Founders / Executive Team

Juan Lacey

Chief Executive Officer

- 20 yr Business Owner
- Founder Institute Managing Director
- Click to schedule a meeting with Juan

James
Carter

Chief Financial Officer

- Accountant 
- Business Management Expert 

Monica Malik

Chief Operations Officer

- Business Strategic Consultant
- Corporate Investment Expert

Jarred Riccadonna

Chief Marketing Officer

- Corporate Marketing Expert 
- Experienced Retail Manager

Nick Yankanich

Chief Technical Officer

- IT Business Consultant
- Security Expert

Melissa Zegeer

Chief People Officer

- Chatham Univ Grad        
- Aquaponics Experience

Chris Thomas

Chief Business Manager

- Experienced Business Manager
- Marketing Expert

Jenna Davis

Chief Marine Biologist

- Florida Institute of Technology Graduiate
- Sale and Customer Service Experience

Advisor Team

Shawn Johnston

Education / STEM Advisor

- Former Elementary School Principal
- Life Counseling Coach
- Former Pastor

Albert Whale

Cybersecurity and Business Advisor

- Cybersecurity Expert
- Business Entrepreneur

Tony Caputo

Construction and Business Advisor

- Construction Company Owner
- Real Estate Developer

Robert Johnson

Political and Community Advisor

- Former Lobbyist
- Chamber of Commerce Advisor
- Community Advocate

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) is based on the Vibrant Index Initiative. This initiative's methodology and focus is on the importance of policies and practices that build inclusive workspaces that are refined through a targeted review by DE&I experts. Along with the Vibrant Pittsburgh Diversity Assessment Committee, their industry experts include researchers, data analysts, Human Resources professionals, and DE&I practitioners. By following the Vibrant Index we will focus on the following areas to provide the best working environment for our employees. 

Written Commitment and Transparency

- Publicly commit to diversity and inclusion.

- Join other organizations in their commitment to diversity and inclusion.

- Publicly display our organization’s intention not to discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status, religious belief, or national origin in hiring or operations.

Benefits and Policies

- Create family-friendly policies to support employees with children.

- Formalize policies to provide LGBTQIA+ employees with equal benefits.

- Create policies that allow employees from a variety of backgrounds to bring their full selves to work.

Employee Networks

- Support Employee Resource Groups (ERGs, EBRGs) with executive sponsorship and funding.

- Leverage employee groups to learn more about employee’s needs and cultures.

- Support employee participation in external professional affinity groups.

Diversity and Leadership

- Diversity and Inclusion begins at the top.

- Dedicate resources and staff to diversity and inclusion efforts, especially for large organizations.

Training and Education

- Include diversity and inclusion topics in your professional development offerings.

- Make diversity and inclusion education available to employees at every level.

Accountability Metrics

- Collect data about the demographics of our employees, and check to see if we are hiring, promoting, and paying salaries, and retaining employees that  reflect our organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Talent Engagement and Recruitment

- Set diverse hiring targets based on availability data.

- Actively reach out to recruit at diverse events and conferences.

- Check our hiring process to see if bias can be mitigated or avoided.

Supplier Diversity

- Set supplier diversity goals based on availability.

- Track supplier relationships and total spend with demographic data.

Community Engagement

- Participate in initiatives that promote diversity in our community.

- Support diverse community groups.