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July 21, 2018 @ 11:00 am
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Tommy Tortuga

From where did Tommy hatch? Matthew was on a family vacation when they had an unexpected encounter. A friend found a turtle nearby and put it in a box. They kept the turtle for one night and released it back in the woods early the next morning. However, when they turned back a few moments later, it was gone. That little guy made a big impression, and Matthew imagined a secret life for that turtle. The extraordinary Tommy Tortuga was born!
About the Author
Matthew Lapides is a father, husband, and business owner. He was born in Annapolis, MD, attended Lehigh University in 1987 and lived in central China, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh before moving to Miami in 2005. He currently lives in Coral Gables with his family.
WHO is Matthew?
After being disenchanted from a nearly 15-year affiliation with Wall Street, in 2011, Matthew founded Ethos, a private firm providing investment counsel to a small number of successful and kind families. While deeply passionate about his career, it has never defined him as a person. Despite nerdy letters and numbers behind his name, friends call Matthew a modern-day renaissance man. Matthew is inspired by both art and science, his alter ego craves creativity and he has found ways to enjoy life in addition to a successful career. In the early 1990s, while working near Huntington Beach, CA (Surf City, USA), he hand-built custom bicycles, launched Joyride Bicycles at the first Extreme Games and mass-produced products in China achieving global sales. At the same time, he was an avid surfer as well as a competitive triathlete for nearly a decade. Starting in the early 2000s, he became a devoted kitesurfer, and renovated several historic homes. In 2009, he became a father and found a love in being engrained in school and family activities. In 2016, his family built a 17’ wooden sailboat in their garage that he tows with a bicycle to the boat ramp. Matthew’s been known to make a variety of art, and often he sits down to sketch or make note of an idea that just came to mind. Matthew recently began to publish a variety of children’s books as a channel to share relevant topics, inspire family conversations, bring smiles to others and to encourage others to think creatively. Often serious, usually a bit silly, always patient and tirelessly creative, Matthew’s hallmark is helping others to be more… both personally and professionally.