Robin and Charles Deyo moved to Boca Raton in 1997 after stints everywhere from Chicago to Hawaii and Miami working in the hospitality business, and starting their own blockbuster company Cendyn, which Robin describes as offering “a suite of web-based software products for hotels and the travel industry to sell themselves and to drive revenue.” In addition to building a successful company, the Deyos became involved in Boca philanthropic and civic circles; Robin’s experience with the Junior League paved the way for much of what she’s done in Boca.
“The Junior League was my training ground, and I still think it’s one of the best organizations in town. If you’re new to town, you join the Junior League, you get 300 girlfriends and a whole bunch of training.”
Other organizations in which Robin has been involved include Boca Helping Hands, Boca Raton Historical Society, Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation, the Fuller Center, George Snow Scholarship Fund, Impact 100, the YMCA of South Palm Beach County, the Center for Arts & Innovation, AVDA, Best Foot Forward, Place of Hope and many more. Her awards are also impressive, with several from the Junior League, the George Snow Scholarship Fund and others.
By the time the Deyos sold Cendyn in 2019, the company was one of the hospitality industry’s most respected firms, with products and services in more than 30,000 hotels and venues in more than 140 countries. Robin says, “The timing was just right, the market was good, [and] some of our competitors had gotten really aggressive evaluations, so we didn’t want to miss that opportunity.”
Since that time, Robin has plunged into her volunteer and civic work, acknowledging that, “I really decided I am a much better person if I have a purpose.” She says she took her Junior League training and an impressive skill set in executive leadership and sales and marketing to assume pivotal positions such as board chair of the George Snow Scholarship Fund, and helping lead the capital campaign for the YMCA.
Which may be just the beginning of this new chapter.
WHY THE ONGOING FOCUS ON EDUCATION:
[In the Junior League] we worked on In the Pines, we worked on hunger, we worked on different problems, and they were all worthy. But, like with our daughter, education was the thing I could give her as a parent. She can take those skills and that knowledge and that experience and go on and do whatever she wants with it. [In terms of the George Snow Scholarship Fund], let’s say I grew up as the caretaker of a disabled parent, and I just need a little help. … That education can really just change my trajectory and where I can go. … and I’m not going to be in a certain lane for the rest of my life. I find that very enabling and powerful.
PROJECT DEAR TO YOUR HEART:
I have to go back to George Snow. That is where I’ve put all my eggs right now. As board chairman, the organization is in an amazing part of its [development]; the first year, they gave out $8,000 in scholarships and we did millions this year. The growth is phenomenal. I did also agree to be on the capital campaign for the YMCA. I’ve never personally done a capital campaign, so I thought this would be a good learning experience for me.
WHY GIVING BACK IS IMPORTANT:
Twofold. It’s the right thing to do; my parents taught me that. My parents were always involved in various nonprofits in their church. That was an example growing up.
Beyond that, I’m a big believer in karma. What goes around comes around. If you put out positivity and you’re a go-getter and you’re going to make a difference, it’s going to come back to you. I am very fortunate that it has. And it makes me feel good. I feel productive, I’ve added value, I’m contributing, I’m making a difference. These are the personal things that make me feel good. I like the camaraderie of working with other people and accomplishing a goal. I love that connection.
