After hearing Issue Media Group co-Founders Paul Schutt and Brian Boyle tell their new media story at a national conference, Tampa Bay Area business leaders invited the pair to talk about best practices for expanding the narrative about Florida as a place for retirement and tourism to one better reflecting the diverse, thriving and growing Tampa Bay region's entrepreneurial ecosystem. They soon tapped Diane Egner, Director of Production Funding and former Content Director at WUSF Public Media, a local NPR and PBS affiliate, to lead the local effort. Egner, a longtime, highly respected, and award-winning reporter, editor, and editorial writer at The Tampa Tribune before joining WUSF, stood out as a terrific talent with deep connections in the business community, area nonprofits, and local journalism. IMG launched 83 Degrees in November 2009, with Egner serving as the Publisher and the Managing Editor while recruiting and directing a team of local reporters, photographers, and editors with extensive community knowledge and journalism experience. In mid-2022, Egner turned over the ME role to Christopher Curry, a longtime Florida journalist originally from Pinellas County. A credible community news source for more than 14 years, the weekly digital magazine aims to connect readers to the Tampa Bay region's most visionary and innovative people, businesses, and organizations actively leading change and thus helping to shape the region's future.
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