs for residences, resort properties, country clubs and restaurants.
drape98.com
Chris Harrelson, BA ‘79
Destin, FL
e-Builder is the leading provider of cloud-based construction project management software. The company’s flagship product, e-Builder Enterprise, improves project execution, resulting in increased productivity and quality, reduced costs and faster delivery. Since 1995, e-Builder’s technology, leadership and construction industry focus has provided thousands of companies, government agencies, and health care and educational institutions, managing over $100 billion in capital projects, with solutions.
e-builder.net
Jon Antevy, BDES ‘93, MSBC ‘94
Founder
Ron Antevy, BSCE ‘91
Software
Plantation, FL
Environmental Pest Service is a leader in sustainable solutions for termite, test control and lawn care services in the Southeast. The company has for brands: Arrow Environmental Services in west and central Florida, Bug Out Service in north Florida, Skyline Pest Solutions in metro Atlanta and State Pest Control in central North Carolina. Environmental Pest Service continues to build on a family tradition established more than 100 years ago, guaranteeing customer satisfaction to the fullest extent.
environmentalpestservice.com
Andrew Barrows, BSBA '06
Director of Mergers & Acquisitions
George D. Pickhardt, BSA ‘69, MSA ‘71, MSE ‘05
Chairman
Sarasota, FL
Farrington Law is a boutique employment law firm that defends businesses in employment litigation and EEOC and Department of Labor investigations throughout the United States. Founded in 2003, the firm prides itself on hiring best-in-class talent in every role and providing outstanding legal representation and outstanding customer service to its clients.
No Website
Danial Farrington, BA 94
Legal Services
Bethesda, MD
Force Marketing provides the automotive industry targeted, trackable and technology-driven marketing solutions. Its data-driven marketing campaigns improve ROI for dealers across the country. The rapidly growing company is headquartered in Atlanta.
forcemktg.com
John Fitzpatrick, BA ‘06
Advertising and Marketing
Taking pictures is fun. Printing pictures…much less so. Fracture is crafted around a simple idea: There should be a better way to print and display your photos. Cofounded in 2009 by Abhi and Alex, Fracture is the simple and affordable way to turn your most treasured memories into beautiful décor. Instead of printing on paper, images are printed directly on glass and assembled into a frameless, readyto-hang product that fits any décor theme.
“Make sure you’re starting your venture for the right reasons - because when you’re in your darkest moments, you’ll need to draw upon the true reason you started your venture for strength.”
fractureme.com
Abhi Lokesh, BS ‘09
Alex Theodore, BSCHE ‘08
CTO
Gainesville, FL
Gator Dredging protects Florida’s environment while making its waterways more accessible to boats. The company also performs beach restoration, island creation, shoreline stabilization and more. They handle every assignment from beginning to end, and they are known to complete their projects the fastest.
“Start as early as you can and don’t be afraid to fail because it is never to late to start over and try something else.
gatordredging.com
John Adams, Jr., BSEN ‘93
Managing Member & CFO
Clearwater, FL
Offering incredibly low rates for hotels and lodging, getaroom.com strives to help customers save money every time they travel. Getaroom provides an easy to use platform for booking your hotel, as it is simple and free of clutter and extraneous information. In 2010, the site was rated as “Best Hotel Booking Site."
getaroom.com
Robert Diener, BA ‘78
Dallas, TX
Global Financial Private Capital is an independently owned, SEC Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) whose goal is to restore investor trust and confidence in the financial system through the creation of client relationships based on full fiduciary disclosure and transparency of action. As President and Co-Founder, Geoff is responsible for leading the company’s strategy, financial planning operations and business units while working closely with the CEO to direct the vision of the company.
gf-pc.com
Geoff Frazier, BSBA ‘89
Global Trust is a SEC registered investment advisory company in Palm Beach County. Global Trust is comprised of a team of financial planners, public accountants, personal financial specialists, global management accountants and fraud examiners. It currently has approximately $300 million of assets under management.
gbltrust.com
Brian Brescia, BSAC ‘02, MACC ‘02
West Palm Beach, FL
Greg founded Greyson Technologies in 2010 and serves as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Greyson Technologies is one of Florida’s fastest-growing technology services companies, providing clients across Florida with Advanced Network, Data Center and Unified Communications Solutions that help build their businesses.
greyson.com
Greg Nordone, BSBA ‘98
CEO & President
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Heekin Law is a law firm specializing in real estate, business, and estate planning. It is staffed by six attorneys, including David, its Founder. David holds three degrees from UF, and he is an expert in residential and commercial real estate.
“Take the time to learn everything you can about your industry or the niche you want to fill before you go out on your own. You may only get one shot to do it right, and the more you can anticipate the roadblocks that you may encounter, the more prepared you will be for them when they show up.”
heekinlaw.com
David Heekin, BSBA ‘97, JD ‘01, MBA ‘01
Jacksonville, FL
Hell’s Bay Boatworks manufactures high-quality skiffs, a type of flat-bottomed open boat specialized for shallow water. Chris brought years of experience on boats, as well as leading companies, making him a natural choice as the current team lead of Hell’s Bay.
“No matter how hard it seems at the time, always ‘do the right thing,’ never compromise on quality and be true to the customer.”
hellsbayboatworks.com
Chris Peterson, BSBA ‘85
Titusville, FL
Founded in 1996 by father and son Robert J. and Joel Adams, Highland Homes was established with a foundation of quality, excellence and delivering satisfying home buying experiences. Highland Homes has built more than 7,000 homes and has the knowledge and experience to build quality new homes with customized features and affordable payments. Dedication, strong leadership and a commitment to our customers has made Highland Homes the largest privately owned home builder in central Florida
highlandhomes.org
Robert Adams, BSBA ‘61
Construction & Design
Lakeland, FL
Jay is President and Founder of Hydro-Dyne Engineering, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of screening and grit removal equipment. HydroDyne’s solutions protect critical water and wastewater processes and environments through custom-engineered equipment that provide exceptional quality, performance and value.
hydro-dyne.com
Jay R. Conroy, BABA ‘00, BSEN ‘00
iLS network is an award-winning collective of online apartment guides serving renters in six cities across the state of Florida. Helping over a half million renters each year, their websites use cutting-edge technology to match individuals with the apartment community that best fits their lifestyle and budget.
“Start with ‘Why.’ It’s not just the title of a book.”
heroils.com
Geoff Wilson, BSTEL ‘01
Partner
Pete Zimek, BA ‘01, MSM ‘02
Windermere, FL
Infinite Energy is a Florida-based provider serving customers in five states, as well as wholesale customers in 22 states. It transports natural gas on pipelines and hubs throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company has been recognized as one of the best workplaces by Florida Trend, Outside and Inc. magazines.
infiniteenergy.com
Darin Cook, BS ‘87
Energy
Formerly Virtual Fleet Supervisor
Despite many failed attempts, Drew began a company called Virtual Fleet Supervisor in 2009, which would eventually change its name to InTouch GPS in late 2014. InTouch GPS is a commercial GPS Fleet Tracking provider serving organizations of all sizes and industries. The success of InTouch GPS has been a culmination of continuous hard work, wonderful timing and offering a solution which was experiencing tremendous market growth.
intouchgps.com
Drew Sheahan, BSA ‘03
President & Partner
J Raymond is a mid-sized general contractor based in Central Florida. It specializes in commercial construction throughout the Southeast. Its experience includes retail, office, health care, non-profit and warehouse facilities. The firm has provided construction services for most of the major “big name” retailers and developers, and has supported over $160 million in annual revenue.
jray.com
John Sofarelli, BBC ‘81
President & Owner
Longwood, FL
Family-owned and operated, Jaguar Power Sports provides the latest and best in power sports products to make outdoor living more enjoyable. Founded in 2008 with roots in a flea market store, it has since grown to be one of the leading power sports companies in the South. Jaguar Power Sports’ dedicated employees and loyal customers are the foundation of the company and allow it to continue to grow and exceed annual goals.
jaguarpowersports.com
Shaun Jackrel, BSA ‘10
JAX Refrigeration is a single-source provider of refrigeration, mechanical, HVAC and thermal construction services. It specializes in custom-designed engineering and maintenance solutions for industrial and commercial projects. JAX Refrigeration has five industry departments: JAX Refrigeration, JAX Mechanical, MEAS, JAXCool and RHVACS.
jaxrefrigeration.com
Mark Lowery, BSME ’90
JK2 Construction, a family-owned company founded in 1987, has become a leader in the construction industry. The company specializes in design-build commercial, retail, entertainment, restaurant, industrial, and amenity and time-share projects. JK2 Construction has completed projects throughout the nation, including work for major theme parks, themed restaurants and national homebuilders.
jk2.com
Paul Holmes, BSBA ’76
Rick Amundson, BBC ’84
VP of Operations
Apopka, FL
Michael and Gary are proud to have co-founded Keene Klimas Consultant Group, a full-service consulting company that specializes in the construction industry. Keene Klimas offers various services to the construction industry, including management, cost estimating, delay claim analysis, defect analysis, site observations and inspections.
“Maintain a consistent level of service to all of your clients.”
keeneklimas.com
Gary Keene, BBC ‘73
Max Klimas, BBC ‘81
Lake Mary, FL
Knight Pest Control, Inc., was established in 2007 by its co-founder Randy, a man quite familiar with entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector. Prior to his current venture, Randy was Founder of Florahome Pest Control and Florida Residex. Knight Pest Control provides pest control, termite control and lawn care for homes and businesses in the Tampa Bay area.
knightpest.com
Randy Stout, BSA ‘79, MAG ‘80
Entomologist & VP
Port Richey, FL
Kris Darby Flooring & Interiors, Inc. is a professional residential flooring installation company. We service a broad range of customers in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, including the second-largest home improvement retailer in the country.
krisdarby.com
Michael Walser, BA ‘92
Suwanee, GA
Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice in a national practice dedicated exclusively to in-home end of life care for pets. We believe all pets and their families deserve the most compassionate and supportive end of life experience. Our nationwide network of veterinarians help pets and their parents with quality of life assessments, pain and anxiety management, end of life consultations, and peaceful euthanasia in the comfort of their pet's favorite place - home.
LapofLove.com
Dani McVety-Leinen, BSA ’04, DVM ’09
President/CEO
Mary Gardner, DVM ’08
Other
Lutz, FL
LeadingAgile helps large, complex organizations achieve better business outcomes through the systematic application of agile delivery methods across the entire enterprise. Based in Atlanta, the company is focused on the transition patterns and intermediate states necessary to safely and pragmatically lead organizations through a structured and planned transformation event.
leadingagile.com
Mike Cottmeyer, BSCEN ’93
Duluth, GA
McKenzie Construction is a professional and proven full-service general construction management contractor. It specializes in luxury residential and commercial projects in the Miami area. The McKenzie Construction team consists of project managers, superintendents and skilled tradesmen who execute quality control on all finished product. McKenzie Construction manages our subcontractors to deliver our clients’ sustainable and high-performance designs through an efficient construction process.
buildmckenzie.com
Gavin McKenzie, BA ‘03
Member Benefits is a full-service insurance and financial services organization specializing in third-party administration of professional affinity groups, associations and franchise member benefit programs. It supports clients by providing customized insurance products and employee benefit plans to individual members and small employers.
memberbenefits.com
Earl “Chip” Trefry, Jr., BSBA ‘72
Nicklaus Trefry, BABA ‘01
Insurance
South Florida natives Thomas J. Miller and Harley W. Miller established Miller Construction Company in 1973. Miller is a prominent South Florida design/builder and construction services firm serving commercial, industrial, hospitality, automotive, retail, healthcare and educational markets. Our business has been serving some of South Florida’s most influential and successful businesses for 5 decades, completing more than 500 projects.
millerconstruction.com
Harley Miller, BBC '69
Brian Sudduth, BSBC '00
Moss is a privately held construction firm providing innovative solutions that have resulted in award-winning projects across the United States. It puts experience and entrepreneurial spirit to work across all areas of construction management, general contracting, design-build and public-private partnerships.
mosscm.com
Scott R. Moss, BBC ‘96
Orange and Blue Construction was founded in May 2000, and is primarily engaged in the construction of apartment buildings out of poured-in-place concrete. Using a process that incorporates steel forms to support ready mix concrete that rapidly cures, this tunnel form process allows for a structurally-stable shell to be built with a consistent construction schedule. The resulting structure offers speed of construction, fire resistance and hurricane resistance. Orange and Blue is built upon a reputation of quality, integrity and employee safety. The company does work throughout Florida.
oandbconstruction.net
William Randle, Jr., Alumnus
Owner & CEO
Boca Raton, FL
Orangetheory Fitness is an innovative fitness franchise. Long, the company’s Founder, grew his pilot location in Fort Lauderdale before franchising. Orangetheory’s claim to fame is its fitness method based around EPOC, or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. Participants are encouraged to push their limits and stay in the “orange zone” to continue burning calories long after their workout is over. When Long built his business, his goal was to keep his stores small, convenient, and inviting to encourage a friendly, team-oriented environment unlike the major fitness gyms.
orangetheory.com
Dave Long, BHS ‘00, MSM ‘01
Founding Partner & CEO
Orocon Construction was founded in 2006 with a vision of delivering quality projects with honesty and integrity and surpassing customers’ expectations. Orocon offers professional services as construction manager, general contractor, design-builder and concrete contractor. It seeks to develop a sense of teamwork through professionalism, open communications and client participation.
oroconllc.com
John Oropesa, BSBC 94
Owner & Managing Member
Biloxi, MS
Ovation Construction is a full service commercial construction company located in Central Florida that specializes in Municipal & Educational projects. Having completed hundreds of projects for high profile clients, our mission is to provide outstanding customer service with attention to quality and detail.
ovationconstruction.com
Bert Karpinski, BDES ’97, MBC ’88
Oviedo, FL
Palmer Kent Associates is a premier attorney recruiting, legal talent management and law firm marketing firm. Founded in 1996, we built our firm on our experience, knowledge and passion to support corporate legal departments and law firms, build outstanding teams and help lawyers and legal professionals follow their career ambitions.
palmerkent.com
Doug Horn, BS ‘88
Co-Managing Director
Alyssa Lerner, BS ‘85
Human Resources
Since opening in 2012 Park Bar has been the go to place in Downtown Atlanta for Great Food, Fine Bourbon, and Craft Beer. Owners Jose M. Navarro and Mathew "Quickie" Tainow have achieved annual growth by filling a niche for casual neighborhood locals in the city's central business and tourism district. Through their dedication to exceptional customer service Park Bar has become the embodiment of their mantra "everybody's a local.”
ParkBarAtlanta.com
Mathew Tainow, BSTEL '96
Jose Navarro, BSTEL '98
Owner/President
Marietta, GA
Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors is a privately owned civil contracting firm. It performs work in the public and private market and specializes in clearing, grading, underground utility and roadway construction.
petticoatschmitt.com
Ryan Schmitt, BA ‘99
Founded by UF students in 2000, Postal Solutions offers mail delivery management services for over 80,000 student housing residents per day, proprietary online package logging software, and monitored package rooms and electronic package locker systems coast-to-coast.
mailandpackages.com
Craig Meddin BA ’01
Power Grid Engineering is an electric utility engineering firm, setting the bar of quality across the nation through people and process. The company was founded in 2007 after Michael and William left their former jobs to specialize a new business in engineering design, field services, and consulting for the power systems industry. With over 180 employees and 21 licensed professional engineers, Power Grid Engineering now supports over 10 Fortune 500 companies’ electric utilities.
“Treat people—employees, clients, and suppliers—like you want to be treated.”
powergridengineering.com
William “Glenn” Durie, BSEE ‘01
Founding Partner
Michael J. Wright, BSEE ‘98
Founding Partner & President
Engineering
Winter Springs, FL
In late 2009, Seth left his job at a private environmental consulting firm to establish Premier Forestry & Environmental Consulting, a full-service forestry and environmental consulting firm serving all of eastern North Carolina. Premier Forestry provides its clients with forest management and planning, prescribed burning, herbicide application, timber inventory, valuation, sales, research data collection and analysis and more.
“Reputation is everything. Word of mouth is the best and cheapest marketing available.”
premierforestry.net
Seth Ward, BSF ‘03
Vanceboro, NC
ProctorU provides a full suite of online proctoring and identity management solutions for education, professional development and certification organizations. With patented, 24/7 on-demand live proctoring and an automated platform utilizing artificial intelligence, ProctorU increases access to online learning while ensuring exam integrity and accountability for any test-taker using only a computer, webcam and high-speed internet connection. With 4 million exams proctored since 2008, brands like the University of Florida and CompTIA trust ProctorU.
proctoru.com
Matthew Jaeh, BS ‘05
Jarrod Morgan, Alumnus
Strategy Officer
Birmingham, AL
As a full-service general contractor, RB Marks Construction, Inc. specializes in commercial, industrial and retail markets. Our services include pre-construction, construction management, general contracting and design-build delivery. Clients are our top priority, and since 2004 we have provided them with unique ideas and innovative cost-saving solutions for all their construction needs.
rbmarks.com
Russell Cammack BSBC ’96
CFO
Mark Zaremskas BSBC ’96
Red Apples Media is Central Florida's most honored video production and marketing company. For more than eight years, Red Apples Media has been providing the highest quality video production content and marketing strategies for a wide variety of clients. Red Apples Media is driven by its "core values," proudly displayed on its website.
redapplesmedia.com
Marc Robertz-Schwartz, BSTEL ‘89
Leesburg, FL
Re-Tech was founded in 2011 to help consumers get the most out of their mobile electronic devices. Re-Tech provides a wide range of services primarily centered around repairs for mobile electronic devices. Additional services that have proven popular with customers include data recovery, water damage repair, sales of refurbished devices and help with software problems to name a few. Michael, the company’s founder, worked in the agriculture industry before pursuing his calling as an entrepreneur. He started a retail video game business called Rhino Video Games, which grew to over 50 locations and was eventually sold to Blockbuster Video in 2004. He founded Re-Tech Smartphone Centers with his partner Tully McQueen, and there are now four retail locations in north Florida.
“It is important, especially when your business is involved in a rapidly changing industry, to constantly evaluate what is happening in the marketplace and to be open to making adjustments to your business model.”
re-tech.com
Michael Vorce, BSA ‘83
Managing Member
Rhyme & Reason Design helps build brand champions by creating designs and strategic solutions for clients that successfully reflect their unique company culture. Behind every beautiful design is a smart idea, and Rhyme & Reason Design believes that you can’t have one without the other. Whether a small business, a big city or a national Greek organization, the company makes sure the brand is the perfect combination of both.
rhymeandreasondesign.com
Karen McKenzie, BFAGR ‘06
Co-Founder & Creative Director
Scarlett Rosier, BSADV ‘05, MSADV ‘05
Co-Founder & Director of Operations
Reggie is Founder and CEO of seven companies, including Rhythm Engineering LLC, empowering traffic engineers to save lives, save time, and save the environment through cost-effective, innovative traffic solutions. Its flagship product, In|Sync™, is a real-time adaptive traffic control system that enables traffic signals to immediately adapt to traffic demand, reducing accidents up to 30 percent, cutting travel times up to 50 percent and reducing fuel consumption and emissions 20-30 percent.
rhythmtraffic.com
Reggie Chandra, ME ‘93
Lenexa, KS
Chris joined Ripa & Associates in 2005 and is President of the company. Ripa & Associates is a leader in civil and utility construction services in Central Florida. Since its founding in 1998, the company has been consistently ranked in the Top 100 Private Companies in the Tampa Bay area, as well as the State of Florida.
ripaconstruction.com
Chris LaFace, BSBA ‘05
An astute businesswoman, accomplished doctor and successful entrepreneur, Kathy has touched the lives of more than 15 million people with targeted skincare solutions. Since 1989, she has been creating medicated skincare products that provide consumers with effective treatments for everyday dermatologic concerns from acne to aging and sun damage to sensitive skin.
“My business partner, Dr. Katie Rodan, and I found a need – not a want – to treat acne, and created Proactiv, which addressed the needs of millions of people. After the success we experienced with Proactiv, we felt compelled to give back and created Rodan + Fields to give others the opportunity to build their own successful businesses and experience independence.”
rodanandfields.com
Kathy Fields, BS ‘79
After starting as a draftsman, superintendent, and project manager at Scherer Construction in St. Petersburg in 1987, Doug went on to open the Gainesville office in 1991—taking what was essentially a one-person satellite office and turning it into the thriving 66-person operation it is today. Scherer Construction is a fully integrated, design/build commercial construction firm, aiming to take you from “vision to keys” with the same team, reducing cost, time and stress.
“Go for it and when you are successful, don’t forget where you came from. Be humble.”
schererconstruction.com
Doug Wilcox, BBC ‘89
Construction
Mark Spiecker leads Sharklet Technologies, Inc., a company that develops surface technologies that are designed to address microorganism growth and make healthier, safer and cleaner environments. He leads a team of scientists, business development professionals and product developers who are focused on Sharklet™ - the world’s first and only micro-texture based on the microbe-resistant properties of sharkskin.
“Be flexible and keep your overhead down with consultants/contractors.”
sharklet.com
Mark Spiecker, Alumnus
Aurora, CO
With its specialty in organizing festivals at sea, Sixthman’s company philosophy is to Live Loud. They have had over 14 years and 81 ship charters of experience hosting artists such as KISS, Zac Brown Band, Florida Georgia Line, Diplo, Sister Hazel, Paramore, Alabama, Lynyrd Skynrd, and more. Sixthman has been ranked by Inc. Magazine as America’s Fastest Growing Travel Company.
sixthman.net
Robert Levine, BABA ‘06
Social News Desk is the leading provider of social media management software for newsrooms. The company was founded by journalists, for journalists. Today, more than 2,500 newsrooms worldwide use the Social News Desk software suite to manage, distribute, secure, display and monetize social media.
socialnewsdesk.com
Kim Wilson, BSTEL 02
President & Founder
Media
Pushing the envelope “to make each day better than the one before” has shaped the way Stephanie leads as Chief Operating Officer of Solar Stik, Inc. The company’s mission is this: Using American-made components and constant innovation, Solar Stik creates portable power solutions that enable self-sufficiency for the soldier, the sailor and beyond. In doing so, we save lives, change lives and help revive American Manufacturing.
“Growth is not a strategy! “Get rich” is not a business plan! While making a profit is necessary to accomplish the MISSION, you must clearly articulate what the MISSION is for your company if you want to be able to survive the challenges of building a company.”
solarstik.com
Stephanie Hollis, MD ‘00, HS ‘04
Saint Augustine, FL
SSP Innovations is a relationship and education-oriented Esri Platinum Partner and provider of utility, telco and pipeline solutions. SSP offers leading, Esri-centric products and services including implementation, customization, training, support, upgrades, and integrations. A three-time winner of the Esri Partner Conference award, SSP has been recognized for bringing more than 170 U.S. utilities and telco operations closer to the future of the modern, digital and spatial work platform.
sspinnovations.com
Skye Perry, BSBA ’00
Centennial, CO
Chris Lahey and Chris Olberding are the Co-Founders at the digital agency Station Four, recently named the sixth-fastest growing company in Northeast Florida by the Jacksonville Business Journal. Station Four creates competitive advantages for its clients by utilizing the latest technologies in the generation and execution of marketing strategies.
stationfour.com
Chris Lahey, BS ‘04
Co-Founder & Development Partner
Chris Olberding, BA ‘04
Co-Founder & Creative Partner
Study Edge provides customizable online learning support for students and education professionals in K-12, colleges, universities and state governments. Our tools include engaging videos, study guides, practice problems, and web and mobile apps, as well as one-on-one tutoring online and in person. Our free Algebra Nation/Math Nation platform enables students in New York City and four states to meet state standards in math. Thanks to Study Edge, more than 1 million students have achieved their academic goals.
studyedge.com
Ethan Fieldman, BSBA ‘03
Education