There’s a difference between success and significance.
Success is measured in numbers—revenue, growth, accolades. But significance is measured in what remains when the noise quiets. It’s found in the businesses that outlast their founders, the families strengthened by intentional leadership, and the communities elevated because someone chose to build something that mattered.
This year, we set out to identify the men in our community who are doing just that—not simply building businesses, but building legacies.
From a powerful group of nominees, three finalists emerged: Jason, Ronnie, and Ben. Each brings a different approach, a different story, and a different lens on leadership. But what unites them is unmistakable: they are not building for today alone—they are building for what comes next.
Jason Riley: Building More Than Athletes—Building Men Who Lead
There’s a quiet shift that happens when a business stops chasing performance and starts shaping people.
For Jason Riley, CEO and Elite Sports Trainer at Positive Sports Lab, that shift wasn’t a single moment. It was a conviction.
From the beginning, the mission was clear: this would never be transactional. It would be a place where discipline is taught, character is formed, and young athletes understand who they are becoming, not just how they perform.
Because in Jason’s world, performance is the entry point.
Identity is the outcome.
While modern athletics often prioritizes immediate results, Jason has taken a different path—one rooted in patience, intention, and responsibility. Inside his facility, athletes are educated, challenged, and developed beyond the physical.
They learn that habits matter.
Consistency matters.
And small decisions compound into who they become.
His philosophy—perform, educate, inspire—isn’t branding. It’s a standard.
And that standard extends far beyond the gym.
Through partnerships with local health and performance professionals, Jason has built something rare: a collaborative ecosystem where success is shared. Because legacy-minded leaders don’t just build businesses, they strengthen communities.
But what defines Jason most isn’t what he’s built. It’s how he shows up.
He believes success is not meant to be kept, it’s meant to be multiplied.
That belief is lived out daily through mentorship, leadership, and a growing men’s Bible study that has become a multi-generational community rooted in accountability and growth.
Because to Jason, leadership is not about position.
It’s about stewardship.
He isn’t building something with his name on it, he’s building people. Individuals who carry discipline, confidence, and character into every room they enter long after their time as athletes ends.
Because legacy isn’t built at the end.
It’s built daily, in decisions made with integrity, consistency, and long-term vision.
Ronnie Powell (DJ Truth): The Power of Presence, Influence, and Impact
Some people build businesses.
Others build energy—something you feel the moment they enter a room.
Ronnie Powell, known as DJ Truth, is the latter.
For Ronnie, there was no defining moment of survival. Passion has always been the constant. Long before it paid, it fulfilled him. Long before recognition, there was purpose.
And that’s what makes his journey different.
Because when passion leads, growth follows.
Rather than chasing validation, Ronnie documented the process. Through social media and real-time visibility, he’s built influence rooted in transparency—showing not just success, but the path to it.
Because for him, success isn’t meant to be hidden.
It’s meant to be witnessed.
That visibility carries weight, especially when working in spaces where he may not often see others who share his lived experience. He understands the responsibility not just to succeed, but to be seen.
To represent.
To create space.
To remind others they belong.
His commitment to creating opportunity and expanding representation is deeply personal, rooted in his story, his values, and the belief that visibility opens doors for others.
Because legacy isn’t just about what you build.
It’s about what you open for others.
Ronnie’s philosophy is simple: everyone has a responsibility to give back.
“Each one, teach one.”
He lives this by sharing resources, opening doors, and helping others access opportunities he’s worked hard to create. There is no gatekeeping—only growth.
Mentorship played a defining role in his life, particularly through DJ Jewels, who challenged him to believe in himself at a higher level. That influence continues today in how Ronnie leads others.
What he’s building isn’t confined to a business model.
It’s impact.
The kind that lives in how people feel after encountering him. Because while people may forget what you said or did, they will always remember how you made them feel.
And Ronnie is intentional about that—every room, every interaction, every opportunity.
When it comes to decisions, he doesn’t overanalyze. He trusts instinct. He moves forward. He lives with the outcome.
Because legacy isn’t always perfectly planned.
Sometimes, it’s built in real time.
That mindset was tested when he walked away from a major opportunity that would have required leaving someone behind. He chose integrity instead.
And it paid off.
Because today, that same opportunity has returned—this time with respect.
At his core, Ronnie’s definition of leadership is simple:
Do your part.
No spotlight required.
Because legacy isn’t about perfection.
It’s about presence.
Ben Dumitrascuta: Built to Last
Some men build businesses.
Others build things that endure.
For Ben Dumitrascuta, owner of Gulf & Key Remodel, legacy isn’t a concept—it’s a standard.
When he relocated from California to Florida in 2021, he left behind a reputation built over decades. In Sarasota, he started from scratch.
At first, it was survival—earning trust, proving his work, rebuilding credibility.
But the real shift came when he redefined the purpose behind it all.
Because for Ben, the business stopped being about building homes.
And started being about building people.
Through mentoring his sons and young men entering the trades, he began passing down more than skills. He passed down discipline, standards, and a mindset rooted in precision and pride.
Because structure, when done right, lasts.
Through his work, Ben strengthens more than homes—he strengthens the local economy. By hiring locally and supporting surrounding businesses, he creates a ripple effect that extends far beyond a single project.
But his work is grounded in something deeper: conviction.
He is committed to supporting those facing homelessness and food insecurity—because to him, community isn’t defined by property. It’s defined by how people care for one another.
That belief shapes how he defines success.
It’s not something you keep.
It’s something you pass on.
Through hands-on mentorship, he teaches not only trades but financial literacy and emerging technologies—equipping the next generation for both present and future success.
His foundation was built by his father, who instilled the principles he still lives by today: integrity, hard work, responsibility, and respect.
And those values are tested when it matters most.
Like when Ben reduced his own profit by $20,000 to honor a more accurate bid for a client. No one would have known—but for him, it wasn’t about the money.
It was about integrity.
Because legacy doesn’t tolerate shortcuts.
Today, every decision he makes is filtered through one question:
Will this last?
Not just structurally—but ethically and generationally.
Because true success isn’t measured in deals.
It’s measured in what remains.
At home, that philosophy is even more intentional. Leadership begins with presence, consistency, and example—because the next generation is always watching.
And for Ben, legacy isn’t built in grand moments.
It’s built daily.
In how you show up.
In what you stand for.
In what you leave behind.
Because the strongest foundations aren’t just poured in concrete.
They’re passed on through people.
Legacy Builders
True legacy isn’t built in a single moment, it’s shaped daily through discipline, integrity, and intention. Jason, Ronnie, and Ben prove that leadership goes beyond business. It’s about impact, mentorship, and creating something that outlives you—strengthening not just industries, but the people and communities they serve.