{"id":254388,"date":"2026-05-01T19:31:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/254388\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T19:31:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:31:14","slug":"orlando-women-of-the-year-2026-honorees-wanda-m-reas-trina-gregory-aminah-harris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/254388\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Women of the Year 2026 Honorees \u2013 Wanda M. Reas, Trina Gregory, Aminah Harris"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rgz3107\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From left: Wanda M. Reas, Trina Gregory, Aminah Harris.<\/p>\n

Special thanks to Dr. Phillips House<\/a> for graciously providing the venue for the photoshoot.<\/p>\n

Shareholding Partner , ZNOSKO & REAS P.A.<\/p>\n

\"Orlcm<\/a>In a legal landscape where integrity is often tested and perseverance is essential, Wanda M. Reas, Shareholding Partner at Znosko & Reas, has built a career defined by fairness, discipline and an unwavering commitment to her clients and community.<\/p>\n

Focusing exclusively on workers\u2019 compensation defense, Reas represents employers, insurance carriers and third-party administrators in litigated claims throughout Florida. From her Central Florida base, she manages cases statewide through both in-person representation and remote proceedings, ensuring claims are handled efficiently and ethically. As a majority shareholder, she is especially proud that her firm is certified by the State of Florida as a woman- and minority-owned business; a distinction that reflects both her leadership and her advocacy for broader representation in the profession.<\/p>\n

For Reas, workers\u2019 compensation defense is about more than litigation strategy. It is about protecting the integrity of a system designed to balance the needs of employees and employers. She is motivated by what she calls \u201ca commitment to justice and a genuine desire to help people,\u201d particularly at a time when fraudulent or frivolous claims can contribute to rising insurance costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue leadership is rooted in integrity, selflessness and steadfast advocacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

That philosophy guides her daily work. A defining aspect of her leadership, she says, has been consistently placing her clients\u2019 interests above her own, even when doing so requires personal sacrifice. In a profession that demands difficult decisions, she believes integrity must always come first.<\/p>\n

Her influence extends beyond the courtroom. Reas is active in two Inns of Court and the Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association, where she supports initiatives that strengthen the legal community and promote diversity. She also supports charitable organizations including Give Kids the World Village and Smile Train, which provides cleft repair surgeries to children around the world. Her appointment to the 9th Judicial Professionalism Panel further reflects her commitment to advancing ethical behavior in the legal field.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue leadership is rooted in integrity, selflessness and steadfast advocacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reas credits Orlando\u2019s rapid growth and increasing diversity with shaping her professional journey. As Central Florida expanded, so did her practice. In return, she invests back into the community through pro bono work, bar association service and charitable engagement. \u201cThe best practices should always start at home,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n

She is also quick to recognize the team behind her success. Reas emphasizes that her paralegals and associates play a critical role in preparing cases and serving clients effectively. Leadership, she believes, means creating space for others to grow and receive recognition.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the future, Reas hopes to be known for mentoring female attorneys and women business owners. She envisions a more balanced and inclusive professional landscape in Orlando over the next decade and feels a responsibility to help cultivate that progress.<\/p>\n

Her legacy, she says, should be defined by professionalism, integrity and kindness. In an environment where doing the right thing is not always the easiest path, Reas has chosen it anyway \u2014 building not only a respected legal practice, but a culture grounded in ethical leadership and shared success.<\/p>\n

Chef\/Owner, Se7enBites & Sweet T Brands Hospitality<\/p>\n

\"Orlcm<\/a>In a city known for reinvention, few stories capture Orlando\u2019s spirit of resilience and heart quite like Trina Gregory\u2019s.<\/p>\n

As chef and owner of Se7enBites and Sweet T Brands Hospitality, Gregory operates the largest independently woman-owned bakery in Central Florida, alongside a full-service Southern brunch restaurant that has become a cornerstone of the Milk District dining scene. But her impact reaches far beyond biscuits and pie crusts.<\/p>\n

Gregory\u2019s path to culinary prominence wasn\u2019t linear. After 23 years in the spa industry, she made a bold pivot, returning to school to earn degrees in culinary arts, pastry and restaurant management with plans to become a private chef. Before she even completed her studies, she had launched a wholesale pastry business supplying other independently woman-owned restaurants. That venture became the foundation of Se7enBites.<\/p>\n

Fourteen years later, Se7enBites has grown into a beloved breakfast, lunch and brunch destination, earning national recognition with features on Food Network, Netflix, Travel Channel, The Today Show and Good Morning America, alongside extensive local media coverage.<\/p>\n

Yet Gregory\u2019s leadership is defined as much by service as by success.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am driven by the opportunity to continually inspire Orlando\u2019s food community and to develop the next generation of chefs,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing more meaningful than watching someone discover their passion and build confidence in their craft.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her civic engagement is equally robust. Gregory created Parking Spaces for Pride, a colorful act of community expression that resonated nationwide. She serves on the board of directors for Visit Orlando and on the Culinary Advisory Board for Valencia College\u2019s culinary program. She actively supports and fundraises for organizations including the Orlando Youth Alliance, Equality Florida and IDignity.<\/p>\n

The creation of Parking Spaces for Pride marked a defining leadership moment. After the state painted over a memorial crosswalk that held deep meaning for everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community, Gregory wrestled with how to respond, weighing potential consequences for her business and family.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, I chose to create space for expression\u2014for grief, anger and healing to exist in color,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat I thought was a small gesture became something much larger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeadership doesn\u2019t always mean having the loudest voice\u2014it can mean simply offering space, and trusting that the impact will follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

That philosophy of making space threads through every aspect of her work. Gregory credits Orlando\u2019s women leaders \u2014 including Kathleen Blake, Pom Moongauklang, Celine Beltgens and Blue Starr \u2014 with shaping her own journey. In return, she advocates for small businesses through her work with Visit Orlando, ensuring locally owned companies have access to opportunities often reserved for larger corporations.<\/p>\n

She also amplifies the quieter changemakers, such as Katie Donzanti of The Peaceful Peacock, whose inclusive approach to wellness Gregory deeply admires.<\/p>\n

\u201cI make space for others by actively supporting local businesses and encouraging people to pursue their passions,\u201d she says. \u201cSometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply believe in someone and give them room to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 57, Gregory embraces change with confidence born from experience. \u201cI\u2019ve reinvented myself four times over,\u201d she says. \u201cAdaptation is the name of the game.\u201d Looking ahead, she hopes future Orlando women will say she showed up when it mattered and became part of meaningful change. Her desired legacy is both heartfelt and perfectly on brand: that she loved her city well, showed up, spoke up \u2014 and filled a few pie holes along the way.<\/p>\n

Nonprofit Executive & Advocate for Educational Equity<\/p>\n

\"Orlcm<\/a>For nearly two decades, Aminah Harris has dedicated her career to ensuring that opportunity is defined not by circumstance, but by potential. A first-generation college graduate who once struggled to navigate higher education herself, Harris has transformed that personal experience into a mission to build systems that help students thrive.<\/p>\n

As the founding president of Elevation Scholars, a Central Florida nonprofit focused on helping high-need, high-achieving students gain access to and graduate from top colleges and universities, Harris spent the past eight years leading organizational growth, expanding partnerships and strengthening long-term sustainability. When she began, the organization operated as a small pilot program. Today, it serves hundreds of students annually through a comprehensive five-year model designed to support college persistence, financial access and career readiness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am motivated to build the resources, structures and communities I once needed \u2014 so the next generation can go further, with fewer unnecessary detours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harris said her leadership philosophy centers on building structures that outlast individuals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked to ensure that our impact was measurable, scalable and deeply responsive to student needs,\u201d she said. \u201cMy work involves translating belief into systems \u2014 building an organization designed to continue creating generational change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her commitment to educational equity is rooted in lived experience. Raised in a low-income, single-parent household in Miami, Harris was accepted to the University of Florida as a first-generation college student. While her family saw college acceptance as a destination, Harris quickly realized that access alone did not guarantee success.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t understand how to navigate systems or decode the unspoken rules of higher education \u2014 and I dropped out,\u201d she said. \u201cThat experience changed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She later returned to complete her education, carrying with her a clear sense of purpose. Throughout her career at institutions including the University of Florida and Santa Fe College, she developed academic support programs and exposure initiatives aimed at students facing structural barriers.<\/p>\n

Today, many of the students Harris has supported have gone on to attend prestigious universities such as Harvard, Stanford and Cornell, while others have built careers as engineers, nurses, lawyers and financial professionals.<\/p>\n

Beyond her formal role, Harris mentors emerging nonprofit leaders and collaborates with regional coalitions focused on diversity in higher education and workforce development. She sees her work as part of a broader ecosystem \u2014 one that requires partnerships between philanthropy, education and business.<\/p>\n

Harris said Orlando\u2019s culture of generosity has played a major role in shaping her leadership journey. \u201cI encountered an overwhelming spirit of kindness and generosity among donors, philanthropists and community partners,\u201d she said. \u201cThere is an energy here around giving \u2014 not out of obligation, but out of joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Harris hopes her legacy will be measured not just in programs or institutions, but in how she showed up as a leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope people remember that I led with compassion, strategy and intention,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together. I have chosen to go far.\u201d Through her work, Harris continues to ensure that more students \u2014 regardless of background \u2014 have the support they need to not only reach college but succeed beyond it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u21a9 Back to Orlando Magazine\u2019s 2026 Women of the Year Honorees<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From left: Wanda M. Reas, Trina Gregory, Aminah Harris. Special thanks to Dr. Phillips House for graciously providing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254389,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-254388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254388","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=254388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}