Sustaining Career Pipelines for Women in Healthcare
The turning of the seasons has always given me pause. As Summer gave way to Fall, I reflected on the year, my mind drifting back to Spring, when it seemed...
The turning of the seasons has always given me pause. As Summer gave way to Fall, I reflected on the year, my mind drifting back to Spring, when it seemed...
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has changed everything. From the way we greet each other, to the way we organize our lives around new realities, to the way we gather...
When COVID-19 closed schools in the spring, it also shut down a primary food distribution channel for Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that stocks elementary school pantries with nutritious food...
As I am confronted with the social upheaval in the wake of the inhumane killing of George Floyd, the most recent in an abhorrent series of unjust deaths and devastated...
Cone of uncertainty. The term crossed my mind as I watched reports on Tropical Storm Arthur, which flared up before hurricane season even officially began. We’ve grown accustomed to hearing...
Like so many Southwest Floridians, I’ve been remotely working from home, as the Southwest Florida Community Foundation stands with all those striving to balance health and safety while remaining efficient...
There is a great deal of talk these days around adaptability. Personal, professional, business, government and healthcare adaptability are top of mind as we navigate the pandemic in all aspects...
I spend a good portion of my time these days virtually connecting with people who desperately want to do something to help those suffering as a result of the pandemic. ...
The subject line of the email proclaimed “This Event is NOT Cancelled” and for obvious reasons it caught a lot of attention. I’ve learned that some people felt a momentary flash...
These are anxious times. COVID-19 has impacted global and local communities and disrupted our everyday lives in ways large and small. As we work together to adjust to quickly changing...
Our world has changed, collectively and individually. Last week I was walking around Collaboratory and missing the energy of people meeting and connecting in the building. If I am honest,...
Each week the goal of this column is to connect the beautiful act of giving to things happening in the world, our community and individual stories. Sometimes the subject matter...
This column is difficult for me to write as it hits close to home. My birth year of 1963 places me on the cusp of the baby boomer generation, and...
When we envisioned the design of Collaboratory as a regional resource to champion the social, economic and environmental sustainability of Southwest Florida, we were very intentional that it be much...
Recently I attended a round table formed to discuss and explore aging in place in Southwest Florida. As our nation and community approach what has been coined the Silver Tsunami,...
Last month there were a plethora of announcements that ushered in 2020 trends. Fashion, music, food and technology gurus all kick off the year with predictions and proclamations of what...
Over the last few weeks, hundreds of volunteers have walked through the doors of Collaboratory. The space doesn’t provide direct services to individuals so volunteering here takes on a different...
Today Southwest Floridans gathered around tables in their homes, office break rooms, restaurants, parks and coffee shops to share a meal and time together. People love to eat and connect,...
In honor of Southwest Florida’s celebrating the genius of renowned winter resident Thomas Edison, join me in a fun brain-teaser. What do the numbers 223,898, 1,093 and 82 have in...
Last week I conducted an impromptu, unscientific survey. I asked most everyone I came into contact with how they were feeling. I got a few quizzical looks as I think...
Fresh starts, clean slates, new beginnings, and turning the page are all sentiments attached to New Year resolutions. The beginning of a new year provides a calendar driven opportunity to...
I’ve always been intrigued by television programs and news articles that look back at past decades and propose overarching themes that seem to characterize them. The 1920s were “roaring,” the...
The holiday season in Southwest Florida is truly a season of warmth, not only with our glorious winter weather, but also the emotional warmth that comes from gathering with family,...
Raise your hand with me if you love Fall in Southwest Florida! It’s such a wonderful time of year, not only because family and friends ramp up the number of...
I often describe myself as a delusional optimist, which means I don’t spend a lot of time feeling discouraged. I tend to broker in the world of possibilities and the...
I am a data geek and believe that a commitment to measuring and evaluating progress is key to a strong strategic business plan. I am always filled with hope and...
Like a lot of folks, this past summer I watched news accounts of the Apollo 11 moon landing that marked the 50th anniversary of that historic achievement. What struck me...
Recently I heard the Mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto, speak on the culture of collaboration in his City. Pittsburgh is a big-time sports town, so he used a striking sports...
Each summer I turn over this column to the Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s nonprofit grantee partners. These are organizations who have received funding, made possible by donors, to support change-making...
by Sarah Owen, president & CEO, Southwest Florida Community Foundation I have a 3-hour limit. I don’t turn into a pumpkin, but anything longer than 3 hours in a car and...
In a lineup of nearly identical sea life drawings, one of the pictures seemed a bit out of place. I always looked forward to picking up my youngest child from...
The low hum of homework grumbling has been a backdrop of my life for a least 20 years. On the journey of raising three kids, there are bound to be...
When I was a kid it was always a really big deal to stay up late enough to watch network television sign off for the night. I don’t remember exactly...
Recently I had the honor and privilege to say a few words of love and remembrance at the Celebration of Life for Kappy King, a beloved wife, mother, friend, philanthropist...
The thirty-something skateboarders served as a Venice Beach Boardwalk choir of sorts. Their cathedral was the small skate park just a few hundred feet away from the famous Venice Muscle Beach. It’s...
I wait with anticipation for “this time last year” photo alerts on my phone. Sometimes I feel let down when it is a misguided shot of my shoe from 2016, but...
I could see his lip quivering as he approached the car. A little man on a mission to make it to the backseat before anyone saw him burst into tears. ...
Floridians learn to be creative in marking the seasons. Since nature does not provide the obvious clues in the form of fall foliage, snow days and cherry blossom blooms, we...
I have always been perplexed by people who become upset with inanimate objects. Someone who stubs their toe and is mad at the table, or unattended burned cookies become the...
The wheel starts shaking, the car slows down, rubber is flying, and it takes just a few seconds to realize that an extended stop on the side of the road...
It wasn’t easy to jump into the fray of all the fundraising pledges happening under the tent on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, but leave it to a strong,...
The first cup of my vacation coffee was bitter and full of grounds. As my family planned a week of high adventure, going as fast as they could down mountains,...
During this month of “love,” I am pleased to share a love poem to the community written by residents who joined the trustees and team of the Southwest Florida Community...
For the past year I have been wearing a simple gold ring in the shape of a circle. It isn’t an infinity sign, but the continuous circle serves as a...
For nearly 30 years a woman I never met has been whispering in my ear every time I sit down to write. Sometimes she shows up in everyday conversations as...
Talking and writing about generosity and philanthropy in the month associated with love should come easy. By definition philanthropy is the love of humanity, and maybe that is all that...
The woman sat awkwardly on the folding chair outside the dark office of a small business, continually checking the posted hours of operation and the calendar housed on her phone. Without...
Last week a teammate placed a hand-crafted sign on her desk that read, “this is my year” and I believe her. She is talented, committed and has some big goals. January...
I have long resisted the urge to use the phrase “huddle up everyone” in a team or staff meeting. As a lover of all things sports and team building, I...
In middle school I joined the band and learned how to play the flute (sort of). Most students gave the band a go as we grew up in an era...