How I Got Here with Dave Fiore Dave Fiore

Host Dave Fiore speaks with Alan Hanstein, the executive director of the Challenger Learning Center in downtown Tallahassee. Alan is living out a dream that includes a lifelong passion for science and space and giving back to the community. His programs serve more than 50,000 K-12 students every year and they host popular events and activities for kids of all ages.

Host Dave Fiore speaks with Anita Bushnyakova, chief financial officer at Kids Incorporated of the Big Bend. Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Anita experienced very different sets of challenges as a child. First, it was enduring the turbulent years of the Eastern European country’s shift from communist rule to fledgling democracy and then assimilation into American culture as a 13-year-old who didn’t speak English – at all.

Host Dave Fiore speaks with Charlie Strickland, CEO and co-owner of Talon Training Group. A native of nearby Marianna, Charlie shares his journey from the FSU Police Department and working on the family farm to building a reputation as the MacGyver of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. While climbing the ranks at LCSO, he earned an MBA from Florida State to bolster his resume for a high-ranking administrative position that he would be passed over for, but he turned that disappointment into a life-changing opportunity that continues to evolve today.

Host Dave Fiore speaks with Chef Leon Brunson, owner of Leon’s at Lake Ella. His journey to owning a restaurant has included working the line at his hometown Waffle House in Panama City, refining his skills at fine dining restaurants, being a private chef, and time at Kool Beanz Café, where he says he really learned to cook.  

Host Dave Fiore speaks with Gloria Pugh, the president and CEO of AMWAT Moving, Warehousing and Storage. Gloria was born in New York City and spent time in Columbia as an infant before moving to Miami with her mother and siblings at age 8.

Host Dave Fiore speaks with Jeri Desloge, the owner of Jeri’s Midtown Café, Jeri’s Love on a Plate and Simply Entertaining by Jeri.