IN THE NEWS

Ocala, Florida – March 2021 – Embrace Magazine has added an advisory board of leading LGBTQ+ and ally experts in LGBTQ+ publishing and community to direct company growth and guide content, publisher John Sotomayor announced. The advisory board is comprised of a diverse group of race, gender, and sexual orientation in order to best direct the magazine with its mission of inclusion for the gay and straight communities to come together to live, work, play, and pray. Now that Embrace Magazine approaches its second year as a publication, its third year since conception, the advisory board will help reassure that the publication has a solid foundation, sustainability, and staying power while demonstrating unity, inclusion, and diversity on a statewide level. 

Max Brava is the founder and president of Glow4Good, Inc., a non-profit organization-offering aid to marginalized communities. Max studied and taught at the prestigious Parsons School of Design / The New School in New York City. He has travelled the world representing the haute couture houses of iconic fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. He and his husband reside in Ft. Lauderdale. Brava’s participation represents South Florida inclusion. 

Rachel Covello is the CEO and publisher of OUTCOAST™, a digital magazine and travel blog marketing Florida as an LGBTQ-inclusive destination to VISIT. CELEBRATE. LIVE. Her company offers a variety of advertising, marketing and consulting services to companies interested in promoting their brands to a high-income niche market. She and her wife reside in St. Petersburg, Fla. Covello’s participation represents Gulf Coast and Central Florida inclusion.

Community activist, historian, preservationist and freelance writer, Herb Sosa is a founding member of, and currently serves as President and CEO of Unity Coalition/Coalición Unida, offering leadership, protection and promotion of Latino/Hispanic LGBTQ rights (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) – the only organization of its kind in South Florida since 2002. Sosa brings over 20 years of corporate and not-for-profit leadership experience in the community. Previously Sosa was Executive Director of Miami Design Preservation League and the Art Deco Weekend Festival in Miami Beach. 

Sosa also is Publisher and Editor-In-chief of AMBIENTE Magazine, the first and only LGBTQ+ publication offered in English, Spanish and Portuguese, produced bi-monthly as a digital magazine. Sosa featured Sotomayor on AMBIENTE cover in December 2012 issue. He and his husband reside in Miami and like Brava, represents South Florida inclusion. 

Robin Dillard is a Business Equality Advocate, creator of the Business Equality Network and founding publisher of BEQ Pride magazine. As publisher of BEQ Dillard leverages skills honed over 20 years as a civil servant, management consultant, scholar and inventor. Dillard is an ally, wife and mother, who resides in the Greater NYC tri-state area. Her participation represents allies to the LGBTQ+ community as well as overall inclusion for LGBTQ-owned, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses. 

Justin Ayars is a self-described recovering healthcare trial lawyer turned serial entrepreneur. He has extensive experience in crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse demographics, helping businesses authentically engage new markets and cultivating communities through relationship-building and technological innovation. For five years, Justin ran a successful LGBTQ+ marketing, media and events company in the mid-Atlantic region, Q Media. Justin is now the Founder & CEO of EqualityMD, a comprehensive virtual ecosystem that provides the LGBTQ+ community with inclusive, personalized healthcare. Located in Richmond, Virginia, Ayars represents an overall POV. 

For more information, contact John Sotomayor at john@sotomayormedia.com.