Profiles

From college drop-out to entrepreneur, Pablo Casilimas of Rootex uses his drive and determination to create content and make an impact in Gainesville. Casilimas was raised in Pembroke Pines by his Hispanic parents who always taught their children to find jobs with high security. His options were to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer. For...

Kristy Sutton and Lacy Basford founded Foster Florida to empower families on the front lines of foster care by mobilizing and equipping their communities to support them.  Kristy and Lacy’s friendship began when they met at their local church in Gainesville. Lacy had just had her second baby, and Kristy was leading the small mother’s...

Gabriel Chavez and Noe Lopez opened Resident Coffee Roasters to bring incredible coffees from around the world to the people of Gainesville. Gabriel was born in Ecuador and always imagined starting something new in the United States. He received his bachelor’s degree in Education at the University of Florida. His passion for coffee bloomed when...

Scott Costello and Christy Robinson-Costello of True North, a trend-setting business solutions firm, kicked off their business this past January with a vision to create, connect and consult with organizations.   Christy was born and raised in Gainesville, FL where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics at the University of Florida. Following...

Seth Carswell of Vessel Goods Leather Company handcrafts heirloom-quality leather goods. He opened his business in 2015 to expand his passion for leather goods and produce quality products that will last for a lifetime.  Carswell’s journey into leather goods began after college. With a bachelor’s in fine arts and industrial design, he got a job...

Joel Romelus and Mike Patz, two pastors at Greenhouse Church, are motivated by love to serve others in the community and use their leadership positions to be a voice for the voiceless.  Joel Romelus, the campus pastor at Greenhouse, was born and raised in Miami after his family immigrated from Haiti. The foundation of his...

From the basement of his home in Gainesville, Drew Howard and his friend, Kevin Masaro, created the lifestyle apparel brand, Always True Co., to inspire others to be themselves through art.  In 2013, Howard moved from Westin to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida. He joined a fraternity where he met his friend, Kevin...

Sherman Merricks, the founder and CEO of Dynasty CrossFit, has been serving the people of  Gainesville for almost 10 years. Merricks discovered his passion for sports at a young age and continued to pursue athletics in college by playing basketball at Southeastern University. After graduation, he moved to Gainesville with his wife in 2005 where...

Kim and Kyle Farris, the owners of Heart Happy Films, find joy in providing valuable experiences to their clients by not just doing a job but by creating authentic friendships in the process.  In this week’s episode of the WHOA GNV Podcast, the husband and wife keepsake creators share their story about meeting in the...

By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach A native of Gainesville, Florida, is serving aboard one of the nation’s newest and most versatile combat ships, the future USS Kansas City. Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Dampier is a 2009 Hawthorne High School graduate. According to Dampier, the values required to succeed in the Navy...