Miami is home to some of the most influential people in the world. Our annual Haute 100 list celebrates the city’s top billionaires, athletes, thinkers, power couples, philanthropists, originators, hoteliers, designers, entrepreneurs and entertainers.
Ray & Shannon Allen
CATEGORY: Athletes, Philanthropists
Company: The Miami Heat
Industry: Basketball
What Makes them Haute:
The Miami Heat player starred in Spike Lee’s award winning, He Got Game, played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks and took home an Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball in 2000 for Team USA. He led the Miami Heat to win the Championships in 2013. His wife Shannon, star of cooking show, The Pre-Game Meal, is a crusader to cure Type 1 Diabetes. Together, she and the semi-retired ball-player raised millions of dollars and awareness for the cause and hope to inspire people to eat better and live healthier, with their new, disruptive food concept, “grown,” which will sprout in Miami, late summer of 2015.
Michael Bay
CATEGORY: Entertainers
Company: Bay Films
Industry: Film
WHAT MAKES him HAUTE:
He is one of Hollywood’s most bankable directors, with blockbuster movies including the Transformers franchise, Pain & Gain, Bad Boys II, and Bad Boys (all three of which were filmed in Miami), Pearl Harbor and The Rock among his list of credits. His two production companies, Bay Films and Platinum Dunes, have earned global ticket sales surpassing the $7 billion mark. Each film is loaded with his distinctive brand of awe-inspiring action and special visual effects. The Hollywood power player uses his home on North Bay Road in Miami Beach as a much-needed sanctuary after the draining filming process.
The Ardid Family
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Key International
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
The Ardid family owns realestate development firm Key International. The family at the company includes Vice Presidents Diego, Inigo Ardid, and CEO Jose Ardid. Jose Ardid, the prominent architect-turned-developer, is behind Florida’s most luxurious properties, such as South Beach Marriott, Eden Roc, Financial Federal, Sunset Plaza and Brickell Mar. Key International has developed South Florida’s high-end real estate properties since the 1970s.
Jeff & Yolanda Berkowitz
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Berkowitz Development Group
Industry: Retail Development
What Makes Them Haute:
He is President and Founder of Berkowitz Development Group, one of the premier retail development companies in South Florida, lauded for constructing award-winning buildings. He is currently working on SkyRise Miami, an iconic 1000-foot entertainment/amusement tower that promises to be a Miami landmark. His wife, Yolanda, is known for her community involvement as a board member for organizations including Voices For Children Foundation, United Way of Miami Dade, and as a sponsor for and past Chair of the United Way’s Mayor’s Ball and the Miami Children’s Museum’s Annual Gala. Jeff serves as Chairman of the Museum’s Board.
Micky and Madeleine Arison
CATEGORY: Billionaires
Company: Carnival Corporation, Miami Heat
Industry: Cruise
What Makes them Haute:
Micky weighs in as Florida’s wealthiest resident with an estimated worth of $6.5 billion. The Carnival Corporation Chairman and CEO operate 11 different cruise lines, including luxury lines Seabourn and Holland America. He is also Managing General Partner of the Miami Heat. In 2014, Arison reached a deal with the City of Miami keeping the Heat in the American Airlines Arena through 2035.
Roy & Lea Black
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, P.A.
Industry: Law/Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute:
He made a name for himself as one of the best civil and criminal defense lawyers in the country, representing superstar athletes, political pundits, and Hollywood celebrities. She is a powerhouse fundraiser for at-risk youth and a businesswoman in her own right with a book, skincare, handbag, and jewelry line on theworldofleablack.com. The couple also host The Blacks Annual Gala to raise money for the Consequences Program. Together they have raised well over $12 million for the cause, which strives for social justice for underprivileged youth.
Adrienne Arsht
CATEGORY: Philanthropists
Company: Adrienne Arsht Center
Industry: Performing Arts
What Makes her Haute:
As former Chairman of the Board of TotalBank of Miami, Arsht grew the bank to $1.4 billion in assets before selling to Banco Popular Español in 2007. This is when she began dedicating her life to philanthropy. The first woman to join the Million Dollar Roundtable of United Way of Miami-Dade in 2004, she gifted $6 million to the University of Miami and $30 million to the Adrienne Arsht Center. Her generosity is not limited to southern Florida. Large donations in the northeast include $10 million to New York’s Lincoln Center, $5 million to the Kennedy Center, and $5 million to the Atlantic Council for a new center on Latin America in Washington D.C.
Wayne Boich
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Boich Group
Industry: Mining
What Makes Them Haute:
Wayne Boich is Chairman and CEO of the Boich Group of Companies. Mr. Boich joined the company in 1999 and worked in all facets of the company before becoming CEO in 2005. Under Mr. Boich’s leadership, the company has grown significantly and into the international market, with the acquisition of Signal Peak Energy in July 2008. Signal Peak is one of the largest underground coal mines in the world.
Raul Casares
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: RC Aluminum Industries
Industry: Construction
What Makes him Haute:
Casares arrived in Miami from Cuba in the 1950s and founded RC Aluminum in the early 1990s. He spent the subsequent two decades building RC Aluminum into a powerhouse, with more than $100 million in revenue each year. Now under Casares’ direction, RC Aluminum continues to invest in researching the very best aluminum and glass technology so that every shutter, window, or door stamped RC promises safety and style. His most recent projects include the Owensboro Medical Health System, Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, and Aventura Optima Plaza.
Norman Braman
CATEGORY: Billionaires
Company: Braman Enterprises
Industry: Automobile
What Makes him Haute:
Braman Motors is where many of the Haute 100-listers turn to purchase their luxury rides, such as Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Bugattis, BMWs, Minis, and Cadillacs. Braman not only owns 23 auto dealerships in Florida and Colorado, but he is also an avid art collector. His portfolio of works by Picasso, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and other acclaimed artists helped propel him to billionaire status in 2008. He and his wife, Irma, are funding the new Institute of Contemporary Art in the Design District.
Wayne & Arlene Chaplin
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Southern Wine & Spirits of America/YogArt (Darlee Productions)
Industry: Liquor & Wine Distribution
What Makes Them Haute:
Wayne Chaplin serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Wine & Spirits of America. Chaplin is also active in the social and philanthropic circuits as well, volunteering in various leadership activities at his alma mater. He serves on the University of Miami’s Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee, as well as Chairman of the Board of Mount Sinai Medical Center of Miami Beach. His wife, Arlene, is also involved in the development of community- bettering initiatives such as YogArt and Buddhas and Bellinis. She also sits on the Perez Art Museum’s Board of Trustees.
Chris & Adrienne Bosh
CATEGORY:Athletes/Power Couples
Company: Miami Heat
Industry: Basketball
What Makes Them Haute:
Chris Bosh helped lead the HEAT to two consecutive NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. His honors include 9 time NBA All-Star, All-NBA Second Team Honors, All-Rookie First Team Honors, and a 2008 Olympic Gold Medal. Chris and his wife Adrienne oversee a non-profit organization, Team Tomorrow Inc., which focuses on Miami-based initiatives to better the community. In 2014, Chris added designer to his resume with the launch of Mr. Nice Tie, and Adrienne is a female entrepreneur on the rise with Sparkle + Shine Darling, a unique retail destination and event venue in Miami Beach that doubles as a haven for women by hosting events that foster a female community of positivity and support.
Romero Britto
CATEGORY: Artists
Company: Romero Britto
Industry: Art
What Makes him Haute:
Britto’s work is recognized around the world; over 20 cities have his sculptures as permanent installations. He was even invited to display his iconic works of art at the Salon Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. Britto was commissioned to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in honor of the 60th anniversary of her reign. An artistic activist for charitable organizations worldwide, Britto also donates to over 250 charities a year. In 2014, he was an official FIFA World Cup Ambassador for the games in Brazil.
Shayne & Felix Cohen
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Oxygene and Mini Oxygene
Industry: Retail
What Makes Them Haute:
This duo is behind one of Miami’s most expertly curated retail destinations, Oxygene and Mini Oxygene, in the Bal Harbour Shops. Truly a family affair, both sides of this power couple have been instrumental to the store that dresses Miami’s most discerning customers and hosts VIP designer trunk shows. Felix was also the mastermind behind 3 Indian Creek Drive, a sprawling 30,000-square foot residential property.
Michael Capponi
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Capponi Group Corporation
Industry: Real Estate/Nightlife/Technology
What Makes him Haute:
Michael Capponi has segued from being one of Miami’s best promoters to being one of its great developers, humanitarians, and businessmen; Capponi runs Capponi Shear Construction, a group that builds and remodels both high-end residential and commercial properties. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Capponi flew over with a plane-load of supplies and has since returned over 60 times and formed both the Jacmel Advisory Group and the Haiti Empowerment Mission in the process. Most recently, Capponi teamed up with Gideon Kimbrell to create InList, a members-only mobile app that simplifies the booking process for upscale nightlife reservations, as well as other desirable entertainment experiences.
Ugo & Sara Colombo
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: CMC Group/NEST
Industry: Fashion, Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Ugo has created some of Miami’s most recognizable structures as President of CMC Group and founder of Glasswall, LLC, which specializes in impact-resistant window systems for high-rise properties. Colombo is recognized for his Midas touch, bringing exceptional luxury properties and high-res residential buildings to Miami, including his current project, the Brickell Flatiron in downtown. His wife Sara’s interior design shop, NEST, specializes in high-style products for the home presented with a European flair that is reflective of her innate sense of style.
Sean “Diddy” Combs
Manhattan, New York
Photo © Matt Baron/BEImages
CATEGORY: Entertainers
Company: Bad Boy Entertainment
Industry: Entertainment
What Makes him Haute:
The Grammy and Oscar award winning artist and producer is well known for his business ventures, especially in the music industry. The Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide umbrella includes Bad Boy Records, Sean John and Sean by Sean Combs clothing line, a movie production company, Ciroc Vodka, and premium tequila brand, DeLeon, which he acquired in 2014.
WILLIAM DEAN
Company: M.C. Dean, Inc.
Industry:Power and Technology Engineering and Systems Integration
What Makes Them Haute:
He is the CEO of M.C. Dean, Inc. one of the largest private power and technology engineering firms in the nation. With 25 offices worldwide, M.C. Dean, Inc. specializes in infrastructure such as rail, healthcare, utilities, and data centers. Projects include SOUTHCOM headquarters in Doral, the Miami FBI Field Office, the Port of Miami Tunnel, the Pentagon and the Boeing Dreamliner factory. He restored and improved the historic SS Kresge estate on Pinetree Drive in Miami Beach. The estate boasts 700 ft of Indian Creek waterfront and Mr. Dean opens the doors in support of numerous great causes, recently hosting Mourning Family Foundation, Little Lighthouse Foundation, and The Paradise Fund.
Rick de la Croix
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Hublot
Industry: Watch
What Makes him Haute:
Rick de la Croix owns the Mykonian Luxury Group, an international distribution group focusing on distribution of luxury timepieces such as Hublot, Zenith, HYT and TAG Heuer. Myknonian has offices in Switzerland,130 employees and over $100 million in billings. He is a partner with LVMH and Hublot, with 6 Hublot boutiques in the Americas. The Englishman his a dual Swiss citizen and is a supporter of Best Buddies Foundation and a Board Member of the Alonzo Mourning Foundation. He is also Associate Director of the English football team, the Tottenham Hotspurs.
EDGARDO AND ANA CRISTINA DEFORTUNA
CATEGORY: Originators / Power Couples
Company: Fortune International Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Fortune International Group President and Founder Edgardo Defortuna founded the company in 1983, and in 1998, he and wife, Ana Cristina, launched their luxury development arm. Fortune is a leader in high-end luxury real estate in Miami, with a good reach into South America and Europe, shaping Miami’s international real estate landscape into what it is today with stellar projects like The Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach, Jade Signature, and Auberge Beach Residences and Spa in Fort Lauderdale. They recently created an affiliation with TOWN Residential in New York City to further their real estate network.
CARLOS AND ROSA DE LA CRUZ
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: CCI Companies
Industry: Consumer Goods, Art Collectors
What Makes Them Haute:
He is the Chairman of the Board of CCI Companies, Inc., which includes subsidiaries of the Coca-Cola Company and has $1 billion in annual sales. She is known as one of Florida’s most prominent art collectors. Recognizing the significance of their incredible collection, the pair periodically opens their home to anyone who wishes to view their outstanding collection— including during Art Basel, when the couple let 3,000 VIPs into their Key Biscayne Home.
Gil & Lorena Dezer
CATEGORY: Originators/Power Couples
Company: Dezer Properties
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Dezer Development encompasses unique and strategic holdings in New York, Las Vegas, and Florida, and is the largest owner of oceanfront property in Sunny Isles Beach with just over 27 acres. Credited as major players in the rebirth of Sunny Isles Beach, the Dezers have developed nine luxury high rise residential and condo-hotel developments through unique partnerships with some of the world’s leading marquee lifestyle brands, including six Trump-branded towers, Porsche Design Tower, and Residences by Armani/Casa. Dezer’s wife, Lorena, is a fixture on the social scene and a generous supporter of charitable causes in the community.
BRETT DAVID
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Prestige Imports
Industry: Automobile
What Makes him Haute:
Under Brett David’s leadership, Prestige has obtained No.1 rankings in the world for both its Lamborghini Miami and Prestige Audi dealership. To honor his late father, David teamed up with the American Heart Association to develop the Prestigious Heart Fund, a non-profit dedicated to promoting heart health and awareness. In 2012, he was Man of the Year at Driving Force II and in 2014, he opened MPH, a luxury rental car service.
PAUL & SWANEE DIMARE
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: DiMare Fresh
Industry: Produce
What Makes Them Haute:
Paul DiMare is the nation’s top tomato grower and packer, owning DiMare Fresh. He is Founder and Chairman of Florida Farmers Inc, Director of 1st National Bank of South Florida. He is the President of seven different family foundations and the Paul J. DiMare Foundation, through which the DiMare’s have contributed $6 million to fund scholarships at University of Miami, and pledged an additional $12 million. Swanee has received awards from the Red Cross and serves on many boards and made substantial donations to The Fairchild Tropical Garden, The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, The Miami Science Museum, Women of Tomorrow, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. She recently chaired the Arsht Center Annual Gala. The couple have five adult children.
DAVID EDELSTEIN
CATEGORY: Originator
Company: Tristar Capital
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes him Haute:
David Edelstein’s relationships within the real estate and banking community are key to the success of his company, Tristar Capital. His development expertise comes from large-scale mixed-use projects in Manhattan, South Florida, and the West Coast. Edelstein has been the driving force behind high-profile retail projects like the Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas and the redevelopment of Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. In the past years he’s also developed the W South Beach Hotel & Residences and changed the hotel landscape in Miami Beach. Recently, he has been acquiring a portfolio of investments in Wynwood and the Design District. The real estate giant resides in New York City.
LUIS GARCIA FANJUL
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Group IUSA, S.A.
Industry: Manufacturing
What Makes him Haute:
Luis Garcia Fanjul is the Chief Operating Officer of Grupo IUSA, S.A., a worldwide company boasting over $8 billion dollars in annual revenues and employing over 25,000 people. They specialize in the electrical manufacturing sector, fabricating over 6,000 different products. The company also is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacturing of smart/intelligent electrical, water, and gas metering systems.
Gloria & Emilio Estefan
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Estefan Enterprises
Industry: Entertainment
What Makes Them Haute:
She’s the Queen of Latin Pop, has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and has won seven Grammy Awards. Inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, the superstar and her husband, Emilio, are also actively involved in the betterment of the community and that of their home country of Cuba. Emilio is a musician and producer credited with skyrocketing the success of many famed music artists. As authors of a bestseller and minority owners of the Miami Dolphins, the duo has their plates more than full as the faces of various local, national, and international brands and causes.
Alan Faena
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Faena Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes him Haute:
Alan Faena is an Argentinean hotelier, designer, and real estate developer. Having gotten his start with fashion brand Via Vai, Faena moved on to development in the year 2000 when he collaborated with Philippe Stark to create the first Faena District in Buenos Aires. Now President of the Faena Group, Faena is creating another hospitality, cultural, and residential complex in Miami Beach, which will include a new hotel, a conversion of the historic Saxony Hotel, along with many other projects dedicated to arts and culture.
Oscar & Ellen Feldenkreis
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Perry Ellis International
Industry: Fashion
What Makes Them Haute:
Oscar and Ellen Feldenkreis are involved in numerous national and civic causes including the Kosher Food Bank, United Way and the YPO/WPO Organization. Oscar is Vice-Chairman, President, and COO of Perry Ellis International and is also on the Board of Directors of FIT’s Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries, WPO Membership Chair and an Advisory Member for the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business Retail. Oscar has received many awards including the National Human Relations award, the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Wharton School of Business and the Father of the Year Award benefitting Save the Children.
MIKE FERNANDEZ
CATEGORY: Billionaires
Company: MBF Healthcare Partners
Industry: Healthcare
What Makes him Haute:
A Cuban immigrant who became a billionaire by founding MBF Healthcare Partners, a private equity firm. He is also a landowner in Florida and Alabama with thousands of acres. Fernandez is active in Republican politics and served as a member of the finance committee for Governor Rick Scott’s re-election. He is also a philanthropist, having donated $5 million to Miami Children’s Hospital and $1 million to the Mourning Foundation.
Art Falcone
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Falcone Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes him Haute:
He is CEO of Falcone Group, a vertically integrated real estate and land development organization, and a Principal Partner of Encore Housing Opportunity Funds I and II, two opportunistic funds with private equity totaling $700 million. Falcone is also the founder and Managing Principal of Miami Worldcenter, one of the largest master planned urban environments in the United States, spanning more than 30 acres across nine blocks in the heart of Downtown Miami. He previously sold his company, Transeastern Homes, for over $1 billion.
JIM FERRARO
CATEGORY: Entrepreneur / Philanthropists
Company: The Ferraro Law Firm
Industry: Law
What Makes him Haute:
Ferraro has focused his law practices in the areas of asbestos litigation, product liability, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice and family law. His firms now handle nearly 50,000 asbestos cases, and are known nationwide for their environmental toxic tort practice. Jim is also known for his donations to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Children’s Home Society, United Way of Miami-Dade, and The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. He was inducted into the Hope Stout Society in 2008, named one of the Twelve Good Men by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida in 2010, and is a member of the University of Miami’s Bowman Foster Ashe Society.
ELLA FONTANALS CISNEROS
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: Cisneros Fontannals Group
Industry: Art
What Makes her Haute:
She began collecting Latin American art in the 1970s and founded CFAF in 2002 with the goal of fostering, understanding, and creating appreciation for contemporary artists from Latin America through grants, commissions, exhibitions, and bilingual publications. She is a trustee of PAMM, Patrons of the Tate, the Cintas Foundation, United States Artist, and the International Women’s Forum. She also dedicates her time to being an active humanitarian and environmentalist.
Joey and Jessica Goldman Srebnick
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Goldman Properties
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Goldman Properties, founded by visionary Tony Goldman, is responsible for transforming Soho in New York, the Art Deco District in Miami Beach, and now Wynwood in Miami from overlooked and lifeless areas to vital real estate with an artistic feel. Jessica Goldman Srebnick is carrying on the family business as CEO and continues to drive the company’s innovative developments and artistic collaborations. Early on, Joey Goldman, along with his father Tony, recognized Wynwood’s potential as Miami’s next new neighborhood and began purchasing properties, helping kickstart the Wynwood renaissance, in late 2008 Joey opened Joey’s Italian Cafe, an authentic Italian restaurant.
Phillip & Patricia Frost
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Pharmaceuticals
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
What Makes Them Haute:
He is the CEO of IVAX Corporation and large shareholder of Opko Health. She served as chair of the Smithsonian National Board. The couple donated $33 million to the University of Miami to finance the Frost School of Music. Another major donation to Florida International University resulted in a renaming of the school’s art museum, The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum. $35 million donation begot the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. Not to rest on their profound philanthropy, the Frosts recently pledged yet another $12 million for the science museum that now bears their name.
Russell Galbut
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Crescent Heights
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes him Haute:
Galbut is the Managing Principal of Crescent Heights, a company heralded as the leader in high-rise residential construction and hotel development. Although Galbut’s family has a history of owning Miami Beach real estate, Crescent Heights is amongst the nation’s largest residential condominium companies with properties around the country. Currently, they have over a billion dollars in ground-up construction projects, all in various stages of development. He is building a 17,000-square foot residence for himself over a parking garage in South of Fifth. He received the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Innovation in Business Award last year.
Manuel Grosskopf
CATEGORY: Entrepreneur
Company: Chateau Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes him Haute:
Originally from Argentina, Manuel Grosskopf is the head of U.S. operations for Chateau Group. The group helped finance 900 Biscayne and Quantum on the Bay, before building Chateau Beach Residences in Sunny Isles. He is now working on Chateau Ocean, and Fendi Chateau Residences, a soaring luxury tower in Sunny Isles with Fendi design.
Ken Gorin
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: The Collection
Industry: Automobile
What Makes him Haute: Gorin, Co-Owner and President of The Collection in Miami, is known as one of the most respected luxury automobile executives. Under his direction, The Collection has become one of the most distinguished luxury dealerships in the country, closing out 2014 with a record-breaking $500,000,000 in sales. Gorin is on the Chairman’s Committee of Make A Wish Foundation, and through The Collection, Gorin sponsors countless charities including Jackson Memorial Foundation, Miami Project, Doctor’s Hospital, Miami Children’s Museum, Women of Tomorrow, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and many more.
Philip Goldfarb
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: Fontainebleau
Industry: Hospitality
What Makes him Haute:
As President & COO of Fontainebleau, Goldfarb, has taken the iconic resort to the next level with creative ideas like BleauLive, the resort’s one-of-a-kind entertainment platform. Seven years as President & COO of Turnberry Associates and 13 years as Doubletree’s GM and S.E. Director of Operations prepared him to run the ultimate Miami Beach hotel property. He has won FIU’s Hospitality School “Torchbearer Award” and the prestigious FIU Medallion.
Dave Grutman
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Miami Marketing Group
Industry: Nightlife
What Makes him Haute:
Armed with an enviable Rolodex and a knack for wrangling the right crowd, he opened Miami Marketing Group (MMG) with partners Brian Gordon and Ryan Schinman. MMG deals with full-service, experiential marketing platforms for everything from red carpet events to the hottest nightclubs around. In addition to the always-packed LIV at the Fontainebleau, MMG then added Story. Grutman was recently named Rolling Stone’s “Top 50 Most Important People in EDM.”
John Jansheski
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: HYPE Energy
Industry: Photography/ Real Estate
What Makes him Haute:
What Makes Him Haute: Before selling majority share in the DenTek oral care business he grew to over $100 million, John was sailing with U.S. Olympic Sailing team in the San Francisco Bay. John used his fortune to make strategic investments in South Florida real estate while pursuing his artistic passion in photography. So far he’s photographed Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Coldplay, Jay-Z and Beyonce in front of his camera’s lens. Now he’s bringing the global energy drink brand, HYPE Energy, to its first US headquarters here in South Beach.
ROMAIN ZAGO & JOANNA KRUPA
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Mynt Lounge
Industry: Nightlife/Modeling
What Makes Them Haute:
Zago is the owner of Mynt Lounge, a hot South Beach nightclub with amazing longevity. Romain’s model wife, Joanna Krupa, has graced the covers of countless magazines, appeared on “Dancing with the Stars,” and was in the cast of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Miami.” The beauty is actively involved in PETA and has her own nonprofit, Angels for Animals, which is an animal rescue organization.
Jill Eber & Jill Hertzberg
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
The celebrity broker team known as “The Jills” of Coldwell Banker is the brokerage’s most successful team in history, having the highest production on record of any agent team in the company’s 106-year history, closing over $552 million in sales during 2013, due in part to their $41.5 million sale of Casa Casuarina, the former Versace Mansion. Their top location picks include exclusive oceanfront homes and condos on Fisher Island, Sunset Island, Golden Beach, La Gorce, and Indian Creek Island.
Tommy Hilfiger
CATEGORY: Entrepreneur, Originator
Company: Tommy Hilfiger Corporation
Industry: Fashion/ Hospitality
What Makes him Haute:
After a hit premier menswear collection in 1985, Hilfiger grew at a fast pace. His Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation helps the cultural lives of underprivileged youth. He is also involved with the Anti-Defamation League and on the board of The Fresh Air Fund. In 2009, he donated $2 million to Millennium Promise. Hilfiger is married to designer Dee Ocleppo and purchased a home in Golden Beach as well as the iconic Raleigh Hotel in 2014.
Karolina Kurkova & Archie Drury
CATEGORY: Entertainment
Industry: Modeling
What Makes Them Haute:
Kurkova has graced the prestigious international covers of Vogue and had contracts with brands like Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Victoria’s Secret, for whom she walks the runway every year. Kurkova is also an active humanitarian; she was the face of the 2012 Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign and consistently works towards the welfare of children through organizations such as The Beautiful Life Fund, Free Arts and Global Youth Action Network. She was also a coach on Oxygen’s model search television series, The Face, for its inaugural season. In 2009, Kurkova married Voices of Iraq film producer and former actor, Archie Drury, before she gave birth to their son, Tobin.
Roman Jones and Justin Levine
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Opium Group
Industry: Nightlife
What Makes Them Haute:
The son of Mick Jones, Roman was born into a pretty exciting family and carried that with him to Opium Group, one of the country’s most successful hospitality conglomerates. He runs the roost along with Justin Levine and SFX Entertainment. Opium Group has been a tour de force in hospitality, design, and ambiance that attracts the glitterati of South Florida to all of their luxurious clubs, which have included Privé, Mansion, Cameo Theatre, and Mokai, with Jones having recently acquired Club Space.
EDDIE LAMPERT
CATEGORY: Billionaires
Industry: Finance, Retail
What Makes him Haute:
Lampert took over as Chief Executive of Sears Holding Corporation in 2013, which includes Sears, Kenmore, Lands End and Kmart. The hedge fund manager helped to rebuild Kmart after bankruptcy, and is working to restructure Sears to turn it around. Lampert is also the founder, Chariman and CEO of ESL Investments, a private investment company that Lampert started at age 25.
Diane & Alan Lieberman
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: South Beach Investment Realty, South Beach Group
Industry: Real Estate/Hospitality
What Makes Them Haute:
Together, Diane and Alan form a real estate powerhouse. Diane’s SBI Realty is behind the sales of some of the biggest profile listings in the region. Alan runs the show at South Beach Group, operating 10 properties, including the Catalina, SBG’s flagship property on Collins Avenue, and the new Riviera. The Liebermans’ hotels have been fixtures on South Beach for the past decade thanks to a business model that is based on innovation, outstanding marketing tactics, and an innate understanding of the customer.
Nelson Lucero
CATEGORY: Thinker
Company: Ulysse Nardin
Industry: Watch
What Makes him Haute: He is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Ulysse Nardin and recently oversaw the expansion of the brand into new locations such as the Ritz-Carlton on Central Park. He finds unique opportunities for branding and has had success with innovative ideas like the limited edition “Night’s Watch” timepiece with HBO’s Game of Thrones. Active in philanthropic circles, Lucero is a big supporter of Boys and Girls Club.
Howard Lorber
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Douglas Elliman
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes him Haute:
In addition to being the Chairman and a principal owner of New York real estate powerhouse Douglas Elliman, he is the Chairman and CEO of Nathan’s Famous. He is also Director of United Capital Corp, a real estate investment and management company with a portfolio of 150 properties throughout the U.S. On a local front, Lorber is President and CEO of the Miami-based Vector Group Ltd., a publicly held company listed on the New York Stock Exchange that is in the manufacturing and real estate investment business.
Al and Nancy Malnik
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs/ Philanthropists
What Makes Them Haute:
Mr. Malnik created The Forge Restaurant 47 years ago, which is now the second oldest restaurant in South Florida, after Joe’s Stone Crab. Malnik, who was an attorney and has developed many properties, is a serious philanthropist and a founder of Mount Sinai Medical Center and University of Miami/ Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is the only person that has ever achieved status of “Lifetime Benefactor” for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Florida for his donations that exceed $5 million.
Philip Levine
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Royal Media Partner/Baron Corp.
Industry: Real Estate/ Government
What Makes him Haute:
Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine put on Miami Beach’s Centennial extravaganza, while working on projects like the Convention Center renovation and combating the rising sea level issue. Also a real estate mogul, Mayor Levine is the President and CEO of Baron Corp, a privately held investment company which focuses on opportunistic investments in the tourism and real estate sector, including developing the Sunset Harbour neighborhood. He is also President and CEO of Royal Media Partners, the exclusive onboard media and port shopping partner of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Shareef Malnik and Gabrielle Anwar
CATEGORY: Entrepreneur/ Philanthropists
Company: The Forge Restaurant | Winebar
Industry: Hospitality
What Makes him Haute:
Taking over The Forge from his father in 1991, Shareef has kept the restaurant at the top of everyone’s list with an amazing top-to-bottom overhaul. Emerging as The Forge Restaurant | Bar, in addition to the famous steaks and vintage wines, they now also serve innovative fare from famed chef Christopher Lee. Gala Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Ball 10 years running, Malnik hosts with his fiancée, actress Gabrielle Anwar, who runs the auction with aplomb. Both Shareef and his father have been recognized as ‘Citizen of the Year’ by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce for their continued contribution to the South Florida community.
Diego & Gisela Lowenstein
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Lionstone Development and The Glow System
Industry: Hospitality
What Makes Them Haute:
CEO of Lionstone Development, Diego began acquiring an impressive portfolio of properties in South Florida five decades ago. This group is behind the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, EPIC Hotel and Residences, and many international resort properties. Diego has partnered with Sir Richard Branson for his newest venture—bringing Virgin Hotels to a global audience, beginning with cities across North America and London. Gisela, a hospitality guru in her own right, launched a home improvement system aptly named The Glow System.
Kevin Maloney
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Property Markets Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
As the founder of PMG, Kevin Maloney has had direct hands-on experience in the acquisition, renovation, financing, operation, and marketing of residential and commercial real estate. He has been directly responsible for all of PMG’s 150+ real property acquisitions, projects and capital sources. Now with offices in NY, Chicago, and South Florida, Maloney’s current developments include Muse Sunny Isles, Echo Brickell, 111 W. 57th Street, Walker Tower, Echo Aventura, and Sage Beach.
Martin Z. Margulies
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: Margulies Collection at the Warehouse
Industry: Art
What Makes Them Haute:
After amassing one of the most impressive collections of contemporary art in the world, Margulies began showcasing his pieces, which run the gamut from contemporary art and vintage photography to video, sculpture, and installations, to the public in 1999. After outgrowing its original location, The Margulies Collection moved to a 45,000-square foot renovated warehouse in the heart of Wynwood. The Martin Z. Margulies Foundation is a non-profit that is focused on presenting exhibitions and educational programs.
Stuart Miller
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Lennar
Industry: Construction
What Makes Them Haute:
Using his years of experience and entrepreneurial wisdom, Stuart Miler’s company, Lennar, the third largest homebuilder in the nation, has been able to beat Wall Street’s estimates of its growth. Miller predicted that his company would make profit even if the economy did not strengthen. His confidence is due to careful planning and strategic building, which means knowing where to build and for whom. Thanks to Miller’s business sense, the shares of his rivals have also increased in value, which in turn helps the economy grow.
Pedro & David Martin
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Terra Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute: Father and son team, Pedro and David Martin, founded Terra Group in 2001. The group is known for development projects that are original and have a positive impact on neighborhoods. A prime example is their project with architect Bjarke Ingels, The Grove at Grand Bay and Park Grove, two new luxury projects that aim to revitalize Coconut Grove. Glass, an 18-story building by Rene Gonzalez under construction in SoFi, is further cementing their reputation for cutting edge development.
Keith Menin
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Menin Hospitality
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
After an early start inthe hospitality industry with uncle Russell Galbut as his mentor, Menin is one of the top hoteliers in Miami. His expanding portfolio hotels, restaurants and nightspots includes Gale South Beach, Kaskades Suites, Bodega Taqueria y Tequila and even the Raffeallo in Chicago. Menin has been on the advisory board for the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, sharing his experience to help develop the image of Miami Beach. Menin married wife Evelyn Castro, in 2014.
Valerio Morabito
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: Morabito Properties
Industry: Development
What Makes Them Haute:
The real estate developer fell in love with Miami when he first came to visit at age 18. Now, he’s come back to make his own mark on the city with projects remodeling homes Sunset Islands and Beach House 8, a boutique condominium with eight exquisite penthouse units under construction on Collins Ave. For the project, Morabito has teamed up with fellow Italian developer, Ugo Colombo, and local design firm, Arquitectonica. Morabito’s refined style aims to set a higher standard for development and design in Miami Beach.
Tracy & Alonzo Mourning
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Alonzo Mourning Charities
Industry: Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute:
Miami Heat star, Alonzo Mourning, was the first player to have his number retired at the American Airlines Arena. He founded the Alonzo Mourning Charities, now called Mourning Family Foundation, over 15 years ago, which has since raised more than $7 million to benefit children and families, including the Overtown Youth Center. Tracy is a mentor, designer, broadcast journalist, and motivational speaker. Her main focus is on the Honey Shine mentoring program. Together the couple also operates Zo’s Fund for Life, which seeks to raise $2 million for the research and testing of Focal Glomerulosclerosis, a rare kidney disease Alonzo was diagnosed with in 2001.
Tom Murphy Jr.
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Coastal Construction Group
Industry: Construction
What Makes Them Haute:
Murphy co-founded Seaboard Construction at the ripe age of 21. Along with his brother, Murphy founded the Coastal family of companies, which includes Coastal Construction, Coastal Condominiums, Coastal Interiors, and Coastal Homes. In total, the company has more than $1 billion in projects, including the St. Regis Resort and Residences, and Murphy oversees it all as Chairman and CEO.
Gary Nader
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: Gary Nader Fine Art
Industry: Art
What Makes Them Haute:
Regarded as one of the most successful gallery owners in the United States and Latin America, Nader has played an integral role in the formation of Miami’s growing presence in the art world. His Wynwood gallery presents numerous exhibitions and provides extensive professional services to assist private clientele, corporations, and museums with the acquisition or sale of Latin American, modern, and contemporary art. As the largest fine art gallery in South Florida and the biggest gallery in the world, the space is home to a $500 million art collection, including pieces by Warhol, Picasso, and Dali.
Jorge Perez
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: Related Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Pérez’s company, The Related Group, has been at the forefront of South Florida’s urban evolution for the past 30 years, with a portfolio of projects worth in excess of $10 billion. He donated the Jorge M. Pérez Architecture Center at the University of Miami and in 2011, he donated upwards of $35 million to the Miami Art Museum, which became the Pérez Art Museum Miami, or PAMM. Jorge Pérez has been named one of the top 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States by TIME magazine.
JAY PARKER
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Clear Title Group LLC, Titan Capital and Beloff Parker Jacobs PLC, Douglas Elliman
Industry: Law
What Makes Them Haute:
Since accepting the position of CEO of Douglas Elliman’s Florida Brokerage two years ago, Parker has almost doubled the number of offices in the region as well as number of agents at the company, acquired Majestic Properties and has taken the firm to #1 real estate company in Miami Beach. In 2001, Parker founded Clear Title Group LLC, Miami’s leading closing agency for distinguished buyers and sellers, sought a joint venture with Titan Capital and founded Titan Capital Florida LLC in 2006, and in 2010, Parker and partner real estate attorney Jonathan Beloff partnered with Eric Jacobs to create Beloff Jacobs Parker PLC, Miami Beach’s most significant transactional law firm. Jay advocates against animal abuse and sits on the City of Miami Beach Community Development Board.
Mike & Alicia Piazza
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Retired from the New York Mets
Industry: Baseball
What Makes Them Haute:
Former Mets baseball star and the best-hitting catcher of all time and his wife Alicia are integral parts of the community and Miami social scene. Piazza’s records include Rookie of The Year, 12 All-Star awards, and 12 “Silver Slugger” awards. The Piazza’s come from a family of entrepreneurs and own 11 family franchised car dealerships around the country. Michael is also on the board of Company.com, providing business services and local media. They support Miami City Ballet, where both of their daughters attend. Alicia, a former model and actress, and now a mother of 3… is Haute Living’s travel Ambassador.
R. Donahue & Katrina Peebles
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs / Power Couples
Company: The Peebles Corporation
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
One of wealthiest African-Americans in the country, R. Donahue “Don” Peebles is the CEO and Chairman of the New York City-based Peebles Corporation, one of the largest real estate development companies in the country. His wife, Katrina, serves on the Board of Directors of the Peebles Corporation and brings more than 20 years of experience in real estate. Mr. Peebles is also on the National Finance Committee of President Barack Obama. Their current project, the Bath Club Estates, is a luxurious addition of 13 homes to their prestigious, members-only Bath Club.
TUNU & YONA PURI
CATEGORY: Visionary
Company: Tamarina
Industry: Hospitality
What Makes Them Haute:
After dipping his toe in the restaurant world by investing in Zuma Miami with his good friend, Arjun Waney, Tunu entered the realm full throttle with Tamarina in Brickell, with him as his partner. His wife, Yona, took the lead in creating the concept and overseeing the creation of the restaurant from the initial drawings to the final food and décor details, all the while raising the couples young son. The couple also invested in another Arjun Waney project, Coya, which just opened to rave reviews and has become the go-to spot in Brickell for late night cocktails and dancing.
Jack & Lucia Penrod
CATEGORY: Visionaries
Company: Nikki Beach Worldwide
What Makes Them Haute: Hospitality
What Makes Them Haute: He’s the founder, owner and designer of Nikki Beach Worldwide, the global luxury lifestyle & hospitality brand. She heads the marketing, brand standards, fashion & charity divisions. Together, they travel between their 12 beach club & hotel locations in some of the world’s hottest destinations including St. Tropez, St. Barth, Ibiza, Bali and Phuket to name a few. Later this year, they are opening a hotel resort in Dubai.
Pitbull
CATEGORY: Entertainment
Company: Imaginate Charity Foundatiom
Industry: Music
What Makes Them Haute:
Miami native Armando Christian Perez, aka Pitbull, has been nominated for over 50 national music awards, has won 3 Billboard awards, 2 American Latino Media Arts awards. “Mr. 305,” serves as Miami’s unofficial ambassador, hosting Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution broadcast on FOX live from Miami and investing in Miami Subs. He founded the Imaginate Charity Foundation in his hometown of Miami, which provides support to the children of low-income migrant families through art, business and social teachings. A global icon, he’s hosted the 2014 American Music Awards and written and performed the 2014 World Cup song live in Brazil.
Dora Puig
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Luxe Living Realty
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes them haute : Dora Puig lives and breathes luxury. She has been selling high-end real estate in Miami since 1995, and, before that, in a little town called Beverly Hills. To date, she has sold over $1 billion in luxury real estate and established her own boutique brokerage firm, Luxe Living Realty and is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Fisher Island’s Palazzo del Sol. In addition to selling, she sometimes consults on development projects, where her opinion is highly valued.
Brett Ratner
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: HSI Productions
Industry: Film
What Makes Them
The billion-dollar director and creator of RatPac Entertainment is the force behind a slew of action-packed blockbusters including the Rush Hour trilogy, X-Men: The Last Stand. In 2014, Ratner released Hercules, Horrible Bosses 2 and Jersey Boys as producer. Ratner was recipient of GLAAD’S Ally Award is a board member of the Chrysalis organization to help the homeless find work.
Loren & JR Ridinger
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Market America
Industry: Internet Shopping
What Makes Them
SHOP.COM, one of the world’s top online shopping sites with over 3 million customers and over 180,000 Shop Consultants, is the e-commerce platform of Market America, Inc. Through SHOP.COM consumers have access to over 40 million products, including Market America’s exclusive brands such as Motives Cosmetics, Isotonix and Lumière de Vie® as well as thousands of top retailers. In 2015, Market America & SHOP.COM introduced the revolutionary Shopping Annuity(TM) enabling consumers to convert spending into earning. Loren was named Haute Living’s 2013 Woman of Substance for her business leadership and charity work for Rally for Kids with Cancer, American Heart Association, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Pat & Chris Riley
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: Miami Heat
Industry: Basketball
What Makes Them
Riley led the Miami Heat to its first NBA championship in 2006 as the team’s head coach. Now, as its president, he was the force responsible for bringing some of the biggest names in the NBA to Miami, including Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James. Riley’s NBA career spans 45 years, producing seven NBA championships. An impressive list of accomplishments earned Riley a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Pat’s wife, Chris Riley, serves as part of the Jackson Memorial Foundation Board for the Miami Heat Charitable Fund.
Marc Roberts
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Worldwide Entertainment and Sports Corporation
Industry: Real Estate / Sports
What Makes Them Haute:
At 19, Marc Roberts was the youngest person to promote a professional boxing match. By the age of 21, he had his first world champion. In the midst of his success with his Worldwide Entertainment and Sports Corporation, Marc developed a special interest for real estate and has completed over $1 billion in investment projects around the country. In Alabama, June 5th is “Marc Roberts Day,” thanks to his large donation to the Easter Seals Camp, ASCCA.
Craig Robins
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Dacra Development
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Dacra’s President and CEO helped make Miami Beach what it is today with early investment and amazing properties. Now, the developer and real estate visionary is making magic again with a $312 million investment in the Design District, transforming it from quiet furniture destination to bustling fashion and dining mecca. The biggest names Louis Vuitton to Hermes and Celine have opened magnificent “maisons,” cementing the district as one of the world’s most luxurious destinations. Robins is on the Board of Trustees of the Miami Art Museum and earned a 2006 Design Patron Award from the Smithsonian.
Stephen Ross
CATEGORY: Billionaires
Company: Related, Miami Dolphins
Industry: Real Estate / Football
What Makes Them Haute:
Ross’ Related Companies has been a force in the industry since its inception, with trophy developments across the nation. In 2009, Ross became 95 percent owner of the Miami Dolphins and currently working on a $390 million renovation deal in hopes of attracting a Super Bowl in 2015. Ross’ mobile technology company, FanVision, makes handheld devices that stream live stadium feeds for sports fans at games, and has inked a 5-year deal with NASCAR.
CARLOS ROSSO
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: The Related Group
Industry: Real Estate Development
What Makes Them Haute:
Rosso is President of The Related Group’s Condo Division and was worked to develop over 40 properties with 12,000 units over his career. His career has taken him around the world from Dubai to Uruguay and Mexico. Rosso is Jorge Perez’s right hand man, and is working to make Miami a world class city. He holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Development and Finance from MIT.
Jason and Michelle Rubell
CATEGORY: Thinkers/Power Couples
Company: Rubell Hotels/Rubell Family Collection Industry Art
Industry: Hospitality/Art
What Makes Them Haute:
Don Rubell and his wife, Mera, led Miami’s art scene by opening the Rubell Family Collection in 1964. Today, it is one of the world’s largest privately- owned contemporary art museums and now their son Jason has put the family name on yet another successful enterprise by founding Rubell Hotels all while operating the non-profit Contemporary Arts Foundation with sister Jennifer. Two noteworthy Miami families became one when he married wife Michelle, part of the Simkins family in 1999.
Alejandro Sanz
CATEGORY: Entertainers
Company: Warner Music
Industry: Entertainment
What Makes Them Haute:
Undoubtedly one of Latin music’s greatest singers and songwriters, Alejandro Sanz has won a total of 15 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. His latest project, “La Musica No Se Toca” was the best-selling album of 2012 in Latin music with chart-topping hits such as “No Me Compares.” Collaborations with Kelly Rowland, Shakira, and Alicia Keys helped him win American hearts.
Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard
CATEGORY: Philanthropists
Company: The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Industry: Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute:
Miami-based socialite and author of Miami Herald column, “Steph Sez,” Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard keeps more than busy. The wonder woman uses her community ties to raise funds for causes dear to her heart. Topping her list of important charitable causes are The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund, the world’s largest, most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center.
Lee Brian Schrager
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Southern Wine & Spirits
Industry: Beverage
What Makes Them Haute:
Lee Brian Schrager is the Vice President of Corporate Communications & National Events for Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. He is widely recognized for his creation of both the Food Network South Beach and New York City Wine & Food Festivals. He has two cookbook, Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook, which was released in 2010, and Fried & True, which came out last year. He serves as the Chief Lifestyle Advisor for Gilt City and is a current member of the Board of Trustees for the Pérez Art Museum Miami and Board of Directors for the Food Bank For New York City.
Karim Masri, Nicola Siervo & Rony Seikaly
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: KNR Food Concept
Industry: Restaurants & Night-life
What Makes Them Haute:
Partners in KNR Food Concept, which is behind Quattro Gastronomia Italiana and Sosta, they lent their know-how to Joia, Hotel Astor, Mynt and Mokai. They operate the food, beverage and nightlife establishments at the W South Beach, The Dutch, Wet, and Wall. Seikaly also played for the Miami Heat. 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.
RICCARDO SILVA
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs Company: MP & Silva, MP Mega Miami
Industry: Sports / Modeling / Hospitality
What Makes Them Haute:
Miami is the Latin American headquarters for MP & Silva, one of the world’s leaders in the distribution of international sports TV rights. Riccardo also owns MP Mega Miami, a frontrunner in the local and international modeling arena with special emphasis in Latin America, and is the co-owner of Cavalli Restaurant & Lounge, one of Miami ’s hottest spots. A strong proponent of the arts, Riccardo is a founding donor of the New World Center of Miami and supporter of the Bass Museum of Art.
Anthony & Alina Shriver
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Best Buddies International & Shriver Art
Industry: Philanthropy & Art Licensing
What Makes Them Haute:
Twenty-six years ago, Anthony Kennedy Shriver founded Best Buddies International, a global nonprofit with the mission of inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which has since grown to more than 1,900 chapters around the world. Alina M. Shriver is exclusive worldwide licensing agent for international pop artist, Romero Britto managing strategic licensing programs through development of Britto’s artistic imagery creating partnerships with companies such as Walt Disney, Coca-Cola, Hublot and Absolut. She supports her husband Anthony and together they have built partnerships that merge art and philanthropy in support of Best Buddies.
Martin and Connie Silver
CATEGORY: Philanthropists/Power Couples
Company: McSilver Institute Industry: Education, Art
What Makes Them Haute:
Her colorful works of art, signed “C. McSilver,” generate profits that go straight to charity. She and husband Martin established the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University, as well as the Silver School of Social Work. The couple, together for over 50 years, donated $50 million to the school in 2007, a gift that topped the record books as the largest private gift to a school of social work in the U.S.
Michael and Nikki Simpkins
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Lion Associates/Leon J. Simkins Charitable Foundation
Industry: Real Estate/Philanthropy
What Makes Them Haute: Michael is President of Lion Associates, a Miami-based company that includes Simkins Industries, Westfield Financial Real Estate, and Lion Financial. Nicole’s family owns Charles Kaufman Enterprises, an 80-year old diamond company located in Downtown Miami. Michael and Nicole are continuing their families’ philanthropic interests with the Leon J. Simkins Charitable Foundation, as well as with diabetes research and work with Jackson Memorial Hospital, Women of Tomorrow, Miami Beach JCC, and the Love and Hope Ball.
Jackie Soffer
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: Turnberry Associates
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Jackie leads Turnberry Associates with her brother, Jeff Soffer, overseeing Fontainebleau, Turnberry Isle and several other developments. She is responsible for Aventura Mall’s latest turn towards luxury and the continued transformation of its retail mix. Jackie’s passion for art transcends to Aventura Mall and Fontainebleau. Today, there are over 25 world-renowned art installations from the likes of Louis Bourgeois, Jorge Pardo and Jaume Plensa to James Turrell and Ai Weiwei at the two properties.
Jeff Soffer and Elle Macpherson
CATEGORY: Power Couples
Company: Turnberry Associates
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Jeff Soffer, co-owner of Turnberry Associates, runs the company alongside his sister Jackie Soffer. Jeff’s projects include the Fontainebleau’s billion dollar transformation, revamping Turnberry Isle Miami and the new Turnberry Ocean Club in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. He recently wed supermodel and television personality from NBC’s Fashion Star, Elle Macpherson. Like her husband, Elle is an entrepreneur too, co-founding Welleco and launching Elle Macpherson Intimates.
Eddie Trump and Jules Trump
CATEGORY: Entrepenuers
Company: Trump Group
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
In South Florida, this team of brothers is known as “the other Trumps” and have no relation to the Donald. Despite the shadow of the famous name, these two have established themselves by building an empire in the luxury real estate industry. Properties include “Williams Island,” an 82-acre luxury space exclusively for the wealthy in Aventura, Sunny Isles’ 51-story Acqualina Resort and Spa, and Luxuria in Boca Raton.
Trump Family
CATEGORY: Originators
Company: The Trump Organization
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
Donald Trump purchased Palm Beach’s magnificent Mar-A-Lago estate in 1985 and used it as his home before turning it into one of the most exclusive private clubs. 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 to it being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. He has various properties in South Florida, including one in Hollywood, two in Sunny Isles, and the Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach. Recently, Trump spent $13 million on renovations for the “Blue Monster” golf course at his Doral Golf Resort and Spa, just in time for the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
Dwyane Wade
CATEGORY: Athletes
Company: Miami Heat
Industry: Basketball
What Makes Them Haute:
The Chicago native came to Miami in 2003 and went on to lead the Heat to its first NBA World Championship in 2006, got crowned MVP, and then led Team USA to a gold medal in the Olympics. Wade helped guide the team to win the NBA Finals Championship in 2012 and 2013. Equally impressive off the court, he recently married actress Gabrielle Union and has earned respect for his strong community involvement, helping at-risk youths through his Wade’s World Foundation.
MAYI AND DANIEL DE LA VEGA
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: ONE Sotheby’s International Realty
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
This mother-son power duo has been quickly taking over the Miami Real Estate ranks. In 2014, ONE Sotheby’s totaled sales of more than $2.6 billion and was named among the top 10 firms in the vast Sotheby’s International Realty Network. They have successfully created a global network of partnerships in several other countries including Argentina, Brazil, London, France, Italy. ONE Sotheby’s now has over 500 top producing sales associates, 9 offices, and 10 new developments throughout Dade and Broward County. Together, they have turned the South Florida market into the universal capital it is today.
Pharrell Williams
CATEGORY: Thinkers
Company: The Neptunes/I am Other
Industry: Music
What Makes Them Haute:
The past year has been a big one for Pharrell. A marriage to the beautiful Helen Lasichanh, a 2014 Oscar nomination for his song “Happy,” and four Grammy wins (adding to the three he’s won in the past) are only a few of his accomplishments since we last checked in on him. The fashionable artist explores many mediums from art to design, including projects, such as his furniture collaboration with Domeau & Peres. He also has his own record label, I Am Other, which has showcased local Miami music sensations, Cris Cab and Frank Ocean.
Serena Williams
CATEGORY: Athletes
Industry: Tennis
What Makes Them Haute:
Currently the number-one-ranked women’s singles player, Serena Williams has serious style, both on and off the court. The sports diva known for her style on and off the court, is the only female tennis player to earn over $50 million in prize money. She has won four Olympic gold medals— one in singles and three with sister, Venus. She also just won her 8th Miami Open.
Sean Wolfington
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: The Wolfington Companies
Industry: Technology, Real Estate, Film
What Makes Them Haute:
Chairman and CEO of The Wolfington Companies, Sean Wolfington is a serial entrepreneur in various industries, such as technology, marketing, and film. His accomplishments include building and selling four digital marketing companies for a combined enterprise value of $500 million by the age of 40, as well as selling his company, VinSolutions, to Auto Trader. Wolfington’s Charitable Foundation aids the poor and enables bright futures for children through sports and the arts. Wolfington 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.
BOBBY YAMPOLSKY
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Industry: Jewelry/Timepieces
What Makes Them Haute:
The father-son duo is the number one retailer in America for many luxury watch brands. Bobby made Palm Beach history by becoming the youngest store-owner on Worth Avenue at age 19. Now, their 20-plus year reputation in the industry means East Coast Jewelry is the go-to establishment for gold and exquisite, rare timepieces. They recently opened the ECJ Luxe Collection in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park, a one-stop shop for not only jewelry and timepieces, but also luxury automobile purchases and even jet charters.
Engin Yesil
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Core Development Holdings Corp.
Industry: Real Estate
What Makes Them Haute:
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. He has been Chairman and Director of SK Realty Ventures since 2007 and also became President of Wilson Mining Corporation in 2008.
Robert Zarco
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Zarco Einhorn Salkowski & Brito
Industry: Law
What Makes Them Haute::
Zarco’s firm, Zarco Einhorn Salkowski & Brito P.A., is recognized as one of the top franchise law firms in the United States. The firm handles all aspects of franchise, licensing, and distribution law, as well as complex commercial disputes. While based in Miami as a franchise, the firm has achieved national and international recognition by representing clients throughout the world, including Mexico, France, Holland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and the Caribbean. Robert has also been on The Best Lawyers of America list for several years.
Alan and Ruth Zelcer
CATEGORY: Entrepreneurs
Company: Isaco International
Industry: Apparel
What Makes Them Haute:
Alan is President and CEO of Isaco International Corp, a leading designer, distributor, and licensee of a broad line of high quality men’s underwear and ties while Ruth serves as Vice President of Merchandising. The company manufactures for major retailers and branded labels such as Perry Ellis, in addition to their own brands, Papi and Rico. Alan and Ruth are extremely involved in the community, offering support to numerous charitable foundations such as the Miami Jewish Federation, Mount Sinai Hospital Founders, MTV Staying Alive, The Broward House, and Style Saves.
