News

Leslie Hielema, President of Orlando, Inc., is pleased to announce two new offerings to be presented by Orlando, Inc., and the leader who will guide them. Dwain M. DeVille, Watermark International, Inc., will serve as Director of the Entrepreneurs Academy and Critical Connections.  “We are excited about these new opportunities, and we are thrilled to bring Dwain on as the consultant who will lead these efforts,” said Hielema.

Critical Connections is an exclusive monthly meeting designed for leaders of growth-oriented companies for the purpose of identifying key resources and connections specific to their business. This unique network of peers elevates the sharing of leads, qualified referrals and problems solving while combining guest speakers and discussions focused on innovation, all to accelerate business growth.

The Entrepreneurs Academy is program designed for growth-oriented entrepreneurs who are seeking the tools and resources to innovate and grow, developed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.  The Academy will offer a two-day class to ensure dynamic interaction among participants.  The goal of the program is to accelerate innovation and growth by helping entrepreneurs navigate the wide range of resources available to serve entrepreneurs in the Orlando Economic Center.

An entrepreneur, author and founder of WaterMark International, Inc., Dwain serves as trusted advisor to some of today’s top entrepreneurs. His client list covers the spectrum of business from small enterprises to major universities and corporations, including the Fortune 100.

For almost two decades, Dwain’s helped entrepreneurs in the areas of strategy, tactical planning, product development, communication, mergers and acquisitions and succession. This diverse experience has given him a keen awareness of the challenges entrepreneurs encounter and the dynamic results achieved have earned the respect and trust of his clients.

But after a life-threatening bout with cancer Dwain needed to balance his personal life without sacrificing his business goals. So he took a long road trip on his motorcycle to clear his head and found the answer. The result is his book – The Biker's Guide to Business – When Business and Life Meet at the Crossroads, published by John Wiley & Sons.

Using the motorcycle as metaphor Dwain combined lessons learned from decades in the boardroom and the saddle to create a model that will assist any entrepreneur – whether they ride or not – navigate through the challenges of building a successful business without sacrificing their personal life.

A highly visible community leader and volunteer in the Central Florida business community, Dwain has served on several task forces and boards, and will bring his wealth of experiences and expertise to these new programs presented by Orlando, Inc.

About Watermark International, Inc.
Watermark International is dedicated to providing an environment where leaders of growing companies achieve breakthrough performance and greater profitability through shared knowledge, on-time information and enhanced leadership skills.

Orlando, Inc.
Orlando, Inc., is one of four lines of business of the Central Florida Partnership and is specifically focused on Regional Entrepreneurship. A “Five-Star Chamber” – the highest level of achievement awarded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – we are positioned to serve the growing needs of businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the Central Florida Region.

In an effort to improve access to fellow members as well as membership benefits, we have placed all members into three new and simple categories: Business Basic (previously Small Business Chamber), Business Connection (previously Chamber Trustees) and Business Partner (previously Regional Board of Advisors).  Logon to www.orlando.org for detailed information on how you can best leverage your Orlando, Inc. Membership. 

Working together with BusinessForce (Public Policy Advocacy), myregion.org (Regional Research & Resolves) and Leadership Orlando (Regional Leadership), the Central Florida Partnership is moving “Ideas to Results.”

For additional information, visit: www.orlando.org.