List of University of Central Florida alumni
Notable alumni -- Business
Table:
Alumni

Class year

Notability

Reference(s)

Brian Acton

—

Co-founder of WhatsApp, former vice president of engineering at Yahoo!

[54]

Jim Atchison

1992

President and chief executive officer, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

[55]

Dan Benjamin

—

Software developer and founder, 5by5 Studios

[56]

Ross Brown

1989

Senior Vice President, Worldwide Partners and Alliances, VMware

[57][58]

Anthony Connelly

1988

Senior vice president and chief financial officer, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

[59][60]

Toby Crabel

—

Hedge fund manager, founder of Crabel Capital Management

[61]

Brian Crutcher

—

President and chief executive officer, Texas Instruments

[62]

Dan Demole

2001

Co-founder and chief operating officer, Jingle Punks Music

[63]

Brian France

1984

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, NASCAR

[64]

Alan Gooch

—

Executive Director, Orlando Sports Foundation

[65]

John Hart

1973

MLB Network analyst, former general manager of the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers

[66]

George Kalogridis

1976

President, Walt Disney World Resort

[67]

Laurette Koellner

1977

Former president, Boeing International

[68]

Mark Johnston

—

Chief Executive Officer, The Melting Pot

[69]

Nelson Marchioli

—

Former president and chief executive officer, Denny's

[70]

Alex Martins

2001

President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer, Orlando Magic

[71][72]

Michael Mielke

2003

Vice President of Engineering, Raydiance Inc.

[73]

Craig Miller

—

Former president and chief executive officer, Ruth's Chris Steak House

[74]

Brian Nichols

1986

VP of Enterprise Project Risk Management and Technology Integration, NBCUniversal

[75]

Omar Raja

—

Founder of House of Highlights, which was later aquired by Bleacher Report. He's also a digital marketing producer for ESPN.

[76]

Consulting the provided table and the supporting text listed below.

Respond to the question below: What type of app was released in January 2018 by the company co-founded by the University of Central Florida alumni who is the 76th-richest man in America and is named Brian ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Brian Acton ( born February 17 , 1972 ) is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur . Acton is the executive chairman of the Signal Foundation , which he co-founded with Moxie Marlinspike in 2018 . He was formerly employed at Yahoo ! , and co-founded ( with Jan Koum ) WhatsApp , a mobile messaging application which was acquired by Facebook in February 2014 for US $ 19 billion . Acton left WhatsApp in September 2017 to start the Signal Foundation . According to Forbes ( 2018 ) , Acton is the 76th-richest man in America , with a net worth of $ 7 billion .
WhatsApp Messenger or simply WhatsApp is a freeware , cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP ( VoIP ) service owned by Facebook , Inc . It allows users to send text messages and voice messages , make voice and video calls , and share images , documents , user locations , and other media . WhatsApp 's client application runs on mobile devices but is also accessible from desktop computers , as long as the user 's mobile device remains connected to the Internet while they use the desktop app . The service requires users to provide a standard cellular mobile number for registering with the service . In January 2018 , WhatsApp released a standalone business app targeted at small business owners , called WhatsApp Business , to allow companies to communicate with customers who use the standard WhatsApp client . The client application was created by WhatsApp Inc. of Mountain View , California , which was acquired by Facebook in February 2014 for approximately US $ 19.3 billion . It became the world 's most popular messaging application by 2015 , and has over 2 billion users worldwide as of February 2020 [ update ] .It has become the primary means of electronic communication in multiple countries and locations , including Latin America , India , Pakistan 's and large parts of Europe , including the United Kingdom , Spain , and France .
Yahoo ! ( /ˈjɑːhuː/ ) is an American web services provider headquartered in Sunnyvale , California , and owned by Verizon Media . The original Yahoo ! company was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on March 2 , 1995 . Yahoo was one of the pioneers of the early Internet era in the 1990s . It provides or provided a Web portal , search engine Yahoo ! Search , and related services , including Yahoo ! Directory , Yahoo ! Mail , Yahoo ! News , Yahoo ! Finance , Yahoo ! Groups , Yahoo !
Jim Atchison is an American business executive . He was the President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment , positions he had held since 2009 . On December 11 , 2014 he resigned . SeaWorld acknowledged in August 2014 that the film Blackfish had hurt revenues at its San Diego , California park . At the time of Atchison 's resignation the company 's share price had fallen 44% that year . He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Busch Entertainment Corporation from 2007 to 2009 , and as Executive Vice President and General Manager of SeaWorld Orlando from 2003 to 2007 . Atchison also currently serves as a member of the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees . He graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor 's in Business Administration , and from UCF with a Master 's of Business Administration ( MBA ) in 1992 .
The president is a leader of an organization , company , community , club , trade union , university or other group . The relationship between the president and the chief executive officer varies , depending on the structure of the specific organization . In a similar vein to the chief operating officer , the title of corporate president as a separate position ( as opposed to being combined with a C-Suite designation , such as President and Chief Executive Officer or President and Chief Operating Officer ) is also loosely defined ; the president is usually the legally recognized highest rank of corporate officer , ranking above the various vice presidents ( including senior vice president and executive vice president ) , but on its own generally considered subordinate , in practice , to the CEO . The powers of the president vary widely across organizations and such powers come from specific authorization in the bylaws like Robert 's Rules of Order ( e.g . the president can make an executive decision only if the bylaws allow for it ) .
A chief executive officer ( CEO ) , or just chief executive ( CE ) , is the most senior corporate , executive , or administrative officer in charge of managing an organization - especially an independent legal entity such as a company or nonprofit institution . CEOs lead a range of organizations , including public and private corporations , non-profit organizations and even some government organizations ( notably Crown corporations ) . The CEO of a corporation or company typically reports to the board of directors and is charged with maximizing the value of the entity , which may include maximizing the share price , market share , revenues or another element . In the non-profit and government sector , CEOs typically aim at achieving outcomes related to the organization 's mission , such as reducing poverty , increasing literacy , etc . In the early 21st century , top executives typically had technical degrees in science , management , engineering or law .
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. , formerly Busch Entertainment Corporation and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment , LLC , is a family-friendly entertainment , amusement park , and attraction company headquartered in Orlando , Florida . It operates 12 theme parks including five water parks in the United States . Themed Entertainment Association and the global management firm AECOM reported in May 2018 that SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment is the ninth largest theme park operator in the world with in 2017 about 20.8 million visitors . The sale to Blackstone was completed on December 1 , 2009 and with it came a new company name , SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment . It became a publicly traded company in 2012 as SeaWorld Entertainment .
Dan Paul Benjamin ( born October 26 , 1972 ) is a software developer , user interface designer , writer , and podcaster . In 2010 , Benjamin started 5by5 Studios , a podcast production outlet that currently produces nineteen shows , including several co-hosted shows such as Back to Work with Merlin Mann and The Ihnatko Almanac with Andy Ihnatko . Based on his popular podcasts , Benjamin has been called the king of Apple talk radio by Philip Elmer-DeWitt of Fortune Magazine and CNN . In the past , he co-founded Cork 'd and Playgrounder , and wrote the CMS behind A List Apart . Additionally , he has made educational screencasts through PeepCode . Benjamin has appeared on the Fox News program Strategy Room - Gadgets and Games multiple times to discuss various topics . In 2017 , he released fireside.fm , a platform for podcasters . Benjamin holds a B.A . in Technical Writing with a Computer Science focus from the University of Central Florida .
5by5 is an American Internet broadcasting network created by Dan Benjamin that creates , distributes , and broadcasts web video interviews and podcasts . 5by5 launched in January 2010. and has been called NPR for geeks ,
VMware , Inc. is a publicly traded software company listed on the NYSE under stock ticker VMW . Dell Technologies is a majority share holder . VMware provides cloud computing and virtualization software and services . It was one of the first commercially successful companies to virtualize the x86 architecture . VMware 's desktop software runs on Microsoft Windows , Linux , and macOS , while its enterprise software hypervisor for servers , VMware ESXi , is a bare-metal hypervisor that runs directly on server hardware without requiring an additional underlying operating system .
Disney Parks , Experiences and Products , Inc. , formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide , Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks , is one of The Walt Disney Company 's four major business segments and a subsidiary . It was founded on April 1 , 1971 , exactly six months before the opening of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake , Florida just outside of Orlando , Florida . Originally , the company was known as Walt Disney Outdoor Recreation Division and later as Walt Disney Attractions . The chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts was Bob Chapek , formerly president of Disney Consumer Products . Chapek reports to Disney CEO Bob Iger . In 2018 , the company 's theme parks hosted over 157.3 million guests , making Disney Parks the world 's most visited theme park company worldwide , with United Kingdom-based Merlin Entertainments coming in second at 67 million guests . It is by far Disney 's largest business segment according to employee headcount , with approximately 130,000 of the company 's 180,000 employees as of 2015 . In March 2018 , Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media was merged into Parks and Resorts and renamed Disney Parks , Experiences and Products .
The chief financial officer ( CFO ) is the officer of a company that has primary responsibility for managing the company 's finances , including financial planning , management of financial risks , record-keeping , and financial reporting . In some sectors , the CFO is also responsible for analysis of data . Some CFOs have the title CFOO for chief financial and operating officer . In the United Kingdom , the typical term for a CFO is finance director ( FD ) . The CFO typically reports to the chief executive officer ( CEO ) and the board of directors and may additionally have a seat on the board . The CFO supervises the finance unit and is the chief financial spokesperson for the organization . The CFO directly assists the chief operating officer ( COO ) on all strategic and tactical matters relating to budget management , cost-benefit analysis , forecasting needs , and securing of new funding .
Toby Crabel ( born May 5 , 1955 ) is a United States commodities trader . In 2005 , the Financial Times called Crabel the most well-known trader on the counter-trend side . He is the fund manager of Crabel Capital Management , which has previously ranked highly on Absolute Return magazine 's list of US groups with more than $ 1 billion Assets under management . Crabel managed 3.2 billion dollars with growth of 16.7% in 2005 . Crabel has a strong record of positive returns , having avoided a single losing year between 1991 and 2002 . Crabel released his book , Day Trading with Short-term Price Patterns , in 1990 .
A hedge fund is an investment fund that pools capital from accredited investors or institutional investors and invests in a variety of assets , often with complicated portfolio-construction and risk management techniques . It is administered by a professional investment management firm , and often structured as a limited partnership , limited liability company , or similar vehicle . Hedge funds are generally distinct from mutual funds and regarded as alternative investments , as their use of leverage is not capped by regulators , and distinct from private equity funds , as the majority of hedge funds invest in relatively liquid assets . However , funds which operate similarly to hedge funds but are regulated similarly to mutual funds are available and known as liquid alternative investments . The term hedge fund originated from the paired long and short positions that the first of these funds used to hedge market risk . Over time , the types and nature of the hedging concepts expanded , as did the different types of investment vehicles . Today , hedge funds engage in a diverse range of markets and strategies and employ a wide variety of financial instruments and risk management techniques . Hedge funds are made available only to certain sophisticated or accredited investors , and can not be offered or sold to the general public . As such , they generally avoid direct regulatory oversight , bypass licensing requirements applicable to investment companies , and operate with greater flexibility than mutual funds and other investment funds . However , following the financial crisis of 2007-2008 , regulations were passed in the United States and Europe with the intention of increasing government oversight of hedge funds and eliminating certain regulatory gaps . Hedge funds have existed for many decades and have become increasingly popular . They have now grown to be a substantial fraction of asset management , with assets totaling around $ 3.235 trillion in 2018 .
Brian Crutcher ( born 23 August 1934 in Poole , England ) is a former international speedway rider who finished second at the 1954 Speedway World Championship finals .
Texas Instruments Incorporated ( TI ) is an American technology company that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits , which it sells to electronics designers and manufacturers globally . Its headquarters are in Dallas , Texas , United States . TI is one of the top 10 semiconductor companies worldwide , based on sales volume . The company 's focus is on developing analog chips and embedded processors , which account for more than 80% of its revenue . TI also produces TI digital light processing technology and education technology products including calculators , microcontrollers and multi-core processors . To date , TI has more than 45,000 patents worldwide . Texas Instruments emerged in 1951 after a reorganization of Geophysical Service Incorporated , a company founded in 1930 that manufactured equipment for use in the seismic industry , as well as defense electronics . TI produced the world 's first commercial silicon transistor in 1954 , and the same year designed and manufactured the first transistor radio . Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit in 1958 while working at TI 's Central Research Labs . TI also invented the hand-held calculator in 1967 , and introduced the first single-chip microcontroller in 1970 , which combined all the elements of computing onto one piece of silicon . In 1987 , TI invented the digital light processing device ( also known as the DLP chip ) , which serves as the foundation for the company 's award-winning DLP technology and DLP Cinema . TI released the popular TI-81 calculator in 1990 , which made it a leader in the graphing calculator industry .
Dan Demole ( born 1979 ) is an American entrepreneur , co-founder and COO of Jingle Punks Music . Jingle Punks has been featured in Billboard , Variety and Business Week where it was named one of America 's most promising start ups . Dan Demole started Jingle Punks Music with musician and television editor Jared Gutstadt after meeting at a Black Keys concert in Brooklyn , New York . Within months of launching the company , they released their platform , The Jingle Player . Developed by Demole with industry knowledge input from Gutstadt , it helped them differentiate themselves quickly from their competitors . The player itself is a proprietary , patented technology that provides targeted music selection with a searchable interface . In late 2012 , talent agency William Morris Endeavor acquired a majority stake in Jingle Punks , aiming to cultivate synergies across their music and entertainment verticals . Only two years later , the company was again sold to ole Music Publishing in March 2015 , after growing its revenue from $ 5 million in 2011 to more than $ 18 million in 2014 . Demole will serve as General Manager of Jingle Punks in their Tribeca office in New York City . Prior to starting Jingle Punks Music , he spent two years traveling in Africa , Asia , Australia and Central America before landing in New York city . Originally from Florida , Demole worked for L-3 Communications and Electronic Arts and was a graduate of the University of Central Florida , receiving a BS degree in computer science . [ citation needed ]
The chief operating officer ( COO ) , also called the chief operations officer , is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization , comprising part of the C-Suite . The COO is responsible for the daily operation of the company , and routinely reports to the highest-ranking executive , usually the chief executive officer ( CEO ) . The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm , especially if the highest-ranking executive is the chairman and CEO .
Jingle Punks Music is a music publishing and licensing company headquartered in New York , NY , founded by Jared Gutstadt and Dan Demole in October 2008 . The company provides original and licensed music for television , film , video games , and advertisements .
Brian Zachary France ( born August 2 , 1962 ) is an American businessman who is the former CEO and Chairman of NASCAR serving in the post from 2003 to 2018 . A third generation executive in the sport of stock car racing , France followed in the footsteps of his grandfather ( and NASCAR co-founder ) Bill France Sr. and father Bill Jr. in running NASCAR . Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential of the Century in 2006 and he was named one of the five most powerful sports executives by The Sporting News in 2005 .
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR ) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock-car racing . Its three largest or National series are the NASCAR Cup Series , the Xfinity Series , and the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series . Regional series include the ARCA Menards Series ' East and West , the Whelen Modified Tour , NASCAR Pinty 's Series , NASCAR Whelen Euro Series , and NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series . NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 48 US states as well as in Canada , Mexico , and Europe . NASCAR has presented races at the Suzuka and Motegi circuits in Japan , and the Calder Park Thunderdome in Australia . NASCAR also ventures into eSports via the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series and eNASCAR Heat Pro League . The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948 , and his son Jim France has been CEO since August 6 , 2018 . The company is headquartered in Daytona Beach , Florida . Internationally , its races are broadcast on television in over 150 countries .
Alan Gooch is an American former college football coach and sports executive . He is the executive director of the Orlando Sports Foundation , Inc. OSF is a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization dedicated to raising funding and awareness for organizations working to find a cure for cancer . The signature event of the OSF is the Cure Bowl an NCAA bowl game played each December in Orlando , Florida Goochs coaching career spanned from 1983 to 2003 . During which time he served as the assistant head coach for the University of Central Florida football team ( 1998 to 2003 ) . In 2003 , Alan served as the interim head football coach at the University of Central Florida for two games , following the dismissal of Mike Kruczek , Gooch coached the final two games of the 2003 season , against Marshall and the Miami RedHawks . The Miami RedHawks was quarterbacked by NFL Pro Bowler Ben Roethlisberger . Alan Gooch was inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 , and in 2007 he was named Educator of the Decade by the UCF College of Education . In 1997 , the American Football Coaches Association honored Alan as the Inaugural NCAA division I-A Assistant Football Coach of the Year . Alan had the distinction of being one of only two Division I-A college coaches , ever to rise from player to assistant coach and to head coach - without leaving their alma mater . In 2007 Mr. Gooch founded Tizon Commercial , LLC , a consortium of real estate professionals representing clients in investor acquisitions , dispositions , leasing , and tenant services , both domestically and internationally .
John Henry Hart ( born July 21 , 1948 ) is an American former Major League Baseball executive who served as the general manager of the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers and president of baseball operations for the Atlanta Braves . He also was the interim field manager of the Indians in 1989 , third-base coach of the Baltimore Orioles in 1988 , and a studio analyst for the MLB Network .
The MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball . It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball , with AT & T 's WarnerMedia News & Sports , Comcast 's NBC Sports Group , Charter Communications , and Cox Communications having minority ownership . The channel 's headquarters and studios are located at their leased facilities in Secaucus , New Jersey , a building owned by Hartz Mountain Industries which formerly housed MSNBC 's studios . MLB Network 's studios also house NHL Network , with some studio sharing , which came under the management of MLB Advanced Media in mid-2015 and transferred most operations from the network 's former Toronto home base . Tony Petitti , former executive producer of CBS Sports , was named the network 's first president . Petitti served as MLB Network 's president until December 2014 , when he was appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball . Rob McGlarry , who worked as Senior and later Executive Vice-president of Business Affairs at MLB Network since 2009 , was named the network 's second president . As of February 2015 , MLB Network is available to approximately 69,991,000 pay television households ( 60.1% of subscription television customers ) in the United States .
In Major League Baseball , the general manager ( GM ) of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players .
The Cleveland Indians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland , Ohio . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) Central division . Since 1994 , they have played at Progressive Field . The team 's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear , Arizona . Since their establishment as a major league franchise in 1901 , the team has won 10 Central Division titles , six American League pennants , and two World Series championships , ( in 1920 and 1948 ) . The team 's current 71-year World Series championship drought is the longest active among all 30 current Major League teams . The name Indians originated from a request by club owner Charles Somers to baseball writers to choose a new name to replace Cleveland Naps following the departure of Nap Lajoie after the 1914 season . It was a revival of the nickname that fans gave to the Cleveland Spiders while Louis Sockalexis , a Native American , was playing for the team . Common nicknames for the Indians include the Tribe and the Wahoos , the latter referencing their former logo , Chief Wahoo . The team 's mascot is named Slider . The franchise originated in 1894 as the Grand Rapids Rustlers , a minor league team in the Western League . The team relocated to Cleveland in 1900 and was renamed the Cleveland Lake Shores .
The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington , Texas , located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) West division . In 2020 , they will move to the new Globe Life Field after having played at Globe Life Park in Arlington from 1994 to 2019 . The team 's name is borrowed from the famous law enforcement agency of the same name . The franchise was established in 1961 as the Washington Senators , an expansion team awarded to Washington , D.C. , after the city 's first AL ballclub , the second Washington Senators , moved to Minnesota and became the Twins ( the original Washington Senators played primarily in the National League during the 1890s ) . After the 1971 season , the new Senators moved to Arlington , and debuted as the Rangers the following spring . The Rangers have made eight appearances in the MLB postseason , seven following division championships in 1996 , 1998 , 1999 , 2010 , 2011 , 2015 , and 2016 and as a wild card team in 2012 . In 2010 , the Rangers advanced past the Division Series for the first time , defeating the Tampa Bay Rays . The team then brought home their first American League pennant after beating the New York Yankees in six games . In the 2010 World Series , the franchise 's first , the Rangers fell to the San Francisco Giants in five games . They repeated as American League champions the following year , then lost the 2011 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games .
George Anthony Kalogridis ( born November 19 , 1953 ) is an American businessman . Kalogridis is the president of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista , Florida . Kalogridis became president of Disney Segment Development and Enrichment for Disney Parks , Experiences and Products in November 2019 .
In 1959 , Walt Disney Productions began looking for land to house a second resort to supplement Disneyland in Anaheim , California , which had opened in 1955 . Market surveys at the time revealed that only 5% of Disneyland 's visitors came from east of the Mississippi River , where 75% of the population of the United States lived . Additionally , Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland and wanted more control over a larger area of land in the next project . Walt Disney flew over a potential site in Orlando , Florida - one of many - in November 1963 . After witnessing the well-developed network of roads and taking the planned construction of both Interstate 4 and Florida 's Turnpike into account , with McCoy Air Force Base ( later Orlando International Airport ) to the east , Disney selected a centrally located site near Bay Lake . To avoid a burst of land speculation , Walt Disney World Company used various dummy corporations to acquire 30,500 acres ( 48 sq mi ; 123 km2 ) of land . In May 1965 , some of these major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County . In addition , two large tracts totaling $ 1.5 million were sold , and smaller tracts of flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotically named companies such as the Ayefour Corporation , Latin-American Development and Management Corporation and the Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation . Some are now memorialized on a window above Main Street , U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom . The smaller parcels of land acquired were called outs . They were five-acre ( 2 ha ) lots platted in 1912 by the Munger Land Company and sold to investors . Most of the owners in the 1960s were happy to get rid of the land , which was mostly swamp at the time .
Laurette T. Koellner is an American business executive , the former president of Boeing International .
The Boeing Company , commonly known as Boeing ( /ˈboʊɪŋ/ ) , is an American multinational corporation that designs , manufactures , and sells airplanes , rotorcraft , rockets , satellites , telecommunications equipment , and missiles worldwide . The company also provides leasing and product support services . Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers ; it is the second-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2018 revenue , and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value . Boeing stock is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average . Boeing is incorporated in Delaware . Boeing was founded by William Boeing in Seattle , Washington on July 15 , 1916 . The present corporation is the result of the merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas on August 1 , 1997 . Then chairman and CEO of Boeing , Philip M. Condit , assumed those roles in the combined company , while Harry Stonecipher , former CEO of McDonnell Douglas , became president and COO . The Boeing Company has its corporate headquarters in Chicago , Illinois . Boeing is organized into five primary divisions : Boeing Commercial Airplanes ( BCA ) ; Boeing Defense , Space & Security ( BDS ) ; Engineering , Operations & Technology ; Boeing Capital ; and Boeing Shared Services Group . In 2017 , Boeing recorded US $ 93.3 billion in sales , ranked 24th on the Fortune magazine Fortune 500 list ( 2018 ) , ranked 64th on the Fortune Global 500 list ( 2018 ) , and ranked 19th on the World 's Most Admired Companies list ( 2018 ) . In 2019 , Boeing 's global reputation , commercial business , and financial rating suffered after the 737 MAX was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes in late 2018 and early 2019 .
The Melting Pot is a chain of franchised fondue restaurants in the United States , Canada and Mexico . The Tampa , Florida based company has 105 locations as of December 2019 [ update ] . The Melting Pot menu contains various cheese fondues , wines , salads , entrees of meat and seafood served with dipping sauces and oil or broth to be cooked in , and chocolate fondues . It is part of Front Burner Brands .
Denny 's ( also known as Denny 's Diner on some of the locations ' signage ) is an American table service diner-style restaurant chain . It operates over 1,600 restaurants in the United States ( including Puerto Rico and Guam ) , Canada , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Mexico , The Dominican Republic , Guatemala , Japan , Honduras , New Zealand , Qatar , Philippines , United Arab Emirates , Curaçao , and the United Kingdom . Originally opened as a coffee shop under the name Danny 's Donuts , Denny 's is now known for always being open and serving breakfast , lunch , and dinner around the clock . Denny 's does not close on holidays and nights , except where required by law . Many of the restaurants are located in proximity to freeway exits , bars , and in service areas . Denny 's started franchising in 1963 , and most Denny 's restaurants are now franchisee-owned .
Alex Martins ( born January 12 , 1964 ) is an American sports executive . He is currently the chief executive officer , of the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association , positions he has held since 2006 . He began his career with the Magic in 1989 as the team 's public relations director . Martins also currently serves as a member of the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees . He graduated from Villanova University with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1986 , and from UCF with a Master 's of Business Administration ( MBA ) in 2001 .
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando , Florida . The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Southeast Division . The franchise was established in 1989 as an expansion franchise , and such notable NBA stars as Shaquille O'Neal , Penny Hardaway , Patrick Ewing , Grant Hill , Tracy McGrady , Steve Francis , Dwight Howard , Vince Carter , Rashard Lewis , Dominique Wilkins , and Hedo Türkoğlu have played for the club throughout its young history . As of 2019 [ update ] , the franchise has played in the NBA playoffs for exactly half of its existence ( 15 playoff appearances in 30 years ) , and twice went to the NBA Finals , in 1995 and 2009 . Orlando has been the second most successful of the four expansion teams brought into the league in 1988 and 1989 in terms of winning percentage , only after the Miami Heat .
Raydiance Inc. , headquartered in Petaluma , California , was the maker of the worlds first software-controlled ultrashort pulse ( USP ) laser . The company was established in 2003 by Jeff Bullington and Peter Delfyett in Orlando , Florida as Ablation Industries , Inc . In 2004 , Ablation Industries changed its corporate name to Raydiance , Inc. and recruited Barry Schuler , former CEO of America Online ( AOL ) , as its new CEO and Chairman of the Board . Raydiance , Inc. commercialized a fiber-based USP technology first developed in the laboratories at the University of Central Florida 's College of Optics . This effort was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency . Raydiance introduced its first product , a desktop-sized picosecond pulse laser , in 2007 . Ultrashort pulse lasers , which generate pulses in the picosecond to femtosecond range , are being used for applications in the life sciences , micromachining , imaging and diagnostics , and defense sectors . The company ceased operations in July 2015 . The assets of Raydiance Inc were acquired by Coherent Inc in August 2015 .
Craig Miller is a former CEO of Ruth 's Chris Steak House . He ran an unsuccessful campaign as a 2010 candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives . He also was a candidate in the 2012 U.S. Senate elections to be a senator representing Florida . On January 12 , 2012 , Miller 's candidacy was endorsed by Herman Cain . During this time , Miller also endorsed Cain 's 9-9-9 Plan .
Ruth 's Chris Steak House is a chain of over 100 steakhouses across the United States , Canada and Mexico . On May 22 , 2008 , the company underwent rebranding and became part of Ruth 's Hospitality Group after its acquisition of Mitchell 's Fish Market . The group 's headquarters are in Winter Park , Florida .
NBCUniversal Media , LLC is an American mass media conglomerate owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan , New York City . NBCUniversal is primarily involved in the media and entertainment industry . It is named for its most significant divisions , the National Broadcasting Company ( NBC ) - one of the United States ' Big Three television networks - and the major Hollywood film studio Universal Pictures . It also has a significant presence in broadcasting through a portfolio of domestic and international properties , including USA Network , SyFy , Bravo , Telemundo , Universal Kids , and the streaming service Peacock . Via its Universal Parks & Resorts division , NBCUniversal is also the third-largest operator of amusement parks in the world . NBCUniversal was formed on August 2 , 2004 with the merger of General Electric 's NBC with Vivendi Universal 's film and television subsidiary Vivendi Universal Entertainment , after GE had acquired 80% of the subsidiary , giving Vivendi a 20% share of the new company . In 2011 , Comcast attained 51% and thereby the control of newly reformed NBCUniversal , by purchasing shares from GE , while GE bought out Vivendi . Since 2013 , the company has been wholly owned by Comcast , which bought GE 's ownership stake .
Omar Raja ( born 16 April 1994 ) is the founder of House of Highlights , an Instagram account with a focus in the publication of video clips of professional athletes and sports fans . After being acquired by Bleacher Report in December 2015 , House of Highlights has expanded its video content and scope , and has amassed over 15 million followers .
Bleacher Report ( often abbreviated as B/R ) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture . Its headquarters are in San Francisco , with offices in New York City and London . Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in August 2012 for $ 175 million . In March 2018 , Bleacher Report and Turner Sports launched B/R Live , a subscription video streaming service featuring live broadcasts of several major sports events .
ESPN ( originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network ) is an American basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc. , owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company ( 80% ) and Hearst Communications ( 20% ) . The company was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen along with his son Scott Rasmussen and Ed Egan . ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol , Connecticut . The network also operates offices in Miami , New York City , Seattle , Charlotte , and Los Angeles . James Pitaro currently serves as chairman of ESPN , a position he has held since March 5 , 2018 , following the resignation of John Skipper on December 18 , 2017 . While ESPN is one of the most successful sports networks , there has been much criticism of ESPN , which includes accusations of biased coverage , conflict of interest , and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts .