LEWIS S. MIKE EIDSON
CATEGORY: Thinkers
COMPANY: Colson Hicks Eidson
INDUSTRY: Law
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: This national trial lawyer, who goes by “Mike,” recently served as the president of the 60,000-member American Association for Justice, which has a goal of promoting a fair and effective justice system. Following his tenure, the national association was so inspired by his work and drive that they created the Mike Eidson Scholarship in his honor. On a local front, he is the chairman emeritus of the board of Miami City Ballet, where he has held a position since 1999. He has also served as chair-elect for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and is involved with the Kristi House for abused children and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
GLORIA & EMILIO ESTEFAN
CATEGORY: Power Couples
COMPANY: Estefan Enterprises
INDUSTRY: Entertainment
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: The Estefans, in addition to being ridiculously talented crossover artists with decades-long careers, are minority owners of the Miami Dolphins, which is the reason Emilio appeared on the cover of our Super Bowl edition along with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. They were asked to be celebrity minority owners because Ross feels the Estefans fully represent the community of South Florida. They took their role seriously, with Emilio organizing a halftime show that Gloria performed in. Beyond that, the Estefans are actively involved in the betterment of our community and that of their home country of Cuba, evidenced by the march for Cuban dissidents Gloria led in late March. As of press time, the power couple was preparing to host President Obama at their home during a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.
GEORGE FELDENKREIS
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Perry Ellis International
INDUSTRY: Fashion
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Feldenkreis left Cuba after Castro came into power and arrived in the U.S. with $700 in his pocket. He found success as an importer, which led to the founding of Supreme International in the late 1960s. The company began by importing guayabera shirts but grew exponentially over the decades and went public in 1993. In the late 90s, the company purchased the rights to Perry Ellis, and today, Supreme International is but one division of the international company which also includes Nike swimwear, Tommy Hilfiger ladies swimwear, and PING collection, amongst other brands. Feldenkreis, who is the CEO of the Miami-based Perry Ellis brand, also founded the Universal National Bank of Miami and is highly involved in many community institutions and programs.
JAMES FERRARO
CATEGORY: Philanthropists
COMPANY: The Ferraro Law Firm
INDUSTRY: Law
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Between his local Miami firm and the Cleveland outpost, Ferraro has more than 40,000 asbestos cases, which is the largest inventory of such cases in the U.S. And with good reason—he was also awarded the largest compensatory amount in Florida history for an asbestos case. He is arguably the biggest advocate for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Florida, often buying dozens of wishes at the annual charity dinners. Ferraro purchased the Arena Football League’s New Jersey franchise in 2000 and relocated the team to Las Vegas in December of 2002. Following the 2007 season, Ferraro, along with new business partner Bernie Kosar, another local legend, relocated the Gladiators to Cleveland. The 2010 season marks Ferraro’s ninth in the Arena Football League.
ELLA FONTANALS-CISNEROS
CATEGORY: Thinkers
COMPANY: Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation
INDUSTRY: Art
WHAT MAKES HER HAUTE: The Cuba-born, Argentina-raised grand dame of the Miami art scene began collecting Latin American works in the 1970s but it wasn’t until the late 90s that she picked up speed. CFAF was founded in 2002 with the goal of fostering understanding and appreciation of contemporary artists from Latin America through grants, commissions, exhibitions, and bilingual publications. Then she opened Miami Art Central in 2003, which was fused with Miami Art Museum a few years later. Beyond the arts, she is also a philanthropist, humanitarian, and entrepreneur with a knack for lending her eye for artful elegance to luxury homes by collaborating with architects and designers.
BERNARDO FORT-BRESCIA
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Arquitectonica
INDUSTRY: Architecture
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: He put his Ivy League education to good use and founded Arquitectonica in 1977. Within two years, the company was making waves. The Atlantis on Brickell, designed by Fort-Brescia and team, showed up in the opening credits for Miami Vice, and ever since, his unique style (often described as “tropical modernism”) has defined the face of Miami on a global scale. His firm is behind such landmark buildings as the American Airlines Arena, the Miami Children’s Museum, and the new ICON Brickell, amongst others.
PATRICIA & DR. PHILLIP FROST
CATEGORY: Power Couples
COMPANY: TEVA Pharmaceuticals
INDUSTRY: Pharmaceuticals
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: He is the CEO of IVAX Corporation, which was acquired by TEVA Pharmaceuticals, and she served as chair of the Smithsonian National Board. The couple is a huge supporter of the arts, evidenced by their $33 million donation that led to the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami—the largest gift ever made to a university-based music school in the United States. They didn’t stop there, however. The philanthropic couple’s donation to Florida International University resulted in the school’s art museum being renamed The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum.
RUSSELL GALBUT
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Crescent Heights
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: As vice president of the industrious and fruitful Crescent Heights, Galbut helped revive residential properties in South Beach with one-of-a-kind construction. It’s a fitting endeavor for him, as his family roots are deeply planted in Miami Beach. In 1935, his grandfather opened a drugstore/diner on 5th Street, and, together, his extended family (which today includes Haute 100 member, Keith Menin, Galbut’s nephew) was at one point the largest landowner on the Beach. Today, Crescent Heights is the nation’s largest residential condominium company with properties across Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and many other cities.
MALCOLM GLAZER
CATEGORY: Billionaires
COMPANY: First Allied Corporation
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: His entrepreneurial roots can be traced to when he was only eight years old and began working in his father’s watch-parts company. He inherited the business when he was 15, but his young age didn’t hinder the company in the slightest, which Glazer even expanded. He later became the president of property firm First Allied Corporation, which owns shopping centers in 15 states, totalling close to 7 million square feet of retail space. He may reside in Palm Beach, but he focuses a lot of his attention on the Florida’s other coast, because he is the proud owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which brought him Super Bowl glory in 2003. (He has hosted the big game twice as the team’s owner.) In 2005, Glazer paid $1.5 billion to add the world’s most popular and valuable sports team, Manchester United, to his roster. The team brought home the Premier League championship in 2009.
THE GOLDMAN FAMILY
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Goldman Properties
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: Tony Goldman came to a deteriorated South Beach to meet a friend for dinner one night in the early 1980s, and the rest, as they say, is history. Goldman Properties set up shop and transformed the Art Deco district into the thriving haven it is today. He also can be credited with the reinvention of Soho, the resurgence of Philadelphia’s Center City, and, with his son Joey, the revival of Miami’s Wynwood art district. After five years as the associate fashion director for Saks, Jessica joined the family business in 1997 as a principal and managing partner and COO for the hospitality division, overseeing the company’s South Beach hotels. This year, the Goldman’s South Beach property The Hotel created an oceanfront addition at 800 Ocean Drive, right above the News Cafe, in the heart of the neighborhood that wouldn’t be where it is today without the visionary leadership of the Goldman family.
News
April 13, 2010Keeping Up with Miami’s Culinary Scene
