Mentors/Advisors

Solomon is a CPA and shareholder in Gonite & Gonite, CPAs, a firm committed to community and providing access to quality advisory services to all businesses. He brings financial planning and compliance experience from the private and public sectors, including the Small Business Administration.

In addition to his service on the Advisory Board, he serves as a business mentor with SCORE North Central Florida. He is a graduate of the Fisher School of Accounting at UF and the FSU College of Law. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran. He served in support of U.S. interests in South Africa and Saudi Arabia, among others.

Solomon is an advocate for truth, freedom, life-long learning, and responsible economic development; he believes in the spirit of entrepreneurism to provide sustainable solutions to local, national, and international problems.

Stephanie is an attorney/shareholder in GrayRobinson’s Gainesville and Tampa offices representing private and public sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including providing general labor and employment counsel, engaging in employment and labor agreement negotiations, developing sound employment policies and practices, delivering customized workforce training, conducting workplace investigations, defending employers in labor and employment litigation, and representing parties in non-compete litigation. Stephanie counsels public sector clients on constitutional, ethics, and sunshine law requirements; provides general legal counsel to governmental, quasi-governmental, and nonprofit boards; and represents entities in North Central Florida in general civil litigation.

Stephanie began her career as a law clerk to the Honorable William Terrell Hodges in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Following her clerkship, she practiced with a Tampa-based labor and employment firm and served as an assistant city attorney for the City of Gainesville for over a decade.

Stephanie is a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors, the governing body for Florida’s 100,000+ lawyers. She is a past president of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association and North Central Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and past chair of The Florida Bar’s Federal Court Practice Committee and Eighth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee.

Stephanie was born in Dunedin, Florida, grew up in the Tampa area, and moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, where she earned her bachelors with honors in 1999, and her juris doctor magna cum laude in 2004. She has lived in Gainesville for over 25 years and is married to Brian K. Marchman, Ph.D., Assistant Provost and Director of Distance and Continuing Education at the University of Florida. They are proud parents of two children, Marina and Landon.

Alan Rukin is an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission focusing on electric reliability and cybersecurity matters. Alan was previously seconded to the Department of Energy’s Office of the General Counsel helping to implement provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Office of Enforcement at FERC where he investigated potential violations of the Anti-Manipulation Rule. Alan began his legal career in private practice working on energy matters before FERC and other federal agencies. Alan holds a J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law, an LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a B.S. and an M.E in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida.

Quang Tran is a serial entrepreneur and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build great products, strong management teams and, ultimately, lasting companies. Quang is a co-founder and Managing Director of LaunchPad at Infinity Hall, a co-working and student incubator platform designed to transform early-stage startups into fundable companies. Quang also co-founded Starter Space, the first co-working space in Gainesville. Quang has been recognized for his leadership in creating entrepreneurial, dynamic work environments in Gainesville, where he serves on the board of the Gainesville Tech Council. He is a proven mentor with a history of motivating high-performance startup teams to achieve full potential.