If You Build It They Will Come
by Emily Raij
Not everyone sees a need in their local community and decides to fill it themselves, but that’s just what Bree and Joel Goldstein did when they started the Jewish Chamber of Commerce in 2010.
“We found that there are a lot of outlets for Judaism in Orlando for religion and to support Israel and for families, but there was nothing really for Jewish professionals to bring them together,” says Bree.
She and Joel live with their six-year-old son Shale and four-year-old daughter Arden in Geneva (a move they jokingly say increased the Jewish population of the rural Seminole County hamlet by 400 percent). The couple saw there were other Orlando-area, minority-focused chambers for young professionals like themselves but nothing that specifically brought together the Jewish business community.
The two self-starters knew that if they wanted a way to connect with other culturally Jewish professionals and help bring interested businesses to the Jewish community, they’d have to do it themselves.
They started the Jewish Chamber of Commerce from scratch, and by the time their events were bringing in more than 100 attendees, Bree and Joel knew the need they were meeting was real. In fact, the Jewish Chamber of Commerce has since partnered for events with the Orlando Solar Bears and Orlando City soccer team in addition to hosting regular networking breakfasts like Bagels & Schmooze meetups at TooJay’s, lunch and learns, happy hours, and joint meetings with other minority chamber organizations.
Events are held throughout Central Florida – from downtown to East Orlando to Maitland – and the Goldsteins would like to expand into areas like Lake Nona. Before the pandemic, the Chamber was hosting 12-15 events per year. One such lunch and learn with Orlando Health’s Dr. Todd Sontag on CBD and medical marijuana brought in many people who had previously never attended an event through the Chamber.
Although the Chamber doesn’t push membership, individuals can join and organizations have different sponsorship options. Many events are free or have a small fee.
“Everything we make from our networking nights, we put back into getting speakers,” says Joel, who adds that events were picking up again before the Omicron variant. He hopes they’ll ramp up once more very soon.
“One thing that sets our events apart is that I’m usually pretty good about asking attendees who they are hoping to meet,” says Bree. “I can help match you up a little bit. It’s all about community and partnerships and relationships.”
The couple hopes the Chamber continues offering greater opportunities to connect, and with the Goldsteins’ years of experience as best-selling business authors, speakers, and entrepreneurs, that growth seems certain. Bree and Joel are founders of the Goldstein Business Accelerator program, which provides startups with funding and mentorship. Joel is also president of Mr. Checkout, a family business that manages retail distribution. Bree previously taught the next generation of professionals about digital media marketing at UCF before stepping away in 2020.
Energetic, Eclectic
Bree’s journey to the public relations industry – and even to Florida – didn’t always seem so clear. She grew up in Denver and Chicago, served as a firefighter while attending Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, and then worked as a wildland firefighter for the Forest Service in Oregon. During this time, Bree saw how critical the media was in keeping people informed during emergencies. She left the fire service to pursue her graduate degree in business communications at the University of Chicago. While there, she joined the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, where she not only aided search and rescue missions but assisted with the organization’s PR. After graduation, she moved to Calcutta, India, and then Orlando to work with an international start-up before launching her own PR company.
Joel grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, joining the “Jewish migration to warmer weather in Boca Raton,” he describes, before attending UCF. The couple met in The Roth Family JCC’s parking lot after they both arrived early for a Ginnie Springs trip with a Jewish group. The rest is history, and when they’re not connecting other Jewish professionals, Bree and Joel enjoy spending time with their kids and participating in family programs at area synagogues.
Bree is also restoring an antique American fire truck she purchased off eBay. The family decided to take on another new adventure together when they rescued Lucky, a feral piglet that Bree and Joel found walking alone in a forest. Their quick action and loving care saved Lucky’s life, and for about six months, they bottle-fed, walked, bathed, and nursed him back to health. Lucky got along great with the Goldstein kids, dog, and cat, but they ultimately decided he should live at an animal sanctuary with other pigs.
Bree visited Lucky often until one night, unfortunately, the back fence of the sanctuary was found kicked in with Lucky and the other pigs gone.
“I like to believe he’s out there, living his best hog life,” says Bree. “I hope to see him again one day, and if he returns, we’ll build him and his friends a shelter.”
Building is just what the Goldsteins do.
“If there’s something that we can do and start,” says Bree, “we’ll do it.”