(Melbourne, Fla., and Orlando, Fla.) — The owners of i4 Business magazine have announced their vice president of business development, Cherise Czaban, will become publisher as of June 1. This direction supports the company’s commitment to women in business.
Czaban succeeds Eric Wright, the publisher and president of SCB Marketing, who was part of the team that created i4 Business in 2013 along with Jeff Piersall, CEO of SCB Marketing, and investor Joseph Duda, retired CEO of A. Duda & Sons Inc., an Oviedo-based, family-owned diversified land company.
SCB Marketing launched i4 Business as a voice for the business and entrepreneurial community in Central Florida with the goal of providing inspiring and informative stories, interviews and materials to support the region’s multifaceted and vibrant economy. That dream to educate and inform has grown and diversified into various communication platforms, which the founders believe can have a global influence.
To focus their efforts and to continue the work they began, the owners reached an agreement with Czaban on March 28. This sale to one of their own allows them to continue to support the publication and to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit they have cultivated.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Cherise and her team,” Piersall said. “This is the kind of entrepreneurial promotion we hope for and celebrate.”
Czaban was part of the original team that introduced i4 Business and helped develop signature events including the Women’s Inspired Leadership Luncheon and her Inspiring Success newsletter. She was part of the magazine’s commitment earlier this year to expand the diversity of its coverage.
“I am passionate about i4 Business and its commitment to the Central Florida business community,” Czaban said. “I continue to see i4 Business as a vehicle for empowerment, mentorship, promoting the entrepreneurial spirit and celebrating the success of others. I have an entrepreneurial spirit myself, and this felt like the perfect opportunity for me to pursue. I am happy to say our relationship with the founders is strong and they will continue to contribute to i4 Business going forward.”
Piersall and Wright will continue to produce bylined articles for the magazine. “I know Cherise and her team will take the journal to new levels, while continuing to provide the type of content and events our diverse business community has come to expect from i4 Business,” Wright said.
One of the original investors in the publication will maintain her minority interest in the venture. Donna Duda is director of corporate communications for A. Duda & Sons, Inc. “I’ve been excited to be part of a magazine that champions entrepreneurship,” she said. “I love to read about real people, how they think, the experiences that shaped them, and what helped them be successful.”
Another key player will be Diane Sears, founder and president of DiVerse Media in Orlando. She will be a minority investor and serve as managing editor of i4 Business. Sears is a career journalist who has worked as a writer and editor for numerous publications in the region, including the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Today newspapers and business magazines Florida Trend, Business Florida, Florida Small Business, Internal Auditor, Financial Ops, Multifamily Florida, First Monday, UF Today and Venture Woman.
“We want to build on the excellent editorial direction Jeff and Eric have provided and grow the coverage to reflect the incredible boom our region is experiencing today,” Sears said. “I’ve been a champion of small businesses and job growth for almost 20 years, so being a part of this venture is like a dream come true.”
The magazine’s headquarters will move from Melbourne to Orlando, although the coverage area will continue to include all of Central Florida.
