PB + Jax

A Jacksonville city councilman publicly said he can't wait to get rid of "this cultural council nonsense." So, we sat down with the woman running it and asked her to make the case with numbers.Diana Donovan is President & CEO of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, the nonprofit that turns roughly $6 million in city funding into $143 million in economic impact. They achieve this by matching public dollars with private ones to fund over 30 local arts and culture nonprofits. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how that math works, what really happens to your money when you go out for a night downtown (spoiler: it's not just the ticket price), and why she believes arts and sports are "the trifecta" that makes a city worth visiting.We also get into:1. How COVID nearly wiped out Jacksonville's cultural sector, and what saved it.2. Why Jacksonville's city budget process works the way it does (and where your tax dollars actually go)3. Diana's path from Philadelphia → Vermont → Jacksonville University → the Mayor's Office → running a $6M nonprofit4. The leadership lesson from Jacksonville University's first female president that changed how Diana leads5. A rapid-fire round: her favorite hidden public art in Jacksonville, who she'd commission for a city art project, and the most underrated spot in townIf you've ever wondered whether "the arts" actually matter to a city's bottom line, or you just want to understand where your city's budget fights really come from, this is the conversation.00:47 – Who is Diana Donovan? From Philadelphia to falling in love with Jacksonville 03:26 – Why she studied psychology (and how it shaped her leadership) 04:39 – Her first job: inside the Mayor's Office 09:56 – The 3 types of leadership power — and which one actually works 12:03 – "Everyone has a sign around their neck that says I want to feel seen" 17:14 – How Diana ended up running the Cultural Council in the middle of a pandemic 21:26 – The stat that changes everything: $87 spent for every $1 admission ticket 25:16 – How arts and culture kept Jacksonville sane during COVID39:43 – Inside Jacksonville's city budget process, step by step 49:44 – The councilman's tweet, and her on-camera response 59:17 – Public art you're walking past every day (and don't know it)61:06 – Rapid fire: coffee order, favorite hidden art, who she'd commission 68:38 – Where to find the Cultural Council and how to get involvedFollow PB & Jax (Pioneers and Builders in Jacksonville): Host: Randall Thomas Instagram: @randytomx | @pbjackspodcast LinkedIn: The PB and Jax Podcast#Jacksonville #nonprofit #PBandJax #DuvalCounty #EconomicDevelopment #CityCouncil #PublicArt

On this episode of Pioneers and Builders in Jacksonville (PB & Jax), host Randall Thomas sits down with Jacksonville District 3 City Councilman and Finance Committee Chair Will Lahnen. A fifth-generation Jacksonville resident, Naval Academy grad, and former submarine officer, Will breaks down what it's like to run a $2 billion city budget, why he ran for office in the first place, and what he wants Jacksonville voters to know heading into the March election.We cover his path from the Navy to CSX to leading the Northeast Florida office of Focus CFO, as well as how the city's finances have improved since he took office. He gives a plain-English breakdown of the millage rate and the homestead exemption vote coming up on November 3rd. He opens up about his veteran advocacy work, including the Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant Program, the Jax Heroes Act, and the effort to bring the decommissioned USS Jacksonville submarine home as a permanent memorial.We dig into some of Jacksonville's hottest topics: the new stadium, concerns over JTA's finances and the NAVI autonomous transit program, the Otto Aerospace deal bringing 1,200 jobs to Cecil Field, and whether downtown development is coming at the expense of the rest of the city. It's a wide-ranging, honest conversation about how City Hall actually works, straight from the guy running the numbers.If you're a Jacksonville resident, small business owner, or just want to understand where your tax dollars are going, this is an episode worth your time.Like this episode? Hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of PB & Jax.Timestamps00:00 – Welcome back to PB&Jax 00:59 – Meet District 3 Councilman Will Lahnen 01:15 – His Jacksonville roots: five generations, Navy family history 04:34 – Naval Academy, submarine service, and orders to Kings Bay 05:47 – Leaving CSX and deciding to run for City Council in 2022 07:40 – What campaigning was like (knocking on 3,000 doors) 10:09 – What District 3 actually covers 12:07 – The first year in office 13:56 – How council committees work 15:05 – Working across the political aisle 16:02 – Goals going into his first term 18:40 – What hasn't gone as planned 19:46 – Veteran initiatives: Jax Heroes Act & Veterans Entrepreneurship Grant Program 23:51 – Building a pipeline from military bases to local business ownership 25:52 – The most exciting win of his first term: Auto Aerospace at Cecil Field 29:47 – Why a growing budget can actually be a healthy budget 34:16 – What is a millage rate? (plain-English explainer) 38:01 – Pedestrian safety and infrastructure 39:19 – City Council's relationship with the Jax Chamber 40:40 – City Council's relationship with the Downtown Investment Authority 42:31 – Why downtown gets so much attention (and buy-in on other districts) 44:35 – Small business in District 3 45:36 – Favorite projects in and outside his district 48:29 – Making up lost Jaguars game-day revenue during stadium construction 50:02 – Plans for a second term & bringing home the USS Jacksonville submarine sail 52:44 – A Civil War shipwreck under the Buckman Bridge 56:18 – Budget quick hits: the new stadium's price tag 57:18 – JTA finances and the Navi autonomous transit debate 1:00:38 – Will the Holon hydrogen plant still come to Jacksonville? 1:01:21 – Rapid fire round (favorite meal, Gators vs. Seminoles, Army-Navy game, and more) 1:06:38 – What Jacksonville residents should be excited about 1:09:04 – Closing thank-yousAbout the GuestWill Lahnen is the Jacksonville City Councilman for District 3 and current Chair of the City Council Finance Committee. A Naval Academy graduate and former submarine officer, he spent over a decade at CSX before co-founding the Northeast Florida office of Focus CFO. He is running for re-election in the March election.

She spent her first Florida Christmas sewing hurricane screens on a Walmart machine in her living room. Twenty years later, Fenetex is a back-to-back Inc. 5000 manufacturer that is shipping motorized screens across the country. All these years later, they are still proudly based in Jacksonville.In this episode of PB & Jax, host Randall Thomas sits down with Meridith Anzulis, co-founder and CEO of Fenetex, to trace the whole arc: the failed first product, the pivot that saved the company, building through the Great Recession, and the decision to compete on quality instead of price. Meridith also shares how a career in minor and major league baseball (yes, the Charleston RiverDogs and the LA Dodgers) prepared her to run a manufacturing company.Recorded just before Fenetex was named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 for the second straight year — landing at No. 53 in manufacturing (up from No. 89) and No. 1,951 overall.We get into:– Why the name "Fenetex" means you own all the IP (fenestration + textiles)– The MaxForce self-adjusting hurricane track and screens rated for the 185-mph wind zone– "You can't make it beautiful until you make it exist"– Pricing for value, not cost — the lesson they revisit every couple of years– COVID, broken logistics, and why they built their own delivery fleet– What Jacksonville gets right for builders (and where the city dropped the ball)– The real cost of a bad hire– 50 employees, almost all in Jax⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Welcome + about 20 years of Fenetex01:02 – Where the name "Fenetex" came from02:00 – The first product (and why it failed miserably)05:10 – "You can't make it beautiful until you make it exist"06:30 – From the Dodgers to motorized screens: Meridith's baseball years11:00 – Sewing screens on a Walmart machine that first Christmas11:45 – How they landed in Jacksonville13:30 – Building a company through the Great Recession15:20 – Compete on value, not price16:30 – The innovator + the operator: defining roles17:20 – Inside the four screen types (and Kevlar-grade hurricane fabric)20:00 – The new MaxForce self-adjusting hurricane track22:00 – Where to spot Fenetex screens around Jax & St. Augustine24:30 – Engineering as trust, Fenetex Blue, and a lifetime warranty30:00 – The hardest part: learning to live without an income32:00 – The "we made it" moment: making the Inc. 500035:40 – Women of Influence & leading in a male-dominated field41:00 – Scaling through COVID and building their own delivery fleet44:50 – Why Jacksonville — and a message to the city50:30 – Proudest moment & the one thing she'd redo (hiring)55:00 – Rapid fire58:00 – Closing gratitudeConnect with FenetexWeb: https://www.fenetex.comLinkedIn: Meridith Anzulis/Fenetex Motorized ScreensPB & Jax: Pioneers · Builders · JacksonvilleWeb: https://www.pbjax.comHost: Randall ThomasLike, subscribe, and drop a comment with the Jacksonville builder you want to see next.#PBandJax #Jacksonville #Fenetex #Inc5000 #MadeInJacksonville #Entrepreneurship #Manufacturing #SmallBusiness #WomenInBusiness #904 #JaxBusiness #FoundersStory

Jacksonville City Council candidate Deborah Wesley sits down with PB & Jax to make her case to voters ahead of the August 18 special election.Deborah is the Republican candidate for City Council At-Large, Group 1. In this conversation she shares her 35 years of service with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, why she decided to run for office for the first time, and what she'd prioritize on council: public safety, infrastructure like sidewalks and street lighting, and standingby the city budget as it's currently proposed. We get into her decision to run, her faith, and what she believes makes her ready to serve on day one.About our guest: Deborah Wesley is a lifelong Jacksonville resident whoretired after 35 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, including decades in executive management and leadership. She's a mother of three and has spent years volunteering with youth sports and community outreach through the Forestview AthleticAssociation.This conversation is part of PB & Jax's coverage of the At-Large Group 1 race. We sat down with all three candidates so Jacksonville can hear each of them in their own words. The special election is August 18, 2026.PB & JAX — Pioneers, Builders & JacksonvilleStories that move our city forward. New conversations every week.Website: https://pbjax.com

Jacksonville City Council candidate Addison Patrick sits down with PB & Jax to make her case to voters ahead of the August 18 special election.Addison is the Libertarian candidate for City Council At-Large, Group 1. In this conversation, she lays out what a libertarian actually believes, why she got into the race, and the issues driving her campaign: housing affordability and smart growth, public safety and safer streets, small business, cutting red tape, as well as creative, private-sector approaches to homelessness. We got into her fight to stay on the ballot, the city budget, the stadium deal, and where she'd steer Jacksonville next.About our guest: Addison Patrick previously chaired the Duval County Libertarian Party and serves as a regional rep for the state party. She's a first-time candidate running an independent, anti-corruption campaign focused on doing more for Jacksonville with less government.This conversation is part of PB & Jax's coverage of the At-Large Group 1 race. We're sitting down with all three candidates so Jacksonville can hear each of them in their own words. The special election is August 18, 2026.CONNECT WITH ADDISON PATRICKWebsite: https://www.addisonlibertypatrick.comAlso on Facebook, Instagram & XPB & JAX — Pioneers, Builders & JacksonvilleStories that move our city forward. New conversations every week.Website: https://pbjax.com

Jacksonville City Council candidate Moné Holder sits down with PB & Jax to make her case to voters ahead of the August 18 special election.About Our Guest: Moné Holder is the Democratic candidate for City Council At-Large, Group 1. She serves as Chief Advocacy & Political Officer at Florida Rising and chairs the Jacksonville Planning Commission, and brings nearly two decades of nonprofit leadership to the race.In this episode, Moné answers the question every candidate has to earn an answer to: why should you vote for me? We get into her "Affordability First" message, her priorities for Jacksonville's neighborhoods, housing, cost of living, smart growth, and public safety, as well as what drove her to run.This conversation is part of PB & Jax's coverage of the At-Large Group 1 race. We're sitting down with all three candidates so Jacksonville can hear each of them in their own words. The special election is August 18, 2026.CONNECT WITH MONÉ HOLDERCampaign: https://www.holderforjax.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moneholderPB & JAX: Pioneers, Builders & JacksonvilleStories that move our city forward. New conversations every week.Website: https://pbjax.com#PBJax #Jacksonville #Jax #DuvalCounty #904 #JaxPolitics #CityCouncil #Election2026

Some people network to collect contacts. Tim Ager focuses on creating places where people form real relationships.In this episode of PB & JAX, I sit down with Tim to talk about his journey from military service to entrepreneurship and the role community has played along the way.After moving around the country and abroad, Tim eventually found his way to Jacksonville. What started as a desire to meet people grew into something much larger. Meetups, Taco Tuesdays, volleyball leagues, dinners, and other gatherings became opportunities for people to connect, build friendships, exchange ideas, and support one another.We talk about what Tim has learned from becoming the person who brings people together, including why hosting changes the way you network, why consistency matters more than collecting business cards, and how meaningful relationships often start when you create a reason for people to gather.Tim also shares his perspective on turning community building into a business, growing his volleyball leagues, creating social experiences that do not revolve around alcohol, and building environments where deeper conversations happen naturally.This conversation explores a simple idea: meaningful connections rarely happen by accident. Someone has to create the opportunity for people to meet.We discuss:• Tim’s transition from military life to entrepreneurship• Why he started hosting events in Jacksonville• His best advice for building a meaningful network• Turning social events into a sustainable business• Why showing up consistently matters• Creating community without making alcohol the centerpiece• What Tim has learned from connecting people across Jacksonville• Why being a great host changes how people remember youIf you are trying to grow your network, build community, or become more intentional about the relationships around you, this conversation offers a different way to think about connection.PB & JAX: Pioneers. Builders. Jacksonville.

This episode is sponsored by Olive My Pickle: Probiotic Fermented Foods for Gut Health. For more information, visit their website here: https://www.olivemypickle.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoruevMF0Zhy8qzhFTCVkLA2FrxQHFlusRTKY5bGRrHeyBZG9efYWhat does it take to turn a great product into a brand people recognize, trust, and want to bring into their homes?In this episode of PB & Jax, Randall sits down with Charlotte Tzabari, co-founder of Olive My Pickle, to explore a different side of the business: retail, merchandising, and the work behind building a brand that stands out.Charlotte shares her perspective on growing Olive My Pickle beyond the product itself. We talk about the decisions behind how products are presented, how customers experience the brand, and what goes into creating a retail presence that feels authentic to the company they have built.In this conversation, we discuss:• The retail side of building Olive My Pickle• Creating a recognizable and consistent brand• The role merchandising plays in the customer experience• Understanding what customers want• Growing a product-based business while staying true to your identity• The lessons learned from years of entrepreneurship• Building a business alongside your spouse• The evolution of Olive My Pickle from its early days to where the company is todayShai’s story gave us a look at the entrepreneurial journey behind Olive My Pickle. My conversation with Charlotte takes us inside another critical piece of the business and shows how thoughtful retail, merchandising, and brand decisions help turn a product into something much bigger.Watch the full conversation and hear Charlotte’s perspective on the business behind the brand.

This episode is about service, faith, and what happens when a community decides to show up for someone who needs help.

Pastor Gerald Williams has spent decades serving Jacksonville as the pastor of Word of Faith Church and Executive Director of the Make It Happen Foundation. His mission is simple: help seniors and families who have fallen through the cracks.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Growing up in poverty in Jacksonville and how those experiences shaped his life

• Nearly 30 years of ministry and community impact

• The creation of the Make It Happen Foundation

• The growing need among Jacksonville's elderly population

• Why service matters more than recognition

• The partnership between the Make It Happen Foundation and the PB & JAX Foundation to identify and support local seniors in need

• The story of Emma Jean Wootson and how a community-wide effort generated more than $60,000 in donated home repairs, services, and support

• How local businesses stepped up to make a lasting difference

• What Jacksonville gains when people stop waiting for someone else to solve a problem

This conversation highlights what becomes possible when nonprofits, business leaders, faith leaders, and community partners work toward a common goal.

If you believe strong communities are built by people who care enough to act, this episode is for you.

Guest: Pastor Gerald Williams
Executive Director, Make It Happen Foundation
Pastor, Word of Faith Church

Subscribe for more conversations with the pioneers and builders shaping Jacksonville's future.

#PBandJax #Jacksonville #CommunityImpact #Leadership #Nonprofit #GivingBack #FaithInAction #MakeItHappenFoundation #JacksonvilleFlorida #Podcast

What were you doing at 18?For Sean Scott, the answer wasn't college parties or figuring out what came next.He was building a software company.In this episode of PB & Jax, we sit down with Sean Scott, founder of UniDesk, an AI-powered ticketing and asset management platform designed to help organizations solve IT problems faster and more efficiently.Sean shares how he went from a high school IT intern to launching a venture-backed startup, landing his first customers, pitching in Jacksonville and San Francisco, and building a company before turning 19.We discuss:• Why he chose entrepreneurship over a traditional path• How UniDesk evolved from a school project into a software company• Using AI to eliminate repetitive IT support work• What it was like pitching startups in Jacksonville and Silicon Valley• The future of AI and its impact on jobs• Why Jacksonville's startup ecosystem is gaining momentum• Lessons learned from Accelerate PV and local startup leaders• The challenges of building a company as a teenager• Why founders should stop waiting for permission and start buildingSean also shares his perspective on AI, innovation, startup culture, fundraising, and why he believes Jacksonville has the potential to become one of the country's leading startup communities.At just 18 years old, Sean represents a new generation of builders who are leveraging technology, community, and curiosity to create businesses earlier than ever before."If you have an idea, nobody is stopping you. Don't wait for permission. Just start."Whether you're an entrepreneur, student, founder, investor, technology professional, or someone interested in the future of innovation, this conversation offers valuable insights into where business and technology are headed.Subscribe for more conversations with the pioneers and builders shaping Jacksonville's future.#PBandJax #Jacksonville #Startup #Entrepreneurship #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Founder #TechStartup #GenZ #Innovation #JacksonvilleTech #BusinessLeadership