The Gulau family moved to Muirfield Village in August of last year. Husband, Jared, wife Stephanie (Steph), and their 3-year-old son, Chance, reside in the beautiful neighborhood of Macewen Ct. 

Their home is filled with lots of love and laughter, and their two dogs, Jackson, a 5-year-old pomeranian “with a big personality,” and Archie, an abandoned, 4-year-old husky pup they rescued.

Jared is originally from a little town on Lake Erie, Oak Harbor, while Stephanie hails from Baltimore, MD. The two met at a charity function at Land-Grant Brewing Company in 2019, connecting over their mutual love for causes near and dear to their hearts, eventually leading them to start a foundation of their own, The Gulau Foundation.

“The Gulau Foundation gives back to the NICU at Riverside Hospital,” Jared explains. “This is where Chance was born prematurely. We started this foundation after he was born—it was our own experience with the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) that encouraged us to raise money and give back to the place that took such amazing care of our son.”

The couple’s hope is to take “even a little bit of stress” off parents while dealing with the emotional and financial burdens that come with having a child in the NICU.

“We know what it feels like to live in the unknown, commuting back and forth to the hospital for weeks and having to take it day by day,” the couple shares. “We hope to contribute to the training of NICU nurses, as they took the most amazing care of our son, and of us.”

Jared and Steph are also bonded by their respective professions in the real estate and residential and commercial roofing space. Jared is a National Commercial and Residential Loss Consultant with Lifetime Quality Roofing, a company based in Westerville specializing in storm mitigation and commercial roof replacements. Stephanie advises families and individuals buying and selling their properties as a real estate agent with an up-and-coming cloud-based brokerage REAL of Ohio, servicing all over Columbus. They have recently started to dive into the investment space and look forward to adding to their portfolio. 

And as far as hobbies go, the Gulaus can’t get enough of the local food and music scene—favorite spots include Tucci’s, Hellas Carryout and Song Lan—spending time at Bridge Park’s markets, playing in golf scrambles, and supporting friends’ causes close to their hearts.

“We love to support our friends through golf scrambles, general donations, raffles, and whatever additional support we can provide,” the couple states. “This [past] year we were able to contribute to Waymakers Foundation, Sam’s Fans, Byron Saunders Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, and Brian Fritts Memorial (supporting the Ohio Premier Soccer Club) to name a few.”

“Our friends have been raising money for these causes for years,” Jared continues, “and we love supporting them.”

Like most families in Ohio, the Gulaus enjoy being outside when the weather is nice, and cozying up inside when it’s not. Give Steph a cup of excellent coffee and a great book, and she’s in her happy place. She also loves going to concerts, and will listen to pretty much anything (especially Emo and Country music).

“Steph is in her concert era,” Jared laughs. “This year alone she’s seen Creed, Chris Daughtry, T-Pain, Mitchell Tenpenny, Jordan Davis, Morgan Wallen, North to Nashville and Miranda Lambert.”

While she’s rocking out to live music, Jared fancies a round of golf and collecting bourbon, as well as doing “anything outdoors.”

Their son attends Balanced Family Academy, where he is currently learning how to count, how to share, and [good] manners, along with helping with everyday chores.

“Chance loves toy cars, playing football, dinosaurs, and spooky movies,” Jared and Steph say. You’ll find him swinging a golf club or baseball bat in the yard, and riding his bike on the trails with Jared throughout Muirfield. 

The Gulau’s have been members at Kinsale Golf and Fitness club for the past four years, where they enjoy meeting new people at the pool and restaurant and attending seasonal events.

“It feels like a family,” the two say fondly about Muirfield Village. “[The community] has been incredibly welcoming—we have already met so many neighbors and have been invited to all kinds of family events. We’re looking forward to watching our son grow up here.”

Their advice? Get involved and take advantage of all Muirfield has to offer—because there is plenty. And when you push yourself to get involved, the benefits come back tenfold.