Changemakers

Living a sex-positive life in Orlando

Angelique Luna, local blogger turned sex advocate and educator, is one-half of the local podcast, ‘Living a Sex Positive Life’, where she and her husband, John, talk about how to embrace sexuality and why it’s important. Angelique is also a certified kink therapy professional, meaning she talks to folks about their alternative sexual lifestyles, sometimes […]

/ February 28, 2021

Meet this Orlandoan: Nicole Elinoff, League of Women Voters – OC

(📸: Nicole Elinoff) We’re back with another local we think you should know (thanks to Daniel Downer for the recommendation!) Nicole Elinoff moved to Orlando in 2010 to attend UCF. That’s where she got her start in advocacy work and later pursued a career in public health.  By day, Nicole is the Regional Sexual Minority […]

/ March 2, 2020

Meet this Orlandoan: Daniel J. Downer, Bros in Convo

Today’s local we think you should know is Bros in Convo Executive Director, Daniel J. Downer. He can be seen here, participating in a community discussion at @rollinscollege late last year. (📸: @brosinconvo) Once a week, we’re going to do our best to introduce you to someone, something, or some organization that we think you […]

/ February 17, 2020

Celebrate Black History Month in Orlando

Celebrate Black History Month with a stop at Wall Crawl for a quick pic in front of their newest wall, then head over to the Wells’Built Museum to learn about Orlando’s black history. | Executive Director of @wellsbuilt Elizabeth Thompson in front of our new #blackhistorymonth wall, which features portraits of leaders with direct ties […]

/ February 6, 2020

Spotlight on Mills 50: The Center

The Center on Mills Avenue has been the meeting center for Orlando’s LGBTQ community since 1978. According to executive director, George Wallace, The Center gives more HIV tests than any other clinic in Florida. We sat down with George and three others who are involved with The Center to get their “Center story”. “As soon as […]

/ August 4, 2019

This developer is upping Orlando’s street cred, one street at a time

MEET THIS CHANGEMAKER: Craig Ustler, president of the Ustler Development Group, is best known for transforming Thornton Park into a desirable and walkable neighborhood throughout the 90’s and early 2000’s. He’s been heavily involved in developing The City Beautiful since graduating from the University of Florida in 1991. His development philosophy has been to focus […]

/ April 2, 2019

Changemakers: Meet the Orlandoans who are literally building our future

Orlando is growing rapidly and these are the folks working to make a difference when it comes to how we think about growth and architecture.

/ April 1, 2019

This Orlando non-profit founder wants to break the stigma against construction workers

MEET THIS CHANGEMAKER: Debbie Rodriguez, founder and President of IBuild Central Florida, wants to change the stigma against construction workers and encourage more  people to become tradespeople. WHAT SHE’S DOING: Rodriguez owns two construction companies in the area and noticed a lack of qualified workers to do the work. When she talked with others across […]

/ April 1, 2019

Toolbox4Life is teaching the tools for life using actual tools

MEET THIS CHANGEMAKER: John Hursh is the co-founder of Toolbox4Life, an eight-week program that teaches adults the skills they need to work in a commercial kitchen or construction site. The project grew out of a nonprofit called 306 Foundation that Hursh and his wife, Jane, started in 2012 to connect communities through partnerships and networking. […]

/ April 1, 2019

Changemakers: Meet the Orlandoans who are shaping our transportation future

When it comes to getting around, the struggle is real. Traffic has long been a daily fact of life for many of us, and as Orlando continues to grow, the need for solutions and alternatives to the gridlock has become all the more urgent. For our latest Changemaker series, we met up with a handful […]

/ February 19, 2019