R.J. King

It’s hard enough establishing and maintaining success in any business, so when Loren Venegas, president of The Ideal Group Inc. in Detroit, learned that a new high school dedicated to building corporate careers was opening near the company’s headquarters, he wanted to help.

Knowing that business and pleasure can indeed be mixed, Joe and Rosalie Vicari, left, principals of 18 restaurants in metro Detroit, including 11 Andiamo eateries, toured several wineries in California’s Sonoma Valley in May with 20 of their employees.

While the scene may be mistaken for the back lot of Ben Hur II, Greece native Giorgio Gikas instead oversees the restoration of dozens of metal sculptures in the United States.