Why I Belong
Greater Gainesville is a welcoming community that embraces all beliefs, faiths, cultures and identities. The area prides itself on providing a hometown feel for all who live here. For both the born-and-bred and the up-and-coming alike, GG is a place that affords opportunity to everyone, while also offering a place to call home. Read on as three individuals from different backgrounds share their thoughts on how they felt they fit in with the cultural melting pot of GG.
Teudis Sanchez
Optimal Station, Co-Founder
Why does Greater Gainesville feel like home to you?
Greater Gainesville feels like home to me because of the diversity and culture that the University of Florida attracts, welcomes and encourages. Having grown up in southern Florida, I am accustomed to being immersed in different ethnic cultures. Greater Gainesville offers many events that connect these communities.
What do you love most about the professional/business community in Greater Gainesville?
The diversity and inclusivity the community brings from start-ups and small businesses are incredible. UF attracts diverse talent and creates an environment of young, eager workers full of ideas, dreams and ambition.
Entrepreneurship is unmatched here. I love that the Greater Gainesville scene encourages entrepreneurship and encourages innovation from within.
The openness and inclusivity many companies provide is impressive. All the businesses I’ve connected with are very open-minded and willing to share their connections and invite others into their networks.
Can you speak to the diversity and inclusion within the Greater Gainesville community?
Gainesville does a great job at bringing the surrounding communities together via events, newsletters, and other media outlets. They encourage residents to venture outside to the smaller surrounding communities like High Springs, Newberry and the town of Tioga, to name a few.
What hobbies and activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy gardening as it frees my mind and refocuses my energy and intentions. Volunteering is important to me, from helping the homeless to feeding retirement horses. I love giving back and the rewarding feeling I get when performing such activities.
Fishing. I love to be in a tranquil space on the water, and fishing releases stress for me. Also, I enjoy the thrill of not knowing what is on the other end of the line.
Dining at local restaurants is also a favorite activity of mine. I love supporting local businesses, especially when yummy food is involved. Participating in farmers markets is a hobby of mine, but it is also essential. We are looking to create innovative ways to help farmers further connect to their communities, facilitate the access and distribution of a wide variety of food and other goods to consumers and improve farmers’ economic position.
Last but certainly not least, UF has fantastic events in town. We love supporting our community and the Gators!
Hiro Leung
Dragonfly, President
Why does Greater Gainesville feel like home to you?
Home, to me, is not a physical place but something meaningful. Twenty-two years ago, this is where we started our business and have grown into other cities from here. All our talent managing the locations in other cities have their roots in Greater Gainesville. We love the school system for our kids and have made long-life friends here. The close-to-no traffic is a massive plus for me!
What do you love most about the professional/business community in Greater Gainesville?
We are a small community of business owners who know and support each other. What I love the most is that we can reach out to anybody for resources and advice.
Can you speak to the diversity and inclusion within the Greater Gainesville community?
Being a minority, I feel that Greater Gainesville continues to embrace diversity and inclusion. Seeing a large Asian Food Supermarket –– Enson, located in Gainesville –– proves that the food IQ is growing. You can now get Japanese Mountain Yam (a comfort food for me) in the vegetable aisle.
What hobbies and activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I have two little ones and another one on the way, so with what little free time I have left, I am selfish about quality time with them. There are many family-friendly activities to engage in around our area. As for myself, I love reading business books; therefore, I dedicate time to learning twice a week.
Jillian Dinius
Senior Talent Specialist, Infotech
Why does Greater Gainesville feel like home to you?
When I moved from vibrant, multicultural south Florida to college-town-sandwiched-in-the-south Gainesville, I thought to myself, “Why would someone plant their roots here?” Well, it has been 16 years and I have my answer. Greater Gainesville has a subtle way of giving you opportunities to discover who you are and, if you are lucky, who your people are. I have come into my own here, as a professional, as a partner, as a friend and as a woman. This is home.
What do you love most about the professional/business community in Gainesville?
I love its complexity. It is a culture and community not meant for just one type of person or one type of career. This community is special because its origin story reflects its people: Nuanced, textured and rich. I am privileged to work at a local company where I see this beauty daily. Infotech is a microcosm of the larger Greater Gainesville community: A community inspired and grounded by the intention of building a better future for ourselves, our families and our society; a community that knows the future is unlocked when we invest in each other and in our local communities.
Can you speak to the diversity and inclusion within the Greater Gainesville community?
True equity and holistic belonging do not just happen by accident. It exists and will exist because of the intentional and consistent efforts of people who make it a priority. Greater Gainesville has those people, and I am honored to be connected to them.
At Infotech, I help lead an employee-led group called the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, or CDI. We endeavor to champion inclusion, equity and belonging internally, just as local organizations and community leaders champion it externally.
What hobbies and activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love long trail walks with my dog, treasure hunting at thrift stores, listening to music, and occasionally singing with our amazing Infotech band!