Garden State leaders in business, culture, and the arts share greatest challenges, summer vacation dreams, and favorite Hollywood villains.
BY ZACHARY WEG AND DANIELLE KIRIAKOS • PHOTOS BY ANDREI JACKAMETS PHOTOGRAPHY
Travis Duran
General Manager and Director of Operations, Duran Entities / duranentities.com
Even on a rainy Saturday, with droplets tapping against the window, Travis Duran is hard at work. As director of operations and general manager at Duran Entities – the hospitality and branding agency founded by his father, Alexander – the younger Duran is seemingly always on call. The North Bergen–based firm oversees the operations of lauded restaurants Son Cubano, VENTANAS, and SOLÁZ, and Duran is the man working behind the scenes.
Handling a wide range of responsibilities – from visiting the restaurants and ensuring staff have everything they need to deliver enticing dishes to fielding countless calls back at the office – he has clearly inherited his father’s dauntless drive to excel. Yet Duran isn’t driven by accolades or dollar signs, but by the opportunity to build something meaningful alongside his father and brother.
As he said, “When my father first approached me with the idea of opening what is now VENTANAS, I was so excited by the opportunity. We just hit the ground running, and I haven’t stopped since.”
IN YOUR CAREER, WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE OVERCOME?
In this economy, consumer behavior and spending. People don’t want to spend as much going out. It’s something you can’t really control, so you have to change up your game plan.
DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE SUMMER VACATION IN A FEW WORDS.
The number one most important thing is being with my family, perhaps somewhere in Europe with warm weather like Greece, Italy, or the south of France. I work a lot in my day-to-day, so when I do go on vacation, I like to just do nothing and relax [laughs].
WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD VILLAIN AND WHY?
I would probably say Ivan Drago from Rocky IV. What a great villain! The guy’s just an animal and ruthless, and the Rocky movies are some of my favorites from childhood. My father and I used to love watching them together.
April Horvath
Associate Registered Architect, Shore Point Architecture / shorepointarch.com
April Horvath has been building things her whole life – the scale has simply changed. Raised in a family of do-it-yourselfers, she earned her master’s degree from Savannah College of Art and Design and joined Shore Point Architecture in 2005. “It’s a mix of coordination, management, and hands-on design work across all phases of a project,” she said of her role, and over 20 years with the firm, that approach has shaped some of Shore Point’s most complex and consequential work.
Her portfolio speaks for itself: the award-winning Springwood Center in Asbury Park, along with The Lofts at Pier Village, a 600,000-square-foot mixed-use development in Long Branch, navigated through a sprawling consultant network, years of city collaboration, and a pandemic. Now, her attention is on The Atlantic Club Residences, a luxury oceanfront condominium she calls “the most comprehensive indoor and outdoor social and wellness amenity program” she has encountered in her career.
Recognized as a past AIA NJ Young Architect of the Year and respected for her leadership and project delivery, Horvath is known for guiding complex, large-scale projects from early design through final completion with clarity and consistency. Her approach is grounded in collaboration, strong client relationships, and thoughtful design, principles that shape her work and leadership throughout every project phase.
IN YOUR CAREER, WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE OVERCOME?
Racing against a one-year deadline as the A.R.E. licensing exams transitioned from nine to six, I passed every exam without having to start over — a high-stakes sprint I wasn’t sure I could win.
DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE SUMMER VACATION IN A FEW WORDS.
Every year I road trip to the Outer Banks with my entire family: parents, sister, brother-in-law, nephews. We stay in one house — chaotic by my own admission, and exactly the way I want it.
WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD VILLAIN AND WHY?
I’m usually rooting for the heroes, but Alan Rickman, Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, and Heath Ledger’s Joker are the rare exceptions that made me reconsider.
Mike Vivolo
Owner, Lux Auto Studio / luxautostudionj.com
Not every empire begins with a business plan. Sometimes, it starts with a community page post and a free Saturday morning. Mike Vivolo and his brother were detailing cars for extra cash between classes, recruiting friends and waking up early after long college nights. Then they spotted an opportunity in the customization and protection side of the industry, and decided to go all in.
That decision built everything. Lux Auto Studio has grown from a mobile operation into a sweeping, nearly 5,000-square-foot facility, complete with a full team and a reputation that draws clients ready to make a substantial investment in their prized automotive toys. “You just never know where I’ll be,” Vivolo said with a laugh. “But know that I’m always working.”
His proudest milestone to date? “My biggest accomplishment was being able to quit my corporate job,” he said. “The feeling of knowing it is 100% up to you to determine what happens next is something you can’t understand until that time comes.”
Lux Auto Studio was built with no investors, no roadmap – just two brothers who learned through losses and kept going. Their next chapter is already in motion.
IN YOUR CAREER, WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE OVERCOME?
Stepping back a bit from the physical work and trusting your team to care for your business and customers like it’s their own is the hardest transition you will ever make, and it has been a huge challenge. You can’t have your eyes and hands on everything that passes through, so putting together a great team has been the mission for me as of late.
DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE SUMMER VACATION IN A FEW WORDS.
Europe, two weeks minimum, a few days to decompress and the rest to go country hopping.
WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD VILLAIN AND WHY?
Alonzo Harris from Training Day, because Denzel made you love and hate him at the same time.
Laura Fluor
General Manager, Circle BMW / circlebmw.com
Sometimes, the best career decisions aren’t in the original plan. Laura Fluor graduated college with law school in her sights, lined up a magazine interview in New York to help fund it, and on the drive home spotted a banner outside a Honda dealership looking for salespeople. She walked in, got the job, and never looked back.
That instinct has served her well. Nine years ago, she joined Circle BMW, where the foundation was already in place: a visionary owner, a dedicated team, and a strong company culture. Her role, as she saw it, was to build on that momentum. Two consecutive BMW Center of Excellence Awards later, the results speak for themselves. “It’s nice to be recognized, but it’s even better to be surrounded by the team that got us there,” she said of the honor.
As general manager, no two days look the same – which is precisely the point. Her leadership style is inherently collaborative, working closely with her management team to ensure every department is operating at full strength. (She’s even been known to move a car around the lot when the moment calls for it.) “Every decision comes back to two things: our people and our customers,” she said.
IN YOUR CAREER, WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE OVERCOME?
Self-doubt because imposter syndrome doesn’t care about your title or experience, and I had to learn that the little voice questioning whether I belonged was only as loud as I allowed it to be.
DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE SUMMER VACATION IN A FEW WORDS.
Poolside cocktails by day, moonlit walks by night.
WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD VILLAIN AND WHY?
Hannibal Lecter because beneath the terror, his unshakeable focus, ability to read people instantly, and thinking ten moves ahead is oddly inspirational.
Tom Lobrow
President, Custom Pool Pros / custompoolpros.com
There’s a moment every summer when the backyard becomes the only place anyone wants to be. Tom Lobrow has spent 22 years engineering that moment. As president of Custom Pool Pros, he has built a career around a simple but powerful idea: a well-designed pool, patio, and landscaping can transform how people live.
His day-to-day reflects the scope of that vision – client meetings, custom design layouts, project oversight, and team coordination. Lobrow remains hands-on at every stage. “Every project is different, so no two days are exactly the same,” he said. “But the focus is always on delivering a smooth experience and a high-end finished product.” What sets Custom Pool Pros apart is its reach, serving all of New Jersey at a luxury level while many competitors stay closer to home.
Twenty-two years in business is the accomplishment he’s most proud of, and for good reason. In a competitive, project-driven industry, longevity is earned one backyard at a time. It reflects something far more difficult to manufacture than a finished pool: trust. The next chapter is about scale, bringing that same standard to more homeowners across the state without losing what made the first two decades such a success.
IN YOUR CAREER, WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE OVERCOME?
Managing multiple projects, tight timelines, and high client expectations all at once during peak season is the ultimate test, and after 22 years, we have learned to handle it well.
DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE SUMMER VACATION IN A FEW WORDS.
Two weeks with my family, warm weather, out on the water, and driving fast cars with my phone nowhere in sight.
WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD VILLAIN AND WHY?
Darth Vader because the complexity and transformation behind the villain is what makes him unforgettable.