OUR TEAM
Art Sotloff, Founder
Art Sotloff moved to South Florida in 1975. Originally from Philadelphia, Art fell in love with the warm weather and sunny beaches Miami had to offer since the day he arrived. He became involved with The Home Show Management Company in 1977. Art's uncanny ability to develop and grow the company was attributed to two main ingredients, his positive attitude and excellent rapport-building skills. Since 1977, he has helped grow the company to incredible heights, making the Home Show Management Company one of the largest and most attended yearly home show events in South Florida.
Art and his wife Shirley founded the 2LIVES Foundation soon after their son, journalist Steven Sotloff, was brutally murdered on international tv after being held hostage for one year. Their mission is to provide scholarships to women and men of excellence seeking careers in journalism in a changed world. After working tirelessly and successfully with President Obama to change U.S. hostage laws, Art hopes to continue developing 2LIVES with his team so that freedom of speech and freedom of the press remain alive in this changed world. His dream is to have it become a beacon of hope to hostage families who need assistance out of Washington, D.C., and to the next generation of journalists as they embark on their journeys toward becoming the world's future news reporters in a conflict-driven world.
Shirley Sotloff, Founder
Shirley Sotloff was born in Miami Beach, Florida and grew up in Miami. Her parents were both Holocaust survivors and very pro-Israel, providing an influence on her survivor skills, as well as her son Steven's desire to take on the Middle East conflict and his wish for peace in the region. After all that she has witnessed, including watching her son being beheaded on international tv, she has demonstrated a rare courage to make some changes listed in the next paragraph, while also continuing to be a mother to her daughter Lauren, and working at Temple Beth Am in Miami for over 25 years as a nurturing preschool teacher, teaching Pre-K, Nursery and Pre-Nursery.
Shirley, along with her husband Art, is committed to accomplishing the goals that Steven laid out to his parents in his last letter smuggled out to them while being held hostage. Some of these goals include giving back to the young women, and men, journalists of the next generation, who live in a changed world. Shirley's main dream is that the United States should take care of their hostages, and that we should "bring our journalists home alive."
Frank Urrutia, Board Member
Frank Urrutia was born and raised in South Florida and has been a longtime friend of the Sotloff Family. As a successful small business owner for over 20 years, he brings marketing, management experience and vision to the 2LIVES Foundation. He most recently represented 2LIVES at Columbia University and then in Paris at UNESCO, where the world's finest news organizations including Associated Press, Reuters, CNN and others, wrote a best practices for journalist safety, in memory of Steven Sotloff and others.
Frank is also a life coach and transformational speaker. With years of Toastmasters and improv acting experience, he inspires audiences to live their best lives possible and to begin doing so today. His most recent speech invitation has been at Columbia University, with many more planned in the next year.
Frank is very passionate about, and dedicated to, the philosophy quoted by Steven in his final letter to his family: "Everyone has two lives: the 2nd one begins when you realize you have only one."
In his spare time, you can find Frank scuba diving, boating and participating in obstacle course racing. He enjoys pushing through challenges and teaching others that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.
Tracy Ellyn, Board Member
Tracy Ellyn is an accomplished artist, designer and published author who brings extensive experience from top companies in Miami, New York, Paris, Hong Kong and India, including Diane Von Furstenberg, Christian Dior, Argenti, Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne and Thinking Craft. Her designs have appeared in the top magazines both in the U.S. and Europe. She has created presentations for Google, MSN, AT&T and The Democratic and Republican National Committees. Additionally, her fine art pieces have been juried into The Louvre Museum, SCOPE/Art Basel, Wynwood and other venues in Miami, New York and Paris for the past 30+ years. Her work is also in permanent installations across the US and in Jerusalem
Tracy's contributions to the 2LIVES Foundation are particularly poignant given her own foundation experience, founding and directing The Zen Tov Project for Healing Through the Arts since 1996. She also serves as a partner with Greenspoon Marder Law Foundation's Community Arts Partnership. A tireless advocate for the healing power of the arts, Tracy created a memorial to Steven Sotloff after he perished on international TV. After sending the memorial to the 2LIVES Foundation for consideration, the Sotloffs accepted it, and Tracy has worked passionately with them ever since.
Tracy takes care of the 2Lives Foundation's creative and writing needs, including slideshows, presentations, photographing, research and documenting, website design and updates, speech writing, letters, and coordinating with museum work.