In retirement Bill Franz bought a camera, learned how to use it, and became a volunteer photographer. He has done photo projects for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton and for almost two dozen other local organizations.
In 2013 Bill started a project of his own – photographing people at work. Since then he has photographed hundreds of workers, from butchers and bakers and candy makers to clowns and sculptors and fire eaters. The photos have appeared in solo and group art exhibitions and also in less traditional venues such as hospitals, retail stores, nature centers and breweries. They have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people. Profits from photo sales go to Dayton area nonprofits.
Brian Petro is a designer, educator, mixologist and bon vivant. His quest for knowledge never stops and he loves to share what he learns with others. Visit him on Facebook/Twitter at Smart Guy in a Tie Cocktails.
A native Daytonian with 40 years of experience in retail management currently working in real estate. Brian has covered dining, the arts, Dayton history and human interest stories over the last 10 years. Brian actively volunteers with local non-profits and enjoys all that Dayton and the Miami Valley has to offer.
Bryan Suddith is a storyteller and foodie raised in Southwest Ohio. He has been known to drive 180 miles round trip for lunch.
After living in Kentucky, Baton Rouge, and Florida, he returned to the Miami Valley to raise his two sons. Bryan is the producer of Story Slam Dayton and is a Certified Competition BBQ Judge and active member of the Kansas City BBQ Society. Bryan enjoys a good burger, bbq, bourbon, long nights on patios with friends telling stories, and sharing food.
The Great Miami Riverway includes more than 99 miles of river, paved trails and connected communities in southwest Ohio where you can surf the river, cycle the bike trail, and find your way through historic downtowns.
Jonathan McNeal, a graduate of Wright State's Motion Picture Production program, has been managing THE NEON in downtown Dayton since the Fall of 2001. Having grown up in a small town in northeast Ohio, the idea of an independent movie theater that showed hard-to-find films seemed like something that could only be found in a major metropolis. Upon moving to Dayton in the early 1990's, finding THE NEON was a was like finding a new home.
McNeal's film work includes the documentary of Dayton's beloved drag troupe - THE RUBI GIRLS. The doc premiered in San Francisco in 2003 and played across the country and as far away as Australia. The film continues to be played at night clubs and on college campuses as an educational and outreach tool.
McNeal himself has been a part of the performance troupe since 1997.
Co-owner of Square One Salon and Spa, founding member of The Rubi Girls and a retired school teacher, Joshua is often seen at all the happening places in Dayton.
Co-host @GemCityPodcast • President @DayBalletBarre • Music Promoter • Photographer • Art Director • Proud Daytonian!
Launch Dayton is a collaborative effort to connect entrepreneurs to peers, resources, and supporters, and to tell the stories of our region’s thriving startup community. This community exists to support and inspire Daytonians who are building businesses. Launch Dayton partners believe everyone, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to determine their own economic prosperity.
We’re doing this by building an intentionally inclusive community that celebrates and supports all entrepreneurs.
Lisa Grigsby is a Special Events Director with over thirty years experience in promotions, event coordination and public relations.
Owning Jokers Comedy Cafe for 20 years taught Lisa to maintain a sense of humor under pressure. She credits Leadership Dayton for exposing her to the amazing assets of the region and Clothes That Work for being her reason she stayed in Dayton. Her proudest accomplishment as a past president of the Miami Valley Restaurant Association was creating Restaurant Week, a twice a year tradition that continues to grow and benefit local charities as well. As a foodie, it's only natural that she continues to promote local restaurateurs with DaytonDining.
As a Dayton Catalyst, her desire to have ONE community calendar and advocate for the amazing assets of the region helped create the vision for the relaunch of DaytonMostMetro, now Dayton 937.com
Patrick Thimons is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Professional Realty who also loves ALL THINGS DAYTON!
Tabari McCoy recorded his first comedy album in his basement when he was either 10 or 11 years of age. But it was terrible – and like the item central to the plot of Indiana Jones and The Lost Ark – it was filed away, never to be heard again.
An award-winning journalist, Tabari continues his writing pursuits today – most prominently at McCoy On Movies, his online movie blog Now with his debut album Laughing With a Panther (Rooftop Comedy) in stores and his national TV debut on Fox's Laughs under his belt, his future on stage is looking bigger and brighter ... Or that's at least what he tells all the financial institutions to whom he owes money.
But no matter what he says, he does it with one simple goal in mind: Making people laugh – and hoping he doesn’t anger his family or God in the process.
Since 2008, Steve Milano AKA "The Big Ragu" has been leading Food Adventures throughout the Miami Valley. Food Adventures a blog and so much more. There are places to go like restaurants, festivals, breweries, food trucks and other food events. Sometimes Food Adventures will host dinner events and cooking classes The goal is to seek out and share locally owned restaurants, unique places off the beaten path, & even give our slant on some familiar favorites. Whenever we visit a place, we call it a “Food Adventure.” You can expect pictures of each Food Adventure. You can expect hugging waiters, posting nostalgic blogs, and having a blast. Food Adventures has a passion for life and no rules when it comes to tackling eats. We are not food critics, that is boring. We just love to eat!
