Local entrepreneur buys Sarasota Magazine

Sarasota-based DreamLarge has acquired Sarasota Magazine, a lifestyle publication with six print issues a year and a website.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. 

DreamLarge, which says its activities range from environmental sustainability projects and educational programs to support for local arts and entrepreneurship, is a B Corp. (B Corporations, also known Public Benefit Corporations, are “businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose,” according to B Lab, a global network of B Corporations.) DreamLarge’s projects include the Pinc Experience, a one-day session of speakers focused on innovation and creativity. 

DreamLarge acquired Sarasota Magazine from SagaCity Media, a Portland, Oregon, publishing company, according to a statement. 

SagaCity acquired the magazine, founded in 1979, in 2015 from its longtime publisher and president, Dan Denton. In that deal, SagaCity acquired Sarasota Magazine and four other titles, Biz(941), SEE Sarasota, Sarasota Health and Venice Magazine. Some of those titles have since ceased publication. That was also the second time Denton sold the publication: In 2004 Denton sold Sarasota Magazine to CurtCo, a California-based media firm. He bought it back under the entity Gulfshore Media in 2010.

DreamLarge CEO Anand Pallegar, in the statement on the purchase, notes that like Denton, this move returns the publication to local ownership. "We are thrilled to welcome Sarasota Magazine into the DreamLarge family and more significantly bring it home to Sarasota," Pallegar says in the statement. "As a company deeply rooted in the values of community, creativity and social responsibility, we see tremendous potential in this partnership to amplify the voices of Sarasota and empower them to shape the future of their city."

The acquisition, the release states, “is expected to bring fresh perspectives, expanded coverage areas and innovative digital offerings to Sarasota Magazine's readership.” 

"We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as part of the DreamLarge family," Sarasota Magazine Editor in Chief Cooper Levey-Baker says in the statement. "This partnership aligns with our mission to inform, inspire and celebrate Sarasota, and we plan to continue to serve our readers with the same dedication and passion they have come to expect from us since our founding in 1979.”

Sarasota Magazine, the release states, writes about arts, dining, real estate, style, trends, philanthropy, design and more in the Sarasota area. In addition to the print magazine, the publication also produces a website, multiple email newsletters and social media channels. Additional titles include a variety of arts playbills and other custom publications.