#95 - William Villafranco & Kevin Pease of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation

This week, we have the privilege of welcoming two distinguished guests to the podcast.  William Villafranco, who is the trustee of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, and Kevin Pease, who is both an educator and the author of an 8-Part book series which examines and honors the life of Virginia B. Toulmin.  Both William and Kevin give us insight into who Virginia B. Toulmin was, and her generous donations which have helped the arts community in Sarasota, along with numerous philanthropic giving across a range of areas.  You’ll learn about her upbringing, and how she became the chair of a pharmaceutical company, which she sold for $178 million.While Virginia grew up in the Midwest, she spent the final 15 years of her life in Sarasota.  Her love for the arts, and the art community continues to be felt through her foundation.  William was not only her protégé, but felt like a son to Virginia through a friendship that became stronger as the result of a personal tragedy.  Although Virginia passed in 2010, Bill is committed to honoring her legacy.  Kevin’s first book, Virginia B. Goes to the Symphony, releases in May.As always, we bring the conversation directly back to Sarasota, getting Bill’s thoughts on the roundabouts, and we send both he and Kevin through the Rapid Fire Gauntlet.You can learn more about The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation at:https://www.toulminfoundation.org/You can also follow the Book Series on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/readvirginiab/*****************The Sarasota SpeaX Podcast is hosted by:Bradley Hannon, Insurance Agency Owner and Entrepreneurhttps://www.bradhannon.com Felipe Colón, Partner/Investment Advisor for Sanderling Partnershttps://www.sanderlingpartners.com/ Trey Martell, Owner of Strong Roofing SRQhttps://www.strongroofingsrq.comYou can follow the Sarasota SpeaX team on Instagram HostBrad Hannon - https://www.Instagram.com/b_hannonHost Trey Martell - https://www.Instagram.com/treypod3Host Felipe Colon - https://www.Instagram.com/fjc424Producer Eric (E-Dub) Hollister - https://www.Instagram.com/elhollisterDigital Media & Distribution, Morgan Steffes - https://www.Instagram.com/mcsteffes************************ Sarasota SpeaX is a hyper-local podcast that will feature the incredible entrepreneurs, leaders and personalities that make Sarasota, and the greater surrounding area, tick. Our guests will be sharing their stories, insights and lessons learned along the way, unfiltered! We're covering everything from business and entrepreneurship to personal development and community development. We even throw in a little entertainment, dining, and Sarasota nightlife into the mix. Whether you are new to the area or a life-long resident, starting out in business or a seasoned professional, or perhaps just looking to learn something new about the area, we’ve got something for everyone!All of our full videos will be posted on YouTube, so make sure to subscribe to our page! You can also follow us on our various social media platforms for clips, updates, and behind the scenes action. When Sarasota SpeaX…Everyone Listens!Follow Sarasota Speax on:InstagramFacebookTwitter (X)