{"id":213774,"date":"2026-03-31T23:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/213774\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T23:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:31:10","slug":"newest-business-hall-of-famers-inspire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/213774\/","title":{"rendered":"Newest Business Hall of Famers inspire"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Entrepreneur, Rebecca Maddox, receives her award marking her induction into the Business Hall of Fame. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

Four successful Southwest Florida business leaders did not merely make money and run big businesses\u2014they are inspiring the next generation of business leaders.\n<\/p>\n

\u200bThey are Jerri Hoffmann and David Hoffmann, founders of Hoffmann Family of Companies;\u00a0entrepreneur Rebecca Maddox, a revolutionary who changed Bayshore through food, wine and a private social club; and Ryan Carter, president and owner of Scotlynn, a Fort Myers-based transportation and logistics firm. They were each just\u00a0inducted into Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida\u2019s Business Hall of Fame.\u00a0They join 101 others who have been inducted since the local chapter was founded in 1994.\n<\/p>\n

\u200b\u201cThey are recognized for what they are doing in the community,\u201d said Cheryl Kunkle,\u00a0CEO and president of Junior Achievement.\u00a0\u201cThey emulate the opportunities that are available for students as they head into the workforce.\u00a0One thing that we are really focusing on\u00a0is\u00a0our durable transferable skills that students will need as they grow into adulthood. As they go into this rapidly changing environment like AI,\u00a0I think what they can learn from our laureates are some of those durable skills, like adaptivity and resilience. It is those cognitive thinking skills we want to develop in those students, so they can have that vision.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u200bKunkle and Vicki Tracy, Junior Achievement\u00a0Hall of Fame committee chairwoman,\u00a0each declared that this year\u2019s recipients embody that.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Founders of Hoffmann Family of Companies, David & Jerri Hoffmann at the podium. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

\u200b\u201cThe Hoffmanns, they saw the business opportunity here, but they didn\u2019t just buy up a bunch of businesses. They got involved philanthropically,\u201d Tracy began. \u201cThey highly engage with the community.\u00a0To have the impact they have had in such a short period of time is amazing. They talk to the guy driving a bus the same way they would talk to the CEO.\u00a0They have a really Midwestern attitude.\u00a0They show you can be successful and humble at the same time.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u200bKunkle\u00a0said Carter demonstrates how to overcome business challenges, such as\u00a0how to get fruits and veggies to other parts of the country without rotting.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cHis leadership helped grow a global logistics company while retaining a\u00a0strong commitment to\u00a0the\u00a0community force,\u201d\u00a0Kunkle\u00a0said. \u201cHe went from a small start-up to one of the largest logistics companies in Florida. He is employing hundreds of people in Southwest Florida. His business is one of the largest in the country.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Tracy said Maddox shows tomorrow\u2019s leaders how a vision can lead to success.\n<\/p>\n

\u201c[Maddox] single-handedly reformed a business district,\u201d Tracy\u00a0described of the Bayshore area of Naples. \u201cBack 20 years,\u00a0no way\u00a0people thought anything would happen\u00a0on Bayshore\u00a0Drive,\u00a0and now it is a hub of growth. It is fabulous. [Maddox] had a vision for a variety of things. She saw areas that could be transformed into what is now a thriving arts and entertainment district. She had a vision for that area, so she started in an area that people said\u00a0\u2018no way\u2019. Then she built Celebration Park, another area where people thought nobody is going to go there; and now it is fun entertainment for families.\u00a0She embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. For these young girls looking at their futures, it is beneficial\u00a0to have somebody like that and see how she did it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Tracy said the newest Hall of Fame members are perfect for the honor.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look to them because they help us inspire our next generation of leaders,\u201d she concluded.\n<\/p>\n

During the induction\u00a0reception,\u00a0dinner and\u00a0ceremony,\u00a0the honorees were humble about their work and appeared shocked to be receiving awards.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ryan Carter mingles with guests during the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame induction reception in Naples on Tuesday, March 24. -ANDREA STETSON \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

Jerri Hoffmann\u00a0said being generous is something ingrained in them since childhood.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the way\u00a0Dave and\u00a0I\u00a0have been everywhere\u00a0we are,\u201d said Jerri Hoffmann,\u00a0who is originally from Washington, Missouri. \u201cWe came from a small community of 8,000 people where everybody knew everybody. It is the sense of family. It is the only way we know how to do things.\u00a0It is such a wonderful honor to get this wonderful award. It is all about the kids. It\u00a0is what\u00a0Dave and\u00a0I\u00a0care\u00a0about\u00a0in our hearts,\u00a0so profoundly.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Jerri Hoffmann had just opened the doors to The Augusta Clothing Company on Fifth Avenue South and Sixth Street South in Naples days before receiving the award and being inducted into the Business Hall of Fame. Augusta is named after the town, just about 10 miles from where she lived in Washington, Missouri. That original location of the boutique opened in 2022.\n<\/p>\n

Still, the thing she is most proud of is family.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things\u00a0I\u00a0am the proudest of is my happy marriage and\u00a0my beautiful family,\u201d she stressed.\u00a0\u201cThat is my greatest achievement.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

David Hoffmann wants to inspire youngsters. He wants them to see how even those from very humble beginnings can achieve greatness.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up without hot running water,\u201d he described. \u201cI want them to understand that everything is possible in America.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Hoffmann started out with success as founder of a headhunting firm for executives, DHR. He had several business investments flop. Then investments in California oil, mergers and numerous other business investments led to success peaking as he lives in Naples the past several years, now with more than 17,000 employees and more than 120 brands with 400-plus locations in 30 countries. Florida Weekly is one of more than 30 businesses Hoffmann has purchased in the Naples area.\n<\/p>\n

Hoffmann said his goal is to inspire and help future leaders.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe community has given so much to us,\u00a0and we want to give\u00a0back to the\u00a0community,\u201d he stressed.\u00a0It is more fun giving back to the community than making money.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

During his speech, Hoffmann told the younger generation to dream big.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hundreds of people were at the reception and dinner during the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame induction on Tuesday, March 24 at the Naples Grande. -ANDREA STETSON \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

\u201cI just ask the\u00a0Junior\u00a0Achievement folks here tonight, close your eyes for just a few seconds and dream about what you want to be,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cYou know what, in\u00a0America,\u00a0you can do that. You can be whatever you want to be. My father drove a milk truck. We didn\u2019t have hot running water until I was a sophomore in high school, so you can do anything you want in the great United\u00a0States of America and the great Naples, Florida.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Carter said the award represents all the good work by people in the community and the power of giving back has on this area.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout\u00a0the\u00a0kids of the community being successful and inspired,\u00a0we are never going to have success,\u201d he began. \u201cIt represents\u00a0what is important\u00a0to the community. It is really important\u00a0to give back to the community.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u200bAfter accepting the award, Carter told the audience that he hopes to not only inspire youngsters, but also other businesses.\n<\/p>\n

\u200b\u201cSixteen\u00a0years\u00a0ago,\u00a0I\u00a0came down here, and\u00a0I\u00a0didn\u2019t know anything about this community,\u00a0but what\u00a0I\u00a0did quickly realize is that it is full of people that truly care\u00a0about the\u00a0future of Southwest Florida,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cSo,\u00a0you have to think about how you preserve that, how do you create a better future. It really is with our children.\u00a0So, investing in our youth,\u00a0inspiring our kids and helping them feel confident is really the key. It is essential,\u00a0and I hope it is an inspiration for other organizations. In order to keep living in this wonderful place that we are in,\u00a0we do have to take care of our youth.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u200bMaddox said she was shocked to be chosen for the honor.\n<\/p>\n

\u200b\u201cI\u00a0just\u00a0bought the first property and got up every day and worked\u00a0hard, and it turned into something,\u201d she described. \u201cI want them to see that hard work and character really does pay off.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u200bMaddox told a story about how no one wanted to invest with her when she bought property on Bayshore Drive in 2010. They didn\u2019t want to invest in her plans for what is now\u00a0Celebration Park.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

President of Scotlynn, Ryan Carter, receives his award marking his induction into the Business Hall of Fame from Sandy Stilwell Youngquist, a member of the JA of SWFL board, left. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one would invest with me because they said the numbers\u00a0didn\u2019t work. It wasn\u2019t bankable,\u201d she described.\n<\/p>\n

She understood that it looked bad on paper. Celebration Park was only .75 acre, and only .49 acre were usable. There were homeless people living under the bridge there.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI deep down understood. But here we are,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u00a0had a little pixie dust in my pocket. I had to figure out what to do on that property. Years later,\u00a0all of the investors\u00a0and\u00a0developers\u00a0say,\u00a0\u2018Wow, you got\u00a0so lucky.\u2019 Now\u00a0I\u00a0do feel lucky. I feel amazingly lucky to be standing up here.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Vicki Tracy, Junior Achievement Hall of Fame committee chairwoman and Jason Brewer, chairman of Junior Achievement, congratulate David Hoffmann and Jerri Hoffman for their induction on Tuesday, March 24 in Naples. -ANDREA STETSON \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

The newest members of the Hall of Fame are credited with being\u00a0influential and visionary leaders\u00a0and\u00a0significantly impacting\u00a0the educational landscape for\u00a0youngsters\u00a0in Southwest Florida,\u00a0especially\u00a0in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy.\u00a0Each year, the Hall of Fame Committee selects influential leaders from Lee and Collier counties who exemplify the organization\u2019s mission of empowering today\u2019s youth to become tomorrow\u2019s leaders.\n<\/p>\n

The induction also served as a fundraiser. This year it raised $447,000. Junior Achievement, which was originally founded in 1919 in Springfield, Mass., is the world\u2019s largest organization dedicated to preparing young people to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make informed academic and financial decisions.\n<\/p>\n

Learn more about Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, Inc., online at southwestflorida.ja.org<\/a>, located at 13241 University Drive, Suite 102, Fort Myers, 239-225-2590.\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Entrepreneur, Rebecca Maddox, receives her award marking her induction into the Business Hall of Fame. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN \/…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":213775,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-213774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213774\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}