Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 5-30-17

Features
Popular Musician To Appear On ‘America’s Got Talent’
Businessman Launches Business Incubator In South Tampa
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Serenity Village Insurance and Con- sulting’s newest location in South Tampa is more than just a place to buy policies for a car or home – it’s also a hub for other businesses.
The 1,600 square-foot Hartfield Plaza – which hosted a grand opening on Thursday – will be an incu- bator from which other small businesses can launch, said Serenity Pres- ident, Gary Hartfield.
Budding Black and Hispanic business owners especially will be encour- aged to take part of the in- cubator program to boost the number of those busi- nesses in South Tampa, he said.
It’s the latest venture for Hartfield, a serial entrepre- neur who also owns Sweet Talk Wireless and Serenity Village, Inc., assisted living communities in Florida.
A partnership with the Leadership Alliance Advisory Board, it will take about a year to get the incubator estab- lished. Once up and running, it will host about three to five small businesses, Hartfield said.
Business owners will have
access to resources like
legal and accounting and
finance assistance, as well as mentorships with the Tampa Bay Black Business Invest- ment Corp.
Hartfield, a Florida A&M University alum, said the incubator is his way of giving back to a community that’s been supportive of him and his business ventures.
“We hope that it spurs development...of diverse businesses that grow and stay in the city,” he said.
James Ransom, president of the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs, said Hartfield’s creation of the incubator is a tes- tament to strength as a leader
in Tampa’s business commu-
nity.
“I think it sets an example for others to follow,” said Ran- som, who’s also a friend of Hartfield’s. “It’s great to know he’s laser-focused on lift- ing others up and pushing them forward.”
Hartfield said he’s “120 percent” committed to the suc- cess of other minority business owners and believes the incu- bator will provide the “fertile ground” necessary to support that success.
“It’s just good business,” he said. “It’s a significant invest- ment for us.”
ALFRED SHEPPARD, JR. ... Popular Tampa Musician
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
This week, a popular musician will appear on a national television show. He will be ac- companying a deaf singer.
Alfred Sheppard, Jr., will appear on “America’s Got Talent,” on Tuesday, May 30th on NBC. Sheppard is a Tampa native who began his musical career at the age of 3.
He attended the public schools of Hills- borough County. Upon entering high school, Sheppard enrolled at Howard W. Blake Magnet School of the Arts, where he honed his talents as a pianist.
During his tenure at Blake, Sheppard won several awards including the NAACP ACT-SO Competition and the Bay Area Idol. He graduated in 2009.
Sheppard continued his education at the University of South Florida, where he ma- jored in Musical Studies. He recently gradu- ated cum laude. The aspiring young musician has performed in several events including the Clearwater Jazz Festival, at the Florida State Fair, and Ruth Eckerd Hall.
In his profession, Sheppard is not lim- ited to any one type of music, he is equally skilled in jazz, classical, R&B, rock, elec-
MANDY HARVEY ... Deaf Singer
tronic, and country music. He has performed in numerous places throughout the United States. Some of those include the Iridium in Manhattan, NY and the Carpenter Center, in Long Beach, California.
Pursuing his high school goal of becoming a renowned composer, Sheppard has estab- lished himself as a composer and has arranged numerous ensembles and orches- tras.
He is the son of Alfred H. and Yvonne Sheppard, Sr.
On several occasions, Sheppard per- forms with award-winning singer and song- writer Mandy Harvey. Ms. Harvey suffered a profound hearing loss while ma- joring in Vocal Music Education at Colorado State University, in 2006.
She was 18-years-old at the time. Ms. Harvey left the university and pursued other options. However, she returned to music in 2008.
Her philosophy is, “Hope must never be lost. In it we find strength. And it is our duty to show and give it to others. Hope “keeps life moving” because it pulls us out of any dark situation. Continue to hope and make your dreams a reality.”
TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3