Welcome to this weeks episode on The Relentless Life. Joining me today is a dear friend from Fort Myers Florida, Sofia Blanno.
Sofia is a native of Atlanta and grew up playing competitive tennis. Blanno played D1 tennis for Auburn University for a year and ended her collegiate tennis career at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).
At FGCU, Blanno participated in the FGCU Runway Entrepreneurship Accelerator, pitching for and winning $24,000 in seed funding from various pitch competitions. In college, Blanno founded a Fashion Subscription Package company, Best Dressed, which she ran for two years until pivoting it into an online boutique. While in college, Blanno was the Founder and President of the International Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization’s FGCU Chapter (CEO Club). As president Blanno engaged professional speakers, ran the club and executive board meetings, managed and delegated to a 12 member executive board and a 200-member club, and grew the chapter from 20 to 200 members in 2 consecutive semesters. Blanno also worked part time at the FGCU Emergent Technologies Institute (ETI) mentoring new students in the Runway and Veteran Accelerator programs, organizing and running meetings and philanthropic events, managing social media as well as public relations and recruitment for the Institute of Entrepreneurship.
Blanno graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University Magna Cum Lade from FGCU in December, 2019 with an undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship, a minor in marketing with an Honors distinction. Since graduating, Blanno has remained close to her alma mater serving as a member of the Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship Advisory Board.
From 2019 to 2020, Blanno worked as the Market Research Analyst for Storm Smart, assisting in special projects, market research, videography, photography, and website and social media management.
In 2020, Blanno joined the Fifth Avenue Family Office as the Fund Administrator Tamiami Angel Fund IV (T4). Tamiami Angel Fund IV, LLC (“T4”) is a member managed for-profit committed capital fund that seeks to provide its members with an opportunity for active involvement in a diversified capital investment process while building a portfolio of high quality, high growth companies. T4 is designed to enable private accredited investors to collectively make private equity investments in promising expansion-stage commercial ventures located in the State of Florida and beyond. The organization is structured to assure member control of all critical investment activities and direct member involvement with the portfolio companies.
Blanno is responsible for operational support and administration to the Executive Committee and the membership. Blanno’s support relieves members from the extensive administrative burden associated with the evaluation of investment opportunities, structuring of investments, legal closing of investments, and remaining abreast of portfolio company progress. She manages T4’s deal flow, arranging and running all investor meetings, onboarding investors, and creating all documentation (i.e. meeting minutes, subscription booklets, invoices, investment memorandums) to support all T4 Committees and Members.
https://www.shopbestdressed.com
