Jennifer Groff, vice president of philanthropy at The Haven, joins the show alongside guest co-host Alexander Ronzino, making his own first appearance behind the microphone after previously sitting in the guest chair himself. Groff lays out The Haven's tagline, focus on ability, not disability, and the scope behind it: the organization serves individuals from preschool through end of life, starting with a program that pairs neurodiverse and neurotypical children together, moving into an Academy for ages 14 to 22 built around ability rather than age, and continuing into residential group homes and employment partnerships with companies like Sun Hydraulics, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and the Cheesecake Factory.
The most tangible news Groff brings is a roughly three-acre property near UTC Mall where The Haven is planning a ten-home subdivision mixing higher-functioning residents with assisted-medical care, breaking ground in 2027 and, by her description, one of a kind anywhere in the country. It adds to a campus that already houses about 80 residents across a dozen existing homes, along with vocational partnerships that include DD Roasters, where residents help pack coffee, a connection that ties directly back to Vic Cipolla's own recent involvement on The Haven's board. Groff traces the organization's roots back roughly 15 years, to a group of parents running a preschool out of a hangar at the Sarasota airport and selling Claxton fruitcakes to raise money for the land the campus now sits on.
Groff, who moved to the Sarasota area in 1999 after growing up in Horseheads, New York, says she took the job after seeing The Haven's CEO discuss the organization's loss of power during Hurricane Irma on the news, and because her own nephew has autism. She shares two moments that stuck with her: a preschooler doctors said would never walk taking her first steps on campus, and a child saying the word mama for the first time. A new community center under construction will double as a hurricane shelter, funded partly through state appropriations Groff personally lobbies for and partly by a naming-rights gift from Get All Automotive's foundation.
The Haven's major fundraisers include its annual gala at Mote Marine each February, the Jingle Bell Jog 5K, and a golf tournament set for May 11, 2026 at the Ritz-Carlton golf course benefiting the Selby Preschool. On the roundabout question, Groff, who grew up navigating one back in Horseheads, says Rome and Florida are tied for the worst places to drive them, and she closes by recommending Sydney Gruters, currently running for Congress, as a future guest.
What you'll take away
- The Haven is planning a roughly three-acre, ten-home subdivision near UTC Mall for residents with disabilities, breaking ground in 2027.
- The nonprofit serves individuals from preschool through end of life, including an Academy for ages 14 to 22 and vocational partnerships with Sun Hydraulics, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and Cheesecake Factory.
- DD Roasters, owned by the show's own Vic Cipolla, partners with The Haven on coffee packing, and Cipolla recently joined its board.
- The Haven traces back roughly 15 years to parents running a preschool out of a Sarasota airport hangar and selling fruitcakes to buy the campus land.
- Major fundraisers include a February gala at Mote Marine, the Jingle Bell Jog, and a May 2026 golf tournament at the Ritz-Carlton benefiting the Selby Preschool.
“Focus on ability, not disability.”
“It's one of a kind in the country.”
Places mentioned: UTC Mall, Mote Marine, Ritz-Carlton