Meet four design professionals whose commitment to service is leaving a lasting mark on the community they call home.
Sharon Taylor, Clive Daniel Home
Interior designer Sharon Taylor of Clive Daniel Home in Fort Myers is creating safe environments for girls rescued from sex trafficking through her work with Ground Up Ministries, which offers restoration programs and refuge for victims. “Using my design skills to craft spaces for survivors has been especially impactful,” Taylor remarks. She has completed one home (below)—a collaborative effort with closet designer Anastasia Blake and artist Rachel Holmes—and is already working on a second project. “We’re not just giving these girls a place to feel safe; we’re also treating them like the queens they are,” Taylor adds. “Every design choice is meant to remind them they are valued, worthy and deserving of beauty, comfort and dignity.”
L.A. DeRiggi, Hudson Park Interior Design
Designer L.A. DeRiggi was raised to believe helping others is both a privilege and a responsibility—a charge strengthened by meaningful connection. One of his closest friends has a brother living with cystic fibrosis, inspiring DeRiggi’s involvement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “Witnessing the challenges faced by families affected by the disease has motivated me to support the foundation for more than 15 years,” he reflects. DeRiggi aims to assist at least 10 charitable events each season, including the American Cancer Society’s annual fundraiser Naples Bucket List Bash and The Naples Players’ Festival of Trees, which he’s cochairing this year.
Lisa Kahn, Finding Sanctuary by Lisa Kahn Designs
Since the late 1990s, designer Lisa Kahn has supported many mission-driven organizations in Naples—but few as closely as STARability Foundation, a nonprofit empowering individuals with disabilities. “I have a 27-year-old daughter with developmental and intellectual disabilities,” the designer shares. “I can’t imagine what her life, and our family, would look like without the foundation’s amazing team.” A board member for nine years as well as former board chair, Kahn heads the organization’s building committee, donating her design talents to its North Naples campus renovation. “I love that I contribute to not just my daughter’s future but also all those involved.”
Tim Dupre, PBS Contractors
For PBS Contractors, which has been building in Naples since 1986, supporting the community is deeply personal, with the company leveraging its construction expertise to help organizations bring to life and improve their spaces. “We don’t follow a formula for choosing who we support; we follow our people,” says Tim Dupre, partner, president and CEO of PBS Contractors. “When a team member is passionate about a cause, we lean in. When a project aligns with our values, we raise a hand.” Among the firm’s most meaningful contributions is Zulu House for Warrior Homes of Collier County. “When complete, Zulu House will end homelessness for veterans in the area,” Dupre notes.
