Key takeaway: Marvel executive Mitchell Bell, in a recent visit to St. Pete, encourages people just starting out in their careers to take chances and go for any opportunity. Core challenge: Getting viewers to rewatch movies is the biggest hurdle the studio faces. What's next: Marvel is looking to incorporate new technology into filming, especially with AI and ChatGPT being more affordable. One of Marvel Studios' top executives recently visited St. Petersburg for a local film festival, during wh

Key takeaway: The Bradenton arts scene seeks to catch up to its neighbors to the south, in Sarasota. Core challenge: Finding affordable spaces for artists while creating a cohesive art community in and around downtown Bradenton. What’s next: Island Gallery and Studios, a new art studio that just moved in, has plans to expand services and ArtCenter Manatee is currently doubling its space. For 33 years, Jody Goldman ran a co-op art gallery on Anna Maria Island. But as rent escalated and foot traf

The last school bell of the year rings, and kids rejoice. For some, it means summer school or camps. For others, it’s show time.

At 16-years-old, Larissa Lippe proved she was more ambitious than most. A high school student in Sarasota, Larissa founded a private tutoring company that caters to students K-12 in a broad range of topics, from English to math to foreign languages. Her business, Smart Kids Tutor LLC, got its start in January, when Larissa tutored a student and noticed a difference after just one session. That’s when she came up with the company’s purpose: “It’s smart kids helping smart kids.” Currently, Smart

Growing up as a young child in Puerto Rico watching TV, Wilfredo Emanuel always dreamed of the spotlight. Now at 58-years-old, that dream finally came true. Before the pandemic paused the world, HGTV began looking for designers to compete on its new Table Wars series that features eight contestants as they design immersive event tables. Emanuel was one of those selected. “I never stopped dreaming,” the award-winning architectural interior designer tells Coffee Talk. Emanuel has been based in N

Executive: Connie Lyke-Brown started off her career as a teacher and cross country track coach in New York. When she and her husband moved to Sarasota in 1981, she couldn’t find a good teaching job without taking a major pay cut. At that time, a friend of hers was enjoying a career in real estate. So Lyke-Brown went back to school. She started her real estate career as a manager. In 1999, she became a real estate agent at Michael Saunders & Co., where she remains today. Diversion: A resident of

The radio station industry, with podcasts coming in every direction and satellite and internet radio eating into terrestrial radio's market share, isn't for everyone. But a nimble entrepreneur who's had a diverse career in journalism and broadcasting is having a broadcast radio moment, finding success growing a radio station business on the west coast of Florida. That company is Sarasota-based Solmart Media, a partnership with Mercedes Soler and her husband, Tomás Martínez. Since founding the c