We know that Tampa Bay is special and a big part of what makes this area an amazing place to live is the people. We’re introducing you to kids and adults whose stories you should know. This is not a ‘pay for play’ list like those published by some other sites and magazines. We are simply featuring people who are doing incredible things in our community and deserve the recognition. Let’s dive in and meet your extraordinary Tampa Bay neighbors!
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is returning with an ALL-NEW show in 2026. We caught up with Juliette Feld Grossman, who teamed up with her father to produce The Greatest Show on Earth, to talk about the evolution of the show.
Q&A with Kimmy Sanford, a passionate and dedicated middle school teacher of history and the social sciences at Tampa Preparatory School.
Brainard Harris is a mentor, innovator and leader who brings aerospace technology to life for students at Stewart Middle Magnet.
Local mom and changemaker, Angeline Howell, is inspiring hands-on learning, building community and shaping the future of education in Tampa Bay.
Meet Madison Richardson, a tae kwon do champion raising awareness for causes that empower kids and fund life-changing cancer research.
Remembering the joyful legacy of Dr. Michael Mcilwain and what he meant to his patients and the Tampa Bay community.
Get to know Candace Donnelly and Whitney Williams, co-hosts of the popular parenting podcast, Mom Group Chat.
Triathlon siblings, Miller and Linden Brown, are making waves in Tampa Bay and sharing advice for other kids who dream of crossing the finish line.
Teaching is a calling, and for Madeline Olivera, a fifth-grade math teacher at Corbett Prep in Tampa, it was a lifelong dream to share her love of learning with a new generation of students. Olivera gets to share this love of education at one of the most unique schools in the Tampa Bay Area, where…
Read about Dr. Lisa Hayes, a pediatrician and mom, and how she’s building her own practice while navigating motherhood and life’s challenges.
Pre-IB Biology teacher at Strawberry Crest High, Yung Ramano, is sharing how STEM students are being prepared for world-changing careers.
Read how Samira Garcia is embracing her passion for dance at Blake High School and inspiring others to follow their artistic dreams!
Learn how Kniya Godfrey helped Bloomingdale’s girls’ basketball team win its first state title and what inspires her on and off the court.
Learn how Aahan Swain’s experience in robotics and coding is preparing him for a future in medicine and inspiring others to never give up!
Learn how Kate White brings play into everyday life, from leading at Glazer Children’s Museum to making memories at home with her kids.
Get to know Decker Deady, Berkeley Prep high school senior dedicated to helping the No More Foundation carry out its mission to end poverty, orphans and human trafficking in Tampa Bay.
Get to know Tami Kent, founder of The No More Foundation, which aims to eliminate poverty, orphans, and human trafficking in Tampa Bay.
Read about Annabelle Gutowski and how her nonprofit, Kicks for Kids, International, is making a difference for foster children.
Learn how Mindy McCord is shaping the future of lacrosse at USF, building a competitive program while inspiring the next generation of athletes.
Learn about Ananda Farm in Terra Ceia through a discussion with the owners, who share how they turned their dream into a farm-focused escape.
Discover how Elise McEachern balances school, riding, and training while working toward her dream of becoming a professional horse trainer.
Read about Lia Beatty’s journey from being a mom of four to founding Télia Agency, where she helps brand stand out in a crowded market.
Read about moms who navigated career transitions after motherhood and found new purpose in their work and lives.
Veteran coaches, Mindy and Paul McCord are trailblazing the way for USF Women’s Lacrosse and gearing up for their inaugural game on Feb. 7!
Discover Ananda and Keel Farms, two of our favorite local farms offering fresh food and seasonal festivities that showcase the best of Florida farming!
Learn about Tyra Andre’s journey from scientist to world traveler and how she turned her passion into a travel agency, “Mommy and Wee Travels.”
Get to know Isabella Cooley, a young traveler and author of the book series “Let’s Explore with Isabella”, who’s explored 30+ countries!
Discover how the Touchdown Pass Foundation makes football accessible for kids by providing equipment and opportunities to play.
Did your child’s teacher make the list? See who’s been nominated for Teacher of the Year in Hillsborough County for 2024!
Learn all about how Liam Coen combines football and family in his busy life as an offensive coordinator coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Read about Amber Uhler’s story of perseverance, water safety advocacy, and her journey to becoming Mrs. Universe USA 2024.
We’re catching up with Jarod Curley, an alumnus of Next Generation Ballet who now dances with the American Ballet Theatre. He is returning to The Straz as a guest star dancer in the 2024 production of Nutcracker.
Learn about Nola Schoos, a 7-year-old who loves the beach, helps protect marine wildlife, and inspires others after Hurricane Helene.
Read about Souad Dreyfus, founder of Open Arms Surrogacy, and how she helps families navigate their journey to parenthood.
Join Maggie and the Moms in their relatable new podcast for open and honest conversations about parenting and life’s challenges.
Learn how Corina Kowalski’s passion for beauty and community inspired Bubbles and Blowouts, a Tampa salon for everyone.
Discover how Preston Rudie conquered the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and the life-changing journey that pushed his limits.
Learn about Tampa teen, Jacob Ari Kamis, who’s legacy continues to shine through a photographer contest at Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.
Get to know the kids behind the Wee Macree 501c3 nonprofit Junior Leadership Board who serve the mission of ‘kids helping kids’ in Tampa Bay!
It began as a chance meeting nearly thirty years ago at a Drum Corps International championship, which set the stage for an enduring partnership. He was there composing music; she was competing with a color guard group. A year later, Kevin and Jeannine Ford were married, beginning a lifelong journey of purpose together. Tarpon Springs…
Get to know local Tampa mom and digital media expert, Natalie Zfat, who’s sharing awareness tips to help protect your kids from cyber-bullying.
From the Air Force to the Army, Maxine Reyes shares about her incredible career with the U.S. Military, plus founding Courage & Grace Foundation.
Get to know ‘Dog Mom,’ Danielle Robins, the founder of Palm Harbor Animal prosthetics company OrthoPaws.
Getting to know Tampa’s Shelby Langford: Future Farmers of America member and the student responsible for the fodder farm being built behind Gaither High School.
The Tampa Bay Sun Football Club is kicking off its inaugural season this Sunday, August 18, bringing the highest level of professional women’s sports ever to the Tampa Bay Area. We’re getting to know head coach Denise Schilte-Brown as we talk women’s sports, motherhood, and her love of Tampa Bay.
In preparation for summer break, most students across Tampa Bay anticipate what the season means for them: vacation travel, athletic camps, beach days, pool time, late nights and no homework. But for five rising sixth and seventh grade girls, this was the time to host their fourth annual lemonade stand to raise money for local…
In the wizarding world of Harry Potter, a wand is a conduit that brings out the energy of a magical person and manifests it in the physical world in the shape of what they may be casting or creating. This is also true for Ambika Agrawal and her camera, a tool that blends the creative…
In the five years that we have featured mothers in this special space, I have yet to focus on a part of motherhood that is just as important as all of the others that have been highlighted before. The role of the woman in the home to be there for every member of the family,…
Get to know the Steinbrenner High Boss Cross runners who take dogs from the Humane Society on runs in order to help them get adopted!
Parenting is challenging, embodied work. Amidst society’s current culture of achievement, parenting’s challenges expand. Concurrently, kids’ autonomy and free time contract (to almost negligible levels). Of course parents want children to succeed. Within achievement culture, however, efforts are misguided and counterproductive. The mother of a competitive dancer and soccer player, I also am in achievement…
In collaboration with Rise Against Hunger and St. John’s Episcopal Parish Day School, the Taylor Koulouris Foundation made it possible for students to pack 12,500 meals that will feed 347 children in Haiti each for an entire school year. As third and fourth graders at the school, our Kids to Know share their experience. …
Learn all about Bricks 4 Kidz owner and local dad, John Fontana’s new charity Kids Love Bricks, and how you can give back with LEGO!
Cancer. It was a word the Germanys never expected to hear when they brought their 12-year-old son to a medical professional for answers about a mass growing in his cheek. In 2020, Omar Jr. was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer. With great fortitude and unwavering faith, Omar began a lengthy fight with his…
Every child is truly a treasure, and for most, pregnancy is a gift. However, after navigating a journey through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy to welcome her two children, Lenny (6) and Bowie (3), Jessica Payne could have never predicted the miracle waiting to unfold years later. As this local mom announces the arrival…
Dr. Jamie Decker is a dedicated father of five who juggles the demands of his medical career with the joys of fatherhood. Decker is passionate about both of the hats that he wears as a dad and a cardiologist in the Heart Institute at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, where he specializes in electrophysiology. “It’s…
Maggie Rodriguez introduces us to the people behind CUP, one of the newest coffee shops in Tampa that is so much more than a cup of coffee, but a mission to make a difference.
This June marks the 20th anniversary of the first Lemonade Days, a tradition that was started by 8-year-old Alex Scott, founder of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, to help doctors help kids like her who were fighting cancer. Before Alex passed away in 2004, she knew that Lemonade Days raised $1 million for childhood cancer, and it…
From humble beginnings to a monumental $50 million donation, the Pagidipati family’s gift to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation is a heartwarming testament to their commitment to children’s health and the Tampa community’s future.
Just as the lotus emerges from muddy waters to bloom into a beautiful flower, the story of Bhavna Kanakia is one of growth and transcendence. Rather than remaining in her birth country of India, among the familiar ceremonies that honor the cultural symbolism of the lotus, she resolved instead to expand an offering of superb…
Like a trending remix of a favorite 90’s song, Tina Novak Robles involvement with Entertainment Revue has come full-circle in the most harmonious way. As a member of the founding cast of the singing ensemble, Tina is now the Creative Director of the group that is celebrating 35 years of show-stopping singing and dancing acts,…
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