By Allen Media Group

Honorees Include: Tyler Perry, Norman Lear, Patti LaBelle, Kenan Thompson, Ben Crump, Alena Analeigh McQuarter, Robert F. Smith, Allyson Felix, Don Peebles, Queen Latifah, Dave Chappelle, and Jennifer Hudson 

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allen Media Group's African American-focused news, lifestyle, sports and entertainment platform theGrio (www.thegrio.com) will celebrate icons, leaders and legends at TheGrio Awards, a star-studded, black-tie event at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, October 22, 2022 with co-hosts comedian Sheryl Underwoodand Taye Diggs. The television event will be broadcast on Saturday, November 5, 2022 on broadcast television stations nationwide, theGrio Television Network and other Allen Media Group television and digital platforms.

Attending in person, this year's honorees include: Tyler Perry (theGrio ICON Award, @tylerperry), Norman Lear (theGrio Champion Award, @TheNormanLear), Patti LaBelle (theGrio Music Icon Award, @mspattipatti), Kenan Thompson (theGrio Comedy Icon Award, @kenanthompson), Ben Crump (theGrio Justice Icon Award, @AttorneyCrump), Alena Analeigh McQuarter (theGrio Young Icon Award, @thebrownstemgirl), Robert F. Smith (theGrio Philanthropy Award, @RFS_Vista), Allyson Felix (theGrio Sports Icon Award, @allysonfelix), Don Peebles (theGrio Business Icon Award, Queen Latifah (theGrio Television Icon Award, @iamqueenlatifah), Dave Chappelle (theGrio Cultural Icon Award, @davechappelle), and Jennifer Hudson (theGrio Trailblazer Icon Award, @IAMJHUD). The event will also feature special musical performances by Yolanda Adams, Tyrese, Fantasia and Patti LaBelle. Greg Phillinganes will serve as musical director, and DJ Kiss will serve as both D.J. and announcer.

"I created theGrio Awards to celebrate and amplify African-American excellence and the incredible champions from other communities who truly support us," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. "As a child, strong, positive African-American icons such as Berry Gordy, Jr., Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, and Martin Luther King, Jr. helped me see myself differently, and changed the trajectory of my life. Celebrating and amplifying iconic individuals is something we can never do enough of, especially for our children."

TheGrio Awards celebrates excellence in film, music, comedy, television, sports, philanthropy, business, fashion, social justice, environmental justice, education and the cultural icons and innovators, whose many contributions positively impact America. TheGrio Awards pays tribute to, and amplifies, the history makers, change agents and artists who define and influence our world. Allen Media Group and Backhand Productions are co-producing theGrio Awards. Executive Producers include: Byron Allen, Carolyn Folks, Jennifer Lucas, Jeff Atlas, and Michelle Willrich.

About Allen Media Group
Chairman and CEO Byron Allen founded Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios in 1993. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Charleston, SC. Allen Media Group owns 27 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets and twelve 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 220 million subscribers: THE WEATHER CHANNEL, THE WEATHER CHANNEL EN ESPAÑOL, PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, JUSTICE CENTRAL.TV, THEGRIO, THIS TV, and PATTRN. Allen Media Group also owns the streaming platforms HBCU GO, SPORTS.TV, THEGRIO, THE WEATHER CHANNEL STREAMING APP and LOCAL NOW--the free-streaming AVOD service powered by THE WEATHER CHANNEL and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. Allen Media Group also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 68 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations. Allen Media Group International Television continues to extend its corporate branding and content around the globe.  It currently has active license agreements and programming in South Africa, The United Arab Emirates, Australia, The Bahamas, Canada and New Zealand.  With a library of over 5,000 hours of owned content across multiple genres, Allen Media Group provides video content to broadcast television stations, cable television networks, mobile devices, and multimedia digital. Our mission is to provide excellent programming to our viewers, online users, and Fortune 500 advertising partners.

Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures is a full-service, theatrical motion picture distribution company specializing in wide release commercial content. ESMP released 2017's highest-grossing independent movie, the shark thriller 47 METERS DOWN, which grossed over $44.3 million. In 2018, ESMP also released the critically-acclaimed and commercially successful Western HOSTILES, the historic mystery-thriller CHAPPAQUIDDICK and the sequel to 47 METERS DOWN, 47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED. The digital distribution unit of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, Freestyle Digital Media, is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms. Capitalizing on a robust infrastructure, proven track record and a veteran sales team, Freestyle Digital Media is a true home for independent films.

In 2016, Allen Media Group purchased The Grio, a highly-rated digital video-centric news community platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets. The Grio features aggregated and original video packages, news articles and opinion pieces on topics that include breaking news, politics, health, business and entertainment. Originally launched in 2009, the platform was then purchased by NBC News in 2010. The digital platform remains focused on curating exciting digital content and currently has more than 100 million annual visitors

About Backhand Productions
Jeff Atlas founded Backhand Productions with a contract to produce 14 hours of live TV content for the Democratic National Convention. From there, Backhand went on to produce a series of diverse, high-quality productions for ABC, NBC, FOX, TNT, Nickelodeon, MTV, and more. Notable projects include Kevin Hart's theatrical blockbuster, Laugh at My Pain, the launch of  YouTube Space LA, and the National Urban League's National Annual Conference and NAACP Image Awards.  His virtual event credits include The Gracie Awards, the 2016 and 2020 Democratic National Conventions, and the go90s live stream of the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco. In addition, he co-created, and executive produced the limited series Blood Ivory for Animal Planet, which focuses on the non-profit group of American veterans (VETPAW) and their first mission to Tanzania to support the elephant anti-poaching effort. More recent projects include the Biden Inaugural in 2021, the NBA All-Star Game, and project launches for Instagram and Facebook. Backhand is represented by Robyn Lattaker-Johnson at A3 Artists Agency and Kerry Smith of Smith Entertainment Legal Group.

Credit: Cision

By Marta

ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors today approved a resolution authorizing MARTA to enter into negotiations with a development joint venture for the transit-oriented development (TOD) of the Bankhead rail station, the western terminus of the Green Line. The joint venture is led by the Peebles Corporation, one of the largest minority-owned real estate development firms in the country, with a deep track record of public private partnerships, and includes co-developer Exact Capital out of New York and local firms Third & Urban and Bolster Real Estate Partners.

The Bankhead TOD is located on just under five-and-a-half acres of land, along with air-rights above the station itself, which sits at 1335 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. The rail station is adjacent to the Microsoft proposed 90-acre campus development and is a half-mile southeast of Westside Park. Other nearby development includes the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail and the Proctor Creek Greenway in the historic Grove Park community.

The development plan includes 495 multi-family housing units, with 148 of them designated as affordable at 80 to 120 percent of the area median income by zip code. The concept also includes office and workshare space,

retail and a hotel, along with over an acre of open space. To further support the type of mixed-use density that defines successful TODs, MARTA, with support from Atlanta City Councilmember Dustin Hillis, had the station rezoned to Mixed Residential Commercial District 3 (MRC-3), to align with the zoning applied to the Microsoft property and the zoning presented in the City of Atlanta’s Transit-Oriented Development Plan, which recommends that nine of MARTA’s rail stations undergo a proactive rezoning to support higher density at transit stations.

“Bankhead Station is in a part of Atlanta that is undergoing significant growth and land use changes. Our rezoning efforts with the City and the station’s location within a Federal Opportunity Zone make this TOD an incredible opportunity to provide affordable housing and other community amenities convenient to transit,” said MARTA Interim General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood.

The Bankhead Station transformation project is part of MARTA 2040, a decades-long several billion-dollar transit improvement and expansion program. The project includes a platform extension from two-car to eight-car capacity (matching the capacity of the other 37 rail stations), and other modifications necessary to accommodate the subsequent increase in rail cars and customers. Last year the Georgia General Assembly approved a $6 million appropriation toward the transformation of Bankhead Station, in support of the economic development taking place in surrounding areas.

Credit: Marta

By Adrienne Faurote

The city of Miami is on fire and evolving like never before. Our annual Haute 100 list makes a triumphant return, celebrating the most influential names in Miami – including philanthropists, entrepreneurs, power couples, developers, creatives, athletes, hospitality power players, and more.

 JR & Loren Ridinger 

On August 30, 2022, JR Ridinger, Market America Worldwide | SHOP.COM’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, and dear friend of Haute Living, suddenly and unexpectedly passed away, leaving a tremendous legacy for his wife Loren, their family, staff, and thousands of UnFranchise® Owners around the world to continue. As a mentor and inspiration to all around him, JR impacted every life he touched.

Loren and JR Ridinger had recently celebrated the company’s 30th anniversary — a major milestone. A global digital marketing company and product brokerage specializing in one-to-one marketing, Market America’s mission is to provide a robust business system for entrepreneurs while providing consumers with a better way to shop; it has generated more than $10 billion in accumulated retail sales. Through the company’s primary shopping website, SHOP.COM, consumers can access more than 60 million products and the revolutionary Shopping Annuity® program that helps smart shoppers convert their existing spending into earnings.

With sites around the world and top rankings and numerous awards from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, Newsweek magazine, Digital Commerce 360, and Business North Carolina magazine, Market America Worldwide | SHOP.COM is a proven leader in its industry and will keep advancing JR’s dream of helping regular people improve their lives.

ATHLETES 

Jimmy Butler

INDUSTRY: Sports

Basketball legend Jimmy Butler joined the Miami Heat in 2019 and has put the magic back into the Magic City. Butler has garnered an impressive list of achievements, including 6-time NBA All-Star, 5-time All-Defensive Team selection, 4-time All-NBA Team honoree, a 2016 Olympic Gold Medal, and is the recipient of the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. Regarded as one of the hardest working, most interesting self-made players in the entire NBA, Butler has amassed over seven million loyal followers on Instagram. Off the court, Butler launched a new culture-shifting coffee and lifestyle brand, BIGFACE, that aims to connect, inspire, and revive the world through coffee. He is also a brand ambassador for Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer.

David Beckham

 

David Beckham OBE is one of England’s most successful footballers, with his football career spanning over two decades. Since retirement, Beckham has established himself as a businessman and entrepreneur. In 2019, Beckham founded Studio 99, a global production and content studio focusing on unscripted films, series, and format development across platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, among others. Beckham fulfilled a lifelong ambition to be an owner of a football club when his group was awarded the MLS franchise for the city of Miami; thus, Inter Miami CF was announced and began playing in 2020. Beckham is a Goodwill Ambassador with UNICEF, where he launched the ground-breaking initiative 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund to protect millions of children worldwide from danger.

Udonis Haslem

Born and raised in Miami, Udonis Haslem (UD) is a professional basketball player, father, husband, businessman, and philanthropist. At 42 years old, the three-time NBA Champion and Co-Team Captain of the Miami Heat is now the oldest active player in the league. UD’s entire 19-year NBA run to date has been with the Miami Heat, making him a beacon in the city of Miami. Off the court, UD founded the Udonis Haslem’s Children’s Foundation with the mission to promote youth development and self-confidence through a variety of different programs and services. This year, UD is proud to return to the Miami Heat for his 20th and final season in the NBA.

Tyler Herro 

Known for his unapologetic confidence and sharp shooting abilities, Tyler Herro is by far one of the most exciting rising players to watch. In fact, he recently signed a staggering four-year, $130 million contract extension with the Miami Heat, further solidifying his unparalleled skill and commitment to the team. As the reigning Sixth Man of the Year for his career highs in points per game, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and assists per game during the 2021-22 season, Herro is expected to return this season in full force. Tyler’s foundation, T.Herro, is dedicated to inspiring and improving the lives of the Herro’s of tomorrow, by helping at-risk kids fulfill their potential through sports, the arts, and holistic wellness programs.

Tyreek Hill

 

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, also known as “Cheetah” due to his incredible speed, has grown to become one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League. In 2022, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins, where he has immediately taken on a leadership role within the team. In the early stages of his NFL career, Hill established the Tyreek Hill Family Foundation to empower kids through education and wellness, and as a proud father of four, he mentors his children just the same. Through the Cheetah Scholarship Fund, free football camps, fundraising events, and more, the Tyreek Hill Family Foundation helps at-risk youth reach their goals.

Derek Jeter

 

Considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Derek Jeter’s time as an athlete with the New York Yankees will remain cherished and admired. This September, Jeter stepped back on the mound for thelong-awaited celebration to honor his entrance into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He holds the prestigious honors of 14 All-Star selections, five Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, and a Roberto Clemente Award, and the Yankees retired his No. 2 jersey in 2017 to pay tribute to his legacy. To give back, Jeter created the Turn 2 Foundation, a charitable organization to help children and teenagers avoid drug and alcohol addiction.

Jamal Mashburn

Most notably known for his success on the basketball court and his career spanning over 20 years, NBA All-Star Jamal Mashburn has evolved beyond the court. Since retiring from basketball, Mashburn has worked for ESPN as an analyst and launched several successful business ventures. To date, Mashburn has ownership interest in numerous restaurant franchises, car dealerships, real estate ventures, and even the thoroughbred horse racing industry. Extremely civic-minded, Mashburn is committed to helping others and giving back to the community. He is a founding member, officer, and director of The MAP Foundation and Mashburn Family Foundation, both of which are non-profit 501(c)(3) corporations.

Alex Rodriguez 

 

While best known as a 14x MLB All-Star and 2009 World Series Champion with the New York Yankees for more than 25 years, Alex Rodriguez is also the Chairman and CEO of A-Rod Corp, a broad-based investment firm that bets on world-class startups. Within the organization, Rodriguez created the strategic media pillar A-Rod Media. Rodriguez is an Emmy Award-winning MLB analyst for Fox Sports and ESPN, and currently co-hosts the podcast The Corp with Barstool Sports’ Dan Katz. Rodriguez serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, where he is an Alumni Hall of Fame Honoree.

ART & DESIGN 

Romero Britto

 

Romero Britto is the founder of the Happy Art Movement and an internationally renowned artist who has created the universal visual language of happiness. Britto is one of the most celebrated living visual artists with his work having been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums in over 120 countries, including the Carrousel Du Louvre and Museu Nacional de Belas Arte. He has collaborated with some of the world’s largest companies, including the opening of the Super Bowl XLI with the Cirque Du Soleil, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, and more. Considered the most licensed artist in history, Britto is a frequent speaker at the World Economic Forum and is an activist for more than 250 charitable organizations.

Gary Nader

 

For more than 40 years, Gary Nader has played an integral role in Miami’s presence in the art industry. As a leading Latin-American art expert, Nader has successfully disseminated information about Latin-American art, expanding the horizons for his artists and collectors. Nader is at the helm of the Gary Nader Art Centre, home to works and exhibitions by renowned artists like Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Matisse, Picasso, and more, spanning across Gary Nader Private Collection, the Exhibition Gallery, and the Sculpture Park. He is the founder of the Nader Art Museum Latin America (NAMLA), which showcases art and fosters knowledge through appreciation and reinterpretation of modern and contemporary art from Latin America and its diaspora.

Rubell Family

 

The Rubell family are leading collectors of contemporary art and the founders of the Rubell Museum in Miami, which relocated to the city’s Allapattah neighborhood in December 2019, and the Rubell Museum DC, opening in the nation’s capital this October. Art collecting has been in the family for decades, as Mera and Don Rubell began visiting artists’ studios and collecting art in New York in 1964, shortly after they were married. Their son, Jason Rubell, joined them in 1982 to help build the collection. Over the last several decades, the family has created exhibitions and developed museums to reflect the multi-generational family passion for discovering, engaging, and supporting many of today’s most compelling artists.

Kobi Karp

 

The designer paving the way for the present and future of Miami, Kobi Karp is the Founder and Principal of Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design, Inc., a full-service architectural and interior design firm providing an array of services from large-scale, high-rise condominium and hospitality projects to small-scale, low-rise residential projects. Karp began his career working on major hospitality and all-inclusive resort projects throughout the US. Today, his restoration design techniques have contributed to a renaissance in Miami Beach’s Art Deco District. Karp is a recognized American Institute of Architects member, with his firm recently being honored as Firm of The Year.

ENTERTAINMENT 

Nick Rivera Caminero (Nicky Jam)

 

Nick Rivera Caminero, also known as Nicky Jam, is a charting, award-winning singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known for hits such as “X,” “Travesuras,” “En la Cama,” “Te Busco,” “El Perdón,” “Hasta el Amanecer,” and “El Amante.” In 2018, he was named luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot’s first Latin Music Ambassador, and he traveled with the brand to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia, performing “Live it Up” with rapper Will Smith and singer Era Istrefi. Nicky Jam has also acted in the films XXX: Return of Xander Cage and Bad Boys for Life, and starred in and executive produced the Netflix biographical series Nicky Jam: El Ganador.

Luis Fonsi

 

Luis Fonsi is an award-winning global artist and a leading Latin Music figure of his generation. Fonsi has topped charts with songs like “Aquí Estoy Yo,” which won Song of the Year at the Latin Grammy Awards and three Billboard Latin Music Awards, and “Despacito.” In fact, “Despacito” is Fonsi’s biggest success to date, winning four Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Latin Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and three Grammy Award nominations, and the music video is the one of most-watched on YouTube, garnering over 7 billion views. Fonsi continues to make waves in the industry; he has broken six Guinness World Records and has sold more than 11 million records with “Despacito.”

Karolina Kurkova & Archie Drury 

 

Karolina Kurkova, the renowned supermodel, has been featured on the covers of some of the biggest fashion publications in the world, as well as major fashion campaigns with luxury brands, like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and more. Kurkova pivoted her successful modeling career into entrepreneurship as she is the co-founder of Gryph & IvyRose, a wellness and lifestyle brand that formulates natural herbal blends for children, and in 2019, she debuted a collaboration with Cybex that includes strollers, a car seat, and baby carrier. Kurkova is married to Voices of Iraq film producer, real estate investor, and entrepreneur Archie Drury. He is a former Marine and a founder of the nonprofit, Fisher Island Medical Clinic.

N.O.R.E

 

Legendary Queens rapper N.O.R.E has pivoted his music career, to become the Co-Founder and Co-Host of one of the largest urban podcasts, Drink Champs, alongside Miami hop-hop pioneer DJ EFN. N.O.R.E., formerly Noreaga, first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip-hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga, alongside fellow Queens-based rapper Capone. N.O.R.E. has released music under various record labels, including Penalty, Roc-La-Familia, Def Jam, and Babygrande Records. In June 2011, it was announced N.O.R.E partnered with fellow rapper Busta Rhymes‘ Conglomerate label, where he released his 2013 album Student of the Game, issued under E1 Music. N.O.R.E. is also the CEO of his label imprint, Militainment Business.

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams is a visionary recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur. He holds prestigious awards, like 2010’s Billboard’s Producer of the Decade, 13 Grammy Awards, and a 2017 Academy Award nomination. As a fashion designer, he started the apparel brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream. Williams partnered with David Grutman to open Swan and Bar Bevy and The Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach. Philanthropy remains at the forefront of Williams’ priorities through his companies: YELLOW, a non-profit supporting youth education; Black Ambition, a non-profit initiative providing a bridge to success for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs; and Humanrace™, a company that empowers individuals in the pursuit of well-being.

Rick Ross

 

William Leonard Roberts II, known professionally as Rick Ross, is a famed rapper. After releasing his first single, “Hustlin,” in 2006, Ross signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Jay-Z at Def Jam Recordings. His debut album, Port of Miami, earned a top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart with record sales. Outside of his solo career, Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group in 2009, on which he released his eight studio albums, including his tenth album, Port of Miami 2, which was released in August 2019 and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 charts. Ross has also signed Meek Mill, Wale, and French Montana through the Maybach Music label.

Myles Shear

 

Myles Shear is the CEO and Co-Founder of Palm Tree Crew, which consists of Palm Tree Management, Palm Tree Records, and Palm Tree Holdings. Shear guides a roster of award-winning multiplatinum talent, including record-breaking international superstars Kygo, Gryffin, Sam Feldt, Thomas Jack, Frank Walker, Forester, and influential songwriters Dreamlab and Petey Martin. Under Shear’s guidance as manager and confidant since 2012, Kygo has landed dozens of multiplatinum certifications, garnering 15 billion streams and selling out successive world tours, becoming the first artist to reach one billion streams on Spotify. Together, Shear and Kygo co-founded Palm Tree Management and aligned with RCA Records in a joint venture for Palm Tree Records.

Timbaland

 

Born Timothy Z. Mosley, Timbaland is a  multiplatinum Grammy-winning super-producer and was recently named by Billboard as No. 3 on a list of the 50 greatest producers of the 21st century. He is the CEO of Mosley Music Group, a successful independent record label, selling over 25 million albums and 40 million singles. Timbaland is also the co-founder of the worldwide media phenomenon startup, Verzuz, with producer Swizz Beatz, where they have achieved multiple honors, including ASCAP’s Voice of the Culture Award. He is also the founder of the music creator platform Beatclub, the premier global marketplace for connecting the music creator community with record labels, music publishers, and independent artists.

Sophie Turner & Joe Jonas

 

Hollywood’s favorite couple are officially Miami locals, as they bought a home in Bay Point in early 2021. Joe Jonas is a singer, songwriter, and actor. Jonas rose to fame as a member of the iconic band, the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers, Kevin and Nick. Sophie (Turner) Jonas is an English actress that made her acting debut as Sansa Stark on the HBO epic fantasy television series, Game of Thrones, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for  Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She is also a brand ambassador for the luxury fashion brand, Louis Vuitton. The two married in 2019 and now have two daughters together.

DEVELOPERS

Gil Dezer

 

An accomplished businessman and humanitarian, Gil Dezer is a real estate developer and one of the largest oceanfront property owners in Sunny Isles Beach. Dezer launched the Porsche Design Tower, a 60-story luxury tower, which introduced the Dezervator, a revolutionary automobile elevator lift system. He has launched marquee lifestyle brands, Residences by Armani/Casa and Hyde Midtown Suites and Residences, in exclusive partnerships with The Related Group. In 2021, Dezer announced plans for Bentley Residences, the world’s first Bentley Motors-branded luxury tower in Miami. Dezer is a proud supporter of local charities as he is one of the founders of the Mount Sinai Medical Center Foundation, among others.

Katrina, Don, and Donahue, III Peebles

 

Don Peebles is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Peebles Corporation, a national real estate investment and development company with an $8 billion-dollar project portfolio and a pipeline spanning key markets in the nation.Donahue Peebles, III is the Executive Vice President of The Peebles Corporation and handles new acquisitions and business development, actively pursuing public and private real estate transactions for The Peebles Corporation. Katrina is responsible for the creative vision and direction of The Peebles Corporation’s design and marketing. In addition to her corporate role, Katrina currently sits on the board of directors for CARE Elementary School in Miami and is the Vice Chair of the New York City Mission Society.

Vlad Doronin 

 

Vlad Doronin is an international investor and real estate developer focused on luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality properties. As founder and CEO of leading real estate development firm, OKO Group, and owner, Chairman and CEO of the world’s most preeminent resort brand, Aman, Doronin’s global business portfolio spans the globe. OKO Group is currently developing several residential and commercial sites in Miami, including an Aman hotel and a limited number of Aman-branded residences on Miami Beach. With the launch of Janu, Aman’s sister hotel brand, Doronin continues to add value to the world’s most admired hospitality brand, with three new hotels in Tokyo, Montenegro, and AlUla in Saudi Arabia set to be completed in 2023.

Art Falcone 

 

Art Falcone is the co-founding managing principal of Encore Capital Management and Rescore Property Corp., which includes master-planned communities, apartment complexes, retail centers, condominiums, townhomes, and hotels. Falcone is also the founder and Managing Principal of Miami Worldcenter, a project in the heart of downtown Miami with more than 15 million square feet of mixed-use space. As CEO and Chairman of Falcone Group, a vertically-integrated real estate, and land development organization, Falcone established the company as an internationally recognized real estate corporation. Falcone has been a benefactor to various foundations and charities, including Crohn’s and Colitis National Foundation and SOS Children’s Village, among others.

Russell W. Galbut

 

Russell W. Galbut currently serves as the Managing Principal of Crescent Heights, Chairman of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., and Chairman of GFO Investments, a private wealth management firm focusing on real estate development and investments such as hospitality operations. Galbut and Crescent Heights, one of America’s largest and most respected developers of quality residential apartments and condominiums, have been at the helm of the urban mixed-use real estate sector for over three decades, garnering an esteemed reputation. Galbut values giving back to the community and serves on numerous charitable boards, including the board of trustees for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the advisory board for the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Joey Goldman & Jessica Goldman Srebnick

 

Power siblings Joey Goldman and Jessica Goldman Srebnick both sit on the board as Co-Chair of  Goldman Properties, a company that has revitalized numerous neighborhoods throughout the country, including Soho, Deep Ellum in Dallas, Miami Beach, and Wynwood. At a young age, Joey knew his career passion would follow his father’s (Tony Goldman) footsteps in real estate. Today, he continues to oversee acquisitions and the development of real estate for the company. Aside from Goldman Properties, Srebnick also serves as the Founder and CEO of Goldman Global Arts, an organization that brings artists and clients together, and the Lead Curator for the internationally acclaimed street art museum, Wynwood Walls.

Daniel Kodsi 

 

Throughout his career, Daniel Kodsi has been credited for changing skylines with his award-winning projects. Kodsi has been at the helm of Royal Palm Companies (RPC), and under his leadership, RPC has developed over $3.5 billion in completed projects with over $2 billion in the pipeline. Kodsi founded Participant Capital as the capital arm of Royal Palm Companies and a vehicle to empower individual investors to participate in ground-up construction projects. Kodsi has created several branded residences, including his own brands, the PARAMOUNT and Legacy Hotel and Residences. He recently completed the internationally renowned PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter, which is the signature tower of the second largest master-planned urban project in the US.

Christy & David Martin

 

Christy and David Martin’s passion for making a difference in their native South Florida has greatly impacted the corporate and philanthropic sectors. As CEO of Terra, one of South Florida’s leading real estate development companies, David and his firm are known for transforming neighborhoods through strategic and unexpected design, and the firm’s thoughtfully curated portfolio is valued at more than $8 billion, elevating quality of life and innovating the urban and suburban landscape with a keen eye toward resiliency and sustainability. The Martins also play an integral role in the community by supporting charitable organizations, including Miami Children’s Health Foundation benefitting Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Vizcaya Museums and Gardens, the Bass Museum, and more.

Camilo Miguel Jr.

 

Camilo Miguel Jr. is the CEO of Mast Capital, overseeing the company’s investment strategy, risk management, and operations.  Under Miguel’s keen expertise, extensive network, and leadership, Mast Capital is a leading investor and developer of high-end for-sale residential, hospitality, office, and retail projects, focusing on high barriers-to-entry markets. Before founding Mast, Miguel was the Founder and President of Vertica Group and the Co-Founder of Clear Tile Group. A pillar of the Miami community, Miguel sits on the Board of Friends of the Underline, on the Real Estate Advisory Board at the University of Miami, and the Perez Art Museum Collectors Council.

Jorge Pérez, Jon Paul “JP” Pérez, and Nicholas Pérez 

 

Jorge Pérez is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Related Group and has been at the forefront of South Florida’s complex urban evolution for over four decades. Set to answer the demands and desires of a new generation, Jorge’s two sons are also actively involved in the family business. Jon Paul “JP” Pérez serves as President of Development at Related Group and is responsible for driving the company into the future. A market maker himself, Jon Paul has personally spearheaded Related’s recent entrance into Miami’s popular Wynwood neighborhood. Nicholas Pérez serves as a Senior Vice President at Related Group and is involved across all facets of the firm, including the condominium, international development, market-rate rental, and affordable housing divisions.

Robert Rivani

 

Robert Rivani is an American entrepreneur, retail entertainment innovator, real estate visionary, and the President of Black Lion Investment Group. Inspired by Miami’s high-energy lifestyle, Black Lion presently focuses on entertainment-focused endeavors for South Florida’s ever-expanding social scene. Through the company, Rivani has recently acquired the restaurant Amara at Paraiso, as well as Marea and Continuum — both high-profile restaurant spaces in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood — and a retail location at the SLS LUX tower, featuring the hot new restaurant Gekko, with famed restaurateur David Grutman. Rivani plans to invest another $100 million into South Florida in the next year as companies and individuals alike continue to relocate to the area from across the country.

Michael Shvo

 

Michael Shvo is the founder, Chairman, and CEO of SHVO, and a leading real estate owner, investor, and developer of unique and innovative luxury and landmark properties, overseeing a portfolio of more than $8 billion, including residential, hospitality, and commercial space. Shvo leads the firm’s investment and transaction strategy, capital markets, site selection, design, and conceptualization, as well as collaborations with world-renowned architects, designers, and fashion brands, including Peter Marino, Jean-Michel Gathy, and more. Shvo also pioneered the marriage of fashion and real estate with Armani Casa at 20 Pine Street. Shvo has a great passion for art, and in 2019, SHVO opened Les Lalanne at The Raleigh Hotel Gardens in Miami Beach.

Jeffrey Soffer

Jeffrey Soffer is the Chairman and CEO of Fontainebleau Development, one of the country’s premier real estate development groups specializing in large-scale lifestyle developments within the hospitality, retail, residential and commercial sectors. He has been dedicated to Fontainebleau Development’s growth for more than 25 years. Soffer led the $1 billion expansion and renovation of the company’s landmark Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The company’s portfolio also includes JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa, and Hilton Nashville Downtown. Soffer has created numerous South Florida residential landmarks, including Turnberry Ocean Colony, Porto Vita, Fontainebleau II, Fontainebleau III, Turnberry Village, and more.

Barry Sternlicht 

 

A pioneer of the real estate industry, Barry Sternlicht is a true trailblazer. Sternlicht is the Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, the private alternative investment firm focused on global real estate, hotel management, oil and gas, and energy infrastructure. Sternlicht is also the Chairman of Starwood Property Trust, a leading diversified finance company. For the past three decades, Sternlicht has structured investments with an asset value of $235 billion+. In 2008,  Sternlicht founded SH Group, his new hotel management company that owns and manages Baccarat Hotels & Resorts and 1 Hotel brands. Sternlicht also serves on the Board of Directors of The Estée Lauder Companies and the Real Estate Roundtable.

Alirio Torrealba

Alirio Torrealba is the CEO of MG Developer, the developer behind Biltmore Square, among other high-end residential properties. As the most active developer in Coral Gables, he was named Business Leader of the Year by the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce in 2022. A philanthropist at heart, Torrealba is a proponent of the arts and a donor to the city’s Art in Public Places Public Art program. He is on the Board of Directors for the Coral Gables Museum, and his charitable work extends to the Coral Gables Community Foundation, as well as raising awareness for FundaHigado.

Manny Angelo Varas

Manny Angelo Varas is the visionary builder behind some of the most stunning homes built for billionaires, celebrities, and business leaders. As the CEO and Founder of MV Group USA, Varas develops multi-million dollar, custom-built homes for an elite and private international clientele and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Lil Wayne, among others. Making international headlines, MV Group has elevated Miami’s profile as a destination home to the world’s most incredible private residences, recently selling a 9,000-square-foot home, Journey’s End, to the Bezos family. Varas is a state-licensed general contractor, roofing contractor, and real estate broker, as well as a LEED accredited professional, designated by the U.S Green Building Council.

ENTREPRENEURS

DJ Khaled

 

DJ Khaled embodies an elevated level of musical greatness, entrepreneurial excellence, and cultural impact. As a Grammy award-winning multi-platinum artist, achieving dozens of multi-platinum and gold certifications, DJ Khaled is unstoppable. To date, he has moved 20 million singles and six million albums, garnering over four billion streams. His thirteenth full-length, self-titled album, Khaled Khaled, marks DJ Khaled’s third No. 1 Hot 200 album debut. He is the founder of We The Best Music Group, a record label, management, publishing, and production company, and in-demand studio. As a committed philanthropist, he founded the 501(c)3 organization The We The Best Foundation, supporting underserved communities.

Nick Arison 

Nick Arison has grown up with the Miami Heat; following the footsteps of his grandfather, Ted Arison, one of the team’s original founders, and his father, Micky Arison, Nick Arison is entering his 17th year as a full-time member of the Heat organization and his ninth as CEO. Under Arison’s leadership, the Heat has excelled on the court, as he was instrumental in the re-signing of Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem in 2010, as well as the acquisitions of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Mike Miller. Arison has evolved into the world of esports with the creation of HEAT Check Gaming, and serves on the Boards of the HEAT Charitable Fund, Project Medishare for Haiti, and The Buoniconti Fund.

Wayne Boich 

Wayne Michael Boich is the Chairman and CEO of the Boich Investment Group, leading all investment strategies in various industries, including real estate, mining, cannabis, telecommunications, financial services, and food & beverage. Boich Investment Group put on the largest padel tournament in US history with the Blockchain.com Miami Padel Open, showcasing the best players from around the world and positively impacting the community by donating close to $2 million to local causes. Boich and his wife, Cynthia, are extremely active in their philanthropic endeavors, continuously supporting charities locally and nationally, including the University of Miami, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Women of Tomorrow, Ohio State University, After-School All-Stars, The Make-A-Wish® Foundation, and more.

Grant Cardone

The ultimate multi-hyphenate businessman, Grant Cardone is the CEO of Cardone Enterprises and Cardone Capital, an international speaker, entrepreneur, author of The 10X Rule, and the creator of 21 best-selling business programs. Cardone also owns and operates seven privately held companies and a staggering $5.2 billion portfolio of multifamily properties. As one of the top marketers to watch, Cardone is also the founder of The 10X Movement and The 10X Growth Conference, the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world.

Arlene & Wayne Chaplin

Wayne Chaplin serves as the CEO of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the world’s pre-eminent distributor of beverage alcohol and a multi-generational, family-owned company. Chaplin is involved in various philanthropic activities, including long-time support of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University, named after the Chaplin family. Arlene is a passionate community leader known for her support of many organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Miami City Ballet, Mount Sinai Hospital, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program, and many others. Mrs. Chaplin is also involved in developing community-bettering initiatives such YogArt, a unique outdoor yoga experience with live music, healthy food, and drinks.

Brett David 

Brett David is the CEO of Prestige Imports, the world-renowned automotive dealership whose portfolio spans from Lamborghini Miami and Pagani of Miami to its most recent addition of Czinger Miami. His latest venture, Prestige Marine, provides nautical luxury through factory partnerships with Pardo Yachts, Tecnomar for Lamborghini, Iguana Yachts, and most recently VanDutch America. As a Miami native, David is an avid supporter of his local community through his non-profit organization Ride2Revive, which provides supercar ride-alongs to children who suffer from terminal illnesses. Working with local hospitals like Joe-DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, David and Ride2Revive provide Miles of Smiles on the Road to Recovery.

William Dean

William Dean is the CEO of M.C. Dean, Inc., a global engineering and systems integration firm specializing in cyber-physical solutions for mission-critical facilities, secure environments, complex infrastructure, and global enterprises. Integral in the South Florida community, his signature projects include the Miami Convention Center and Port Miami tunnel, among others. He is also behind the renovation of the S.S. Kresge estate, Terra Veritatis, on the Indian Creek waterfront, which has hosted some of Miami’s highest-profile happenings, from the Alec Monopoly party during Art Basel to a Bugatti event during the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. His philanthropic endeavors include  Little Lighthouse Foundation, the Global Empowerment Mission, and the Make-A-Wish® Foundation.

Andrew DeFrancesco

Andrew DeFrancesco has become an industry thought leader with over 27 years of capital markets experience and a focus on private equity. He has played an integral role in several successes and turnarounds, including Jamba Juice in 2010 and the original American Apparel restructuring in 2011. DeFrancesco is the former Partner and Executive Director of Kahala Corp, which was sold to MTY Food Group Inc in 2016 for over $400 million. He was one of the pioneers of the cannabis sector, and is now actively exiting with a shift to EV and Green Tech. He also has significant experience in the energy sector having founded and served as Chairman for a number of companies such as Delavaco Energy Inc., APO Energy Inc., and P1 Energy Corp.

Rodrigo Garduño 

Rodrigo Garduño is a former professional soccer player turned founder of human transformation program 54D, a high-intensity, multidisciplinary transformative training program. Throughout the pandemic, Garduño hosted daily live streaming workouts, reaching, on average more than 30,000 devices connected to his IG Live sessions every day, as well as an estimated 150,000 additional users streaming the daily class videos. In July 2020, 54D launched a revolutionary online program, 54D ON, officially bringing the comprehensive training program to a global audience. Today, 54D has expanded with centers in Mexico, Colombia, Miami, Coral Gables, and later this year, New York City and Broward County.

Tom Garfinkel 

Tom Garfinkel is the Vice Chairman, President, and CEO of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, and Managing Partner of the Formula 1 Crypto.Com Miami Grand Prix. Since his hire in 2013, Garfinkel has led the business turnaround of the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium through privately funding a more than $550 million renovation of the 27-year-old stadium. He has also led several forward-thinking initiatives, like hosting the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium and securing the bid for the 2020 Super Bowl, 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship game and 2026 FIFA World Cup, among others. Garfinkel serves on the board of the Dolphins Challenge Cancer, the National Football Foundation, and the Sports Management Advisory Board.

Kenneth C. Griffin 

Kenneth C. Griffin is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Citadel, a global alternative investment firm. He and his team also established Citadel Securities, one of the leading market makers in the world. Griffin has contributed more than $1.5 billion philanthropically, including catalytic giving to expand access to high-quality education at every level, advance medical research, reduce recidivism and violent crime, enhance public spaces, and to support our country’s cultural institutions. Griffin holds an A.B. in Economics from Harvard College and has served on several boards that reflect his commitment to driving upward mobility through economic and educational opportunities, and his passionate support for cultural institutions that enrich our lives and communities.

Thomas Kato 

Thomas Kato’s unparalleled entrepreneurship skills have helped shape his trailblazing career. Kato has commercial development properties, a worldwide trading company, Merchant Hub — a payment processing business — and the launch of his new brand, Rock 13 Tequila, on the horizon. Recently, the Harvard Business School alum has shifted his focus to the launch of Comet Cash, a multi-national protocol that converts crypto to fiat without currency risk to the consumer or merchants. Believing that blockchain will play an integral role in our financial future, he is also investing in a blockchain platform for electronic health records (EHR) to build a global, cross-cloud network where the data can be accessible in seconds. 

Marc Leder 

Marc Leder is the Co-CEO of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., a leading global private investment firm he co-founded with Rodger Krouse. With many years of experience in leveraged buyouts, investment banking, and business operations, Leder co-directs all the firm’s global investment activities, approves all capital commitments, and oversees the firm’s operations jointly with Krouse. Under his guidance, Sun Capital has invested in more than 475+ companies worldwide with revenues in excess of $50 billion across a broad range of industries and transaction structures. Leder is a Member of the International Counsel for the Museum Berggruen and sits on the Board of the Institute of Contemporary Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.

Kevin O’Leary

After Kevin O’Leary’s extraordinary success at SoftKey Software Products, the technology company he founded that sold software geared toward family education and entertainment, O’Leary eventually found himself on television, quickly becoming a sought-after host and personality on a range of shows, including Discovery’s Project Earth, CBC’s Dragons’ Den, and ABC’s Shark Tank. O’Leary has since launched O’Leary Funds, an investment fund company; O’Leary Fine Wines; and a best-selling book series on financial literacy. In 2014, he founded O’Leary Financial Group, a group of brands and services that share O’Leary’s guiding principles. O’Leary has also been an advocate of cryptocurrency, and is a strategic investor in the Vancouver-based decentralized finance platform WonderFi Technologies.

Sergey Petrossov

Sergey Petrossov is a serial entrepreneur and investor, continually seeking ways to innovate industries. Petrossov actively invests in innovative companies and has founded multiple startups. He is most known for founding JetSmarter, a technology company that makes shared and private flights accessible. Within 5 years he grew the business large scale, transporting over 200,000 passengers. In early 2019, JetSmarter was acquired by Vista Global Holding, the parent company of VistaJet and XOJET, in order to merge the companies and form the world’s largest air charter provider. When he is not flying around the globe, he resides in the South Florida area with his wife and two children

Shervin Pishevar

Shervin Pishevar is a venture capitalist, super angel investor, philanthropist, and an entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with. He is the Co-Founder and former Executive Chairman of Hyperloop One and a Co-Founder and managing director of Sherpa Capital, a venture capital fund that has invested in forward-thinking companies including Airbnb, Uber, GoPuff, Cue Health, Slack, Robinhood, Munchery, and Postmates. As an angel investor, Pishevar has seeded more than 60 companies. Pishevar has also been an advocate of the Startup Visa Act, which would create a new type of two-year visa available to immigrant entrepreneurs.

Jeff Ransdell

Jeff Ransdell is a founding partner and the managing director of Fuel Venture Capital, and CEO of Maquia Capital Acquisition Corp, a SPAC listed on Nasdaq in 2021 (NASDAQ: MAQC). Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Miami, Fuel VC boasts a portfolio of 31 technology startups based across the globe. With headquarters in Miami and Latin America, Maquia Capital Acquisition Corp is a $175 million special purpose acquisition corporation targeting tech-focused middle market and emerging growth businesses in North America. Ransdell is a frequent guest on CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg Television, TD Ameritrade, and Benzinga, and has been featured in notable publications for his “founder focused, investor driven” mindset.

Marc Roberts

Marc Roberts made sports history in his early career as the first person to take a sports management company public on NASDAQ with Triple ThreatEnterprises, followed by Worldwide Entertainment and Sports. He then pivoted to real estate, and within a few years, he completed over $2 billion in condominium conversions. He also co-founded Miami Worldcenter and is the co-founder and owner of Club E11EVEN, which launched E11EVEN Hotel and Residences and E11EVEN Beyond, garnering over $1 billion in sales. Charitable work is important to Roberts; in fact, in Alabama, June 5th is declared “Marc Roberts Day” in recognition of the largest single donation to Easter Seals for Alabama Special Camp for Children and Adults.

Drew Rosenhaus

Drew Rosenhaus is the sports industry’s highest-grossing agent and owner of Miami-based sports agency, Rosenhaus Sports. Rosenhaus has negotiated over $7 billion of NFL contracts from the start of his career at 22 years old to the present day. He was the first sports agent to grace the cover of the iconic Sports Illustrated magazine, and became the youngest registered agent in the industry. He was recently featured on HBO’s Real Sports and Inside the NFL. Currently, Rosenhaus resides in Miami Beach with his wife and two daughters. He spearheads multiple philanthropic endeavors throughout South Florida, including his Drew Rosenhaus Youth Football and Fitness Camp.

Jean-François Sberro

Jean-François Sberro has been leading the rapid expansion of Hublot North America as its President for nearly a decade, placing the brand at the forefront of sports, fashion, art, and popular culture in the American and Canadian markets. Generating sustainable growth and boutique expansion for Hublot, 2022 is shaping up to be another record sales year for the brand, which has its US headquarters in Miami. Sberro remains committed to expanding the brand credentials of Hublot in North America, and this December will again host the annual ‘Hublot Loves Art’ Miami Art Basel party in celebration of the  2022 FIFA™ World Cup and Hublot’s long-standing art affinity.

David Steinberg

David Steinberg is the CEO and Chairman of Zeta Global, which he co-founded with John Sculley, the former Apple CEO and Pepsi President. Zeta’s platform and data empower many of the world’s largest consumer brands to acquire, grow, and retain their customers at a substantially lower cost, and has been recognized by Forrester as the No.1 Leader above all other marketing clouds. The company went public on the NYSE in June 2021. A lifelong founder of businesses, Steinberg has sold four companies, taken two public, and dedicated 30+ years to helping shape the technology and marketing ecosystems.

Sean Wolfington

Chairman of The Wolfington Companies, Sean Wolfington is a serial entrepreneur in technology, the automotive industry, marketing, and film, who built and sold twelve tech companies. Wolfington was recognized as “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young, and he received the Legacy Award from the National Council for Adoption in 2007, the President’s Service Award in 2008, and the Tony Bennett Exploring the Arts Award in 2012. In addition, he serves on the board of The Playing for Change Foundation and founded The Wolfington Charitable Foundation, which enables bright futures for at-risk children through sports, the arts, and wellness programs.

Bob Zangrillo

Over the last 25 years, Robert “Bob” Zangrillo has been a prominent figure in the tech industry, with significant roles as a Chairman, CEO, venture capital investor, active executive director, and advisor to high-growth companies. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Dragon Global, one of the leading venture growth firms based on his investments in leading technology growth companies, including — but not limited to — Facebook, Twitter, and Uber Technologies. With a remarkable track record in venture capital, he is a pioneer in the venture growth investment sector, leading some of the largest primary and secondary investments in the field. Throughout the last several years, Zangrillo has diversified into commercial real estate development, leading investments in emerging neighborhoods in Miami.

Robert Zarco

Robert Zarco is the founding partner of the law firm Zarco Einhorn Salkowski, P.A., and has made an indelible mark on the community, clients, and the practice of Franchise Law on a National and International scale. For over 35 years, Zarco, commonly referred to as the ‘Franchise King,’ has been at the forefront of protecting the legal rights and interests of franchisees. Zarco was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Association of Franchisees & Dealers, Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America National Trial Lawyers Honor Society, and “Lawyer of the Year” in Franchise by Best Lawyers of America©, among others. Zarco is also an avid yachtsman, amateur chef, philanthropist, and community leader.

HOSPITALITY

Philip Goldfarb

With over three decades of experience as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Hospitality Division of Fontainebleau, Philip Goldfarb oversees the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Nashville, Hilton Nashville Downtown, and Fontainebleau Aviation. Goldfarb has been instrumental in numerous projects, including introducing new restaurant concepts and multi-million dollar renovations to various assets. As a distinguished graduate of Florida International University’s Chaplain School of Hospitality, Goldfarb held the esteemed position of Chair of the Dean’s Council. He was also recognized by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce with the “Excellence in Tourism Award.”

David & Isabela Grutman

A native Floridian, David Grutman founded Groot Hospitality in Miami, known for creating immersive experiential venues across a unique portfolio of restaurants, hotels, bars, and nightclubs, like restaurants like Gekkō, Komodo, Swan, The Key Club, and Papi Steak, and nightlife venues like LIV and Story. Grutman also founded The Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach alongside Pharrell Williams. His new project, Somewhere Else, will be Groot Hospitality’s first resort, arriving in 2024 on Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. His wife, Isabela Rangel Grutman, is a global philanthropist, clothing and jewelry designer, creative brand advisor, model, style influencer, and full-time mother. In 2022, Isabela launched her surname-eponymous clothing line, Rangel, and jewelry line, ISA.

John Kunkel

John Kunkel, the renowned restaurateur and founder of 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, continues to set the tone for the restaurant industry with an unrivaled acumen for innovation and game-changing culinary concepts. Through 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, Kunkel has built an empire of 16 thriving restaurants and five highly anticipated properties under development. Kunkle’s 50 Eggs Hospitality Group includes James Beard Foundation Award-nominated Yardbird, Latin-American concept, CHICA in collaboration with Celebrity Chef Lorena Garcia, and his newest concept is WAKUDA, a modern Japanese concept in collaboration with two Michelin Star Chef Tetsuya Wakuda, with locations in Singapore and Las Vegas.

Diego & Gisela Lowenstein

Diego Lowenstein has been part of his family’s international business interests for over 30 years. As the CEO of Lionstone, best known for The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, as well as signature developments including the EPIC Hotel & Residence, Lowenstein has led the 56-year-old family-entrepreneurial firm to new heights. In the past decade alone, Lionstone has entitled, converted, and developed over 3,000 hotel rooms and over 3.5 million square feet of real estate projects. In addition to his business ventures, Lowenstein is involved in various philanthropic and professional organizations. Gisela Lowenstein is an executive coach and trusted advisor specializing in family businesses.

Mathieu Massa

Mathieu Massa has been at the forefront of European-style luxury supper clubs in South Florida for over a decade. Following an impressive career within the culinary scene in Europe, Massa came to the United States with a mission to bring the European culinary and entertainment culture to Miami. With his 30+ years of combined experience in the food and beverage industry, plus a remarkable portfolio of real estate holdings and investments, Massa founded Mr. Hospitality, a fully-integrated hospitality management group that conceptualizes, owns, and operates acclaimed restaurants and five-star nightlife destinations in Miami. His world-renowned venues include Baoli, Marion, and El Tucán.

Keith & Evelyn Menin 

Keith Menin is a hospitality entrepreneur creatively innovating the industry. Menin’s rapidly expanding portfolio of acclaimed hotels, restaurants, and custom-designed luxury homes throughout the country has defined his career over the last 15 years in South Florida. After graduating from Cornell University, he joined forces with his cousin, Jared Galbut, to form Menin Hospitality, Miami-based hospitality and design firm behind successful restaurant and lounge brands like Bodega. Menin’s passion for luxury home design, combined with his dedicated Menin Homes design and development team, has led him to grow the business with over $200 Million in properties in the last five years. His wife, Evelyn Menin, is the director of interior design for the firm, creating incredible custom designs and furnishing layouts for interior design clients.

Lee Brian Schrager 

Lee Brian Schrager is the Senior Vice President, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, LLC. He is recognized for creating the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach and New York City Wine & Food Festivals, which have raised over $40 million for charity to date. As a true food and beverage connoisseur, Schrager is also the author of three esteemed cookbooks. In addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees for the Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Board of Directors for Food Bank For New York City, as well as a judge for Forbes’annual 30 Under 30 list and Celebrated Living’s annual Platinum List Awards.

Alex Pirez

Born and raised in South Florida, Alex Pirez is a serial entrepreneur with interests that span across multiple industries. Currently, Pirez upholds the role as the founder and CEO of Mocca Group, a South Florida luxury home and commercial development firm responsible for some of the city’s most impressive properties and world-class projects. In addition to founding Mocca Construction and Mocca Realty, Pirez is an investor in some of Miami’s most influential lifestyle and hospitality businesses and concepts, such as Billionaire Boys Club, Komodo, Swan, Key Club, Gekko, The Goodtime Hotel, and Major Food Group’s expansion in Miami, with ventures including Carbone, ZZ’s Club, Dirty French Steakhouse, and the soon-to-open Contessa in the Miami Design District.

Jeff Zalaznick

Visionary restaurateur Jeff Zalaznick has relentlessly forged a path in the hospitality industry, establishing the impenetrable powerhouse hospitality company, Major Food Group, alongside Co-Founders Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi. For the past decade,  Zalaznick has cemented his reputation as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative restaurateurs, creating a range of concepts that have become icons and household names. The company now boasts a portfolio of more than 40 restaurants, private clubs, and hotels, from New York to Paris. A native New Yorker and graduate of Cornell University, Jeff currently resides in Miami, Florida.

Mario Carbone

Famed chef Mario Carbone started Major Food Group, or  MFG, alongside Jeff Zalaznick and Rich Torissi. In a little over a decade, he has become a powerhouse with over 40 highly acclaimed restaurants around the globe, including Carbone’s namesake concept, Carbone, which redefined the midcentury Italian restaurant for a new era. MFG has pioneered a celebratory style of dining, developed dynamic new concepts across genres, and maintained a reputation for uncommon consistency. Carbone has developed a special interest in creative direction — overseeing graphic design, curating music and wardrobe, selecting china and glassware, and the creation of his newest business ventures: Our Lady of Rocco and Carbone Fine Foods.

Romain Zago

Hospitality connoisseur Romain Zago has dominated Miami’s hospitality scene,  creating innovative boutique nightlife experiences that blend the striking elements of club culture, architecture, design, and fine dining into Miami Beach’s premier nightlife destinations at Mynt Lounge and Myn-tu. He recently made a career power move,  expanding the brand and venturing to Los Angeles to debut his latest supper club concept, MainRō, which opened its doors in early 2022. Prior to his hospitality career, Zago worked around the world as a top model for over eight years. Now with three highly-successful venues in Miami and Los Angeles, Zago has become a force to be reckoned with within the hospitality world with no signs of slowing down.

PHILANTHROPISTS

Michael Capponi

Michael Capponi is known as one of the key pioneers in shaping the popularity and growth of Miami Beach. Over the past 30 years, Capponi has been a leading force in the hospitality and entertainment industries and one of the most accomplished residential real estate developers in South Florida. After retiring from the private sector, Capponi now brings the skills of his prior endeavors to his philanthropic work in Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), an international organization disrupting the disaster sector through innovative, efficient, and modernized systems. Capponi has guided GEM to yield effective results, reaching hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries worldwide, and has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in supplies.

Kenneth & Kathryn Chenault 

Kenneth and Kathryn Chenault lead by example. An American business executive, Kenneth was the CEO and Chairman of American Express until 2018. He served on the board of directors at Airbnb and Facebook, and today, he is on the board of Berkshire Hathaway, replacing Bill Gates. He is the Chair of the Advisory Council for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and NCAA’s Board of Governors. Kathryn has devoted many years to supporting the arts, as well as educational and health care institutions. She serves on several board of directors, including The Hospital for Special Surgery and The Studio Museum in Harlem, among others. Together, they are founding donors to the Art for Justice Fund.

DJ Irie

As Miami’s most beloved DJ, DJ Irie serves as the official DJ to Jamie Foxx and the three-time NBA World Champion Miami Heat, and has performed at esteemed events like VH1’s Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam. DJ Irie is a philanthropic entrepreneur who has created the annual IRIE WEEKEND, which benefits the IRIE FOUNDATION & Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. Irie has also profoundly impacted other charities close to his heart, like Make-A-Wish®, The Special Olympics, and the Udonis Haslem Foundation — to name a few. In 2022, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce recognized Irie’s charitable contributions with the “Jan Pfeiffer Distinguished Service Award.”

Whitney Kroenke Silverstein

Whitney Kroenke Silverstein is an impact leader, producer, and philanthropist. As the Co-Founder of the Playing For Change Movement and Co-Founder and President of the Playing For Change Foundation, she aims to aid musicians and their communities across the globe. She has fostered the growth of the movement from a series of critically acclaimed documentaries into the Playing For Change Foundation 501(c)(3), 17 music and art schools across 14 countries, various global initiatives, and a prominent content channel with over one billion views. A longtime advocate and participant in the arts, Whitney holds a Bachelor of Speech in Theater from Northwestern University.

Al & Nancy Malnik 

Throughout his career, Al Malnik has been called a “visionary” and a “Renaissance man” — for good reason. From humble beginnings, he began his road to success as an attorney and evolved into a creative entrepreneur with success as a developer, financier, investor, restaurateur (founder of The Forge restaurant), and hotelier, just to name a few. As Lifetime Benefactors, Al and Nancy Malnik have been involved with Make-A-Wish® for 25 years, making an indelible mark on the Foundation. In addition, their contributions to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston through the Al and Nancy Malnik Family AML Research Fund have made significant breakthroughs possible in reducing acute myelogenous leukemia.

Shareef Malnik & Gabrielle Anwar 

Shareef Malnik and Gabrielle Anwar are true pillars in the Miami community. Malnik has been the Chairman of the Board Emeritus of Make-A-Wish® and Chairman of the InterContinental® Miami Make-A-Wish® Ball for 17 years running. Malnik hosts the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish® Ball with his wife, Gabrielle Anwar who has helped raise millions of dollars for wishes in her own right. As a savvy entrepreneur, he is the Chairman and Co-Managing Partner of leading investment firm, Greyhawk Capital, CEO of Forge Legacy Investments, and Co-CEO of Sonrisa Rum. As an esteemed actor, writer, and filmmaker, Anwar has starred in over 45 film and television performances across Europe and the US, including her breakout film Scent of a Woman, alongside Al Pacino.

Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Mourning is the founder of Mourning Family Foundation (formerly known as Alonzo Mourning Charities), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) public fundraising foundation created to inspire others through advocacy, education, and enrichment services. Mourning opened the Overtown Youth Center in South Florida in 2003 to help inner-city youth and citizens. Through the leadership of his wife Tracy, Mourning supports the Honey Shine Mentoring Program, empowering young girls. Mourning has received numerous awards like the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Sportsmanship Award and The Children’s Trust Excellence Award for Public Policy, among others. After a successful 15-year NBA career, Mourning was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Anthony Shriver

Influenced by his family’s commitment to supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities, Anthony Kennedy Shriver founded Best Buddies International in 1989 to foster one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as down syndrome and autism. Today, Best Buddies® positively impacts more than one million individuals globally, with programs in all 50 states and 47 countries. Through Shriver’s stewardship, Best Buddies® has grown into a leading nonprofit with increasing international reach across six continents. Earlier this year, Shriver launched Best Buddies Living: Miami in partnership with the University of Miami to provide an integrated living experience for people with and without disabilities to live independently in a dynamic environment.

Barry & Missy Skolnick 

Barry Skolnick has built a thriving career in real estate while supporting his philanthropic endeavors. He is the President and CEO of BLS Asset Management and managing member of BLS Realty. After assuming the presidency of the Skolnick Family Charitable Trust, he followed his parent’s philanthropic interest in supporting scientific research. He is also a chairman of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami and a co-chairman of the Police Relations Foundation. He serves on multiple boards, including the Make-A-Wish® Foundation in Southern Florida, the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County, and more. Skolnik is also an avid collector of fine art and cars.

POWER COUPLES

Craig Robins & Jackie Soffer

Craig Robins and Jackie Soffer have mastered the art of innovation. Robins is the founder, CEO, and President of Darca Development and co-owner of Design Miami, with a focus on real estate development that has a transformative effect on communities and business sectors, including the Miami Design District (MDD). The MDD inspired the creation of Design Miami/ and Design Miami/ Basel, design fairs in partnership with Art Basel, MCH Swiss Exhibition. Soffer is the Chairman and CEO of Turnberry, the dynamic real estate company behind the 800-key hotel connected to the Miami Beach Convention Center, currently being developed in partnership with the Terra Group and Aventura Mall. Both are avid art collectors and integrate culture into their projects.

Marc & Jennifer Bell

Marc and Jennifer Bell are serial entrepreneurs whose success spans over 30 years and five unicorns. Marc is the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of pioneering aerospace and defense satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital. Marc also produced two Tony Award-winning Broadway shows: Jersey Boys and August Osage County. In addition, he co-founded mortgage powerhouse Armour Residential REIT. Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of Bell Beachwear, a swimwear and resort brand dedicated to empowering women as she designs for all body types and budgets. Together, Marc and Jennifer are involved in numerous philanthropic initiatives; Marc is a member of many non-profit boards, including New York University, NYU Langone Health, and SOS Children’s Villages Florida.

Louis & Angela Birdman

Louis and Angela Birdman’s mission is to make a positive impact on their community while transforming Miami’s skyline. As the founder of Birdman Real Estate Development and the 1000 Group, Louis has designed and developed projects for the last three decades. Most recently, he completed one of Miami’s most iconic residential buildings, One Thousand Museum, designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid. The Birdmans are active community members and have served as chairs of JCS 2021 Milk and Honey, among others. Angela founded Walk In Style for the Animals and is on several boards, including Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Miami Summer Music Festival, and  has volunteered for decades as a godparent at JAFCO.

Ugo & Sara Colombo

Veteran real estate developer Ugo Colombo has played a pioneering role in the transformation of Downtown Miami’s skyline over the last 20 years. Ugo and his firm, CMC Group, have developed some of the most iconic luxury properties in South Florida — including Brickell Flatiron, the firm’s latest condominium tower on the rise in the Downtown Brickell Financial District, as well as the multi-story expansion of The Collection in Coral Gables, that includes a new 500,000 square-foot Jaguar Land Rover dealership. His wife Sara’s interior design shop, Nest, specializes in high-style products for the home presented with a European flair reflective of her innate sense of style.

Edgardo & Ana Cristina Defortuna

Fortune International Group President and CEO Edgardo Defortuna founded the company in 1983, and in 1998 he and his wife, Ana Cristina, launched their luxury-development division. Today, Fortune is a leading Miami-based full-service real estate firm recognized throughout South Florida, Latin America, and Europe as an industry trailblazer in high-end luxury real estate. With 20 offices worldwide and over 1000 agents, Fortune’s portfolio has evolved to encompass stellar developments, including Jade Residences at Brickell Bay, Jade Beach, Jade Ocean, Auberge Beach Residences & Spa Fort Lauderdale, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, Jade Signature, and most recently, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Pompano Beach, The St. Regis Residences, Sunny Isles Beach and Nexo Residences.

Emilio & Gloria Estefan

Gloria and Emilio Estefan are the ultimate entertainment power couple. She’s an international superstar who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide and, together with her husband, Emilio, has won 26 Grammy awards. Emilio is a musician and producer behind the success of many famed music artists, as well as an entrepreneur, owning and operating seven restaurants, two hotels, and an internationally recognized publishing company. They’ve been inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom–the first time in history the honor was bestowed upon a couple. The duo is also actively involved in the betterment of their community through the Gloria Estefan Foundation.

Luis Garcia-Fanjul & Judith Kamps-Garcia 

Luis Garcia-Fanjul is the COO of Grupo IUSA, S.A., a worldwide company boasting more than $8 billion in annual revenues and employing over 25,000 people. They specialize in the electrical manufacturing sector, fabricating more than 6,000 different products. The company is also a worldwide leader in developing and manufacturing smart electrical, water, and gas metering systems. Garcia-Fanjul’s wife, Judith Kamps-Garcia, devotes her time to her family’s foundation, Brot gegen Not, a global organization with a mission to provide a future for children and adolescents everywhere who suffer from the effects of hunger, poverty, and unemployment. Kamps-Garcia brought Brot gegen Not to Miami in 2018.

Phillip and Patricia Frost 

Dr. Phillip and Patricia Frost are generous supporters of education, science, and the arts and are renowned collectors. They endowed the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and were the lead donors for the Frost Art Museum at Florida International University. They also serve as the lead donors of the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Downtown Miami’s Museum Park. As a result of a transformative $100 million gift, the Frost Institute of Chemistry and Molecular Science (FICMS) is the first one within a group of synergistic research institutes to be coordinated under the umbrella of the Frost Institutes for Science and Engineering at the University of Miami.

Josh & Marjorie Harris

Eddie & Kinga Lampert

Edward Lampert is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of ESL Investments. Since 1988, ESL Investments has managed funds that have made major, long-term investments in companies that include Autonation, Autozone, Lands’ End, Kmart, and Sears Holdings. Kinga serves as Co-Chair of the board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the largest private foundation worldwide supporting breast cancer research. Together, they founded the Lampert Foundation in 2006, an organization with an emphasis on free markets, individual liberty, education, and health care. Locally in Miami, they are active supporters of Miami City Ballet, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Bass Museum, Breakthrough Miami, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Fairchild Garden, and Best Buddies.

Brent Saunders & Daniela Botero 

Power couple Brent Saunders and Daniela Botero are no strangers to the health and beauty industries. Saunders has been at the helm of the health and pharmaceutical industry for many years, as he is currently the Executive Chairman of The Beauty Health Company, and prior to that, was Co-Founder and Chairman of Vesper Healthcare Acquisitions Corp., a specialty purpose acquisition company. He is also the former Chairman, President and CEO of Allergan, having previously served as CEO and President of Forest Laboratories, Inc., prior to its acquisition. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Daniela Botero is a model and actress, taking on notable roles in Fearless Heartand “Run Coyote Run, among others. She is also set to launch a new organic skincare line, Identity Beauty.

Michael & Nikki Simkins

Michael Simkins is the owner of E11EVEN Partners, the company behind the high-profile E11EVEN Miami nightclub (as well as the E11EVENHotel, E11EVEN Vodka, E11EVEN Crypto, and E11EVEN Sound, an audio equipment venture). Simkins has evolved the company beyond a hospitality firm into a lifestyle brand. He is also the President and CEO of Lion Development Group. Nikki Simkins is the CEO of E11EVEN Vodka, where she is the visionary behind the brand, creating a product that embodies the spirit of Miami. With deep South Florida roots, the Simkins family is highly respected for supporting collaborative, community-based projects that drive sustainable economic growth and bring global visibility to the region.

John O. Utendahl & Radmila Lolly

John Utendahl and Radmila Lolly are integral members of the Miami community. Today, Utendahl is Chairman of Global Corporate and Investment Bank and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Bank of America. Prior to his current position, Utendahl had quite an impressive career as the owner of the Utendahl Group — one of the largest African American-owned investment banking groups in the United States — as well as the Vice Chairman at Deutsche Bank Americas. Lolly, the ultimate entertainment multi-hyphenate and tastemaker, is a singer, composer, and the sole designer and owner of her couture fashion house Eltara Casata by Radmila Lolly. Her music has charted on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs, and her stunning designs have been seen on celebrities like Bebe Rexha, Gayle King, and more.

Devon Windsor & Jonathan Barbara

Perhaps Miami’s most stylish couple, Devon Windsor and Jonathan Barbara are a fashion dream team. A renowned international supermodel, Windsor has graced the runways of Fendi, Tom Ford, and Chanel, among others, and has appeared in top fashion publications. She then catapulted her wildly successful modeling career into starting her namesake swimwear line, Devon Windsor. Barbara is also in the fashion industry, as the CEO and Art Director of the contemporary fashion label Alexis, which just opened a new storefront in the Miami Design District. The two recently added “parent” to their impressive list of accolades as they welcomed their first child in 2021, Enzo Elodie Barbara.  

Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee 

Caroline Wozniacki is a former No.1 world-ranked female tennis player with 30 WTA titles under her belt. As one of the most influential women in international sports, Wozniacki has covered ESPN Magazine’s 2017 Body Issue and 2018 World Fame 100 Issue. After retiring in 2020, Wozniacki started the #AdvantageHers campaign to help spread awareness surrounding Rheumatoid Arthritis, a disease she lives with daily. Wozniacki is married to NBA World Champion David Lee, who won a championship in 2015 with the Golden State Warriors. He is also a two-time All-Star. Lee splits his time in the U.S. between New York and Miami’s Fisher Island with Wozniacki and their new daughter, Olivia.

TECH

Megan Kaspar

Megan Kaspar is a technology investor, fashion-tech entrepreneur, and cultural pioneer. She is a founding member of Red DAO, the world’s first digital fashion-focused DAO investing in emerging opportunities from dematerialized fashion and apparel trends powered by blockchain technology. She is a co-founder and Managing Director at FirstLight, a privately held digital asset, blockchain agnostic investment, and incubation firm. She actively advises projects and brands to assist in implementing blockchain-based augmented reality, artificial intelligence-generated digital fashion, and phygital products embedded with NFC-chip-enabling Wear 2 Earn activations and compensation mechanisms. She was the first person to wear NFT digital fashion on live broadcast TV during a Yahoo! Finance segment.

John H. Ruiz

Billionaire, entrepreneur, attorney, and businessman John H. Ruiz is the Founder and CEO of MSP Recovery/LifeWallet—responsible for taking the nation’s leading healthcare data-tech company (MSPR) public with a value of $32.6 Billion. He’s the architect behind the business and IT platforms, and also leads the legal recovery strategy. Nationally recognized as one of America’s preeminent trial lawyers, Ruiz is honored annually as one of the lawyers of Distinction’s Power Lawyers and has been named DBR’s “Florida Trailblazer.” He owns Cigarette Racing Team, the legendary performance boat manufacturer, and was recently dubbed “The NIL King” by ESPN for innovating NIL strategies to successfully promote MSP’s LifeWallet platform.

Keith Rabois

Keith Rabois has an unparalleled track record as an entrepreneur, executive, and investor. He is a general partner at Founders Fund, and led the first institutional investments in DoorDash, Affirm, and co-founded Opendoor. Over the last decade, he has forged several of the most important new social and commerce platforms. He began his career in the industry as a senior executive at PayPal and held influential roles at LinkedIn and Square. As a board member, Rabois guided Yelp and Xoom to successful initial public offerings, and has also invested in other like-minded entrepreneurs with early stakes in YouTube, Airbnb, and more. He currently serves as CEO of OpenStore, which acquires small direct-to-consumer businesses.

Mayor Francis X. Suarez

Francis X. Suarez is the 43rd Mayor of Miami and the first mayor born in the city. Committed to building an inclusive Miami that lasts forever, Mayor Suarez has implemented the integration of climate adaptive policies, Web 3.0 technology, and a free-market approach to all facets of government as part of his Miami Forever Agenda. Mayor Suarez introduced affordable housing reforms — Miami For-Everyone — that leverage federal opportunity zones with the activation of underutilized land to the supply and overall access to affordable housing. Mayor Suarez has championed the development of Miami’s tech economy through Venture Miami, along with initiatives that connect education and job training to Miami’s new emerging economic sectors, such as Fintech, Medtech, and Greentech.

Peter Thiel

Peter Andreas Thiel is a tech power player dominating the Miami scene. As an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist, Thiel has been involved in several revolutionary companies. He is the Co-Founder of PayPal, the Founder of Clarium Capital, a global macro hedge fund, and the Co-Founder of Palantir Technologies, a big data analysis company — to name a noteworthy few.  In 2005, he launched Founders Fund with PayPal partners Ken Howery and Luke Nosek. Thiel was also the first outside investor in Facebook when he acquired a 10.2% stake for $500,000 in 2004. Thiel gives back to the community through the Thiel Foundation, where he governs grant-making bodies and funds nonprofit research into artificial intelligence, life extension, and seasteading.

Credit: Haute Living

By Steve Adams

A project that’s been described by developers as the most complex recent air rights project in Boston would bring a 300,000-square-foot life science tower to Back Bay along with 100 percent affordable housing and accessibility upgrades to the MBTA’s Hynes station.

Filling a gap along Boylston Street next to the Prudential Tunnel, Peebles Corp. proposes a 424,000-square-foot development including a pair of 10- and 12-story buildings on the Massachusetts Turnpike’s 1.2-acre parcel 13 at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue.

In a project notification form submitted to the Boston Planning and Development Agency, Miami Beach-based Peebles Corp. said the project “will incorporate time-tested, readily accepted urban design and building design principles to knit the project site back into the surrounding neighborhood.”

With a maximum height of 178 feet for the lab building, the proposal is 58 feet taller than the neighborhood’s base zoning, and neighbors have expressed concerns about shadow impacts upon Newbury Street residences.

Developers said they will use low-noise rooftop mechanical equipment and install noise-muffling enclosures or mechanical blankets on outdoor equipment that runs continuously.

The 125 housing units – which will rely partly on low-income tax credits to provide equity – will be located in a 106,000-square-foot building on the western side of the site. The unit mix will include 30 studios, 20 one-bedroom units, 64 two-bedroom units and 11 three-bedroom units.

MassDOT required developers to rebuild the Hynes station on the MBTA’s Green Line to comply with handicap accessibility laws. The designs include new entrances on Boylston Street, Massachusetts Avenue and Newbury Street, including replacement of the Boylston Street and 360 Newbury St. headhouses, a tunnel under Massachusetts Avenue, renovations to the station interior and platforms and replacement of MBTA electrical transformers.

Developers estimate the cost of the station upgrades at over $54 million.

The project was redesigned over the past year to reflect evolving resiliency requirements – including the need to elevate an electrical transformer to the ground floor – and to comply with Massachusetts procurement laws on the construction of the new MBTA station, developer R. Donahue Peebles said in a recent interview.

Developers hope to receive all approvals by early 2023, clearing the way for them to apply for public subsidies that will support the affordable housing component, and break ground in early 2024.

Developers propose converting a short stretch of Boylston Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Dalton Street to one-way eastbound, while creating a separate emergency vehicle lane for the nearby fire station and creating a separated bike lane.

A BPDA public comment period on the project runs through Oct. 12.

Credit: Banker & Tradesman

By Michael Aushenker

Angels Landing is coming to Bunker Hill. The project, which will rise at 350 S. Grand Ave., will be comprised of two towers — one scaling 854 feet and the other 494 feet. The taller, 63-story tower will feature condos and a five-star hotel. The 42-story tower will have a lifestyle hotel and apartments for rent above it with hotel services and amenities. The plaza will be tiered with retail, restaurants and outdoor space.

The project is expected to create 8,300 new jobs during the construction phase, 500 permanent jobs from the hotels alone and 300 permanent jobs linked to retail and restaurants.

“Our goal is to have 30% of all of our contracts be by women- and minority-owned businesses,” said Don Peebles, whose Peebles Corp. is developing the project in collaboration with Victor MacFarlane’s MacFarlane Partners and Claridge Properties. The Business Journal spoke to Peebles about the ambitious $1.6 billion development.

Question: How and when did this project – a joint venture with MacFarlane Partners and Claridge Properties — come together?
Answer: We were sent an RFP (request for proposal) from the city and I knew Victor (MacFarlane) was working on a project right down the street and he would likely be interested in this. It didn’t make sense for us to compete against each other and collectively we were much stronger. We talked about a vision I had for the project. He shared it and so we agreed to pursue it. That would be early 2017. We won the rights in December 2017. We signed the exclusive rights (in early 2018) and then started working away on the entitlements.

Where is Angels Landing now in its development timeline?
We just got the entitlements in May. We are finishing up some documents with the city in regards to the sale of the site. We are going through the hotel incentive agreement with the city now. We are now beginning our next phase of the project, which is really the design and development. We’ll begin on construction documents so we can get the building ready to construct. That’ll take us another 18 months or so to get the building permitted. From there, we’re going to go forward and build it and get it open hopefully before the 2028 Olympics.

Can you talk about what Angels Landing will bring to downtown Los Angeles?
Downtown L.A. needs more hotels. The expansion of the Convention Center will generate a need for more hotel rooms, as will the Olympics. We think it would be a great opportunity to showcase a project like ours that meets a couple of key moments in the country. One is the economic inclusion of women and people of color, and also the recovery from the worst global pandemic in 100 years. Angels Landing will address those two moments and answer the question of how resilient Los Angeles’ economy is.

Can you discuss your concept of affirmative development and how it works?
We all recognize that in the business world providing fair access to economic opportunities is not solely a governmental function, it’s really a private-sector function. Businesses need to be more mindful of it and we’re hopefully going to set a good example of how to do that. We can operate from the perspective that there has been historic discrimination and impediments to women and African-Americans in this country. In order to right the balance, we can’t say we’re now in this meritocracy and let the chips fall where they may. We’ve got to take a more aggressive and affirmative step to open up the doors of opportunity for diverse groups.

Do you consider Angels Landing one of your most ambitious undertakings?
Yes, it will be our most ambitious undertaking to date… (Next is) Affirmation Tower in New York. That will be a $3.6 billion project and the tallest building in the Western hemisphere. That’s in the works. Angels Landing is much further along.

Credit: Los Angeles Business Journal

By Christopher A. Daniel

Earn Your Leisure hosts and co-founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings returned for the second year with Invest Fest at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from August 5-7 and turned the weekend into an uplifting festival that promoted financial empowerment and self-motivation.

Credit: BET

By Joseph Richter

The Real Estate Daily Beat equips real estate firms and industry leaders with exclusive news and insights to inform impactful decision making. Learn more about corporate subscription here.

Don Peebles, Chairman & CEO of The Peebles Corporation, joined us for a wide ranging interview. We discussed the advantages of public-private partnerships, the shifting political climate, Affirmation Tower, and why he’s bullish on the hospitality sector.

Daily Beat: Can you please share your background with our readers?

Don Peebles: I was first exposed to real estate as a young child when I was eight years old. After my parents divorced in 1968, my mother got into real estate sales and built a brokerage business.

I initially anticipated going to medical school, but changed my mind when I was an undergraduate at Rutgers and left to work in real estate.

Daily Beat: I gather that you started on the residential side.

Don Peebles: Yes. I started my career trying to sell houses as a real estate agent in 1979. During that time, the industry faced a highly inflationary environment – eerily similar to where we are today. Interest rates were raised to try to control inflation and they ran all the way up to about 15%, which meant real interest rates were 18 to 20%. People wanted to buy, but could not qualify for a mortgage, so I got into appraising when I was 21.

I started as an appraiser apprentice and a few years later started my own appraisal firm. I grew up in Washington DC, so I’d known politics and government for awhile and was able to secure some contracts from HUD.

Daily Beat: What was your first experience with the government?

Don Peebles: My last two years of high school were spent as a Congressional Page on Capitol Hill. At that time, there was a school for us on the top floor of the Library of Congress. Our classes were from 6:00 AM to 10:30 AM, and then we walked across the street to the Capitol and we’d work from 11:00 AM until Congress went out of session.

Daily Beat: That sounds like a formative experience.

Don Peebles: I got a good crash course on politics and time management. We were able to grow the business from there and three years later in 1986, I found a development opportunity and built my first office building. The government pre-leased the property and was our sole office tenant, which made it easier to finance.

The real estate market had a good run in the 1980s after the recession, but we then faced the S&L crisis. During that period, our business focused heavily on consulting and property assessment appeals.

As we were going through this down cycle, we acquired some sites at heavily discounted prices and those became future development opportunities for us in the 1990s as the market recovered.

Daily Beat: How did you get active in Miami?

Don Peebles: I went on vacation in 1995 and loved it! By the following year, we had won the development rights to the Royal Palm hotel. The City of Miami beach redevelopment agency owned the site and was looking to develop more convention quality hotels. This created the primary focus of our business for many years, which was public-private partnerships. This was a great fit in terms of my skill set because I remained actively engaged in local and national politics as I built the business.

I was on Bill Clinton’s national finance committee when he first ran for president and was a corporate co-chair at his inauguration. I was very active in the political process. Between that activity and my real estate experience, Peebles Corporation developed an expertise in the public-private space.

Daily Beat: What are the advantages of public-private partnerships over standard development?

Don Peebles: Throughout our company’s history, we have done many private sector deals and in such cases the buyer is simply looking to maximize profit and high probability of execution. The seller rarely cares about how or what you build on it. They just want to maximize their price and move on.

The public sector is very different. These public-private deals are typically done with a local municipal government like Washington DC or Los Angeles, but occasionally the arrangement is with the state. Across the board, these government entities are primarily focused on ‘outcome’ when they sell.

Governments are not land speculators, they’re not land investors. The amount of money they’re going to get from selling a piece of property is almost meaningless in terms of their overall budget and spending capacity.

In some cases, they might want to increase affordable housing, while in others there might be a shortage of office space in a location. As an example, we recently won a few Requests for Proposals in Miami Beach to develop office space because they felt that based on migration patterns from the Northeast, the growing number of entrepreneurs would need offices close to where they lived.

Across the board, governments are focused on how you take into account the economic considerations of local residents and businesses.

Daily Beat: And in private development, the seller only cares about price.

Don Peebles: Correct. Unlike the private sector where the sole focus is price and the ability to execute, there’s a multitude of measuring and evaluation standards in the public-private process.

Financial capacity, offer, design, and use type. Moreover, the government receives all kinds of revenue that’s generated.

For example, in a place like Washington, DC, where there are city, state, and county functions, they all receive tax revenues. Hotels are very attractive to them because of all the different tax sources and jobs that are generated. The public sector looks for job generating activities and economic stimulus.

Governments will also look to support investments that they’ve already made like a convention center and request that hotels are developed nearby. They’ll evaluate based on those criteria and price will have some relevance, but rarely will you see price being more than a third of the evaluation criteria.

Daily Beat: This presents some excellent opportunities for developers like you.

Don Peebles: Overall, we like this approach because it gives us the opportunity to be competitive without having to pay the most money. Structurally and fundamentally from a real estate investor perspective, if you can buy assets at below market prices by providing other types of benefits that are not necessarily costly to you as a developer, that’s much more attractive.

The private sector is looking for very quick execution on the purchase, while the public sector generally does not allow a developer to close on the acquisition until you’re ready to commence construction. If you don’t ever get to that point as a developer, they’ll take the property back and go through the process again.

While that presents a risk, we see that as an opportunity because then we don’t take entitlement and land carry risk. We like the public-private process because we don’t close until we’re ready to dig a hole in the ground.

Granted, we risk a smaller sum up front, but that is offset by the fact that we don’t have to pay to carry the property and the land arbitrage we get on the price.

Daily Beat: A misleading report from city Comptroller Brad Lander’s office unfortunately helped shape the media narrative surrounding 421-a in New York City. It claims that the city will lose $1.77 billion in tax revenue from the program in 2022. The reality is that without the tax abatement, developers would not build these housing units in the first place. Can you please discuss these political headwinds? How do we combat this?

Don Peebles: This has been a two-to-three decade process.

Developers were initially perceived entrepreneurs and innovators who were improving communities by building urban infrastructure and developing suburban markets.

However, as the process of relocating back into urban cities and the progressive nature of politics, there became this view that developers were gentrifying communities and pushing people out. The narrative started becoming more negative.

To combat this, I encourage a greater focus on economic inclusion because development stimulates economic activity. If we could have a broader lens of who we give opportunities to and make it more reflective of the population, demographics that we are building, then we’d be perceived as job generators. Jobs were being generated from outside the communities and this created this narrative of an anti-development approach.

Politics has unfortunately always been about misinformation. How you take a fact and spin it. That’s why they’re called the spin doctors and the messengers because they take a basic fact and mislead the voters with it.

Daily Beat: Who can forget about Amazon in Long Island City.

Yes. There was a false narrative that the deal was going to cost the government $8 billion. In reality, Amazon was going to provide New York with $30 billion and would get a rebate of that $8 billion to make the economics work. Now, we’re sitting here with zero revenue.

The same thing is true with 421-a. The government incentivizes certain uses; namely, affordable housing. In markets like Los Angeles and New York where construction workers are heavily unionized and land is expensive, the cost to produce housing is higher than other states and developers are forced to build higher revenue generating products.

Providing property tax incentives to developers to build affordable housing helps close the tremendous gap between revenue versus cost.

Bricks and mortar will cost the same overall – whether you build luxury or you build affordable housing – it’ll just be some of the finishes that’ll change the price perspective. The government needs to look at that more closely. Now they’ve eliminated 421-a in New York State, that’ll have a chilling effect on the development of affordable housing.

There’s minimal profit for a developer in affordable housing because there’s no upside of owning the real estate. Most developers look to use that as a stepping stone. This is a sector of the market that is going to need greater incentives. Unfortunately we’re in a political narrative where there’s an anti-development and anti-wealth environment. I think that the Comptroller is making a mistake.

It’s a false narrative that any kind of tax abatement for affordable housing has been costly to the government because the alternative would be that the government builds this housing and they wouldn’t do it.

Daily Beat: We wrote in our publication that more than half a dozen affordable housing projects in California are costing more than $1 million per apartment to build. Developers must be part of the solution. Tenants could be getting very nice houses for that amount!

Don Peebles: Yes, I saw it. We’d be better served by allowing people to go out and buy private housing on the market.

Daily Beat: Are these migration patterns to nicer climate and Sunbelt sustainable?

Don Peebles: We’re going through a very transitional period in this country in terms of how Americans are going to work. That was all accelerated as a result of COVID and the whole country working remotely and learning how to do that more efficiently.

Obviously that’s going to have an impact on office demand and shift where people work. It’s also going to change what amenities are going to be available in apartment buildings and condos. Amenities like business centers with office, conference, and video conferencing capabilities are also going to be attractive. The speed and reliability of the internet is going to be very important.

Daily Beat: The fact multi-family deals in certain markets are trading at 3 caps has concerned us for the past few months. How do you see things shaking out with the rise in interest rates?

Don Peebles: We’ve operated from the perspective that cap rates have been too low on rental apartments for a long term hold. Interest rates have been so low for the past few years and the only place they could have possibly gone was up. We always thought that’s a risk in multi-family and it’s now coming to bear.

This will result in more development because you could still develop in the Sunbelt in places like Miami at 6 to 7% cap rates, which gives you a nice arbitrage and cushion. I think cap rates will go up.

But since rents in the Sunbelt are rapidly going up, I think values – despite the move in cap rates – will be relatively preserved. This is because the cost of housing is so expensive and there’s not been a lot of new inventory. With mortgage rates doubling in a very short window of time, that has priced a lot of people out of buying, which leads to more renters.

The mindset of the housing consumer has changed with a different generation.

Daily Beat: Lumber is already down 55% from its January high. Where do these costs for materials stabilize? When projecting hard costs for your development pipeline in the next few years, how do your numbers compare to before the pandemic?

Don Peebles: I think it will settle down to a rea- sonable price increase based on where we were in 2019. We’re building a lot in 2023-2024, and we think prices will level off by then.

Daily Beat: Do you raise individual funds or is it open ended. What’s the typical deal structure?

Don Peebles: Our typical structure has been one off fundraising. We retain our earnings and self-fund all of our pre-development work. We create a lot of value in that process and then bring on institutional partners.

We’re now in the process of beginning to do a private placement around our public-private business, because the scale of our business has gone up. We’ve got seven plus billion dollars in the pipeline and want to add to it because there’s tremendous opportunities for us, so we’re adding more structure now to our GP fundraising.

We also have some strategic partners that we’ve worked with in the past on the LP capital and plan to continue working within that pool of institutional investors on a one-off basis.

Daily Beat: Favorite REIT?

Don Peebles: Park Hotels & Resorts. The hotel sector was beaten up and luxury travel is back in a very big way. I anticipate corporate travel for meetings and business conferences to join in the recovery.

The pandemic has led to the closure of unproductive and marginally profitable hotels, which has led to a much stronger hotel base. Rates continue to increase.

I like Park Hotels & Resorts because they have a combination of conference hotels like the New York Hilton, but also like the Royal Palm in South Beach, which I developed.

I’d short and have shorted office built office REITs. I did that before the pandemic and was focused on New York office REITs because fundamentals were going the wrong way.

Daily Beat: Can you please share an update on Affirmation Tower and Site K?

Don Peebles: The Empire State Development Corporation owns the site and they issued a request for proposals.

We looked at answering the two moments that the country was really dealing; namely, COVID and the unprecedented protesting around the nation surrounding racial, economic, and criminal justice. We wanted to build a development that would address those two moments.

I partnered with McKissack, a black-woman-owned and run construction company and paired them up with our friend John Fish at Suffolk who is our contractor there. We wanted diversity and the tower will be 80% African American owned.

I then brought in my friend, Steve Witkoff who has extensive experience on super tall buildngs. The idea is to build something very unique – it would be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere Two hotels, offices, an observation deck.

We are close to working out an agreement to house a civil rights museum. It would be a transformative project. The state and Governor Hochul are the decision makers and I anticipate that getting addressed this fall.

Daily Beat: Does this need to go through ULURP?

Don Peebles: No. Because it’s a state project, the governor could have a general plan and we’re planning for something that’s allowed within the current zoning. This should allow it to move forward expeditiously.

Credit: Daily Beat

By The Grio Staff

As the head of the largest Black-owned real estate development company in the U.S., Don Peebles takes his role seriously.

The chairman and chief executive of the Peebles Corporation, which has a portfolio worth $8 billion, has set out to challenge the barriers that Black people continue to face in the development space.

From his perch, Peebles can see the unfairness that continues to face Blacks who want to make it in the development space. For example, of the 116,242 licensed architects in the US, just 2% (roughly 2,300) are Black.

The Urban Land Institute, an organization of real estate and land use experts, has noted just 5% of its members are Black.

That reality helps give Peebles a purpose.

Credit: The Grio

By City News Service

The developers of the Angels Landing high-rise towers announced on Monday, March 28, that the city of Los Angeles approved the project’s entitlement, allowing them to move forward on the $1.6 billion downtown project.

The complex, set to be developed on the vacant lot that was formerly Angel Knoll Park, will consist of two high-rise towers that will each hold a luxury hotel.

Originally planned as one 88-story skyscraper and one 24-story high-rise, the buildings, designed by Handel Architects, are set to be 63 stories and 42 stories tall.

The project will be the third-tallest in Los Angeles and the tallest in the U.S. developed by Black developers.

“With Angels Landing will come desired levels of diversity and inclusion to L.A.’s hospitality industry and the expansive services sector that supports the local hotel industry,” said one of the developers, Victor B. MacFarlane, president and CEO of MacFarlane Partners. “It’s about time the economic benefits generated by massive projects like this are provided to people who are reflective of the project.”

Aside from two luxury hotels, the towers would have apartment units and a plaza that the developer describes as “a modern pedestrian-centered and transit-adjacent urban park in the heart of downtown L.A.”

The site is near Pershing Square Station and the area is serviced by the Metro B (Red) and D (Purple) lines.

“We are focused on bringing increased diversity and equity to L.A. through Affirmative Development, and the transformative impact of empowerment and economic inclusion from Angels Landing will be felt by an array of businesses including African American, Latino- and Asian-owned,” said R. Donahue “Don” Peebles, chairman and CEO of The Peebles Corporation.

“We have committed to a goal of 30% minority and women-owned business contracting across the board for our project in excess of over $480 million, and we*re raising the bar for economic inclusion for development projects in L.A.”

The developers cited an analysis by BJH Advisors, LLC that said the project’s design and construction would create 8,300 jobs, and another estimate that found it would create about 800 permanent jobs in downtown Los Angeles.

The analysis found that the project would boost L.A.’s local economy by $1.6 billion and contribute about $731 million to local workers’ earnings during the project’s construction, and that the project would generate about $12 million in recurring tax revenues and $2.4 million in local property tax revenues annually.

Credit: Los Angeles Daily News