THE RUBELL FAMILY
CATEGORY: Thinkers
COMPANY: Rubell Family Collection
INDUSTRY: Art
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: They were the pioneers of what has since been referred to as the “Miami Model” of art collecting; Don Rubell and his wife Mera began amassing an expansive personal collection of contemporary art in 1964 in New York. In the early 90s, they decided to share it with the world, and opened the Rubell Family Collection in its current 45,000-square-foot warehouse in Wynwood. The family, made up of Don, Mera, their children Jennifer and Jason, and Jason’s wife Michelle, also operate the non-profit Contemporary Arts Foundation, which presents thematic presentations annually that often travel to other prestigious art institutions across the country. The Rubell Family Collection features 27 galleries, a research library with more than 30,000 volumes, a film and lecture theater, a new media room, a bookstore, a gift shop, and a sculpture garden. Each of the exhibitions shown at the gallery are owned by the Rubells, and it is often new acquisitions that provide the inspiration for new exhibits, such as the current “Beg Borrow and Steal,” which is rooted in Picasso’s quote, “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.”
ROMAN JONES & MITCHELL RUBINSON
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Opium Group
INDUSTRY: Investment
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: The British-born Jones helped put South Beach on the nightlife map when he partnered with Eric Milon to open The Living Room on Washington Avenue, and thus South Beach’s reputation for extremely exclusive nightlife was born. Today, Opium Group, a joint venture between Jones, Eric and Eric’s brother Francis, sets the standard when it comes to nightlife. Rubinson’s résumé is as impressive as it is diverse. His list of ventures runs the gamut from being a principal and adviser for The Opium Group to founding Armor Inspection Services and Drill Magazine, to being former chairman of the International Fast Food Corporation and of Capital Brands. He is able to attend to these ventures thanks to his investment firm, Integrated Equities Inc., which he founded in 1985. The year before that, he was the largest shareholder of Atlantic Federal Savings and Loan, which is now called Bank Atlantic. He also has a slew of properties in South Florida and is involved in many community and philanthropic endeavors.
PAULINA RUBIO
CATEGORY: Entertainers
COMPANY: EMI, Universal Music
INDUSTRY: Music
WHAT MAKES HER HAUTE: Known as the Queen of Latin Pop, Rubio is one of the most prominent crossover artists to come out of Mexico. She got her first taste of fame when she was only 10 years old as a member of children’s group Timbiriche. She hit the U.S. airwaves in 2000, soaring up to No. 1 on the Billboard Latin chart and earning Latin Grammy nominations. She has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, and her songs are often No. 1 on the Latin Billboard charts. She, like many other celebrities that reside in our town, can often be found attending the city’s highest profile events alongside her good friend Loren Ridinger.
ALEJANDRO SANZ
CATEGORY: Entertainers
COMPANY: Warner Music
INDUSTRY: Entertainment
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Singing his way into music history, the Spanish Sanz is a global sensation, winning a record number of Grammy awards and the adoration of American and international audiences. He warmed his way into American hearts on Shakira’s track “La Tortura,” which sat on top of the Latin Billboard charts for a record 25 weeks in 2005. His latest album, Paraíso Express, released in November 2009, includes his first-ever English single, “Looking for Paradise,” featuring Alicia Keys. It shot to the top of the Latin Billboard charts.
STEPHANIE SAYFIE-AAGAARD
CATEGORY: Philanthropists
COMPANY: The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
INDUSTRY: Philanthropy
WHAT MAKES HER HAUTE: The epitome of a South Florida socialite, Sayfie-Aagaard is absolutely driven in her quest to raise money for various causes, especially at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund, the world’s largest, most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center. She uses her ties from her weekly social column in the Miami Herald “Steph Sez” to muster up support for the causes.
LEE BRIAN SCHRAGER
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Southern Wine & Spirits
INDUSTRY: Alcohol
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: A recent profile in the New York Times indicated that “no one has ever done what Mr. Schrager does in the food world.” Schrager is responsible for the creation of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which brings the most celebrated names from the world’s finest culinary institutions and revered wineries to the sands of Miami Beach for one weekend each February, all to benefit FIU’s school of hospitality and tourism management. His efforts led the school to create the Lee Brian Schrager Excellence in Leadership Awards, and three scholarship recipients were named during the 2010 festival. Building on the South Beach festival’s extreme success, a New York event debuted in 2008. His successes earned him a promotion this past December to Southern Wine & Spirits vice president of corporate communications and national events.
MICHAEL SCHWARTZ
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Michael’s Genuine
INDUSTRY: Restaurant
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Known for his delectable and unpretentious food, Chef Michael Schwartz is the owner of one of the most celebrated restaurants in Miami: Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, in the Design District. Throughout his career Schwartz has received critical acclaim from top publications, and he was a 2009 nominee for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South, and he is up for the award again in 2010. Since the age of 16, Schwartz has been fascinated by the art of cooking. He revolutionized the Miami culinary scene in 1994 with the opening of the South Beach landmark Nemo. Today, he continues to dazzle diners, who flock to his casual neighborhood restaurant to indulge in his special brand of organic farm-to-table cuisine.
FRANCES ALDRICH SEVILLA-SACASA
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: U.S. Trust
INDUSTRY: Banking
WHAT MAKES HER HAUTE: With three decades of experience, Sevilla-Sacasa is one of the country’s most powerful female forces in the financial investment industry which led the Wall Street Journal to name her as one of 50 women to watch in 2007. She recently stepped down as the president of U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, which only deals with clients with more than $3 million in investable assets. The University of Miami graduate is also the vice president of the board of governors for the Miami City Ballet.
RONY SEIKALY
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Quadrant Investment Group
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Thanks to an illustrious career playing in the NBA for the Miami Heat, as well as successful real estate ventures, Seikaly is a leading figure in the city. Early in his career with the Heat, he made waves by breaking several team records, amassing incredible career statistics, and earning the title “The Spin Doctor.” The name has a dual meaning; Seikaly is also a DJ with a penchant for house music. He’s played some of the hautest clubs and lounges in the world, including Miami Beach’s LIV. Since its inception in 2005, Quadrant Investment Group, of which Seikaly is CEO, has created and managed three separate funds with $128 million in investor equity and $350 million in real estate. Seikaly is personally invested in each of those funds.
SHAKIRA
CATEGORY: Entertainers
COMPANY: Pies Descalsos Foundation
INDUSTRY: Music
WHAT MAKES HER HAUTE: This seductive songstress (and Latin Grammy winner) is one of the most prominent crossover artists. Her collaboration with Wyclef for the No. 1 track “Hips Don’t Lie” earned her a Grammy nomination, and this past year, the airwaves have been dominated by tracks from her latest album She Wolf, which she co-wrote and produced. Shakira’s nonprofit organization, Pies Descalzos (which means “barefoot” in English), is aimed at helping Colombian children that have been the victims of violence, and she is also an ambassador for Unicef.
ALINA & ANTHONY SHRIVER
CATEGORY: Power Couples
COMPANY: Best Buddies International
INDUSTRY: Philanthropy
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: In 1989, when he was still in college, Anthony Kennedy Shriver founded Best Buddies International to foster relationships between those with intellectual disabilities and those without. It has since grown to have some 1,500 chapters around the world. It is estimated that 700,000 people are positively impacted by Best Buddies every year, a number that is set to grow in 2010 thanks to an international expansion effort led by Anthony. Alina is the vice president of art and merchandise for the organization, where she oversees the fine art collection comprised of works by artists like Lichtenstein, while also creating synergies with her other professional role as the exclusive licensing agent for pop artist Romero Britto. She also runs Shriver Art, an art consulting and marketing business that is responsible for the 35-foot Britto sculpture that was unveiled at the 5th Street entrance to Miami Beach last year.
KARIM MASRI & NICOLA SIERVO
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: KNR Food Concept
INDUSTRY: Restaurants & Nightlife
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: Along with other Haute 100 Miami member Rony Seikaly, Masri and Siervo are partners in KNR Food Concepts, which is behind the venerable Quattro Gastronomia Italiana and its sister restaurant, Sosta, a high-end pizza joint located across the way on Lincoln Road. They bring a plethora of experience to the table, as they lent their know-how to establishments like Joia, Hotel Astor, Mynt, and Mokai over the years. These experiences led to their new restaurant and nightlife establishments at the W South Beach—Soleá and Wall—being heralded as some of the hautest spots in town since opening their doors in 2009.
DON & JEFF SOFFER
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Turnberry & Associates
INDUSTRY: Real Estate/Hospitality
WHAT MAKES THEM HAUTE: Don opened his first retail shopping mall with his father when he was 24 years old. He then came down to South Florida and purchased almost 1,000 acres of marshland in northern Dade County in 1967, filled the area, and created what is today called Aventura, a planned community. Aventura is a haven of activity, with golf courses, lakes, bike and exercise paths, exclusive condominiums, hotels, shopping centers, office buildings, and more. His son Jeff followed Don’s footsteps into the real estate and hospitality realms, and, when debuting the $500 million makeover of his world-renowned Fontainebleau Miami Beach in 2008, Jeff descended the hotel’s famous “stairs to nowhere” into the lobby (which was packed with everyone who is anyone in Miami) flanked by a bevy of Victoria’s Secret Angels. Unfortunately, the consensus is that the beautiful property opened at the wrong time—in the midst of a global economic collapse that drove room prices down and affected occupancy rates. The property is riddled with debt, but as of press time, a financial restructuring plan was reportedly in the works.
DONALD TRUMP
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: The Trump Organization
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Everyone is familiar with The Donald’s real estate (and reality television) empire, but they may not be entirely familiar with his South Florida ties. Trump purchased Palm Beach’s magnificent Mar-A-Lago estate in 1985 and used the immense palace as his personal home for a number of years before turning it into one of the country’s most exclusive private clubs a decade later. It is the last remaining Palm Beach estate that is almost identical to the day it was built, albeit with modern comforts and upgrades, which led it to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The real estate mogul also has three Trump-branded properties in South Florida (one in Hollywood and two in Sunny Isles), as well as Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach.
DWYANE WADE
CATEGORY: Athletes
COMPANY: Miami Heat
INDUSTRY: Basketball
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: The Chicago native came to Miami in 2003 when he was selected fifth overall in the NBA draft. He has been a force for the Heat ever since, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team his first season. He went on to lead the team to its first NBA World Championship in 2006 and got crowned MVP, and then led Team USA to a gold medal in the Olympics. Today, Wade continues to wow the crowds with his athletic prowess. Equally impressive off the court, he has earned respect for his strong community involvement helping at-risk youths through his Wade’s World Foundation.
NORM WEDDERBURN
CATEGORY: Philanthropists
COMPANY: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida
INDUSTRY: Philanthropy
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: A philanthropic leader in high society, Wedderburn’s annual Intercontinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball generates more dollars and headlines each consecutive year with its “who’s who” guest list of affluent South Florida VIPs. In 2009, the 15th annual ball raised $1 million to support the foundation’s mission of granting wishes to terminally ill children.
BARTON G. WEISS
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Barton G.
INDUSTRY: Restaurant & Hospitality
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: He’s now proudly flying his flag at the famous Versace Mansion, formerly known as Casa Casuarina but now dubbed The Villa by Barton G. His namesake company got started in the corporate event planning sector before opening the celebrity-studded Barton G. restaurant on Miami Beach, followed by Prelude by Barton G. at the Adrienne Arsht Center, which opened with a bash complete with live monkeys and a giraffe. He is known for his over-the-top panache, which manifests itself in every project he touches. The Villa by Barton G., which opened in March after a five-month restoration process, includes a 10-room boutique hotel portion, with rooms running from $2,100 to $5,000 a night, complete with butler service. The restaurant, which is open to the public, serves Barton G.’s signature cuisine off original Versace dinnerware.
PHARRELL WILLIAMS
CATEGORY: Entertainers
COMPANY: The Neptunes
INDUSTRY: Music
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: He hit the music scene in the 1990s and has been a dominating force ever since. While in his teens, he met Chad Hugo at a summer camp for the gifted, and the duo eventually formed The Neptunes, a music producing powerhouse that has been credited with defining the pop music genre through work with Madonna, Jay-Z, Usher, Britney Spears, Nelly, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, and more, earning them a couple of Grammys along the way. Beyond an ear for hot tracks, he also has an eye for fashion and design. He is behind two clothing lines (Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream), released a jewelry line with Louis Vuitton, and created a collection of furniture with Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin. Miami became his adopted home when he purchased a penthouse in Brickell’s Bristol Tower from developer Ugo Colombo.
SEAN WOLFINGTON
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: The Wolfington Companies
INDUSTRY: Technology, Real Estate, Film
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: In 2006, he was one of four finalists for the Earnst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award (which ultimately went to Wayne Huizenga), and rightfully so. Wolfington has active forays in the real estate, technology, and film industries. His real estate investment arm focuses on high-end development, and the first film he financed and produced—Bella—earned top honors at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. His media company. The One Media, is the digital partner of artists like Shakira, and Wolfington also serves as chairman of the board for VinSolutions, an auto dealership marketing system, as well as on the board at Lumen Institute. He became a Miami resident when he and his wife Ana, also a producer, purchased Cher’s former estate on Mashta Island off of Key Biscayne.
MICHAEL & BOBBY YAMPOLSKY
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: East Coast Jewelry
INDUSTRY: Jewelry, Timepieces
What Makes them Haute: The father-son duo is the No. 1 retailer for Audemars Piguet and Hublot in America. Bobby made Palm Beach history by becoming the youngest storeowner on Worth Avenue at age 19. Today, their 20-plus year reputation in the industry means that East Coast Jewelry is the go-to establishment for gold and exquisite, rare timepieces. This reputation was further cemented when Bobby, along with Morten Nielsen, founded SCI Innovations, the company behind the Ulysse Nardin Chairman luxury hybrid smart phone.
ENGIN YESIL
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
COMPANY: Core Development Holdings Corp.
INDUSTRY: Real Estate
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: He is a diversified entrepreneur to his core. After making his fortune by innovating the eyewear industry through a contact company now known as 1.800.CONTACTS, Turkish tycoon Yesil launched Iprepay, a pioneer company that delivers store value products such as prepaid wireless airtime, calling cards, bill payment, and more. He founded Core Development in 1996, and his Turkish real estate company. Yesil Insaat, is developing a grand-scale project near Istanbul and is also involved in Trump Istanbul. He has been chairman and director of SK Realty Ventures since 2007, and he also became president of Wilson Mining Corporation in 2008.
SANFORD ZIFF
CATEGORY: Philanthropists
COMPANY: Sunglass Hut
INDUSTRY: Philanthropy
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE: Ziff, a former optometrist, opened the first Sunglass Hut in 1971 as a freestanding kiosk in the Dadeland Mall. He expanded the brand throughout the city and eventually around the country before selling 75 percent ownership in the 80s for quite a hefty profit. When he sold his remaining stake in the company a few years later, he chose to dedicate the rest of his life to philanthropic endeavors, and the City of Miami has reaped the benefits. His generosity led to the Jewish Museum of Florida, which used to bear his name, but the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center still does honor his generous contributions.
News
April 13, 2010Keeping Up with Miami’s Culinary Scene
