GlobalMiami Jan-Feb 2024

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REGIONAL HQS

TRADE LEADERS

INVESTMENTS

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GLOBALMIAMI FEBRUARY 2024

INVESTMENT, INNOVATION & TRADE

Tomorrow's Techforce

SPECIAL EDUCATION REPORT

PLUS THE GLOBALIZATION OF DORAL TRADEWINDS: JAPAN

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FEBRUARY 2024 DEPARTMENTS 8

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Let Each Be All He Is Capable of Being

10 TRANSACTIONS

Trade & Business News in Miami

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12 DIPLOMATIC CORP

Trade Between Australia and the U.S.

14 TRADE WINDS

Miami Trade Leaders Visit to Japan

18 TRADE STATS

Miami: A Global Pharma Hub

20 BEVERAGES

Mix the Rum with the Coconut

22 HEALTHCARE

Insightec: High Tech Surgery

26 PR0FESSIONAL SERVICES

Compliance for Miami Companies

28 28 MARITIME

PortMiami Back in Cruise Control

30 BANKING

BNP Paribas Arrives from France

32 FINANCE

A Bridge to Latin America

74 ART BASEL

The Impact of Global Art

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76 BALLET

Ballet Foundation launches in Miami

78 FASHION

Latin American Fashion Summit

82 TRAVEL

48 Hours of Shopping in Madrid

86 FINE DINING

Erba: A New Take on Italian Dining

88 DINING OUTLIERS

Rao’s, from East Harlem to Miami Beach

92 PROPERTIES

Penthouses that are Palaces in the Sky

82 4

96 TALK

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

VOL 2. ISSUE 1 FEATURES

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SPECIAL REPORT: DORAL Now 20 years old, Doral has blossomed into an international logistics center for Greater Miami – and a vibrant city in its own right. Doral’s economy is characterized by a diverse mix of industries – it is home to over 9,000 businesses – but logistics and trade are the bread and butter. There are over 2,600 trade and logistics-related companies in Doral, 250 corporate headquarters, and 100 multinational corporations, including numerous Fortune 500 firms. Buy why Doral? The simple answer: location.

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THE FUTURE WORKFORCE According to a recent report by the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, some 51 companies have announced plans to relocate or expand in the county, looking to hire nearly 15,000 new workers.

While many of these future employees will not necessarily be hired by hightech companies, a preponderance – almost half – will be. Here is how Miami is building its tech pipeline:

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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Richard Roffman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

J.P. Faber

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Gail Feldman

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL

Manny Mencia

LET EACH BECOME ALL HE IS CAPABLE OF BEING The title for this month’s column was the motto for the State of New York University System, established in the 1950s by then Governor Nelson Rockefeller. It clearly defines what the mission of the new educational system was: to provide a quality education that allowed each student to achieve success and earn their share of the American dream.

Keep in mind this was the 1950s, postWorld War II generation, with parents who either came here from overseas at the turn of the century or who were born to individuals arriving even earlier, for the same reason: to be able to improve their lives by joining the powerful workforce that produced the incredible manufacturing and economic growth of that era. In short, to fulfill their dreams through their labors.

The system envisioned by Governor Rockefeller worked. So did other state university systems across the country, including that of California which Rockefeller, in part, based his system on. Higher education expanded dramatically, propelled by the G.I. Bill that paid for WWII veterans to attend college. Programs blossomed for the liberal arts, for legal and medical education, and for the all-important categories of science and engineering. It gave birth to a generation of innovation beyond anyone’s dreams, collectively creating the advances in technology and medicine (not to mention advances in civic and cultural education) that basically define who we are today…and why we’re so successful as a country.

The Greater Miami area (including all South Florida) is today recognized as the

hub of the Western Hemisphere. We’re close to the domestic U.S., while jutting into the Caribbean and Atlantic with a unique proximity to Central and South America. We are the gateway. That means we enjoy the passage of millions of folks seeking to work, study, build, and invest as they seek a better life. Basic to these wishes is education.

Miami is currently enjoying a new influx of people and corporations relocating from other parts of the country and other parts of the world. This sudden surge, largely born of the pandemic, presents great opportunities.

It presents a chance to offer quality employment for tens of thousands of workers, to radically increase the living standards of the community. But to organize and position these folks in a thriving society requires an expanded and focused educational system.

In this issue we take a deep dive into our incredible foundations to make all this happen: public and private institutions, with special programs in areas such as legal, medical, engineering, computer science, and financial technology, for starters. This cover story features the players, the programs, the visionaries, and the corporations providing the programs that will create the human capital to carry us well into the 21st century.

To maintain and grow our status as a World Class metropolis means meeting the changing needs of an ever-expanding economy with the most vibrant workforce possible. It is truly a public/private sector endeavor on a grand scale - allowing one to become all he or she is capable of being.

RICHARD ROFFMAN PUBLISHER GLOBAL MIAMI MAGAZINE

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DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Monica Del Carpio-Raucci SALES AND PARTNERSHIPS

Sherry Adams Amy Donner Andrew Kardonski Gail Scott

MANAGING EDITOR

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Yousra Benkirane WRITERS

Karen-Janine Cohen Doreen Hemlock Joseph A. Mann Jr. Marcella McCarthy Katelin Stecz ART DIRECTOR

Jon Braeley

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

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CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION

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BOARD OF ADVISORS

Ivan Barrios, World Trade Center Miami Ralph Cutié, Miami International Airport Gary Goldfarb, Interport Bill Johnson, Strategic Economic Forum Roberto Munoz, The Global Financial Group David Schwartz, FIBA EDITORIAL BOARD

Alice Ancona, World Trade Center Miami Greg Chin, Miami International Airport Tiffany Comprés, Pierson Ferdinand LLP Paul Griebel, Venture for America James Kohnstamm, Miami-Dade Eco. Dev. John Price, Americas Market Intelligence TJ Villamil, Select Florida Global Miami Magazine is published monthly by Global Cities Media, LLC. 1200 Anastasia Ave., Suite 217, Coral Gables, FL 33134. Telephone: (305) 452-0501. Copyright 2024 by Global Cities Media.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph, or illustration without o\prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Send address changes to subscriptions@ globalmiamimagazine.com. General mailbox email and letters to editor@globalmiamimagazine.com GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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T R A N S AC T I O N S

Recent Transactions Affecting Global Trade and Investment

MEDIA HUB OF THE AMERICAS

The Media Hub of the Americas inaugurated its first permanent home in Miami. The hub is a part of the Department of State’s Bureau of Global Public Affairs that engages major Spanish and Portuguese language media outlets to communicate U.S. policy to audiences throughout the region.

FRENCH COMPANY EXPANDS

Ovrsea, a French freight-forwarding software company, launched its U.S. headquarters in Miami in January. With offices in France, Spain, Italy, and the U.S., Ovrsea serves over 1,000 clients and handles up to 15,000 containers a year between 80+ countries.

AIRLINE MERGER BLOCKED

A Federal judge blocked JetBlue Airways’s proposed $3.8 billion purchase of Miami-based Spirit Airlines, arguing it would reduce competition and hurt consumers. Both airlines will appeal the judge’s ruling.

CANADIAN AVIATION DEAL

Canada-based aviation services provider Skyservice Business Aviation has completed its purchase of the majority share of Miami FBO Fontainebleau Aviation. The sale is part of its recent expansion into the U.S. and will bring the company to 13 locations in North America.

SWISS FIRM OPENS MIAMI HQ

Swiss real estate investment and development firm Empire Group has relocated its North American headquarters to Downtown Miami. The Group has about $9.8 billion in assets under management, with offices in Germany, Luxembourg, U.K., Sweden, Austria, and the UAE. FUNDING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

JPMorgan Chase has committed $500,000 to Endeavor Miami to support programs for underrepresented entrepreneurs in South Florida. Endeavor is a global nonprofit to help entrepreneurs scale up in the U.S. marketplace.

MIKE CARRICARTE

NORWEGIAN PLEASURE TECH

Norwegian-based Ohdoki, a tech sex toy startup, opened its U.S. headquarters in Miami. The company plans to add more employees to serve its American market while keeping a majority of its team in Norway.

SOLAR ENERGY INVESTMENT

Miami-based investment firm I Squared Capital has made its first investment in Brazil after opening an office in Sao Paulo. The firm made a $400 million investment to Órigo Energia to fund the construction of more than two gigawatts of solar energy projects in Brazil.

I Squared has more than $38 billion in assets under management.

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WTC MIAMI'S INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The World Trade Center Miami recently honored Latin American insurance pioneer Mike Carricarte with its International Achievement Award for service to the international community. Carricarte was CEO of Miami-based Amadex, the largest provider of health GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

insurance to the Americas, and is currently behind the launch of Olé trans-Latin life insurance provider.

MIA IMPROVEMENTS

At a press conference last month, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that $7 billion will be put into capital infrastructure investment at Miami International Airport, with another $1.7 billion in maintenance.

KEN GRIFFIN

$8.1 billion in 2023, following a $16 billion windfall in 2022, Miami-based Citadel has had $74 billion in gains since its start in 1990.

INSURANCE FROM THE UK

MSC GROUP EXPANDS

MSC Group announced it will build a $100M North American Headquarters in Downtown Miami for its cruise division. This development will generate 668 direct and indirect jobs over the next three years and produce $65.2M annually in economic impact. The Cruise Division is also building a new cruise terminal at PortMiami, which will be North America’s largest once it’s completed later this year.

REMITTANCES TO MEXICO

Viamericas Corporation, a Miami-based licensed, international remittance company, has recently integrated with 24Xoro to provide additional options for remittance beneficiaries to receive money in Mexico.

24Xoro is a licensed money transmitter company based in Mexico.

UK-based insurance specialist Kennedys has expanded its presence by opening its 10th U.S. office in Fort Lauderdale. The move is aimed at better serving their yacht and marine clients. Four insurance coverage lawyers from Kennedys’ Latin America hub in Miami will relocate to the new office to be closer to clients in the region.

GLOBALX COLOMBIA

Miami-based GlobalX Airlines, a U.S. charter and cargo carrier, is expanding in Latin America with a new freighter service called GlobalX Colombia. Based in Bogota, it aims to start flights in April, pending approval.

GLOBAL ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS

Florida International University has signed an academic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Shih Chien University in Taipei, facilitating joint partnerships in fields like Hospitality and Management, Mandarin Language, Asian Studies, Cybersecurity, and Computer Science/Engineering. This MOU follows FIU’s decision to terminate academic partnerships with universities in mainland China, following pressure from the State of Florida.

CHINA CARGO POSTPONED

China Cargo Airlines has delayed its scheduled freighter service to Miami until April. This service will mark the first direct route between the South Florida and mainland China. In December, Worldwide Flight Services announced the launch of three weekly flights this month using Boeing 777s from Miami International Airport to Shanghai.

ARCHITECTURE FIRM ACQUIRED

Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners, a full-service architecture firm, has been acquired by Woolpert. Woolpert is an international architecture firm with over 60 offices across 4 continents; Bermello Ajamil is known for its designs of overseas seaports and airports.

CITADEL: TOP HEDGE FUND

Ken Griffin’s Citadel has been named the world’s top hedge fund for the second consecutive year. With record-breaking profits of

ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S PORTMIAMI EXPANSION

Royal Caribbean has broken ground on a new office campus at PortMiami. The new office is part of the redevelopment of the Miami-based cruise line’s global corporate headquarters. The building will encompass 10 floors and approximately 380,000 sq. ft.

FLORIDA’S BAN ON CHINESE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP

A U.S. appeals court has blocked Florida from enforcing a ban against Chinese citizens owning homes or land in the state. The relief was given two Chinese nationals who were in the process of buying property when the law was enacted. The ban has raised concerns about whether it will scare investment activity away from Miami. l 11

D I P LO M AT I C C O R P

Trade and Investment Between Australia and the U.S. The Hon. Dr. Kevin Rudd became Australian’s ambassador to the United States in March 2023. He had served as Australia’s Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, then as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then again as Prime Minister in 2013. He recently

This your first trip to Miami. Why Miami, and what are your impressions?

Miami, I’ve got to say, is just a complete eye opener for me. The dynamism of what’s happening here is quite remarkable. And it’s not just the growth of the local economy. It’s also this extraordinary opportunity you have being the focal point for South America and the Caribbean. For those of us from Australia, who have Commonwealth links with some of the Caribbean states which go back for years, there’s a logic for expanding our presence and activity here.

What are the hallmarks of Miami from your point of view?

Well, don’t underestimate the power of marketing the wares of Miami, like the Deco buildings of Miami Beach. You have a modern thriving economy that funds academic institutions, and a growth strategy anchored in financial services, renewable energy, and information technology, but the fact is that, actually, it’s a really nice place. And that should not be underestimated.

Why do you want better trade links with Miami and Florida?

You [Florida] are a big economy by American state standards, along with the big states of California, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, and New York. This is one of the powerhouses of America. I think the future lies in the enhancement of the investment relationship between the two economies.

What sort of opportunities to you see between Australia and Miami?

Something your readers may not be aware of is that Australia has the world’s third largest funds management industry. Simply because of our policy of mandatory national saving, which has been in place for about 30 years, we now have $3 trillion under management – and this will grow to $5 trillion in a few years. Because our economy is [based on] 27 million people, we cannot invest all that at home and must invest in other large markets. Therefore, there are great opportunities to invest in the future of this [Miami] economy.

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visited Miami, including making a presentation about the future of China-US relations at Florida International University.

We sat with Ambassador at the Biltmore Hotel to ask about Miami-Australia trade and investment.

So, my message to the folks back home and to investors from this part of the world as well, is to start looking at diverse new opportunities in both directions.

What other ways can Miami and Australia collaborate?

I took a spin out at Florida International University. The research programs at FIU in certain critical areas - including in marine science and renewables - provide opportunities for a whole bunch of research collaborations with counterpart institutions in Australia – and, frankly, for venture capital businesses from the sciences of these universities as they do their thing.

What about increasing trade with South Florida?

What I have found in life is that trade often follows investment. So, if you get the investments right, I’m sure the trade relations will follow.

So, where do you see the future of Miami-Australian relations?

The reason most of the American fund managers travel to Australia each year is because it has, as I’ve said, the third largest [amount of ] investible capital in the world, $3 trillion under management for an economy of 27 million people. So therefore, where the industry goes in America, you will find that Australian funds usually follow. As far as making a prediction, it’s that the Australian funds management industry – and there are about eight large pension funds there - will be finding their way to this part of the world soon.

They’re active on the West Coast, they’re active in New York, they’ve become increasingly active in Boston, and I think you’ll find activity growing both in Texas and in Florida for related reasons market opportunity, concentration of funds management expertise, and frankly, collaborating on investments in third country markets. I can see a future where, for example, you guys - given your expertise in Latin America - become co-investors with Australian funds in growth stocks in in the hemisphere. I think this has a particular significance for Australian interests given our presence in Latin America, and Miami as a jumping off place. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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TR ADE WINDS

Moving in Tandem T with Tokyo A RECENT TRIP BY THE MIAMI’S PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERS UNDERSCORES THE POTENTIAL TRADE GROWTH WITH JAPAN

BY J.P. FABER

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The caliber of their transit infrastructure blew away anything I’ve seen...

ROD MILLER (FAR LEFT), CEO OF THE BEACON COUNCIL, AT A STATION ON THE YURIKAMOME, TOKYO'S FIRST AUTOMATED DRIVERLESS TRANSIT LINE. ALSO SEEN IS COUNTY COMMISSIONER MARLIENE BASTIEN (RED COAT).

he size and scope of the mission were sizeable, even for a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce that is increasingly focused on international trade and investment: A 50-person delegation with a 10-day mission to Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kyoto. The entourage included a veritable who’s-who of local leaders, ranging from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami International Airport Director Ralph Cutie to Beacon Council CEO Rod Miller and County Commissioners Juan Carlos Bermudez, Marliene Bastien, and Kevin Cabrera. On the private sector side, there were representatives from Teco Energy, Becker & Poliakoff, American Airlines, and PMI Global Services, to name a few. A total of 30 private sector representatives were on the trip, along with 20 government officials.

“Japan is one of our largest trading partners, so this was an important trip for us,” says Greater Miami Chamber President and CEO Alfred Sanchez, who was accompanied on the trip by the Japanese Consul General for Miami, Kazuhiro Nakai. “When the new Consul General [Nakai] came in,

he was very engaged and really reached out to us as a chamber. He convinced us that there was a lot of opportunity with Japan.”

Already, Japan is Florida’s second largest source for merchandise imports, mostly consisting of automobiles and related products via Jacksonville, including auto parts re-distributed to Latin America. Trade with the Miami Customs District consists of higher value products, such as exports of medicines and aircraft parts, and imports of broadcasting equipment, watches, and video games. Altogether, trade between Japan and Miami should cross $1 billion when the full 2023 figures become available (total trade reached $925 million through November).

“Three years ago, the largest Floridian export to Japan was grapefruit,” says Japanese Consul General Nakai. "But this past year [2023] they were aerospace, pharmaceuticals, life science, or IT. By focusing on those areas, I’m convinced that we have more chances to further enhance trade and investment.”

Part of the mission to Japan, especially for public officials, was to look at how Japan has dealt with issues of concern for South GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

MIAMI’S TRADE WITH JAPAN EXPORTS TO JAPAN FROM THE MIAMI CUSTOMS DISTRICT 2023: 2022: 2021:

$560M* $441M $456M

TOP EXPORTS 2023* Vaccines, blood, antisera, and cultures ($164M) Nitrogen Heterocyclic Compounds ($134M) Packaged Medications ($104M) Aircraft Parts ($19.2M) Transmissions ($15.6M) AT THE US EMBASSY IN TOKYO: (L TO R) KEVIN CABRERA, DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, RAHM EMANUEL (U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN), OLIVER GILBERT, MARLEINE BASTIEN, AND JUAN CARLOS BERMUDEZ

Florida, among them transportation and sanitation. “We knew that Japan had a lot of technical advances in transit, for example, and we hoped they had solutions around waste,” says Mayor Levine Cava, for whom this was a first trip to Japan. “It far exceeded my expectations. There is no trash in Japan.

They have solved their waste problem.”

What surprised her the most, says Levine Cava, was the cleanliness. “You literally do not see a spec of garbage anywhere. People take their garbage home and sort it into 11 categories, and the incineration is extremely clean and efficient. They have landfills, but they consist of ash… also, waste plants and recycling plants are part of the community, with their own gardens, playing fields, and swimming pools heated from the incineration.”

Sanchez says he was also stunned by the sanitation practices, and the cleanliness of the cities – and the culture that eschews eating and drinking in the streets, and encourages people take trash home for recycling. “The other thing I was impressed with was the transportation. Hitachi showed us their battery train technologies… to electrify the mileage [of train tracks] is very expensive. But if you have [trains with] a quick-charge battery, you can save tens of millions in construction.”

Says Miller: “The caliber of their transit infrastructure blew away anything I’ve seen.”

Another impressive display was the performance of their port technology. Part of the trip included a tour of the port of Yokohama, which like PortMiami is adept at moving cargo containers. “They’re extremely efficient in loading and unloading,” says Sanchez. “They can offload 55 containers per hour. We are no slouches, and we offload 35 per hour. So, we can learn from them.”

One of the tangible results of the trip was a signed memo of understanding with the Port of Yokohama, a sister port with Miami. “We wanted to double down on our relationship, and reunite it with an MOU,” says Levine Cava. “They were interested in doing more at our port because of its connections with Latin America.” Indeed, Yokohama is the only Japanese port with direct routes to the U.S. East Coast and almost all U.S.-Japanese trade is by sea.

Also on the agenda were discussions to encourage direct flights from Japan to Miami, something which Consul General Nakai advocates. “This is indeed a priority that I am pursuing. Many people [think] a direct flight between Japan and Miami can be a game changer for investment and trade. It will further enhance momentum to our investments in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

What could accelerate JAL direct routes from Japan to Miami is that 2024 has been officially declared a U.S./Japan “tourism

IMPORTS FROM JAPAN TO THE MIAMI CUSTOMS DISTRICT 2023: 2022: 2021:

$365M* $473M $432M

TOP IMPORTS 2023* Broadcasting equipment ($55.7M) Base metal watches ($41M) Video and card games ($20.2M) Motor vehicle parts and accessories ($17.7M) Sewing Machines ($12.1M) * THROUGH NOVEMBER 2023 year,” one reason that U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel participated with the Miami delegation. “The Japanese perception of Miami is quite outdated,” says Levine Cava. “They think of us as the beaches. But in terms of art and food and technology, they don’t know that this is a happening place.”

Direct travel from Tokyo to Miami would go a long way to improve misperceptions.

Not all Japanese firms are blind to the potential for high tech investments 15

TR ADE WINDS

in Miami. Of the more than two dozen Japanese companies operating in Miami, most are in tech, pharmaceuticals, transport, or logistics, such as Daikin, Nachi, Noven, Makita, Taichi and NSK. Hitachi Rail USA, for example, already manufactures Metrorail cars at a 140k sq. ft. plant in Medley, while Nipro Medical distributes surgical products from its warehouse in Doral.

For the companies that traveled to Japan, more than 20 percent say they expect to execute a business transaction within three months, and another 40 percent say they expect a business deal within six months, the result of an itinerary that included a flurry of meetings. “Besides getting a taste of their bullet train and downtown subways, we visited manufacturing facilities, pharmaceutical firms, and companies in fin tech, hospitality, and infrastructure,” says Miller of the Beacon Council. “For the Japanese relationships are very important and need to be cultivated.

You can’t beat the importance of personal contact when it comes to creating business opportunities. So, this was a win-win, in every direction.” Already, at least one Japanese firm – SOMPO, a leading global provider of property and casualty insurance – has announced plans to establish operations in Miami.

As for the timing of increased trade and investment with Japan, Sanchez cautions optimistic Miami firms that patience will be needed. “Aggressive patience is the phrase that I would use,” he says. For the relationship to blossom, says Miller, a cultural 16

adjustment will be needed. “I’ve been to a lot of different countries, but this was the most different. Their culture is ancient and not just a little foreign but very foreign….

The [business] leads are real, but there is going to have to be follow up, year after year, to make the transactions real.” Adds Levine Cava: “In Japan they are very deliberate and very thoughtful. What we accomplished will deliver results, but over time. Fortunately, we have a very active [ Japanese] Consul General here, and he was very excited for us to go, because he knows there is huge potential around trade and tourism.” l

TOP: (L TO R) RICK BEASLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CAREERSOURCE SOUTH FLORIDA, CONSUL GENERAL NAKAI AND CHAMBER CEO ALFRED SANCHEZ, ON A TOKYO TRAIN PLATFORM ABOVE: RAHM EMANUEL (US AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN) AND MIAMI-DADE MAYOR DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA SPEAKING AT THE U.S. EMBASSY

GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

Cruise Capital of the World Global Gateway of the Americas Cruise Capital of the World Global Gateway of the Americas

CRUISE & CARGO CRUISE & CARGO WORKING TOGETHER WORKING TOGETHER

S TAT I S T I C S

Miami: A Global Pharma Hub THE LAST HALF DECADE HAS SEEN MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BECOME A TRANSSHIPMENT NEXUS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

BY YOUSRA BENKIRANE

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MIAMI INTERNATIONAL IS A DESIGNATED PHARMA HUB AIRPORT

Miami Customs District Total Trade for Pharmaceutical Products $6.93b

7.0

$6.46b

6.0 5.0 BILLIONS

In 2015, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) named Miami International Airport (MIA) its first Designated Pharma Hub Airport in the U.S. and only second in the world after Brussels’ Airport. The recognition came after MIA participated in the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma Certification Program, which require logistics companies to properly handle sensitive pharma products shipped by air. That means cold storage capabilities during all phases of shipment.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers value the certification, as it assures that pharma products are transported in accordance with the best global practices. Soon after, MIA created the first CEIV Pharma Airport working group in the Western Hemisphere, comprising five airline carriers, one ground handling company, and two international freight forwarders.

Since then, MIA’s pharmaceutical cargo has been steadily rising. Volumes have surpassed the 16,000 metric ton mark for four of the past five years, with a post-pandemic surge in 2022. That year, MIA reached a record $6.93B in pharmaceutical products, most of them exported. Last year saw a leveling off to pre-pandemic levels, though still higher than 2019 or 2020. In 2023 through November, the Miami Customs District exported $4.1B worth of pharmaceutical products with MIA handling $3.9B. Top export destinations for pharma products through November 2023 were the UK ($1.05B), Brazil ($418.6M), Colombia ($324.3M), Japan ($305M), and Argentina ($254.8M). With three of those five top destinations in South America, Miami continues to attract the Latin American headquarters of companies like Swiss multinational Novartis, Japanese firm Nipro Diagnostics, and U.S. companies including Opko, Medtronic, Baxter, Stryker, Welch Allyn, and Johnson & Johnson, among others.

On the import side, the Miami Customs District took in $468M worth of pharmaceutical products through November 2023. Top Import origins were Singapore ($180M), the Dominican Republic ($92M), India ($45M), Germany ($26.2M), and Switzerland ($21.9M).

With its strong cold chain capabilities and 451,885sq ft of on-airport refrigerated facilities, Miami continues to function as a global distribution center for pharmaceutical products. The airport handles the majority of pharmaceutical products for the Miami Customs District, since they cannot be shipped by sea due to sensitivity requirements for delicate medical devices and temperature requirements for pharmaceuticals.

By volume, 18% of MIA’s pharma imports come from Europe and 80% of MIA’s exports go to Latin America and the Caribbean.

In a new development, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently authorized a program for Florida to import certain prescription drugs in bulk from Canada. Consequently, import values for

$4.57b Through Nov

4.0 $3.23b 3.0

$2.86b

2.0 1.0

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Source: Observatory of Economic Complexity and U.S Census Bureau

pharma products in the Miami Customs District are likely to rise over the next few years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, MIA played a pivotal role as a major hub for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, serving as the primary transit point for virtually all vaccines destined for Latin America. The volumes experienced an unprecedented surge during the pandemic, with vaccine exports up 200% from 2020 to 2021, accompanied by a corresponding increase in their monetary value. However, in the post-pandemic era, a reversion to pre-pandemic values saw such shipments shrink 33.5% from 2022 to 2023. l

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B E V E R AG E S

You Mix the Rum with the Coconut HOW TWO CENTRAL AMERICAN SIBLINGS STARTED A U.S. RUM COMPANY

BY KATELIN STECZ

T

he story is that Coconut Cartel rum began with coconuts smuggled into the U.S. It was 2012, the height of the coconut water craze, and after comparing coconut water sold in the U.S. with fresh coconut water that Mike Zig grew up drinking in El Salvador, he realized there was an opportunity.

Mike’s sister Dani explains that the first time her brother brought coconuts into the U.S., “He literally loaded up his suitcase with 300 Coconuts, [each] like the size of a softball, and just flew up. He didn’t know anything about importing or agricultural laws.

He got pulled over, obviously, with the TSA asking, ‘What is in your suitcases?’ And so, it felt very much like he was smuggling.”

From there, the brother-sister duo began peddling their coconuts in Miami. At least twice a week, Mike (now licensed) would fly to El Salvador and return with a suitcase full of coconuts to sell at various juice bars and hotel bars on trendy South Beach. The Zigs’ coconuts quickly became a celebrity favorite after Mike sent some to Drake’s table at Soho Beach House. Martha Stewart, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kendall Jenner, and Floyd Mayweather soon became fans.

After bar directors saw how popular the Zigs’ coconuts were, they began to experiment with using them in drinks. “The bar directors were mostly interested in seeing how they could use the coconuts as a cocktail vessel. They would ask us for suggestions like, you know, what cocktails can you make in this?” says Dani.

Growing up between Guatemala, El Salvador, and Miami, the Zigs had lots of exposure to rum culture from a young age, so blending their coconut water with Central American rum seemed only natural. At the end of 2018, they launched Coconut Cartel, proofing the rum with coconut water instead of regular water. “It’s sort of this Frankenstein product that’s really delicious and natural.

It’s different from other brands,” says Dani. “What’s on the market today is suntan lotion. It’s not real rum. It’s not real coconut.”

Coconut Cartel’s entrance into the rum market proved timely.

Rum, especially premium rum, has been steadily growing in popularity throughout the U.S. and Europe. According to the International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR), the global rum market was worth

20

TOP: COCONUT CARTEL RUM FOUNDERS, MIKE ZIG AND SISTER DANI, IN GUATEMALA. BELOW: IN MIAMI

$15 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach $21.5 billion by 2027.

Dani says the company initially found success during the pandemic with e-commerce. Through Facebook ads and online marketing, they were able to understand who their consumer was and reach out to comparable rum-drinking demographics. According to Dani, small alcohol companies normally focus on selling to bars and restaurants. This strategy, while traditional in the industry, doesn’t give companies the same kind of insight or consumer data that e-commerce and online marketing does.

“Our business went from a few bars to now selling hundreds of cases a month,” says Dani. Coconut Cartel rum is currently sold in over 3,500 locations across the world, and the company recently announced its expansion to the European market. Their ultimate secret? “We come from a rum-drinking family,” says Dani. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

Everything Falls Into Place When you Give Back.

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Together with organizations that share our vision, we strive to give back to the place that has given us so much, to be one link in a network of love that resonates with the vibrant spirit of Miami.

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H E A LT H C A R E

This is game-changing technology that will transform how we treat diseases in the future...

DR. MAURICE R. FERRÉ, MIAMIBASED CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF INSIGHTEC, AN ISRAELI COMPANY THAT HAS DEVELOPED INCISION-FREE, ULTRASOUND SURGERY

High Tech Surgery ISRAELI COMPANY INSIGHTEC IS REVOLUTIONIZING MEDICAL SURGERY – FROM MIAMI

BY JOSEPH A. MANN JR.

E

ssential Tremor is a debilitating neurological disorder that causes uncontrolled shaking, mostly of the hands and arms.

In the U.S. alone, it affects more than 10 million people. Some who suffer the effects of Essential Tremor can be treated by medication for a limited period. But now a new medical technology is offering an alternative treatment with long-term results.

Insightec, an Israeli company run from Miami, has developed incision-free, ultrasound surgery technology that can not only deal with Essential Tremor, but is being successfully applied to tremors in Parkison’s patients, locally confined prostate cancer, uterine fibroids, and for palliation of

22

pain from bone cancer metasteses. Insightec is also testing a broader range of surgical applications for use in the brain and other parts of the body. Currently, it is carrying out over 30 active trials in clinical centers around the world, says Dr. Maurice R. Ferré, Miami-based chairman and CEO of the privately held international healthcare company. “This is game-changing technology that will transform how we treat diseases in the future,” he says. “We look at treating patients through a different lens than the pharmaceutical companies.”

Guided by a physician using an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) device to precisely locate a target, Insightec’s system

employs a focused ultrasound generator to heat and destroy tissue – typically in the brain – and relieve patients’ symptoms.

It is surgery without a scalpel. Insightec’s technology received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016 and is currently used in more than 150 clinics and hospitals in the U.S. and a score of foreign countries. It has successfully treated thousands of patients and is rapidly expanding its coverage.

An outstanding figure in developing new medical technology for more than two decades, Dr. Ferré took over as chairman and CEO of Insightec in 2014. He was attracted by the company’s technological GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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advances and agreed to join if he could manage the firm from Miami; the firm’s CFO, business development, and legal officers are all in Miami as well, where 40 of its employees work. Another 460 work in Israel, Europe, and Asia.

Founded in 1999, Insightec has worked over the last two decades to develop Exablate Neuro – its sound machine scalpel – and related platforms, Dr. Ferré says, investing more than $500 million in the technology.

Its revenues in 2022, the last figures released, reached $100 million and “We’re growing in the double digits,” he says.

For treatment of Essential Tremor, Exablate Neuro uses a helmet-shaped ultrasound transducer fitted to a patient’s head, with a pouch that circulates cool water to control the temperature during the procedure. The patient’s head is shaved and, while there is no anesthesia, a patient receives numbing injections at several points where the helmet is screwed into the skull to 24

ensure precision ultrasound targeting.

The patient is then placed in an MRI. A doctor precisely identifies the tissue that needs to be removed and uses the focused ultrasound device to destroy it. The results are immediate: A patient is tested after the procedure – for example holding a glass of water and making simple drawings – so doctors can see that the tremors have been eliminated. Patients usually go home on the same day as the procedure.

Alexandra Liebenthal, a senior advisor for the Financial Advisors Group at investment bank Houlihan Lokey, was one of the early patients with Essential Tremor to receive the focused ultrasound treatment for her hand in 2016. Her severe shaking was eliminated: “It was instantaneous. It was life-changing,” she posted on her LinkedIn account, which tells the story of her surgery and recovery.

Success rates over five years have been above 73 percent, Dr. Ferré says, with strong

It was instantaneous. It was life-changing...

ALEXANDRA LIEBENTHAL, A SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, WAS AN EARLY PATIENT WITH ESSENTIAL TREMOR WHO RECEIVED TREATMENT FOR HER SEVERE SHAKING

improvements in quality of life and no long-term complications. The procedure is covered by Medicare and by several large health insurance companies. “This is the tip of the iceberg,” says Dr. Ferré, the son of Maurice A. Ferré, who was Mayor of Miami from 1973 to 1985. “We want to continue to build and accelerate as quickly as possible. I want Insightec to be the next multi-billion dollar company that comes out of Florida.” l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

Welcome

to new inspiration Welcome thrill-seekers and chill-seekers, captains of superyachts and captains of every industry under the sun. A diverse playground of 31 vibrant communities awaits in Greater Fort Lauderdale, filled with coastal and cosmopolitan delights including dozens of new hotels, restaurants and other one-of-a-kind inspiration for business and pleasure.

Most impressive of all, phase one of our convention center transformation is now complete, featuring 350,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, Water Taxi access and more. The reimagined venue joins a long list of destination benefits, from easy access through Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to inspiring outdoor venues and teambuilding adventures.

Learn about free meeting space at the convention center for qualifying events and more at VisitLauderdale.com/Meetings.

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

I began to understand that the private sector has an important role in preventing corruption...

SUSANA SIERRA, AN ENTREPRENEUR WHO FOUNDED BH COMPLIANCE TO KEEP PRIVATE COMPANIES LEGAL.

Keeping Companies Out of Trouble

BH COMPLIANCE MONITORS OPERATIONS TO AVERT CORRUPTION, FINES

BY DOREEN HEMLOCK

A

s a mom, Susana Sierra works to keep her children safe. She teaches them that behavior matters. She makes sure they study in order to excel and is careful to not incentivize cheating or bad behaviors as a means to a desired end. As an entrepreneur, Sierra is doing the same for private companies.

Her venture, BH Compliance, monitors processes inside companies for purchasing, hiring, and other tasks to help them follow good practices and stay out of trouble. Verifiable reports from her platform can provide evidence of diligent practices – for example, in a case of legal scrutiny for potential corruption by a rogue employee.

Sierra co-founded the venture in her native Chile in 2014. Back then, Chile was joining the prestigious Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) and mandated that companies comply with anti-corruption laws and obtain certification from a third-party for compli-

26

ance. “I began to understand that the private sector has an important role in preventing corruption,” says Sierra, including self monitoring to thwart the payment of kickbacks for government contracts, and recognizing that even one bad employee can destroy a company’s reputation and cost millions in legal fees and fines.

Sierra soon developed a passion for best practices to stem corruption. She was already a teacher at Chile’s Catholic University, where she helped develop a certificate program in corporate compliance and anti-corruption. She became active with Chile’s chapter of Berlin-based nonprofit Transparency International, the world’s largest anti-corruption group. She co-wrote a book on the subject. She also started taking her company’s in-person services international, heading first to Panama.

In 2016, BH Compliance added software to monitor corporate processes. The

software gives managers a dashboard that tracks practices in each department as green (good to go), yellow (needing improvements) and red (requiring an overhaul.) In 2021 she set up in the U.S., eager to work with multinationals active in Latin America.

The Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in Miami, an incubator for foreign startups, offered her co-working space and guidance to grow in the U.S. market.

Meeting in Florida with prosecutors and Justice Department officials, Sierra soon found a recurring concern. Officials worried that businesses could modify reports to cover up problems. Sierra mentioned the issue to a colleague, who helped her use encrypted blockchain technology to timestamp reports, should they be subpoenaed. “That blockchain innovation came by chance, just from being in the Miami tech ecosystem,” says Sierra.

Today, BH Compliance employs 20 people in Chile and one (besides Sierra) in Miami, serving more than 150 companies across the Americas. Clients pay a set-up fee of about $40,000, plus a subscription fee of $4,000 monthly.

Sierra works to spread the word about compliance partly through an anti-corruption podcast in Spanish she hosts with Florida International University law professor Manuel Gomez. He describes Sierra as “a bundle of energy, perceptive and innovative,” applauding her pioneer use of block-chain for time-stamping reports. “Block-chain technology gives more transparency and reliability for data,” says Gomez, noting business compliance for too long has relied on self-reporting or records open to manipulation.

For 2024, Sierra is broadening her focus to sustainability, specifically to measure and monitor the “G” or governance policies in corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programs that are increasingly under scrutiny by shareholders. BH Compliance now is rolling out its “G-Metrix” subscriptions, with expansion underway in Europe. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

World Trade Center Miami is Here for You! World Trade Center Miami, the largest and oldest trade association in Miami, is part of the World Trade Center Association global business network of 315 World Trade Centers in 92 countries with over two million members.

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MARITIME

Cruise Control

ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S $2 BILLION ICON OF THE SEAS ON IT'S MAIDEN VOYAGE FROM PORTMIAMI. SHOWN LEFT: DAZZLING INTERIORS

2023 figures were released. “The port is an industry leader, which is future ready…” Combining its cruise and cargo capabilities, PortMiami contributes an estimated $43 billion to the local economy and supports more than 334,500 jobs. In addition to last year’s cruise passenger figures, the port also moved more than one million twenBY KATELIN STECZ ty-foot containers (TEUs) for the nineth consecutive year. n January 27th, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the largest On the cruise side the growth is tangible. Royal’s Icon is just cruise ship in the world, made its maiden voyage from PortMiami. one of the eight new ships PortMiami welcomed for the 2023-2024 Miami residents watched from land while passengers waved goodcruise season. Oceania Vista, Carnival Cruise Line Costa Venezia, bye and then began exploring the 1,1197 foot long ship, bound for a Scenic Eclipse II, Crystal Cruises Serenity, MSC Cruises Explora I, seven-day island-hopping cruise through the Eastern Caribbean.

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian VIVA and Regent’s Seven Seas With 20 decks, seven swimming pools, an ice rink, and more Grandeur all began voyaging from Miami in fiscal year 2024, which than 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges, Icon of the Seas is more began October first. like a small city than a ship; indeed, the ship’s population of 7,600 The port has also opened three new cruise terminals since passengers and 2,350 crew members rivals that of many towns the pandemic, for Norwegian, Carnival, and Virgin Voyages, with across the U.S. Guests can enjoy live music, comedy shows, theater another under construction for MSC. Royal Caribbean will be productions, and casino gambling, while kids can glide down the adding another new berth in 2027. Moving forward, PortMiami largest onboard water slides in the world. will finalize its shower power project this spring. The partnership Costing $2 billion to build, Icon of the Seas is more than just between PortMiami, Florida Power & Light, and its cruise partners a cruise ship. For both Royal Caribbean and PortMiami, it rep(Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, resents a new era of post-pandemic cruising. Royal Caribbean CEO Royal Caribbean Group, and Virgin Voyages) will allow three cruise Michael Bayley calls the ship a “transition from being a traditional ships to simultaneously plug into shore power at five different cruise cruise vacation to being a world-class, multigenerational family terminals, reducing air emissions. option” on par with any land-based destination experience. For the For the moment, however, all eyes are on the Icon. Prior to port, it is the cherry on top of a resurgent pride of place as Cruise setting sail, even Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi joined the Capital of the World. PortMiami briefly lost that designation to excitement by christening the ship. “In comparison with previous Port Canaveral during the pandemic but recaptured it in fiscal 2023 first-in-class launches, Icon has knocked this just out of the park,” with a record breaking 7.3 million passengers, its busiest year ever. says Royal Caribbean's Bayley. “We’ve never seen the response that “The port continues to drive our economy forward,” Miwe’ve seen with Icon. It’s been genuinely unbelievable from every ami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said when the single metric that you would want to look at.” l

PORTMIAMI REGAINS ITS TITLE AS CRUISE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD IN STELLAR FASHION

O

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GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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BANKING

Following the Money

MIAMI OFFICE CHIEF MATT O’CONNOR CUTS THE RIBBON TO OPEN THE BNP-PARIBAS OFFICE. HE IS JOINED BY LAURA DIBELLA OF FLORIDA COMMERCE, RAPHAËL TRAPP, MIAMI CONSUL GENERAL OF FRANCE AND RODRICK MILLER OF THE MIAMI-DADE BEACON COUNCIL AMONG OTHERS

become a global player only this decade, as large U.S.-based money-management groups active worldwide moved south from higher-tax New York, Illinois, and California. In FRANCE’S BNP PARIBAS 2023, Miami ranked for the first time among OPENS IN MIAMI the top 25 on the Global Financial Centres Index, published by the Z/Yen Group of

BY DOREEN HEMLOCK London and the China Development Institute of Shenzhen – a ranking that underscores why BNP Paribas opened in the city. all it a sign of Miami’s rise as a hub “Where big clients go, banks go,” for global finance. France-based BNP explains David Schwartz, president of Paribas, one of Europe’s largest banking the Financial and International Business groups, has opened an office for its secuAssociation (FIBA), formerly known as the rities division in Miami’s financial district – “mostly because we saw an opportunity, as Florida International Bankers Association.

He recalls BNP-Paribas had a Miami office our clients began to migrate here,” says its for its private wealth-management unit but Miami office chief Matt O’Connor. closed it in the 2000s amid consolidation The division’s Miami clients include heavyweights like Citadel, Point 72, and Mil- in that segment. “Now, the market’s grown, so it’s important that they service their big lenium, among the asset managers, hedgeclients who’ve moved here.” funds, and others who have set up since the BNP Paribas, formed in 2000 by the COVID pandemic began in 2020. Those groups moved in seeking lower taxes, slimmer merger of two French banks, has global assets topping 2 trillion euros, with their largest base costs, and warmer weather. BNP Paribas’ in Europe. The group employs more than Miami office handles global markets for clients buying and selling equities, debt, foreign 185,000 in 65 countries. In the U.S., it has exchange, commodities, and more. Some cus- some 3,500 employees, with offices in New York, Boston, Denver, Chicago, and Philadeltomers focus more on the U.S. while others phia. Globally, its revenues topped $45 billion focus worldwide, says O’Connor. in 2022 and were rising last year, though fullMiami long has been a hub for Latin 2023 results were not available at press time.

American finance, with many groups openThe bank formally opened its 801 Bricing offices in the area to manage dollars for kell Ave. office in December during Miami clients in South and Central America. It’s

C

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Art Week. Leaders from New York and Paris visited, some taking part in talks on the 2024 global outlook during the Scope Miami Beach international contemporary art fair.

The office debuted with some 20 employees and aims to reach 50 in two years, part of BNP-Paribas’ goal “to be the No. 1 European bank in the Americas,” O’Connor says.

That expansion builds on growing business ties between Florida and France, including a mission to Paris last June by the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade Country’s economic development group. French businesses already rank “among the top four in foreign employers in Florida, with more than 400 companies and 32,700 jobs created

by French companies,” says France’s consul in Miami Raphael Trapp.

For BNP-Paribas’ O’Connor, Miami offers contrasts to his former base in New York. Many in finance in Miami “are thrilled to be at the forefront of a new opportunity,” while folks in long-established NY often feel they “have to be” there. Latin American culture also holds greater sway in Miami business. “We believe that relationships are deeper in Miami, and New York has a more transactional view,” O’Connor adds.

BNP-Paribas’ Miami team aims to recruit locally and is contacting area schools including University of Miami and Florida International. Says O’Connor “We want people to make a career here in Miami.” l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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FI N A N C E

A Bridge to Latin America HOW THE INTERAMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK IS HELPING U.S. COMPANIES GROW

BY DOREEN HEMLOCK

L

ooking to boost business with Latin America and the Caribbean?

There’s a new program out with information on potential contracts, trade, investment, and financing: BID for the Americas.

The powerhouse Inter-American Development Bank, known in Spanish as BID and in English as IDB, launched the program and its online tools to help companies gain easier access to opportunities, including bids for bank-funded contracts for roads, bridges, and other major projects in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

“We want private companies to use the IDB as a bridge to business with Latin America,” says Fabrizio Opertti, who manages trade and integration at the bank. “We believe there are asymmetries of information, where the information doesn’t always flow in the clearest way, so we want to work on that to get more competition from U.S. companies.” U.S. firms currently win some 60 percent of IDB contracts they bid on, but they typically bid on contracts only up to $1 million, partly because they’d been unsure how to find local partners for larger bids, says Opertti. So the program includes ways to reach potential partners overseas.

A major source of development funds for its 26 borrowing nations, the IDB has been lending or mobilizing more than $12 billion annually in funding for projects in the LAC region in recent years. It raises the money mainly through its 22 “non-borrowing” member nations (i.e. donors) in Europe, Asia, and North America.

The new program focuses on opportunities for companies in these countries, starting with the U.S. For firms in South Florida, which counts the LAC region as its top trade partner, the opportunities abound. BID for the Americas and its online tools even single out U.S. programs that incentivize trade with countries in the LAC region, such as the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) that allows for duty-free exchange on most goods.

The new IDB program doesn’t focus only on bids for public infrastructure projects, such as airports or highways. It also offers funding for private ventures through its IDB Invest unit. Last year, IDB Invest announced $49 million in direct financing for the Miami-based Cisneros Group to develop its sustainable resort project in the Dominican Republic. That cash complemented $85.6 million more from other banks and financial institutions for its TropicaliaFour Seasons venture. “We believe this sustainable mixed-use resort … could [serve] as a model for responsible tourism development in the Caribbean and beyond,” says IDB Invest CEO James Scriven.

To boost awareness about the program, IDB officials recently visited Miami on the first stop of a U.S. roadshow. Joining Opertti was the new IDB president Ilan Goldfajn, who took the helm in December 2022. Born in Israel and raised in Brazil, Goldfajn holds a doctorate from MIT and formerly served as governor of Brazil’s central bank and in top positions with private banks and the International Mon-

32

ILAN GOLDFAJN, INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK'S NEW PRESIDENT, IN MIAMI AT THE FIRST STOP OF A U.S. ROADSHOW. GOLDFAJN WAS IN TOWN TO BOOST THE NEW IDB PROGRAM FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR PRIVATE VENTURES.

etary Fund. Together with Opertti, he met with key business players in South Florida to foster collaboration, including the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Select Florida, port leaders, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, among others.

Officials at the presentation noted that the program also offers information about trade shows and regional business events, and about the IDB Lab, which aims to help tech startups and entrepreneurs. For more on new program, see “BID for the Americas” at iadb.org. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

THE

CITY OF DORAL THE LOGISTICS HUB OF GREATER MIAMI

Doral City Hall

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LIVE. WORK. WORK. PLAY. LEARN. LIVE. LEARN. EX ORRIIDDA’ A’SS N N EE W WE ES OW NN . .

EX PP EE R RI EI ENNCCEE SSOOUUTTHH FFLLO S TT A AN ND DM MO OSSTT DY DYNNAAMMI C I C DDOW OWNNT T OW

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WORLD-CLASS C U LT U R A L EVENTS

A P L A C E R I C H I N C U LT U R E , C U I S I N E A N D C O M M U N I T Y. Downtown Doral is a place where town

management firm based in Coral Gables, FL

meets city and culture meets community. A

is the developer of Downtown Doral.

vibrant confluence of culture and commerce

The $1 billion, 250-acre mixed-use infill

combining homes, offices, an award-winning

development that has transformed a

school, local restaurants and shops that

decades-old office park into the heart of

offer a new quality of life—totally walkable,

one of the fastest growing cities in the

connected, and artfully designed. Codina

United States was first conceptualized

Partners, a distinguished real estate

by Codina Partners in the early 2000s,

development, investment, and property

the master-planned community creates a

O AT E D CHOOLS

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walkable and bike-friendly urban center

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complete with more than 40 retail stores

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from the design elements, to the

at completion, the top-rated Downtown

materials used, to the carefully curated

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retailers chosen to set up shop, and the

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hand-chosen, original artwork proudly

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meticulously planned. Codina Partners

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that seamlessly blends urban and suburban.

DOR AL REPORT

DORAL: Logistics Hub Now 20 years old, Doral has blossomed into an international logistics center for Greater Miami – and a vibrant city in its own right.

BY YOUSRA BENKIRANE

When Ramon Mareno launched his fish importing company west of Miami International Airport 25 years ago, the area was a sparsely settled swath of unincorporated Miami-Dade County. Like other businesses in the area, he was attracted by low land cost and proximity to the airport.

He started with a small warehouse and truck, then opened a fish market, and then expanded to a larger warehouse.

Fast forward to today. Mareno’s Heads or Tails Inc. now offers 250 different types of fresh, frozen, and salted seafood products from Nicaragua, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Trinidad, Turkey, Chile, Indonesia, Canada, and Norway — all coming to Miami then redistributed throughout the United States. His warehouse has grown to 15,000 square feet, with cold storage capabilities.

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for Global Miami

We never thought we would move to Doral but the fact that you can have your business and live three minutes away is a huge plus. And it's a beautiful city.

RAMON MARENO, CENTER, FOUNDED HIS FISH IMPORTING COMPANY, HEADS OR TAILS INC., 25 YEARS AGO, IN WHAT BECAME DORAL. SHOWN ABOVE IS THE COMPANY'S LOADING DOCKS TODAY

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DOR AL REPORT

It was still just West-Dade at that time. You still had a lot of swamp land and people thought they were crazy...

CHRISTI FRAGA, LEFT, MAYOR OF DORAL, ON HOW DORAL EMERGED AS COMMUNITIES AND CLUBS PICKED UP THE NAME

what really catapulted Doral’s name, but it was still just West-Dade at that time. You still had a lot of swamp land and people thought they were crazy,” says Doral’s mayor, Christi Fraga.

Despite more families moving in, the area lacked essential amenities like stores, schools, and parks. Still, early residents were drawn to the area due to its low density and affordable housing, despite the scarcity of facilities. Traffic was minimal and the landscape was dominated by farms.

Incorporation efforts began in 1995 as residents sought more services. Despite initial setbacks – including legal disputes over the use of the Doral name – the community persisted, eventually achieving incorporation in 2003 after a prolonged battle to secure its own local government. Among the early challenges: The State had tried to charge Doral a mitigation fee when incorporating.

“They basically charge you to exist,” says the founding mayor of Doral and current County Commissioner for District 12 Juan Carlos Bermudez. “So, we took that fight to Tallahassee. It took us three years, but we finally won it and it was a big victory.” If the city were to pay that today, says Bermudez, it would be on the hook for around $25 million a year out of its $85 million budget.

JUAN CARLOS BERMUDEZ, FOUNDING MAYOR OF DORAL

Just as importantly, he now lives in Doral, the city which grew up around him. “If you’re working seven days a week, you don’t want to spend half an hour in a commute. We never thought we would move to Doral but the fact that you can have your business and live three minutes away is a huge plus,” says the CEO. “And it’s a beautiful city.”

THE BIRTH OF A CITY

Moreno’s trajectory as a business owner and resident is a perfect mirror for the inception, growth and now maturity of Doral. It all began almost 75 years ago, when Doris and Alfred Kaskel bought 2,400 acres of swampland for $50,000 in an area where there were more cows and horses than residents. In 1962, Doris and Alfred opened the world-renowned Doral Hotel and Country Club, using a combination of their names.

The club’s name – Doral – became the area’s epithet and for decades defined its identity. In the second year of operation, the Kaskels hosted the first Doral Open Invitational, Florida’s major PGA event. Following changes in ownership over the years, Donald Trump acquired the club in 2012 for $150 million, rebranding it as Trump National Doral Golf Club. Renowned globally for its golf courses, notably the Blue Monster, the club remained a significant destination and hosted the PGA Tour Tournament until 2016.

In the early 1980s, Doral witnessed an initial growth spurt with the development of Doral Estates by Bill Kaskel, the grandson of Doris and Alfred. This was soon followed by a partnership with Lennar Homes to create Doral Park. The naming convention of these communities after the club became a recurring trend. “That’s 36

GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

VIEW TO DOWNTOWN DORAL WITH THE TRUMP NATIONAL DORAL GOLF CLUB IN THE FOREGROUND

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DOR AL REPORT

Today Doral is a vibrant home to over 75,874 residents, a 77% increase in the last eight years, according to city officials. Residents come from all over, with a notable presence of Hispanics, particularly Venezuelans, Cubans, and Colombians. The Venezuelan community has made up such a large portion of the residents – still almost a third of the city – that it was nicknamed “Doralzuela.”

“The growth that we had from Venezuelans moving here and establishing Doral as their home really helped shape our city,” says Mayor Fraga. The large Spanish-speaking population (95 percent of residents speak Spanish) also encouraged the biggest Spanish-broadcasting network, Univision, to open operations in Doral.

Nor was that firm alone; some 100 multinationals, small and large, now call Doral home, and planned areas like Downtown Doral, City Place Doral, and Midtown Doral have made it a highly attractive destination for living, working, investing, and recreating.

BECOMING A HOME

In 2014, Armando Codina was the first to introduce the concept of a downtown for Doral, though he had been active in the area well before then. As one of South Florida’s most successful – and impactful – developers, Codina had for decades been the largest builder of high-end industrial and office space in the Airport West submarket, part of which would later become Doral.

Today, Codina Partners has or is building 1 million square feet of Class A office space, 5,000 single-family and multifamily housing units, the city’s Government Center and its City Hall, public green spaces, and an upcoming senior living facility. But its largest and 38

DOWNTOWN DORAL IS STILL GROWING, WITH PLANS FOR ADDING MORE RETAIL SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.

most transformative project is the creation of Downtown Doral.

After a former Kroger office park went bankrupt, Codina saw an opportunity and purchased the 125 acres. “It didn’t take a rocket scientist to think, ‘This is where Doral should have a downtown,’” says Codina, “and I decided I would create it. [So] I went to the founders of the city and I said, ‘Listen you can’t be a city without a downtown. You are an emerging city with no revenue yet, so I will give you a downtown without a penny of city money.” Codina did require some concessions such as the downtown designation, but not a single resident opposed the development.

Now, with the help of partners like Miami-based Arquitectonica (which created the designs), the area has become a mixed-use development known as Downtown Doral, featuring international restaurants like Bulla and Dragonfly. The development is currently still growing, with plans for further retail expansion; when finished it will have more than 70 retail shops and restaurants. With families in mind, Codina also added a tuition-free charter school to be the center of the community and maintain walkability. “The school has been one of the engines of Downtown Doral,” says Codina.

Adding to the city’s cultural mix is the Doral Contemporary Art Museum (DORCAM), which emerged from a grassroots initiative by a group of friends who had been organizing exhibitions in unconventional spaces like warehouses. On the weekends, they’d host pop-up shows for what they called the Art Industry Movement. “In one exhibition, the mayor showed up and I said to him ‘Doral is cool, but you don’t have a museum,’” says Marcelo Llobel, GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

(c1 ;'(

@CityOfDoral

www.cityofdoral.com 39

DOR AL REPORT

Airport, with its massive network of flight connections, especially to Latin America and the Caribbean. It is bound on the east by SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway), on the west by the Florida Turnpike, and to the south by SR 836 (Dolphin Expressway). Its business-friendly environment (with over 150,000 workers) is further enhanced by the presence of the Miami Free Zone, which provides duty-free wareDEVELOPER ARMANDO CODINA OF CODINA PARTNERS, ABOVE house facilities, attracting international trade opportunities.

(RIGHT), WITH DAUGHTER ANA-MARIE CODINA BARLICK (CENTER), THE COMPANY CEO, AT THE OPENING OF PURA VIDA DORAL. “Doral is an industrial hub. All the largest companies in the world have warehouses here,” says Frank Trelles, vice president of TOP RIGHT: THE DOWNTOWN PARK IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF State Street Reality. Regarding warehousing, the city is currently at MAINTAINING PUBLIC GREEN SPACES. 3 percent vacancy compared to the national average of 6 percent.

BELOW RIGHT: DOWNTOWN DORAL IS A VIBRANT AREA FOR EN“Doral is like the star island of warehousing,” says Trelles. NuTERTAINMENT WITH INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS merous companies have located in the city to capitalize on the its logistical advantages, from large corporations like DHL, FedEx, and Amazon, to small mom-and-pop businesses. director of the Doral Contemporary Art Museum – aka DORDHL Express has been in Doral since 1987, before the city was CAM. “Having a cultural institution is important.” Established in 2017, “Our contribution is being more accessible for all kinds of art- born. “We first opened our operations in Doral [because] proximity ists, designers, architects, and from different countries,” says Llobel. to the airport was a big draw, but also the number of companies that were moving into the rural area made a lot of sense to us,” says Nemer Abohasen, the company’s general manager for the U.S. “It’s LOGISTICS EPICENTER literally a 10-minute drive from the airport. So that’s facilitated trade tremendously, being able to get to the customers as soon as possible.”

Doral’s economy is characterized by a diverse mix of industries – it Indeed, with Miami – and MIA – having become the gateway is home to over 9,000 businesses – but logistics and trade are the to Latin America, DHL is one of many companies that use Doral bread and butter. There are over 2,600 trade and logistics-related as a strategic location to service the region. The top five export descompanies in Doral, 250 corporate headquarters, and 100 multitinations for DHL Express are Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, national corporations, including numerous Fortune 500 firms. But and Peru. The top five import origins are China, Hong Kong, Great why Doral? The simple answer: location.

The city is strategically located adjacent to Miami International Britain, Colombia, and Brazil.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to think ‘this is where Doral should have a downtown' and I decided I would create it...

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41 BaptistHealth.net

DOR AL REPORT

Right now, our volumes for freight are huge because it comes in not only through MIA, but on the ocean side with Port Everglades and PortMiami…

BARBARA PIMENTEL PRESIDENT OF CTS GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS, SHOWN RIGHT, WITH HEBERT CASTRO, SALES MANAGER FOR CTS

DHL Express also partners with multiple freight forwarders and other international businesses already in Doral; by some measure as much as half the freight volume that moves through the Miami Customs District (i.e. South Florida) ends up in Doral warehouses.

“When Miami started growing, the airport started growing, the seaports started growing, so the industry grew and became perfectly suitable for business,” says Hebert Castro, Sales Manager for CTS Global Supply Chain Solutions, a global freight forwarding and logistics company.

CTS recently chose Doral as its first hub for dry cargo, shortly following with cold storage capabilities to take advantage of MIA being the number one U.S. airport for perishable products. “What happens here doesn’t happen in other ports,” says Barbara Pimentel, President of CTS. “Right now, our volumes for freight are huge because it comes in not only through MIA, but on the ocean side with Port Everglades and PortMiami…. It gives us a dynamic of volume of perishables that come through here so that we can capture and tap into that market.” CTS is currently adding operations in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia.

Prologis is another global logistics – and real estate – firm that has long been developing warehouses in Doral. In the past year, they have accumulated some 1.2 billion square feet of industrial warehouses across 19 countries, with Doral accounting for 10 million square feet of that space. “From a location perspective, Doral is probably the best on the map to access those [other] important logistics hubs – and then to also be able to distribute from there to the rest of the world,” says Jason Tenenbaum, Prologis Senior Vice President and Market Officer for South Florida. “It’s extremely central and it’s great access.”

Large global firms like FedEx, DHL, and Amazon use Prologis’ warehouses in Doral to reach Latin American markets, but most of Prologis’ Doral tenants are small businesses renting under 10,000 square feet of warehouse space, with 1,000 or fewer employees. This is to Prologis’ advantage; according to Trelles, those lease rates have increased more than the larger spaces in price per square foot.

Many of Prologis’ smaller tenants are in the business of trade, specifically with Latin America and the Caribbean. Most of their owners come from South American descent and/or with visa programs like EB-5, where migrants are granted a visa after investing a certain amount of money. Many end up opening their South American operations in Doral and shortly realize they want to live there, too.

KEEPING IT CHILL

While most of the city’s warehouses do not include cold storage, at least until a tenant comes in and adds it, Doral’s cold storage capabilities are extensive, serving as a vital link in the supply chain.

Especially for the seafood and flower wholesale industries, cold storage ensures the freshness and quality of inventory. With Miami International Airport now the leading U.S. entry point for perish42

ables, having high-quality temperature control capabilities means importers and exporters of perishable products flock to Doral to be as close to the airport as possible.

Heads or Tails Inc., for example, depends on cold storage to maintain the freshness of is seafood imports, which it then distributes through over 120 deliveries a day, mostly to restaurants, fish markets, and Hispanic supermarkets, like the Bravo chain. “Doral is the ideal place for our businesses. It’s strategic and it’s next to the airport. Ninety percent of the fish that we sell comes through MIA, only five minutes away,” says Moreno.

Every day, large volumes of both fish and flowers are unloaded at the airport and then trucked to Doral. Nicknamed “the floral city,” Doral now handles roughly 86 percent of the approximately 4.5 billion fresh-cut flowers imported into the United States every year. “Doral is the floral hub. We have a ginormous airport that is importing fruits and vegetables and all kinds of stuff from all over the world,” emphasizes Fernando Ortega, General Manager of Jet Fresh Flowers (see story pg. 52).

BANKING ON TRADE

With Doral emerging as a world-class destination for commerce and trade, numerous financial institutions are also jumping on board.

In addition to the regional Federal Reserve Bank, the city is home to global financial institutions like Sabadell United Bank, Espírito Santo Bank, City National, Ocean Bank, and U.S. Century Bank.

Last year, Banesco Bank USA opened a new three-story, 16,000-square-foot headquarters housing over 300 employees, centralizing all its offices. Banesco USA is an independent Florida state-chartered bank founded in 2006 with over $3.5 billion in GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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DOR AL REPORT

assets and six different business centers in South Florida and Puerto Rico. The bank offers international banking and trade financing, mostly catering to international customers for their personal and commercial needs in the U.S. They currently manage over $1.1B in depository balances from clients in Latin America as well as offering mortgage services for nonresidents, providing financing for approved clients from abroad to buy property in South Florida.

The bank is also currently running a multi-lingual campaign to help entrepreneurs navigate the U.S. market and open a company.

“Doral has been constantly growing. There’s always construction and new planned residences,” says Luis Pereda, Senior Vice President Head of International Banking. “So that goes hand in hand with why Banesco moved in. We’re actively looking to invest in the com44

TOP: DORAL'S LOCATION ADJACENT TO MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS THE KEY FOR LOGISTICS. FRANK TRELLES, VICE PRESIDENT OF STATE STREET REALITY, SAYS, "ALL THE LARGEST COMPANIES IN THE WORLD HAVE WAREHOUSES HERE.” ABOVE LEFT: DHL EXPRESS HAS BEEN IN DORAL SINCE 1987, BEFORE THE CITY WAS BORN. NEMER ABOHASEN, THE COMPANY’S GENERAL MANAGER FOR THE U.S. SAYS “IT’S LITERALLY A 10-MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE AIRPORT. SO THAT’S FACILITATED TRADE TREMENDOUSLY, BEING ABLE TO GET TO THE CUSTOMERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.” ABOVE: PROXIMITY MEANS FRESH SEAFOOD CAN BE DELIVERED QUICKLY FROM MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO COLD STORAGE FACILITIES LIKE HEADS OR TAILS INC. IN DORAL

GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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DOR AL REPORT

munity and to support more business owners in their finances.”

Pride of place, however, goes to U.S. Century Bank, the first bank headquartered in Doral (in 2002). Oscar Gomez, Executive Vice President for Global Banking, attributed the bank’s decision to Doral’s early status as an industrial hub with global companies moving products through the city, and wanting to be near those clients (see story pg. 56).

WORLD CLASS HEALTH CARE

Another significant addition to the city’s roster of services is healthcare, introduced relatively recently. Healthcare providers like Jackson Health, Baptist Health, and UMHealth have all increased their presence in the city.

In 2021, Jackson West Medical Center became the first academic medical center in Doral. After purchasing 27 acres for $38.5M, the site became an outpatient campus for adult and pediatric patients with a free-standing emergency room, as well as a children’s ambulatory center for specialized pediatric care. At about the same time, Baptist Health Hospital opened in a 43,000 sq. ft. two-story facility offering 24/7 emergency care as well as diagnostic imaging, surgery, inpatient pharmacy, etc. Baptist also has several urgent care centers in the city.

Now, the University of Miami Health (UHealth) is expanding its reach in Doral, completing phase two of its Ambulatory Medical Center Project, UHealth at Doral (the first phase, with urology, oncology, and dermatology services, opened in 2022). The new facility, expected to open in September, will be a six-story, 160,000 sq. ft. center right in the heart of Downtown Doral, providing primary care, cardiology, neurology, and ophthalmology through its No. 1 ranked Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

According to the university Miami-Dade County is investing 46

We had three main goals for our master plan of the city: One, to have more parks. Two was to create a downtown overlay district. And three was to get the medical industry in the city.…

THE FOUNDING MAYOR OF DORAL JUAN CARLOS BERMUDEZ, ON THE EARLY VISION FOR INCORPORATING THE CITY OF DORAL. ABOVE: THE NEW UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEALTH COMPLEX

$7.7 million in the project, which will total 178,000 square feet of space between the new building and the existing one. “A lot of families are moving into Doral, and we noticed patients and family members from Doral traveling to UHealth locations across Miami-Dade to seek care. So, it was our mission to bring health care closer to home,” says Vandana Pathak, Assistant Vice President for ambulatory services at the University of Miami Health System.

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE

In many ways, Doral is now becoming a victim of its own success.

Due to the rapid growth in population, urban development, and new businesses, the city is finally beginning to run out of space. “I wish I would have had some foresight to what Doral was going to become as quickly as it happened,” says Mayor Fraga, “As a city, we made some mistakes that right now we’re kind of paying the price for. We did not land bank enough as a city... Even if we wanted to build a public works facility, for example, we don’t have land to do it.”

While that assessment may be a little dire – the city did set aside 78 acres for a massive Doral Central Park – with high demand GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

WORLD-CLASS HEALTHCARE IS EXPANDING IN DORAL UHealth at Doral is taking leading-edge care to the next level for the benefit of our community.

Located in Downtown Doral and arriving fall 2024, the expansive six-story, 160,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility will feature transformative clinical care across a wide range of services and life-changing results powered by the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

Our expert physicians and staff will include those from NCI–designated Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the #1 eye hospital in the nation.

UHealth at Doral will also deliver the latest in urologic treatments from the highly acclaimed Desai Sethi Urology Institute.

UHealth at Doral will offer:

Cardiology • Dermatology • Endocrinology • Executive Medicine • GI/Endoscopy • Gynecology Interventional Radiology • Oncology • Ophthalmology • Orthopaedics • Otolaryngology (ENT) Primary Care • Radiation Oncology • Surgical Oncology • Urology Women’s Services • And more

UHealthatDoral.com

DOR AL REPORT

for its limited remaining supply of space, the cost of operating in Doral has increased dramatically. Today, according to Trelles of State Street Realty, the average cost of warehousing in Doral is a minimum of $300 a square foot. Before COVID, it was at $110 a square foot. “When these prices went up so high, it pushed a lot of the smaller companies out of the market,” says Trelles. “It’s happening all around Miami. More people are coming in but at the same time, many are getting pushed out.” To achieve affordability, it’s becoming more common, for example, for companies in Doral to hire a larger third-party logistics provider that can leverage efficiencies of scale.

Still, the demand for warehouse space, which was fundamental to the city’s incarnation, shows no signs of diminishing. “If you go anywhere in Miami, you’re going to see cranes – new buildings and thousands of new apartments and condos are going up, and they’re going to get filled” says Trelles. “You’re going to need more toilet paper, more cell phones, more tires – and all that’s stored in a warehouse.” In a perfect world, as the population grows, warehouse space should also grow. But in Doral’s case, it is hemmed in by the Everglades.

“The scarcity of land creates a very interesting landscape for our industrial real estate market in South Florida and specifically in Doral,” says Tenenbaum of Prologis. “That will make us even more thoughtful about our warehouse design.” In other words, the industry must get creative. “We have to look at opportunities that are three to five years down the road,” says Tenenbaum. His company is currently working on a development just outside Doral to build a million square feet of warehouse space in four buildings, after purchasing ten plots of land to consolidate the property. They are also developing a multi-story logistics facility for an e-commerce customer, the first vertically integrated warehouse design in Florida.

That warehouse will be almost a million square feet, laid out over three separate floors. Like areas closer to the coast, going vertical is 48

CITY PLACE, A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT IN THE HEART OF DORAL DEVELOPED BY THE RELATED GROUP.

a new trend for the county.

“It’s so important to protect our industrial businesses, not just for Doral and for Miami-Dade, but for South Florida since it’s a huge economic engine,” says Mayor Fraga. “The logistics, import and export… and then all the industries that fall into that – flower, food technology, and so forth. It’s a huge economic driver for Doral.”

Another major issue echoed by the industrial community is the buildup of traffic, a consequence of Doral’s remarkable growth thanks to its strategic central location, transportation access, proximity to major regional assets, supportive government services, and favorable growth and development policy. Part of the congestion stems from worker inflow, something that is avoided by simply living in the city.

To that end, Doral has proactively invested in enhancing the lifestyle of its citizens, from its new urban centers providing the amenities of entertainment, dining, and medical campuses, to its parks, with a focus on both existing spaces and the creation of new green areas such as Doral Central Park. This Park, when finished, will be one of the region’s largest, and will feature an indoor recreational facility, pools, walking paths, tennis and basketball courts, multi-purpose fields, picnic areas, a skate park, and an open-air amphitheater.

“The most important accomplishment to me was creating a sense of community. We took an area in the western part of Dade County where there wasn’t anything and built a community,” says Founding Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez. “We had three main goals for our master plan of the city: One, to have more parks. Two was to create a downtown overlay district. And three was to get the medical industry in the city. We were able to get those goals accomplished.” With such accomplishments under its belt, Doral’s momentum continues, reflecting the city’s resilience and commitment to sustained growth. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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DOR AL / COMPANY PROFILE

Spanish Style Medicine SANITAS, WHICH FOCUSES ON PREVENTION, IS EXPANDING RAPIDLY IN THE U.S.

BY DOREEN HEMLOCK

I

t’s among the fastest-growing healthcare providers in the United States, and it’s bringing an approach more like Spain’s – one that features integrated services focused on prevention. The aim is to keep people healthy and out of the hospital, reducing long-term medical costs.

Sanitas may not be a household name in Miami yet, but the company that started in Spain and expanded to the U.S. from Colombia is quickly building a following in Florida, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Texas as it expands nationwide. It now boasts more than 500,000 members in the U.S., mostly in Florida. And it employs at least 3,000 people in the U.S., including 400 in the city of Doral, where it runs its U.S. headquarters and its round-the-clock telemedicine division.

Sanitas entered the U.S. market in 2014 through an alliance with Guidewell, the parent company of insurer Florida Blue. Guidewell was looking for a partner to provide healthcare for U.S. Hispanics through U.S. government-assisted programs. Sanitas, which launched in Spain in the 1970s, had long been successful in Colombia and other Latin American nations.The partners started small, with three centers in Florida, but with a grand vision to offer a different style of healthcare – not the usual fee-for-service U.S. model, but one based on health outcomes. The goal is to improve results in the U.S., which spends the most in the world on healthcare per person, but produces results below European counterparts that spend far less.

“One of the big problems in U.S. healthcare is fragmentation,” with providers in varied private groups referring patients to specialists in other groups and not always following up, says Ignacio Arbeity, CEO of the Sanitas unit in the U.S. “Our biggest concern is patient satisfaction. We call and follow up. We try to find solutions for your condition, so you don’t end up in the hospital, where the costs explode.” Sanitas receives bonuses from insurers if patients stay healthy and out of hospitals, he says.

Sanitas hails from a country where health care is deemed a right, and nearly all services are provided at government facilities, paid through taxes. Spain’s government uses its leverage to negotiate prices for supplies, helping keep costs down. Care is essentially free, with co-pays only for prescription drugs. Co-pays end when patients become seniors, Arbeity says. In contrast, the U.S. system is about 85 percent private, with co-pays for nearly everything – even for seniors with government-backed Medicare.

Spain also offers greater access to doctors than the U.S. It has roughly 4.4 doctors for every 1,000 residents, compared to 2.6 per 1,000 residents in the U.S. Costs for healthcare also differ greatly. In 2021, Spain spent roughly 10 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare, compared to 18 percent in the U.S. For Sanitas, starting up in the U.S. has been easier than for many Spanish companies, because Florida Blue and other U.S insurers handle much of their marketing. Plans call for doubling its U.S. footprint every few years. “We want to provide capacity to those who need it when they need it,” says Arbeity, “in a system that’s not fragmented but intelligent.” l

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IGNACIO ARBEITY, CEO OF THE U.S SANITAS HEADQUARTERS IN DORAL

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DOR AL / COMPANY PROFILE

FERNANDO ORTEGA, JET FRESH’S GENERAL MANAGER.

Blooming Excellence W

BY YOUSRA BENKIRANE

alking through Jet Fresh Flowers is like walking through a candy store of flowers, an explosion of colors from 120 different types of fresh-cut blooms ready to be delivered to supermarkets, event planners, and local florists – or shipped to distributors across the U.S. “Flowers are powerful,” says Fernando ‘the Fern’ Ortega, Jet Fresh’s general manager. “It’s an item that’s used for some people’s core memories, and they are powerful for mental health. So, we try and showcase some of the best flowers from all over the world.”

Jet Fresh Flowers, a family-owned flower importer, distributor, and grower, has been in Doral since its inception in 2008. Michael Black, founder and president, started the company with just himself and a desk. Now, strategically located less than 10 minutes from Miami International Airport in 15,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space with 50 employees, Jet Fresh has blossomed as a flower wholesaler.

In addition to sourcing from farms in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Italy, France, and some Asian and African countries, Jet Fresh also owns a boutique farm in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. Called Jet Fresh Flower Growers, its 150 employees cultivate over 40 species of roses at a height of 2,900 meters. “We go worldwide and then consolidate all that product here in Miami. And then from here, we’re shipping to the entire United States, Canada, etc,” says Ortega. The farm ships directly to customers in Europe, Russia, and China.

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Being so close to the airport allows the company to make an average of five runs a day to the airport, shipping almost 2,000 boxes daily. From sourcing globally to meticulously handling and packaging, the industry never sleeps. “It’s very stressful, because it’s a perishable item, and it’s dying before it gets in our hands,” explains Ortega.

Geography is a key factor for the floral industry, and where logistics go, flowers follow. Even though New York has a long-standing reputation as a major flower importer, according to Ortega, 95 percent of those fresh-cut flowers come through Miami, which means Doral.

“Doral is a floral hub. There are tons of refrigerated logistics, and air freight in the city that ships throughout the world,” says Ortega. With traffic thickening across the county, Doral’s proximity to the airport and major highways helps cut through that – making Doral an efficient option. “Everybody [here] is sitting next to the airport – we want to get our flowers that are imported from the airlines as fast as possible,” says Orgtega. “I have very limited windows throughout the day to make sure that those flowers are packed, labeled, and delivered to their cargo agent that same day.”

When asked if Jet Fresh has considered opening a warehouse elsewhere, the option of Hialeah Gardens popped up due to more affordable rent and more space. But it is too far from the airport.

“We’d be further away from the truck lines which wouldn’t work because we have nonstop service,” said Ortega. l

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DOR AL / COMPANY PROFILE

He found a property in what is now Doral. At that time, it was just horses, cows, and some warehouses that were very inexpensive for Dade County...

Stone Merchants FOR THE MUSOLINO FAMILY, THE BUSINESS OF SELLING MARBLE AND TILE IS MULTI-GENERATIONAL

BY YOUSRA BENKIRANE

W

hen the city of Doral celebrated its 20th anniversary, the top 20 businesses that have been in Doral since the beginning were recognized and voted on by the community. One of them was Casa Linda Tiles, which has become something of a household name in the city.

Casa Linda traces its roots back to a father’s bold decision to venture into the marble business in the United States. Then called Mediterranean Exports, the company was founded in the Doral area in 1973 by Stephen Musolino, an Italian importer who thought there was an opportunity to introduce Italian marble to American consumers.

“He found a property in what is now Doral,” says Steve Musolino, son of Stephen and the current owner. “At that time, it was just horses, cows, and some warehouses that were very inexpensive for Dade County – which is important in our industry, because we have a lot of heavy, bulky products that don’t need fancy warehousing for it to be competitive.”

Steve’s father, equipped with bilingual skills, traveled back and forth from Modena, Italy to Miami, bringing marble for wholesale distribution to different outlets in the U.S. He soon expanded the business to include ceramic tiles imported from factories in Italy and Spain. As the business flourished, Steve’s father started opening offices across the U.S. and Canada and locked down agency agreements

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STEVE MUSOLINO, CURRENT OWNER, ON HIS FATHER FOUNDING THEIR MARBLE AND TILE BUSINESS IN DORAL IN 1973

with his European factories. In 1986, Steve ventured into the family business, encouraged by his father to create a retail arm by launching Casa Linda – Spanish for Beautiful House. “I was fresh out of my two years college and he [motivated me] the same way he taught me how to swim – he pushed me into the pool.” Casa Linda soon became a trusted name among homeowners, designers, contractors, and architects, says Steve. “These are people that I’ve helped decorate their homes, and they’ve seen my sign driving by for all these years.”

After taking over the business from his father, Steve transformed Casa Linda Tiles into a comprehensive design center, offering a curated selection of home decor products under one roof.

This strategic move not only enhanced the customer experience but also contributed to the growth of the city of Doral. The warehouse has since expanded to become a one-stop shop to include all home décor needs. “Someone comes to look for furniture, they stumble upon tile, and someone comes from tile, they end up with a cabinet.

For that reason, I really put my heart and soul into getting this done,” says Steve.

One of Steve’s inspirations for creating a full design center came, again, from his father. “He multiplied himself and we all know a good way to make money is by multiplying yourself,” he says. After completing construction in 2015 to redevelop the site into a full design center, Casa Linda Tiles has remained resilient, being one of the longest standing retail stores in Doral. “Today I’m proud to say that is an active design center called the Doral Décor Center. The building was finished after my father passed away, but I’m sure he’d be proud that we finished his vision and maintained the business.” l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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Global Banking from Doral

FOR U.S. CENTURY BANK, THE LOCATION PROVED PIVOTAL

E

BY YOUSRA BENKIRANE

stablished in 2002, before Doral was officially incorporated as a city, U.S. Century Bank became the first bank to be headquartered in the city. With a majority Hispanic board of directors, U.S. Century launched with $23 million in capital to provide financial services to local Hispanic-owned businesses. Today it is South Florida’s 8th largest community bank by assets ($2.2B), having grown steadily across the South Florida tri-county area with 10 locations, 194 employees, and a global reach.

U.S. Century began their operations in Doral to follow their target customers – industrial businesses (and their owners) involved in light manufacturing, warehousing, wholesaling, distribution, and, ultimately, international trade. Due to the city being well positioned for companies importing and exporting merchandise of all kinds, servicing these sorts of clients grew the bank’s global muscle in trade finance, mainly for Latin America.

U.S. Century provides their clients global banking resources by working with foreign correspondent banks, mostly in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Peru, offering services ranging from trade finance to personal wire transfers. “In a lot of the markets we work with the larger banks,” explains Oscar Gomez, Executive Vice President of Global Banking. “For example, in the Dominican Republic we work with three of the top four banks in the country. They have an

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OSCAR GOMEZ, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL BANKING FOR U.S. CENTURY BANK.

account with us, and we do the trade financing through our credit department, giving them a [credit] line and renewing the line on a yearly basis.” Most transactions range between $1 million and $5 million with a focus on agribusiness.

For example, a large U.S. agriculture company that U.S. Century works with exports grain to customers in Ecuador. The buyer approaches his bank in Ecuador, which happens to be one of Century’s correspondent banks, which therefore has a line of credit with U.S. Century Bank. The correspondent bank is then able to provide its customer – the importer (buyer) – the financing to purchase the grain.

U.S. Century Bank offers other trade finance instruments, from letters of credit and documentary collections to supply chain financing, all designed to meet the challenges of businesses engaged in cross-border trade, while mitigating risk.

The Doral location also provides a convenient place for international clients to access the bank when in Miami. Most of their clients have businesses abroad that export to Miami or have businesses in Miami that export abroad. “It’s very good for us because of the type of customers we have [need] proximity to the airport, the expressways and so forth,” says Gomez. “A lot of times we have our customers fly in, and they’ll come right to the bank. Doral is more accessible than if they stayed in [other parts] of the county.”

Another facilitator of strong cross-border banking has been the use of technology, with customers from abroad able to access their banking services digitally. “You’ve got to have the most up-to-date technology in order to be a player in the international market,” says Gomez. At the same time, ease of travel helps maintain personal client connections. “In global finance we’ve seen that Miami, specifically Doral, is a gateway because of the size of PortMiami and the airport, one of the largest used by our customer base. It has all been very significant to our overall business.” l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

CHECKING THE CONNECTIONS AT FIU'S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING

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The Future

WORKFORCE How Miami is building its tech pipeline

BY KATELIN STECZ

WHEN SOFTWARE COMPANY KASEYA moved its U.S. headquarters from Boston to Miami last year, it was heralded as another indicator of the city’s growing importance as a technology hub. At the time, Kaseya also announced it would spend $16 million renovating 101,871 square feet of commercial space in the downtown and hire more than 3,400 new employees.

Kaseya, a global provider of IT management and security software, was not the first – nor will it be last – of a slew of tech-oriented companies relocating to or starting up in Miami, joining the ranks of such firms as Blackstone, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Google. Scores of companies in other industries, from financial managers to medical providers, have also entirely relocated or moved divisions here.

With the new wave of corporate landings, thousands of jobs are being created.

According to a recent report by the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, some 51 companies 59

have announced plans to relocate or expand in the county, looking to hire nearly 15,000 new workers.

While many of these future employees will not necessarily be hired by high-tech companies, a preponderance – almost half – will be. “It’s been a targeted industry for us now going back more than a decade, just tech jobs in general. We have been slowly building this community, and now we have a fairly established technology ecosystem here,” says James Kohnstamm, former executive vice president of the Beacon Council, the job of which is to recruit and retain employers. And even workers in other industries need to be adept in the use of new technologies.

All of which begs the question: Where will these workers come from? Unlike Silicon Valley, Greater Miami has not had the same sort of high-tech labor pool to draw from. And without these workers, the new corporate landscape may be unsustainable. “Our concern is more in terms of once they’re here, how do we meet their needs?

How do we connect them to the community? And how do we keep them here? Because as easily as they got here, they can just as easily leave,” says Alfred Sanchez, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. And while the chamber has committees devoted to education and workforce development, Sanchez would be the first to say that we need more programs We’re a community college choice so we’re based on “to buttress and support the initiatives that the community, and we’re thinking about what skills are are going on.” needed by companies when they’re looking for talent.

The city’s response is a collective call to arms. Miami’s academic community, public ANTONIO DELGADO, MIAMI DADE COLLEGE’S VICE PRESIDENT institutions, private training companies, and OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS tech firms are rising to the occasion with a broad array of initiatives to create a qualified labor pool to fill the ranks of high-tech (and the grant to three academic institutions – Lavernia, a senior partner at Lab22c, a non-tech) firms streaming to the city, as well Miami Dade College, Florida International Miami consulting agency that connects as those needed by new startups.

University, and Florida Memorial University companies, funding sources, entrepreneurs, and public institutions to grow Miami’s – to develop industry-led tech training.

INITIATING A RESPONSE The Miami Tech Works grant was apinnovation ecosystem.

To meet the new demand, interaction and plied for by Antonio Delgado, Miami Dade The second phase, says Lavernia, has cooperation between academic institutions, College’s Vice President of Innovation and been to bring industry and the commuprivate companies, and the public sector Technology Partnerships, and it launched in nity together to formulate plans for each are needed. Already, area universities are the same month Kaseya made its announce- group. Employers have met monthly with amping up their curriculum, while corpoment. Its program is being carried out in nonprofit organizations, academia, and rations are paying private companies to three phases. government representatives to discuss pilot train workers to fill the gap until new grads Phase one created a Miami Tech Talent programs. These programs will provide the appeared on the scene.

Coalition to determine how Miami could framework for any company to train, find, One leading organization that is condevelop its tech sector sustainably. After and keep tech talent in Miami; phase three necting academia with the private and public surveying over 300 employers, the coalition will implement them. sectors is Miami Tech Works, created last created four groups: the small business The coalition is currently between year with a $10 million grant from the Good group, the tech skills gap group, the emerg- phases two and three, with only the small Jobs Challenge, funded by President Biden’s ing tech talent group, and the inclusive tech business pilot program launched. It created Economic Development Administration talent group. The assignment to oversee the a micro-internship initiative where students (EDA). Miami Tech Works is distributing execution of these groups went to Caryn from the three funded universities can gain 60

GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

We have to work together to build our workforce for the benefit of everyone… we’re competing globally for businesses to move here for talent...

computing; computer engineering; computer information technology; computer programming and analysis; cybersecurity; and database technology According to Delgado, MDC’s greatest CARYN LAVERNIA, A SENIOR PARTNER AT LAB22C, ON THE NEED FOR strength is what many consider its greatest COOPERATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND EMPLOYERS weakness: it is a community college. That status, with 120,000 students across eight THE ACADEMIC THRUST: campuses, allows MDC to have a wider tech experience working with a small busireach than most 4-year academic instituness. For example, students are now building MIAMI DADE COLLEGE (MDC) first web sites for small businesses; they will Even with public/private initiatives like Mi- tions, translating into potentially more talent ami Tech Works, academic institutions will for the pipeline. For example, MDC curbe paid and can put the tech experience on have to do most of the heavy lifting. Out of rently has 12,000 students taking courses in their resumes, while the business will have a website at a cheaper than market rate. La- all universities and colleges in South Florida, its School of Engineering, Technology, and vernia says all the groups will have launched Miami Dade College (MDC) is arguably the Design. MDC’s flexible course structure also most impactful in leading the charge to pre- makes it possible for high school students their pilot programs by mid-2024. pare Miami’s tech pipeline – and was already and working professionals to advance their The key to the success, says Levernia, doing so prior to VP Delgado acquiring the education and skill sets. will be cooperation between the players. “In “I think what differentiates us, first, is reality, the academic institutions are in com- Good Jobs Challenge grant. MDC began in the mid 2010s to expand its curriculum with that we’re a community college choice so petition with each other. And training providers are in competition with each other, the a view to mobilizing Miami’s tech workforce. we’re based on the community, and we’re The results are current courses available for thinking about what skills are needed by employers are also. But the reality of where bachelor’s degrees in: computer engineering companies when they’re looking for talent,” we are is that we have to work together to says Delgado. To that end, MDC is working build our workforce for the benefit of every- technology; cybersecurity; data analytics; information systems technology; and other with multiple industry partners across one… we’re competing globally for busimany of its schools to provide industry-levnesses to move here for talent. We should be tech-related areas like biotechnology. It also el learning and resources for individuals collaborating internally to be a power player offers associate degrees in: animation and gaming; applied artificial intelligence; cloud looking to upskill. For example, with its and compete against the large metros.”

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Business and Innovation Technology Center (BIT), MDC offers industry certifications with Google, Hootsuite, HubSpot, and Bloomberg. Other companies are offering specific tech training, for example Kaseya’s RITSM (Remote IT and Security Management) program.

“The role of Miami Dade College is not just as a transfer way to a university, but also a pathway to a job. That’s why the partnerships matter so much: to have ears on the ground and measure what exactly is 62

needed from a workforce perspective, and then creating the program or improving the programs to meet those needs,” says Delgado. “That’s our goal.”

Pamela Fuertes, Dean of MDC’s Miguel B. Fernandez Family School of Global Business, Trade & Transportation, echoes Delgado’s remarks: “Workforce readiness is something that’s extremely important to us and to our mission because what we want to ensure is that we are preparing our students for their future professional careers.”

MIAMI DADE COLLEGE (MDC): TOP: THE ROBOTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMS TOP RIGHT: SOCIAL MEDIA, NETWORKING AND INTERNET MARKETING CLASSES ABOVE LEFT: CYBERSECURITY REQUIRES CUTTING EDGE SKILLS TODAY ABOVE RIGHT: THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) HUB

GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

Workforce readiness is something that’s extremely important to us and to our mission because what we want to ensure is that we are preparing our students for their future professional careers.

PAMELA FUERTES, DEAN OF MDC’S MIGUEL B. FERNANDEZ FAMILY SCHOOL OF GLOBAL BUSINESS, TRADE & TRANSPORTATION, SHOWN LEFT, WITH MADELINE PUMARIEGA, PRESIDENT OF MIAMI DADE COLLEGE

And Fuertes isn’t just referring to students pursuing a career in the tech industry. In the future, she says, all jobs will have some sort of tech component to them, so MDC is getting ahead of the curve by incorporating tech skills and literacy into all its programs.

Since 2019, for example, the college has been incorporating AI into its courses. In 2021, 500 MDC faculty members attended an AI workshop to learn how to best utilize the technology in their courses; the same year MDC received nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund the development of AI courses. Now, they’re seeing the results. From using AI to predict character archetypes in literature like Harry Potter to helping students learn algebra through gamification, MDC president Madeline Pumariega says the college

wants to emphasize the technology more in the coming years because it’s clear that AI is here to stay. Last year, MDC announced it would launch Florida’s first Bachelor of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence, in place later this year; the program already has interest from over 300 students.

“When I met with students in January of ‘23 when other institutions were banning AI, they were like, ‘You’re not going to ban AI, right?’ And I said, ‘No, it’s like banning the internet. It’s like banning the Britannica Encyclopedia,’” says Pumariega. “It’s a tool that students are going to have to learn how to use.” Since technology is increasing in multiple industries from nursing to law enforcement, the college wants to provide students with skills needed in any industry pipeline. “We want artificial intelligence to

be a digital skill that students could have access to, regardless of what their career pathway might be,” says Pumariega.

ON THE RESEARCH EDGE: FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Like MDC, FIU is one of the three academic institutions chosen for the Miami Tech Works grant. However, while MDC is focused on the technical skills gap in Miami’s incumbent workforce, FIU’s designation as an R1 Research Institution allows it to address different needs in the talent pipeline. While FIU has micro-credential programs that allow students and working professionals to build their tech stack, the university’s strength comes from its cutting-edge research programs and industry ties.

Even before Miami’s tech boom, FIU was already known for its technology-driven research programs. Its cybersecurity program recently received funding from Homeland Security to ensure the resilience of critical infrastructure. Its data management research laboratory is leading the way in using emerging technology to solve inefficiencies in standard data processing. The list goes on.

Steven Luis, the executive director for technology at FIU, says its research 63

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: TOP: STEVEN LUIS, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR TECHNOLOGY AT FIU, SAYS "IT’S ALL ABOUT ADVANCED TRAINING. IT’S ABOUT ALLOWING STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO BUILD EXPERIMENTS." MIDDLE: STUDENTS LEARN TO INNOVATE IN THE ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING LABORATIES AT FIU BOTTOM: STUDENTS SHARE RESEARCH IN THE ROBOTICS PROGRAM AT FIU

programs are one way that the university is keeping course material up to date. Within the College of Engineering and Computing, the university offers the bulk of its technology-related courses. It has undergraduate programs in cybersecurity, computer science, and information technology where students can choose a particular track. It offers graduate degrees in computer science, cybersecurity, data science, information technology, and telecommunications and networking. Moreover, the university has ABET accreditations for its computer science, IT, and cybersecurity programs among others; ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) ensures that students are trained on par with industry standards.

Luis also mentions opportunities for experiential learning in all FIU technology courses – for example, in the university’s cybersecurity program. “It’s all about advanced training. It’s about allowing students to understand how to build experiments.

When you think of cybersecurity, it’s a catand-mouse game. You have bad actors that are constantly pushing the envelope. So, we need talent in the pipeline that is also capable of pushing the envelope,” says Luis.

The university’s new Innovation Engineering Complex is another way FIU is expanding its resources for tech training.

The complex’s first building is set for completion late this year; the finished complex will include makerspace labs, active learning classrooms, and research labs. Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing, Inés Triay hopes the complex will foster an atmosphere of innovation and creativity.

“These buildings, which will become a pillar of academic excellence and innovation in South Florida, will ensure that the talent FIU cultivates, the interdisciplinary research it conducts, and the industry collaborations it engages in, pioneers the innovative solutions of tomorrow,” says Triay.

FIU also works closely with industry to implement a curriculum that meets demands. The university has a memorandum of understanding with Kaseya, for example, to 64

GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

in the tech industry, FMU needs to carefully position itself to reach those students. “We really need to be intentional, when it comes to this particular student population, and encourage them to look into these opportunities, look into this industry, as far as a career is concerned. Because a lot of times there’s a lack of resources, a lack of information,” he says. FMU plans to partner with organizations like BITE-CON and continue to host events where students can learn about opportunities in the tech industry, including those in sales, HR, and marketing.

BLENDING BUSINESS WITH TECHNOLOGY: UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (UM)

The University of Miami is the state’s most prestigious private university, with several programs preparing students and the larger Miami community for the tech pipeline.

Like most institutions, UM offers basic degrees in computer science and data analytics, but what makes the university stand out is an accelerated three-year bachelor’s degree in Innovation, Technology, and Design (ITD).

Launched in August 2022, the ITD degree was UM’s response to the early stages of Miami’s tech surge. Faculty at the university realized that neither the College of Arts & Sciences nor the College of Engineering offered a program specifically geared for the opportunities in Miami’s rapid expansion as a tech hub. So, the university created an interdisciplinary program that blended business, technology, and design thinking.

“We wanted to re-invent the education The talent FIU cultivates, the interdisciplinary research for a new age individual. And we also wanted to embrace Miami’s tech ecosystem,” says it conducts, and the industry collaborations it engages in, Lokesh Ramamoorthi, the assistant program pioneers the innovative solutions of tomorrow. director for the ITD program. “We want to INÉS TRIAY, ABOVE, INTERIM DEAN OF THE COLLEGE equip this graduate to pursue any career they OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING AT FIU want without any restrictions.”

Ramamoorthi says the ITD advisory create specific IT automation and advanced curriculum. The university currently only board regularly consults industry partners automation courses to train students for roles offers a course in technology sales in its like Kaseya to help guide curricula. Industry in the company; its faculty even had a hand Technolij Center but is adding additional partners, which include the Underline – a in developing the company’s RITSM certifi- noncredit college tech courses. The idea: nonprofit that is revitalizing 10 miles of cation program. FIU works closely with other Reaching underserved communities will linear park under the county’s Metrorail industry partners as well, like Microsoft, both enrich the talent pool and add new – are a regular presence in course design, Google Cloud, and FPL, to guide curriculum perspectives for innovation in the industry. posing challenges and serving as clients for for student placement after graduation.

“If Kaseya is going to be adding all these student work. The idea: Expose students to jobs, we do not want FMU students to miss real world problems and place them directly ACCESSING MINORITY TALENT: out on those opportunities,” says Jean-Pierre into the hiring pool.

FLORIDA MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY (FMU) Fortin, Director of FMU’s Learn to Work UM is also incorporating AI, AugThe third recipient of the Miami Tech Works program. “And it’s not just FMU students. We mented Reality (AR,) and Virtual Reality grant, Florida Memorial University, is the are also looking to tap into our community (VR) across other degrees, since more jobs only historically black university and college residents who, you know, may be under-emwill be using these technologies. In the in South Florida. As such, the university has ployed and need to upskill,” says Fortin.

School of Communication, students are a crucial role in diversifying Miami’s future Fortin adds that because minority learning about video game law and the video tech workforce. It is now in the beginning communities have not traditionally had game industry. In the College of Arts and stages of developing its technology certificate access to tech resources or the opportunities Science, students are taking a religious stud65

LOKESH RAMAMOORTHI (RIGHT), THE ASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR THE ITD PROGRAM AT UM, SAYS “WE WANTED TO RE-INVENT EDUCATION FOR A NEW AGE INDIVIDUAL. AND WE ALSO WANTED TO EMBRACE MIAMI’S TECH ECOSYSTEM. "

ies course in the Metaverse that transports them to religious sites, and in the Miller School of Medicine, students are doing ophthalmology rotations with VR. UM also offers tech programs outside its current student body, to high school students and professionals. Its Summer Scholars program gives high school students a chance to take a three-week credit program in computing, mobile app development, fintech, and cryptocurrency. These credit programs give students a leg up for a technology degree.

And with UM’s Office of Professional Advancement, working professionals looking to upskill can find noncredit certificates in AI, coding, cyber security, and data analytics.

A PLACE TO COLLIDE: NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (NSU)

Nova Southeastern University, located in Broward County (adjacent to Miami-Dade County), belongs to that class of academic institutions in South Florida focusing on making Greater Miami a robust tech hub.

While it offers degrees in computer science, cybersecurity, and data analytics, it’s the university’s Alan B. Levan/NSU Broward Center of Innovation that allows it to quickly adapt to the demand for techno talent, says John Wensveen, executive director of the center.

The Levan Center was founded in April 2022 as a public-private partnership between NSU and Broward County to promote economic development in South Florida. For Wensveen, who is also NSU’s Chief Innovation Officer, nurturing Miami as a global tech hub requires having innovative spaces and organizations that can regroup and react to the rapid pace of the industry. “The advantage of having an innovation center like [the Levan Center] is that we’re nonacademic in nature. And we purposely set it up that way, so that we can work with industry and government to identify what the opportunities are, and then how we can help create non-academic-related programming to serve industry needs,” says Wensveen.

Being nonacademic in nature means the Levan Center is open to more than just NSU students. Individuals interested in upskilling have access to industry certifications in AI, UI/UX design, spatial computing, coding, and cybersecurity. Wensveen says these 66

The center is developing cybersecurity training programs for mid- and advanced-level professionals, in addition to entry-level student.

JOHN WENSVEEN, ABOVE, CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER, NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, WHICH QUICKLY ADAPTS TO THE DEMAND FOR TECHNO TALENT IN THE GREATER MIAMI AREA.

programs are key to filling the tech pipeline because they connect to the existing workforce. Instead of waiting for the next crop of grads with 4-year degrees, corporations can access existing talent in the workforce.

“Traditionally, there has been this huge demand that talent must have a degree, which is extremely important,” says Wensveen. “But the industry is also saying that industry certifications are just as important

as degrees. And in some cases, even more important, because you can accelerate people into the workforce or [train] the existing workforce with new skills, upskilling, and rescaling opportunities.”

The Levan Center also stands out with its military-grade cybersecurity range.

Working in conjunction with the university’s cybersecurity research programs, the Levan Center uses its range to simulate real-time GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

neurs and students to collide with academia, industry, government, funders, professional networks, et cetera,” says Wensveen.

RESEARCH-BASED CURRICULUM: FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY (FAU)

When a new area of AI develops, our faculty, since they’re close to research and continue to work on it, will immediately offer it as a course...

HARI KALVA, BELOW, CHAIR OF THE DEPT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AT FAU. TOP: CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH IS THE STRONG POINT OF THE FAU CURRICULUM.

cybersecurity attacks. “Most people learn cybersecurity in a standard classroom with a regular old computer. This is a bit different,” says Wensveen. “The best way to compare is if you have a gun, and you go to a shooting range for target practice. That’s exactly what the cyber range is. It is your target range to fend off attacks and learn how to be reactive and proactive.” The center is developing cybersecurity training programs for mid- and

advanced-level professionals, in addition to entry-level students.

The Levan Center also acts as a convergence point for players in the tech ecosystem. With its events and workshops, the center connects talented students to industry; partners like the CIO Council of Florida, Dell, and Sony offer job opportunities.

“We believe in utilizing the Levan Center as a ‘collision station’ that truly forces entrepre-

Another university filling the gaps in the South Florida tech pipeline is Florida Atlantic University in southern Palm Beach County. FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science offers undergraduate degrees in computer and data science, and graduate degrees in computer science, AI, and data analytics. Hari Kalva, FAU’s chair of the Dept of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, says FAU’s strong point is incorporating the university’s cutting-edge research directly into its curriculum.

“Our students take courses that get constantly renewed. When a new area of AI develops, our faculty, since they’re close to research and continue to work on it, will immediately offer it as a course,” says Kalva.

Research in AI and cybersecurity in particular is how FAU is giving its students a leg up.

In 2019, FAU was the first area university to offer a Master of Science in AI. In 2022, the university – along with others like FIU and Virginia Tech – received a grant from the National Science Foundation to explore how to secure communications over 5G networks; research projects like these guide course material in undergraduate and graduate programs.

Kalva says the university’s industry advisory board, which includes leaders from local companies, also influences its technology-based curriculum. Partnerships with companies such as Microsoft and Bloomberg help guide university courses and give students direct access to tech jobs after graduation. FAU also offers tech certificates for students and professionals not enrolled in a degree program, so they can remain competitive in the talent pool.

FINDING THE NICHE: BARRY UNIVERSITY

Smaller private universities like Barry University are also finding ways to fit into the equation with specific programs. “For a school like Barry, it’s about finding our niche. We’re a school of 7,000 students.

What we’re trying to do is define the gaps and identify the role we can have to meet critical employment demands,” says Michael Allen, Barry University President.

Like many other institutions, Barry has a computer science program with specializations in data analytics, which includes AI, as well as cybersecurity and digital media.

Barry also emphasizes building student skills with industry certifications to complement 67

the university’s four-year degree programs and give students a competitive edge for jobs. “The ideal scenario is to create and produce graduates who have that four-year degree but also pick up all the certifications along the way,” says Allen.

Barry is working closely with corporations to guide curriculum and place students in the job pipeline. As a part of its four-year degrees, Barry is partnered with Kaseya and Aptima to offer students internships and experiential learning while still in school. The university currently offers Kaseya’s RITSM certifications along with CISSP® (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), CompTIA® (Computing Technology Industry Association), Cybersecurity, Interactive Design Media, Social Media, UAV (Drones) Technologies, and WordPress. In addition, Tiffani Malvin – Barry’s director of continuing education and portfolio program – is a trainer for the Miami Tech Talent Coalition and serves on the tech skills gap group.

NON-ACADEMIC TRAINING PROVIDERS: 4GEEKS ACADEMY

Miami’s private sector also plays an important role in preparing and educating Miami’s workforce for the high-tech future. Training 68

Before the Academy, we needed to train talent inside, and then make sure they were able to actually build the applications that we needed...

MARCELO RICIGLIANO AND ALEJANDRO SÁNCHEZ, FOUNDERS, 4GEEKS ACADEMY ON THE CRISIS OF FINDING TALENT

boot camps are another part of the equation; when Miami Tech Works was formed, its members identified the need for tech training boot camps to meet employment demands. Since tech training boot camps are skills-based and shorter than an academic degree program, they can be an effective way to reach the incumbent workforce.

So, Miami Tech Works chose two tech training boot camps as sub-awardees of the $10 million grant. Both are receiving grant money in the form of scholarships for their respective programs.

One of these is the 4Geeks Academy, a coding boot camp founded in 2015 by Marcelo Ricigliano and Alejandro Sánchez. Before starting 4Geeks, the pair had launched a few of their own start-ups where they repeatedly faced the challenge of finding tech talent. Eventually, they decided to create a school to train workers for entry-level and

mid-level tech jobs. “There was always a crisis of talent. Before the Academy, we needed to train [talent] inside, and then make sure they were able to actually build the applications that we needed,” says Ricigliano. “That’s how 4Geeks was created – because there was a huge talent crisis. And there still is an important gap in the industry.”

Since its start, 4Geeks has expanded across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America with eight campuses and over 120 people working for the company. But even with such a wide footprint 4Geeks is doubling down on its efforts to solve Miami’s tech talent problem. More significantly, the company currently offers boot camps ranging from 15-18 weeks. Interested individuals can join its coding boot camps, data science and machine learning boot camps, software engineer boot camps, or its AI/machine learning engineering program. 4Geeks will GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

next launch blockchain and web3 programs.

From its inception, the company has had a close relationship with MDC. As early as 2016, MDC partnered with 4Geeks to create a web development course that allows students full access to 4Geeks instructors, features, and course material, with in-person classes at MDC’s campus. On the nonprofit side, 4Geeks works with organizations like United Way and BITE-CON to provide underserved communities scholarships for 4Geeks boot camps.

BRAINSTATION

BrainStation is the other tech training provider chosen by Miami Tech Works.

Founded in Toronto in 2012, BrainStation came to Miami in 2021 when it acquired and merged with Miami-based Wyncode.

Established in 2014, Wyncode was the first tech training boot camp to take hold in Miami and the first boot camp of its kind to be licensed by the Florida Department of Education for independent education.

When BrainStation was considering opening a Miami campus, it seemed natural to acquire Wyncode, according to Johanna Mikkola, VP BrainStation Miami and former CEO of Wyncode. Both companies’ 70

DEMONSTRATION DAY AT BRAINSTATION, WHICH ARRIVED IN MIAMI IN 2021 WHEN IT MERGED WITH WYNCODE. SIMILAR TO UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES, THE COMPANY WORKS CLOSELY WITH LOCAL TECH COMPANIES TO GUIDE CURRICULA.

goals were aligned, and while BrainStation brought global resources to the table, Wyncode’s early entrance in the Miami tech scene provided local connections.

Aside from Miami, BrainStation currently has campuses in New York, Toronto, Vancouver, and London, and also offers courses online. Despite its wide reach, says Mikkola, BrainStation sees great potential in the Miami market and its role filling the Miami tech pipeline. “It’s really beautiful to be in an emerging tech ecosystem like Miami,” says Mikkola. “Our mission here is about empowering individuals, to make sure that they are benefiting from the digital transformation that we’re all experiening.”

As a sub-awardee of the Good Jobs Challenge grant, BrainStation is offering chosen applicants a full scholarship for its boot camps in either software engineering or UX Design as well as career and placement support. Its first cohort of 30 scholarship recipients, who started the boot camp in September, already graduated at the end of November. “Toward the end of

the program, we bring in a leading global brand to do work with the students. They provide a problem, and the students actually build a solution for the company. It’s a really important and wonderful thing for their portfolios, and a great way to engage with companies that are hiring,” says Mikkola.

Similar to universities and colleges, the company works closely with local tech companies to guide curricula. “The most important thing is to make sure that we’re teaching relevant skills to the market. And the only way to know that is to get feedback from partners,” says Mikkola.

IRONHACK

Though not a chosen training partner of Miami Tech Works, Ironhack tech boot camp plays a vital role in filling gaps in the workforce pipeline. Founded in 2013 by friends Gonzalo Manrique and Ariel Quinones, Ironhack was initially created to bridge the gap between unemployed youth and companies that needed software developers in Spain. In 2015, the company GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT

Building Bridges Between Industry and Higher Education

by Dr. Mike Allen

Mike Allen, Ph.D. is Barry University’s seventh president. An experienced higher education administrator, Dr. Allen has skillfully created an impressive strategic framework for the institution’s future.

Today's evolving technology landscape places a premium on generating symbiotic relationships between higher education and private corporations. As businesses and educational institutions navigate a world of accelerating advancements and shifting workforce needs, strategic partnerships between the sectors provide opportunities to drive innovation, economic growth, and community development.

In that vein, Barry University’s recent Technology Summit brought local leaders on campus to discuss the vision, including the substantial expansion of AI and Data Science majors and the infusion of cutting-edge technology practices into all majors and programs throughout the curriculum. Additional conversations around publicprivate infrastructure partnerships, such as the construction and maintenance of state-of-the-art

In South Florida, the dynamic interplay between businesses and universities has contributed to reshaping the region into a burgeoning tech and finance hub. The future success of companies relocating to South Florida is linked to the vitality of local educational

facilities, were also raised as a means to quickly address the gap between the classroom and the office. These collaborations alleviate financial pressures on educational institutions and enable them to focus their resources on core missions like teaching, research, and student support.

institutions, which provide a pipeline of skilled graduates, serve as incubators for innovation, and have the potential to generate social mobility. Barry University’s recent partnership with Kaseya to provide experiential learning serves as an example of a thoughtful collaboration that will provide benefits for both entities.

Private technology companies receive access to new talent pools, the development of tailored educational programs that align with industry needs, and the creation of hands-on learning opportunities that close the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Barry University's student-run marketing agency melds academic curricula with practical local business needs through the generation of digital marketing campaigns and student-led promotional campaigns.

These alliances also address broader societal challenges by generating a path for many to upward mobility. The ability to harness technology is one of our greatest wealth-generation tools. Universities have a responsibility to provide access to critical tech resources as well as forge relationships with employers.

As we look to the future, the imperative for building and strengthening partnerships between higher education and the private sector becomes increasingly apparent.

These collaborations are not merely a matter of corporate social responsibility or academic enrichment but essential to creating a sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future for all. By leveraging the resources and unique strengths of each stakeholder, we can address pressing challenges, unlock new opportunities, and ensure that both education and industry evolve in tandem to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Dr. Mike Allen President www.barry.edu 11300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami Shores, FL 33168

GONZALO MANRIQUE AND ARIEL QUINONES, WHO FOUNDED IRONHACK IN 2013, OFFER BOOT CAMPS IN WEB DEVELOPMENT, DATA ANALYTICS, AND UX/UI DESIGN. IRONHACK HELPS STUDENTS ENTER THE WORKFORCE WITH NEW SKILLS.

expanded to Miami, and now, ten years later, Ironhack has additional campuses in ten cities in Europe and the Americas. It boasts over 20,000 graduates and works with over 600 partner organizations.

Like other tech boot camps, Ironhack offers programs in web development, data analytics, and UX/UI design, and even has free courses in JavaScript. However, the company differentiates itself by offering specialized programs tailored to specific company needs. For example, Ironhack recently partnered with Popular Bank to create custom software engineering training to fill emerging positions at the bank.

Lisa Nuessle, Ironhack’s Head of Enterprise for its U.S. division, says Ironhack works on both sides of the equation because it provides training for students and facilitates the hiring process for a company’s HR. “It’s really aligned with companies building their workforce how they want it,” says Nuessle. “Universities have great foundations for computer science students, but it’s hard to keep up with the pace of what’s in demand now. We’re able to take those university students and close the skill gap through our intensive trainings.”

Ironhack is not just for recent university graduates, says Nuessle. A large portion of their students are individuals looking to upskill or reskill, possibly altering their career trajectory. Though Ironhack doesn’t have direct partnerships with academic institutions, the company hosts events at its Marlins Stadium campus and sponsors events like INIT’s Shellhacks.

FINAL PIECES

As an active member of the Miami Tech Coalition, Ironhack is another piece in the puzzle of how to fulfill the future workforce needs of Miami. It’s entrenched in the city’s tech ecosystem, contributing along with the area’s schools to the talent conversation.

The question for these and other providers of tech training is whether they can meet the demand. The other half of the equation is communicating the opportunities for potential workers.

Venture Miami is the city’s economic development office, initially created to encourage tech talent to relocate to Miami.

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However, as the city’s ability to train its own citizens has grown, Venture Miami is now focusing on connecting Miamians to the pipeline. One of its main roles today is spreading awareness about tech jobs to Miami residents. Right after Kaseya’s announcement, the office created an awareness campaign with digital signage across the city. Executive Director Erick Gavin says that residents aren’t always aware of the types of tech opportunities available in their own city, and moreover, don’t realize that a “tech” job isn’t necessarily all about coding and software engineering. Many of the jobs brought in by these tech companies are in sales, HR, and marketing. “We just want to continue to fill the gaps where we think that citizens are maybe not getting access to those tech jobs. So yes, Kaseya is opening up

thousands of jobs, but do our residents even know that those jobs exist?” asks Gavin.

Like the other entities determined to grow the local tech workforce, Venture Miami is now keen on education. In partnership with the Miami Foundation, it’s closing the gap for at-need City of Miami residents pursuing a STEM education. With its Venture Miami Scholarship, it provides tuition support to selected applicants going to either Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, Miami-Dade College, or the University of Miami.

In the end, it will require the combined efforts of all these entities, public, private, and academic, to train and prepare Miami residents for the incoming tech jobs, and thereby create a foundation for the city’s new role as a global technology and innovation hub. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

Leading Innovation in Education Miami Dade College stays ahead of the curve: It’s the first higher-ed institution in Florida to offer a Bachelor of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI).

That’s just one example of the innovative thinking that makes MDC a leader in business, finance and tech. It’s also why global corporate partners like Amazon, Bloomberg, Google, Kaseya and Microsoft turn to MDC for workforce training and Explore more at:

hiring, assured that MDC students are ready to drive the future economy.

With a wide range of pathways to in-demand career programs, including cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing, entrepreneurship and supply chain management, MDC fuels the workforce pipeline like no other. Because fostering future talent doesn’t just happen.

www.mdc.edu 305-237-8888

ART BASEL

The

Impact of Global Art

BY HARRIET MAYS POWELL

FOR A WEEK EACH YEAR, MIAMI BECOMES A GLOBAL MECCA FOR CONTEMPORARY AND MODERN ART, WITH A PLETHORA OF FAIRS, EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS – AND EXPENDITURES

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ach December Miami undergoes a transformation, as a tsunami of artists, curators, gallerists, patrons, and spectators flood the city for seven days collectively known as Art Week. The shining star of the week-long art scene is Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), America’s most comprehensive international contemporary art fair, which returned to the Miami Beach Convention Center for its 21st iteration. Art Basel alone drew 79,000 attendees to its showcase, up from 76,000 last year.

Also drawing in visitors were the concomitant shows Design Miami and Art Miami, along with smaller satellite shows such as NADA, Scope, Tribeca Festival at Art, and Alcove, all contributing to Art Week’s economic impact of more than $500 million and visitor total of more than 100,000 people. As Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber succinctly assessed the impact, “More private jets show up to Art Basel than to the Super Bowl.”

For Art Basel alone, a total of 277 galleries from 33 countries showcased a diverse array of art, including 25 new galleries from the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Egypt.

Leading art patrons and private collectors from over 92 countries and territories visited the fair. In addition, representatives from more than 200 cultural institutions were also in attendance, representing MoMA (New York), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Serpentine Galleries (London), and Centre Pompidou (Paris), to name just four of the most distinguished.

Art Basel reported brisk business. Collectors spent tens of millions of dollars, with the Hauser & Wirth gallery logging the

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most expensive purchase – $20 million for Philip Guston’s 1979 oil painting, “Painter at Night.” Other big-ticket sales included the $9 million acquisition of Marlene Dumas’ painting “The Schoolboys,” Willem de Kooning’s “Untitled VII,” which sold for $7 million to $8 million (final price undisclosed), and two “Infinity Net” paintings by Yayoi Kusama that sold for $3.2 million and $3 million respectively.

This year saw the inauguration of Access by Art Basel, a new online art sales platform designed to support philanthropy, which launched with 15 participating galleries. For each purchase, collectors were required to make a charitable pledge, amounting to a minimum of 10 percent of the artwork’s price. The artist and their gallery received the full value of each sale, with the charitable donation going to the collector’s choice of The Miami Foundation or The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). To date, Access

by Art Basel has raised more than $100,000.

Design Miami, held across the street from the Art Basel display at the Convention Center, celebrated its 19th year with a stunning panoply of historic and contemporary collectible designs.

Installations included, “The Land of Light,” by Ukrainian artist Victoria Yakusha, a piece intended to symbolize hope amidst the violence in her war-torn country. The Dutch Rademakers Gallery showcased the design duo of Rive Roshan (Ruben de la Rive Box and Golnar Roshan), who created ridged pink-hued glass sculptures and contrasting 3D-printed sand vessels, with the stated intention of shifting perceptions of objects in space.

Other shows coinciding with the main fair included exhibiGLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

tions at local museums, such as The Bass Museum of Art, which featured works by Miami-based Hernan Bas and Korean-German artist Anne Duk Hee Jordan; the Institute of Contemporary Art, which presented a large-scale collection by Charles Gaines, plus a new sculptural work by rising Canadian artist Tau Lewis; and the Pérez Art Museum Miami displayed a retrospective of work by American artist Gary Simmons.

The other major Art Week event is Art Miami, which, in its 33rd year, is the city’s oldest art fair. A leading international contemporary and modern art fair, Art Miami in 2023 featured more than 240 exhibitors from 31 countries and showcased the work of more than 900 artists.

Ramón Cernuda of the Cernuda Arte gallery in Coral Gables, an expert in Cuban art, has exhibited at Art Miami for the past two decades. This year, he took a 1,200-square-foot space and sold 26 pieces, including a work by the renowned Cuban painter Wilfredo Lam, whose 1942 work, “Personage with Hat” sold for $1 million.

“I prefer Art Miami to Art Basel,” says Cernuda, “because it focuses more on 20th-century art, whereas Art Basel is ultra-contemporary and experimental, with a jetsetter ambiance.”

Other satellite events during the Art Basel week included NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance), which presented its 21st edition at Ice Palace Studios in Downtown Miami with over 150 galleries, art spaces, and nonprofit organizations spanning 50 cities worldwide. The independent fair Untitled Art, in its 12th edition on the sands of Miami Beach, promoted galleries from outside the mainstream, with a reported attendance of 55,000 and 166 exhibitors from 38 countries. Alcova, a Milan-based design fair, took advantage of a refurbished motel on Biscayne Boulevard, turning

OPPOSITE: SEUNG-TAEK LEE'S EARTH PLAY, AT ART BASEL TOP LEFT: A PHILIP GUSTON PAINTING WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE AT $20M BOTTOM LEFT: PLANTOIR BY CLAES OLDENBURG AND COOSJE VAN BRUGGEN TOP RIGHT: 2023 ART BASEL DREW IN 79,000 ATTENDEES BOTTOM RIGHT: UKRANIAN ARTIST VICTORIA YAKUSHA'S WORK AT DESIGN MIAMI AT RIGHT: CERNUDA ARTE GALLERY SOLD A WILFREDO LAM PAINTING 'PERSONAGE WITH HAT' FOR $1 MILLION AT THE ARTE MIAMI FAIR

each room of the Selina Gold Dust into an individual booth.

And only in Miami could an installation such as “MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self ” be conceived and brought to fruition. Chilean artist Sebastian Errazuriz (with the help of AI) constructed a full-scale walkable maze made from sand in front of the Faena Hotel. All paths led to a small central plaza intended for contemplation and conversation, a kind of metaphor for the experience of contemporary art itself. l 75

BALLET

A Global Dance Performance

LOLA ABIGAIL KOCH, FOUNDER OF BALLET SUPPORT FOUNDATION, SAYS “IN NEW YORK THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL BALLET EVENTS HAPPENING, IN MIAMI NOT SO MANY,”

So, why Miami for the first gala? “Everyone asks me this question because people know I live in New York” says Koch, who moved to NYC in 2009 following a career with the Bolshoi ballet HOW A NEW YORK-BASED BALLET FOUNDATION company in Moscow. “In New York there are so many wonderful ballet events happening, in Miami not so many,” says Koch. “We LAUNCHED ITS FIRST GALA IN MIAMI wanted to bring this to Miami, because they need more.” Koch is

BY J.P. FABER the first to compliment the Miami City Ballet (MCB) – her dancers The ballerinas and male dancers came from Paris, London, and New rehearsed in their studio on Miami Beach – but says that while the York, and from companies as diverse as the Martha Graham Dance MCB is a consummate company for classical ballet, she wanted to Company, the Joffrey Ballet, the Royal Ballet Company of London, showcase contemporary work as well. the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), and the Paris Opera Ballet.

Two of the modern works were by Israeli choreographer Rami Many of them were the principal dancers of their companies, like Be’er (who attended the gala) and performed by the Kibbutz Consuperstar Natalia Osipova, the prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet, temporary Dance Company. “It was important to help the dancers and Christine Shevchenko, the principal dancer of the ABT. Tofrom Israel, where they could not rehearse. My urgency is to help gether, they performed for two days in the Adrienne Arsht Center dancers in hard situations, to give them the opportunity to perform.” for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.

Like other dancers, the Israel troupe rehearsed before arriving in The extraordinary production at the end of December was the Miami – in their case, on route in Italy; others practiced in their culmination of two years of work by the Ballet Support Foundation home cities of London, Paris, and New York, prior to final group and its founder Lola Abigail Koch, a Russian émigré who launched rehearsals in Miami. the non-profit organization during the pandemic. “All the dancers Among the guests at the gala was the consul general of Japan were in difficult situations; they didn’t have the opportunity to perin Miami, Kazuhiro Nakai. Japan, it turns out, has a long tradition of form or take classes – and not only professional dancers, but dancers appreciating ballet. “The Japanese audiences know the ballet well, the in school,” says Koch. “I did a ballet competition, I did workshops, choreographers, the dancers, and the programs – and are big fans,” says I did intensive programs – all through Zoom. I wanted to do one Koch. The consul general encouraged the BSF to perform in Osaka. performance project that was postponed and postponed, and that’s Other guests included Anka Palitz, the Palm Beach philanwhat grew into the gala at the Arsht Center.” thropist and former top Revlon executive honored at the gala.

That event attracted an audience of more than 4,000 over two “Many of our donations come in amounts like $500 or $1,500. But nights and was such a success the Foundation is now planning Anka is a major supporter. It’s very expensive to produce [these similar programs in Italy this summer and in Japan next November, dances],” says Koch, who plans to make the international gala in with a ballet film festival in New York in October.

Miami an annual event. l 76

GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

FA S H I O N

A Statement of Style

THE DYNAMIC DUO BEHIND THE ANNUAL LATIN AMERICAN FASHION SUMMIT ONCE AGAIN MADE MIAMI THEIR RUNWAY

BY HARRIET MAYS POWELL

O

ver three jam-packed days prior to Miami’s massive annual Art Basel event this past holiday season, members of the burgeoning Latin American fashion community had another opportunity to show off their brands and hear from some of the most prominent figures in the business. The Latin American Fashion Summit (LAFS) is a yearly event now in its sixth edition. A plethora of thought-provoking discussions and panel Q&As focused on the current state of the fashion industry, and included topics such as sustainability, business development, business branding, and diversity and inclusion. A new segment concentrated on the beauty and wellness industry.

LAFS is the brainchild of Estefania Lacayo and Samantha Tams, a pair of fashion cognoscenti who years ago were surprised by the lack of opportunities for Latin American creatives to showcase their brands to the U.S. market. They decided to produce a “meeting point” in Miami as “the capital of Latin America,” where attendees could learn from established industry figures and network with decision makers.

Hailing from Nicaragua and now based in Miami, Lacayo had nearly two decades of experience in the editorial, digital, and retail areas of the industry. A passionate advocate for social development

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ABOVE: ARRIVING AT THE LATIN AMERICAN FASHION SUMMIT (LAFS) ESTEFANIA LACAYO (CENTER) AND SAMANTHA TAMS (RIGHT) LEFT: AN ATTENDEE IN FASHIONABLE HEAD-TURNING STYLE

in the region, she joined forces with Tams, a like-minded Mexican who had worked as a senior buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue and specialty stores, becoming a brand strategist and fashion consultant.

Lacayo, the more outspoken and outgoing of the duo, is the yin to Tams’ yang of thoughtful comments and quiet intelligence. Together, they have become a recognized force for change.

During the summit, a succession of panel discussions and oneon-one interviews – often emotionally charged – allowed industry leaders to reveal the trials and tribulations they endured while building their respective businesses. Designer Diane Von Furstenberg spoke about early success with her famous wrap dress and subsequent difficulties both personally and professionally, offering advice to the mostly female audience about perseverance and adaptability.

Edgardo Osorio, the Colombian founder and creative director of luxury shoe brand Aquazzura (worn by everyone from Nicole Kidman to Meghan Markle and Jennifer Lawrence) talked about his GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

There is something about Miami being a tropical paradise, but also an urban destination, which I find truly special, with its mixture of Latin, American and European influences.

CRAIG ROBINS, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF DACRA, ABOVE CENTER, WITH EMILIO ESTEFAN, THE MUSIC PRODUCER LEFT: ATTENDEES ASKING QUESTIONS TO THE PANEL.

uneven start after dropping out of the London College of Fashion at age 16. Hiding his extreme youth and forcing himself to master fluent Italian, he joined Salvatore Ferragamo; later he was chosen to design shoe collections for Roberto Cavalli.

LAFS’ biggest patron is Craig Robins, CEO and President of the real estate development company Dacra, which provided dedicated spaces in the Design District for talks, panel discussions, and satellite events, as well as an arena for the final design competition: “Pitch to LAFS.” Robins also made available a pop-up space in the District for LatAm fashion and accessory collections, all open to the public. An entrepreneur, developer, and passionate collector of art and design, Robins has single-handedly transformed Miami’s Design District from a rundown area for home design professionals into a major cultural hub. Today, the District contains luxury shopping, restaurants, and wellness experiences, and stages cultural exhibitions and public art installations.

When asked how his love of art and architecture began, Robins 79

FA S H I O N

said that “it was when I got out of my comfort zone and spent a year living in Barcelona. It was there that I discovered art and urban design through the works of Gaudi, Salvador Dali, and Picasso.” A native Miamian, Robins insists the city is unique: “There is something about Miami being a tropical paradise, but also an urban destination, which I find truly special, with its mixture of Latin, American, and European influences.”

Robin’s co-panelist, Emilio Estefan, the music producer, Emmy Award winner, and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, revealed his rags to riches story: “My father and I fled the Castro regime and lived for a time in Spain in impoverished circumstances until we relocated permanently to Miami. There, we lived initially in cramped quarters with relatives.” He ended his talk by saying passionately, “I am an immigrant who is grateful every day to live the American dream.”

On the second evening of the summit, a free concert was held in the Design District’s main open area, Jungle Plaza, where Estefan’s (and wife Gloria’s) daughter Emily – a singer and musician in her own right – performed with her band to a packed and cheering crowd.

LAFS is known not just for the super-stylish sartorial styles donned by the attendees – from early morning until late at night – but also for its glamorous gala on the final evening. This time, the event was held in the historic Alfred I. DuPont building in Miami’s 80

LEFT: THE DAUGHTER OF EMILIO AND GLORIA ESTEFAN, EMILY, PERFORMS WITH HER BAND IN THE DESIGN DISTRICT. RIGHT: AN ATTENDEE AT THE FASHION SHOW IN THE HISTORIC ALFRED I. DUPONT BUILDING

downtown, where the winners in the three categories of “Pitch to LAFS” were announced: The “Designer of the Year” award, given to Colombian Maria Elena Villamil for her couture-like constructions; the “Accessory Designer” award, given to fellow Colombian Paola Sighinolfi, for her chunky, stylish, gold-plated jewelry; and the “Social Impact Project” award, given to Peruvian textile brand Escudo, which employs local artisans to weave handmade knits. Each took home a $20,000 grant, a trunk show orchestrated by online luxury retailer Moda Operandi, and mentorship provided by Miami’s prestigious Instituto Marangoni.

Between summits, LAFS uses its online platform to keep members up to date on satellite conferences and podcasts, as well as providing networking and job opportunities. Up next is the second iteration of Raices (Roots), LAFS’ international event, which travels to a host city in Latin America each spring. Although this year’s destination has yet to be revealed, Lacayo and Tam’s professionalism and innate Latin glamour will undoubtably guarantee another successful event. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

Three Facilities in Miami, Totaling Over 300,000 Sq Ft 81

T R AV E L

48 Hours in Madrid: The Best Shopping in the World?

MADRID IS REACHING A NEW LEVEL OF LUXURY AS “THE NEW MIAMI”

BY NATALIA CLEMENT

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hen it comes to luxury shopping in Europe, Paris, Milan, and London come to mind. But a new contender has joined these ranks. Dubbed “the new Miami,” Madrid is now attracting the upper echelon of Latin American society, attracting an influx of tourists and seasonal residents ready to enjoy the laid-back lifestyle of the Spanish capital.

Traveling to Madrid from Miami isn’t a novel passage. Many travelers pass through Europe’s fifth largest airport, Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas, as a gateway to the continent. But thanks to the city’s culinary transformation and investment in luxury hospitality, more international visitors are making Madrid their destination. Beyond visiting renowned cultural institutions and admiring the architecture, visitors are loosening their purse strings for unique shopping experiences. Over the course of two days, we

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traversed the city to discover if it lives up to its self-proclaimed title, “The Best Shopping in the World.” For accommodations in the heart of the city, we stayed at the five-star VP Plaza España. Our fifteenth-floor room provided breathtaking views of Madrid and the Plaza de España itself. Compared to its surroundings, the hotel presents a sleek and light aesthetic, from its modern exterior to its contemporary interior design. And the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar, Ginkgo, gave us front row seats to picturesque sunsets during our stay.

DAY ONE: GOLDEN MILE & CORTE INGLÉS

We prepped for our first day’s excursion at the hotel’s breakfast lounge, before heading out to the Salamanca neighborhood, a collection of 19th century boulevards lined

with fine-dining restaurants and designer boutiques. Strolling down the Golden Mile – the epitome of luxury shopping in Madrid – we walked into Matarranz 1911, a fourth-generation linen store. The Matarranz family’s philosophy is one of quality and tradition, producing a vast range of high-end home textiles. Miguel Matarranz, the founder’s great-grandson and front man for the store, explained how they work as homeware tailors for local and international clients. With a tactile display of various cottons, he walked us through different quality levels and benefits, giving us a better understanding of what it means to “dress up” your home.

After a traditional late morning coffee, we continued on the Golden Mile to Loewe, the renowned Spanish luxury fashion house that specializes in leather goods, clothing, perfumes, and accessories. Their flagship boutique, spanning three stories inside a 19th century building, integrates art and interior design to bring their products to life. From the grand spiral staircase and stained-glass ceiling to the pieces of confetti adorning their latest in-store activation, visiting Casa Loewe is as much sightseeing as shopping. With a glass of champagne in our hands, we inhaled their signature scents and browsed for a new wallet.

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OPPOSITE PAGE: HOTEL VP PLAZA ESPAÑA ROOFTOP GINKGO RESTAURANT WITH CITY VIEWS THAT OVERLOOK THE PLAZA DE ESPAÑA TOP LEFT: MATARRANZ 1911 LINEN STORE IN THE NOSTALGIC SALAMANCA NEIGHBORHOOD IS FAMILY OWNED, PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY TEXTILES FOR DRESSING YOUR HOME BOTTOM LEFT: THE FLAGSHIP STORE OF LOEWE, THE SPANISH LUXURY FASHION HOUSE WHICH SPANS THREE STORIES INSIDE A RESTORED 19TH CENTURY BUILDING ABOVE RIGHT: EL CORTE INGLÉS, THE BIGGEST DEPARTMENT STORE GROUP IN EUROPE, FOUNDED IN 1940 AND HEADQUARTERED IN MADRID. THE STORE IS HOME TO MANY BOUTIQUES SUCH AS CAROLINA HERRERA AND HOUSES A GOURMET FOOD MARKET

We walked next to El Retiro Park, the 19th century public park that was formerly the grounds for King Felipe IV’s palace and gardens. In 2021, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with el Paseo del Prado, the central avenue that is home to Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art: the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. As the name suggests, a visit to the park is a retreat from the bustle of city life. We leisurely passed fountains, statues, and green landscapes to take our midday break along the Great Pond, watching row boats glide by.

With our energy recharged, we made our way to Spain’s commercial retail giant: El Corte Inglés, the biggest department store group in Europe, founded in 1940 and headquartered in Madrid. Throughout the multi-story building, hundreds of Span-

ish and international brands, from Dior to Carolina Herrera, showcase their latest collections. The store is divided into levels by product, from ready-to-wear and accessories to cosmetics and jewelry, with VIP concierge services and private shopping lounges.

As international shoppers, we took advantage of El Corte Inglés’ tax free shopping program, which allows all the purchases from different brands to be added to one tax free invoice. At the Castellana location, we were even able to receive our tax refund in store. El Corte Inglés also provides a Gourmet Experience market and dining hall, where we picked up truffle oils and a few bottles of wine. Skipping the food hall, we saved our appetites for nearby Quinto Elemento, a rooftop restaurant offering a fusion of Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian 83

T R AV E L

flavors. As we walked in, an overhead screen was partially opened, displaying an array of changing hues. As we dined, the screen closed, displaying a galaxy of stars.

DAY TWO: BLENDING THE OLD & THE NEW

We began our second day in the center of Madrid. Our first stop was Galería Canalejas, a three-story luxury shopping mall located inside one of the city’s most important set of historical buildings. Less than two years since opening, the mall houses more than 40 fashion, fine jewelry, perfumery, and accessory items from the world’s most prestigious brands, as well as an elaborate food hall with more than a dozen restaurants.

Walking past various boutiques, we were given a tour highlighting the smallest details 84

of the buildings’ restoration, where items from the original tenants were restored, including a 19-ton bank vault door from the 1920s. After a quick peek into the Four Seasons Hotel Madrid, which has direct access to the Galería, we went to the food hall for champagne and freshly shucked oysters.

Inspired by Madrid’s commitment to historic preservation, we continued to Mercado San Miguel and Plaza Mayor, two major tourist attractions in the city center.

The market, which opened its doors in 1916, hosts a diverse selection of Spanish gourmet bites, from jamón serrano to paellas. The atmosphere is casual and lively, with tourists and locals alike consuming culinary delights from the various booths. A key reason to stop at the market, other than for authentic cuisine, is to admire the vintage iron and glass facade. Adjacent to Mercado San

LEFT & TOP RIGHT: GALERÍA CANALEJAS, A THREESTORY LUXURY SHOPPING MALL WITH FASHION, LUXURY GOODS AND A FOOD HALL WITH OVER A DOZEN RESTAURANTS WHERE YOU CAN DINE ON OYSTERS AND CHAMPAGNE BOTTOM RIGHT: THE PLAZA MAYOR, MADRID’S MAIN SQUARE WITH A LANDMARK STATUE OF PHILIP III, LINED WITH CAFES AND RESTAURANTS OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP LEFT: RESTAURANT SOBRINO DE BOTÍN, WHERE ERNEST HEMINGWAY OFTEN DINED TOP RIGHT: THE STORE CAPAS SESEÑA, STILL MAKING CAPES AFTER 120 YEARS BOTTOM LEFT: THE WHIMSICAL WOW CONCEPT IS A SIX STORY STORE ON LA GRAN VIA BOTTOM RIGHT: LAS TABLAS FLAMENCO, JUST OFF PLAZA DE ESPAÑA, FOR SANGRIA, TAPAS AND THE SOUND AND DANCING OF FLAMENCO

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Miguel is the iconic Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s main square with a landmark statue of Philip III at its center and cafes and restaurants lined along its arches.

South of the plaza, we walked past Sobrino de Botín, reputed to be the oldest (still-operating) restaurant in the world.

Founded in 1725, this picturesque eatery has kept its charming traditional tavern atmosphere. The kitchen specializes in Castilian cuisine, with wood-oven roasted lamb and suckling pig fan-favorites. Just ask Heminway, who frequented the restaurant. In his book about bull-fighting, “Death in the Afternoon,” he writes: “But in the meantime I preferred to dine on suckling pig at Botín than sit and think about the accidents which my friends could suffer.”

Madrid’s juxtaposition of the old and the new continued as we walked into Capas

Seseña, original manufactures of Spanish capes. The shop has spent the last 120 years perfecting its craft, with skilled artisans handcrafting each cape from first cut to final tailoring. The capes, sported by the likes of Picasso and Hillary Clinton, maintain a regal look elegant enough to wear to the opera, but modern enough to blend with contemporary fashion.

Walking along La Gran Via, referred by some as the “Spanish Broadway,” we shifted to 21st century immersion shopping at the WOW Concept. This six-story store is a one-stop shop for the latest trends, from streetwear and beauty to technology and interior design. Each floor is designed for its products, from the glowing aura surrounding the latest tech gear to life-size art bringing a whimsical feel to home decor. From sought-after kicks to collections by up-and-

coming international designers, WOW Concept caters to our modern needs.

There was no better way to close out our time in Madrid than with a traditional flamenco performance at Las Tablas Flamenco, right off Plaza de España. Here we sipped sangria and nibbled tapas as we listened to the sounds of Spanish guitar meld with passionate Andalusian singing.

We watched the dancing duo strut the stage in traditional outfits, transporting us to the out of body experience that is flamenco.

After the final curtain call, we walked back to our hotel, reflecting on our short time exploring Madrid’s culture and lifestyle. We could appreciate both the new and the old of the city while shopping for unique finds and luxury experiences. With a glimpse of what it has to offer, we’ll be returning to the best shopping in the world. l 85

FI N E D I N I N G

A Creative Take on Italian CHEF WUNDERKIND NIVEN PATEL TAKES HIS CULINARY GENIUS TO A WHOLE NEW PLACE AT ERBA

BY ANDREW GAYLE

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f the trifecta of a superb restaurant is a combination of cuisine, ambience, and service, then Erba at the LifeTime building on U.S. 1 hits it out of the park. That was the conclusion of Esquire magazine, which recently named Erba one of the “50 Best New Restaurants in America 2023” Known for his previous creations of Ghee, Orno, and Mamey, Patel and his partner Mohammed Alkassar decided to enter the fray of the most crowded restaurant category in Coral Gables: Italian.

But this is no ordinary Italian restaurant. You’re not going to find spaghetti and meatballs here – though there is one pizza offering.

As for the rest, diners should strap on their seatbelts for an exquisite journey into new taste sensations, the hallmark of Chef Patel’s culinary imagination and penchant for blending and contrasting flavors from different global cuisines.

But first, the ambiance. Entering Erba is like going to a foreign place, in the best possible way. While it is self-styled as Venetian, the impression is more Morocco meets Paris. The elevated 18-foot ceilings, the deep red of the walls, the inlays of dark woodwork – and a glamorous, elevated bar – all speak of an exotic location somewhere else, even sometime else. There is a sense of belle epoque, that this restaurant has been here a long time. The wait staff exudes the same sense of permanence, as though they have been at this job, in this place, for many years. They are adept at that perfect balance between taking care of their customers without being overbearing.

They never ask that annoying question “How’s everything so far?” perhaps because they already know.

Which brings us to the food. Niven Patel had already created a Gables following with his New American, farm-to-table, woodfired restaurant Orno, and his Caribbean/Indian/South Pacific fusion restaurant Mamey. So, why Italian? “It’s really about just what I like to cook, and my experience in Florence, and my love

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TOP: CHEF NIVEN PATEL ENTERS THE MIAMI ITALIAN DINING SCENE WITH NEW TASTE SENSATIONS. ABOVE: THE ERBA INTERIOR IS ECLECTIC MOROCCO MEETS VENICE - RICH AND GLAMOROUS AMBIENCE. TOP LEFT: GELATO MADE WITH SICILIAN PISTACHIOS.

ERBA MIAMI 227 S DIXIE HWY 305.712.7788 ERBAMIAMI.COM

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP LEFT: WAHOO CRUDO - PACIFIC FISH IN A CITRON VINAIGRETTE TOPPED WITH CHILIS. BOTTOM LEFT: AGNOLOTTI PASTA WITH WAGYU BEEF CHEEKS AND CARAMELIZED ONION TOP RIGHT: CHITARRA PASTA - WITH EVERGLADE TOMATOES, BASIL, CRISPY GARLIC, OLIVE OIL BOTTOM RIGHT: CACIO E PEPE PAVE - CRISPY POTATO WITH PARMIGIANO AND GARLIC OIL.

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for making pasta,” says Chef Patel. “Italian food is all about the ingredients, which is my passion. The menu [we designed] is about ingredients first, versus what dish we wanted to create.”

That is apparent in the mafaldine pasta ($28), which uses a green vermentino pasta coated by diced Bahamian conch with lemon and parsley. Sort of like linguine alle vongole, but more robust and unique in its flavor. Our table could not get over how good it tasted. Or the wahoo crudo ($23), which uses that Pacific (non-Mediterranean) fish in a lovely citron vinaigrette, each slice delicately topped with chopped fresno chilis and tiny bits of orange.

Light and wonderful.

It’s rare when every dish at a restaurant is a standout, but that’s the case at Erba. The agnolotti pasta ($32), with slow cooked wagyu beef cheeks, a wine reduction sauce, and pasta pockets filled with robiola cheese and caramelized onions, was a fulsome delight. Even the simple chitarra pasta ($25), with just tomatoes, petite basil, crispy garlic, and olive oil, was mouthwatering – possibly because the tomatoes were fresh Everglade heirlooms that remind you what tomatoes are supposed to taste like. And possibly because, like everything here,

the pasta is made on premise; the pasta making station is part of the show, in an area you pass en route to the restrooms.

The cacio e pepe pave ($18) meanwhile elevates the humble potato to a divine status (“to get that dish perfect means a lot of thin sliced potato, with rosemary and garlic oil, cooked and pressed and then made crispy,” says Chef Patel). We also tried the mortadella ($22) which was made in house and served with Sicilian pistachios; the lumachel pasta ($29) with confit rabbit, hen of the woods mushrooms, lemon and oregano; and the Mishimi Reserve Denver Steak ($62) which was served with a bone marrow salsa verde your server funnels onto the sliced meat. All superb.

Erba also does a great job with their cocktails (who doesn’t like a classic negroni) and their desserts. Of the latter, make a point of sampling the pistachio gelato ($10), which uses Sicilian pistachios.

Like everything on the menu, there is a lightness to the dishes that belies what can be heaviness in Italian cooking. Even their cannoli ($24) are light and crispy.

“We don’t want you to leave feeling heavy,” says Chef Patel.

You will, however, leave feeling fulfilled – and wanting to return, to try all the dishes you couldn’t during your first visit. l 87

DINING / OUTLIERS

Consider the Meatballs If You Can Get In RAO’S OPENS IN MIAMI BEACH, CREATING AN INSTANT CLIENTELE

BY MARCELLA MCCARTHY

“THE New York one was always this mythical thing. You see it on the way to and from the airport. It’s just there, staring at you, like a tease,” recalls Lorin Munchick, a former New Yorker now living in Miami, on the near impossible feat of dining at Rao’s (pronounced Ray-ohs) Italian restaurant, which opened a Miami Beach location in October.

The restaurant serves southern Neapolitan Italian cuisine. The original, 1896 New York location has such a fanatical following that regulars have reserved tables year-round.

If you’re not a regular, but are “someone,” you may be able to get a seat. “I have to call up one of our clients and say “Hey, I need a favor…can I get your table on such and such night?” says Executive Chef Dino Gatto, who came to Miami to oversee the new opening.

For reservations here, you can find Rao’s on Resy. However, if you’re not a regular, availability is rare short of weeks in advance, unless you dine on a weeknight or plan on taking a table at 10 pm. A regular? Yes, they 88

already have a loyal clientele.

We arrived at Rao’s Miami Beach, housed in the Loews Hotel, on a Thursday night. Frank Sinatra was playing in the background, at a decibel that was high enough to be fun yet still allow for intimate conversations. Thin, shaved head, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit and wearing European-style sockless loafers and a permanent smile, our host Sal showed us to our table.

Rao’s exudes classic glamor, clad with red velvet chairs and olive-green velvet booths, white tablecloths, and black and white photos of celebrities that dined at Rao’s in New York over the years. Waiters in white jackets and black bow ties pushed in women’s chairs, poured water, and chatted-up the customers.

All good, but we were for the food.

We started with the storied meatballs ($25). Each the size of a tennis ball, and cooked for 8 hours, they were fluffy and velvety, with just the right amount of marinara sauce. The sauce, their house special, is so

LEFT: RAO'S HOUSED AT LOEWS HOTEL, EXUDES GLAMOR WITH A RICH VELVETY INTERIOR. TOP RIGHT: MEATBALLS WITH SPECIAL MARINARA. BOTTOM RIGHT: SEAFOOD SALAD WITH CITRUS.

RAO’S MIAMI BEACH 1601 COLLINS AVE. 305.404.7267 RESERVATIONS: RESY.COM

good it’s sold on market shelves nationwide.

Next, we had the seafood salad ($36) which comprises lobster, calamari, shrimp, crab meat, red bell peppers and a citrus dressing.

Light and delightful. The Fiochette ($28) were “ravioli purses,” with bartlett pears, ricotta cheese, cranberries, and just the right amount of brown butter and sage. We thought this was the star of the night until we tried Uncle Vincent’s lemon chicken ($35). The broiled half bird was unlike anything we’ve had; the lemon essence is sewn into the meat and each bite, no matter how small, delivers a flavorful punch.

Rao’s has some interesting desserts, but we were happy to cleanse our palettes with a couple of cocktails: The Andrea Doria ($24), a spiffed-up pina colada named after the ship that sank in 1956, and the Vulcania ($25), a combination of campari, carpano, antica, gin and amaretto, presumably named after Vesuvius. We’ll make sure to order them again when we secure a regular’s table. l GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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A Culture of Philanthropy Drives Our Mission Learn How We Support Aging Adults with Changing Needs

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iami Jewish Health is one of the largest providers of healthcare and living options for aging adults in the Southeast. It is our mission to honor and enrich lives with empathy, purpose and grace.

We have been dedicated to this mission for 80+ years and are experiencing some of the fastest growth in our history. As a not-for-profit organization and one of the largest providers of care to seniors in South Florida, we rely on philanthropy to help support our programs and services for aging adults.

The Miami Jewish Health Foundation serves as our philanthropic partner, helping to raise essential funds to ensure those who come to us for care can live life to the fullest.

About the Miami Jewish Health Foundation Miami Jewish Health Foundation maintains a culture of philanthropy that propels Miami Jewish Health to be the leading source of healthy aging through an innovative continuum of care.

The Foundation has a small team of four staff members.

Together, these individuals — Alison Grewe, Chief Development Officer and President CEO of Miami Jewish Health Foundation, Jennifer Ray, Executive Director, Aimee Siegel-Harris, Director of Donor Relations and Leslee Geller, Concierge Coordinator — have more than 50 years of combined experience in grateful patient fundraising.

Left to right: Leslee Geller, Jennifer Ray, Alison Grewe, Aimee Siegel-Harris

“We understand that health care goes beyond just science and medicine,” says Alison Grewe. “At its core, it’s really about helping people live full and meaningful lives at every stage of aging.”

With the support of generous donors, the Foundation raised $4 million last fiscal year. This support is integral in Miami Jewish Health’s ability to provide the programs and services patients, residents, and participants deserve and expect.

The Foundation team continues to build a community of purpose dedicated to not only caring for South Florida seniors, but also to helping them find meaning and connection in life. We believe that everyone has the right to age with value and dignity and understand that each person ages in their own way. We work together to meet the interconnected physical, psychological and social needs of those who come to Miami Jewish Health for care.

Patients, residents and participants can depend on innovative programs and services that help with chronic health issues, mobility challenges, mental well-being and social connection.

The Foundation and its donors have created opportunities for people to engage with life in creative and meaningful ways, regardless of their ability to pay.

Funding Opportunity for Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Miami-Dade County leads the nation in the percentage of people (16.6%) aged 65 and older who have Alzheimer’s disease. Experts project a 24.1% increase in Alzheimer’s diagnoses in Florida by 2025.

A study in the American Journal of Managed Care estimates the total lifetime cost of care for a person with dementia to be $412,936 (2022). Costs include unpaid caregiving, home health care, medications, copays, and other out-of-pocket expenses.

It’s easy to see how philanthropic support can be essential in helping South Florida’s seniors receive the care they need. Among other initiatives, the Miami Jewish Health Foundation is working on ways to ensure that patients with dementia — specifically those with Alzheimer’s disease — stay connected to the things and people they love.

Right now, more than 45% of Florida PACE Centers participants are living with a diagnosis of dementia.

Miami Jewish Health is South Florida’s oldest and most experienced PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program, serving eligible adults age 55+.

The team seeks to raise critical resources to launch a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® methodology to PACE participants with dementia. Research shows that this person-centered approach to memory care can help individuals relearn and reengage in a way that is meaningful and purposeful.

Philanthropic support can also help patients and families seeking care from the Frank C. and Lynn Scaduto MIND Institute at Miami Jewish Health, a state-designated memory disorder clinic (MDC). “There is no greater feeling than knowing that someone’s life is better because of you,” stresses Grewe.

Creating a Greater Sense of Community Many people are searching for meaningful communities, especially where they can express shared values with others. Miami Jewish Health with its mission of honoring and enriching lives with empathy, purpose and grace seeks to be such a community by bringing people together around something collectively “bigger.”

We know that for individuals who make charitable contributions, giving is an expression of deep values.

Partnerships are built on a shared desire to make a real difference. We firmly believe that creating a shared value community with our donors offers exciting opportunities to build truly meaningful and impactful partnerships that advance positive change in the lives of those we serve.

“It has been said that there is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about,” states Grewe. “Thank you for caring about our seniors with the same shared investment that we do. The difference you make in the lives of others is immeasurable.”

To learn more about giving opportunities and the many ways that you can make an impact, please call 305.898.5602 or visit the Miami Jewish Health Foundation at foundation.miamijewishhealth.org.

PROPERTIES

Palaces in the Sky

Few designations are more prestigious than PH, the elevator button abbreviation for Penthouse. The name derives from the Old French word apentis, which means “appendage,” combined with the English noun

house. What they signify is the top floor of a tall building, with the added flavor that most penthouses are outfitted with the apex of luxurious amenities. Here are a few of the most exclusive offerings in Miami.

LISTING PRICE:

$50M

DOWNTOWN HIGH LIFE 330 Biscayne Blvd, Miami 6 bed / 9 bath. 13,119 sq. ft.

When completed, the Waldorf Astoria residence will be the tallest residential building south of New York City.

The structure will consist of nine stacked cubes, and atop the ninth will be a 13,119 square foot penthouse with a

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private gym, theatre, wine room, library, spa, pool, and enclosed balconies affording 360-degree views of Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Sales agents: PMR Sales 786-545-3001.

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LISTING PRICE:

$45M

BRICKELL ELEVATION St. Regis Residences, Brickell Avenue 5 bed / 7 bath. 10,000 plus sq. ft.

Occupying floors 48-50 of the St. Regis Residences on tony Brickell Avenue, this penthouse boasts 10,000+ square feet of living space and 2,942 square feet of indoor/outdoor roof deck. The master bedroom suite features a midnight bar, two

bathrooms with stone top vanities, a sitting room, natural stone showers and a freestanding bathtub, plus spacious separate walk-in closets. Listing Agent: Vanessa Noriega (One Sotheby’s International Realty), 305.779.2430

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PROPERTIES

LISTING PRICE:

$47.5M

DESIGNER ZENITH

The Icon, 450 Alton Rd, Miami Beach 6 bed / 7.5 bath. 11,000 sq. ft.

When the Related Group built the Icon as the gateway to Miami Beach, they invited French artist Philippe Starck to design its appearance. That touch is evident in the three-level penthouse, with its panoramic views of Miami, the Atlantic Ocean,

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and Biscayne Bay. The residence has a saltwater pool, a two level terrace, six bedrooms, seven and one-half bathrooms, a wine cellar, and parking for six vehicles. Listing agents: Liz Hogan 305.804.9700 and Stephanie Roy 561.212.2545 (Compass)

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At the start of the New Year, we express our heartfelt gratitude to CMC Group for their unwavering support and commitment over the past two decades.

Their enduring partnership has granted us the privilege of leasing 4000 Ponce, the most prestigious business address in Coral Gables.

TA L K

Re-Risking the Caribbean THE CARIBBEAN, WITH ITS STRATEGIC POSITION IN GLOBAL TRADE AND BURGEONING DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, IS POISED FOR A FINANCIAL SERVICES REVIVAL.

BY DAVID SCHWARTZ AND WAYNE SHAH

David Schwartz is President & CEO of the Financial and International Business Association (FIBA)

Wayne Shah is the Chair of FIBA’s Caribbean Roundtable

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The financial landscape of the Caribbean has long been one of vibrant business activity, entrepreneurial spirit, and international trade. However, the Caribbean banking sector has faced a significant challenge: de-risking, an unintended consequence of the riskbased approach.

relationships with unconventional financial institutions not akin to the region.

As we stand in 2024, de-risking is considered an episode of the past, and there is a growing imperative for “re-risking,” a term coined by FIBA that encapsulates the need for financial institutions to reassess and re-engage with the Caribbean market.

At their annual AML conference, FIBA established a Caribbean Roundtable to discuss the issue. FIBA included all stakeholders, including representatives from the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury, CFATF, local regional banks and all U.S. correspondents, as well as regulators from This phenomenon saw many international the region. All parties agreed that a return banks limit financial risks by withdrawing to the Caribbean is not only feasible but also their services and severing ties with local and regional banks. Concerns included reg- mutually beneficial.

FIBA’s position is that the region’s ulatory compliance, financial crime, and the profitability of these relationships. De-risk- AML risk profile isn’t prohibitive, as banks in this region are operating at the same level ing had far-reaching consequences, espeas other regions. Few, if any, money laundercially for micro, small, and medium-sized ing prosecutions related to correspondent enterprises (MSMEs), the backbone of banking have emerged from the Caribbean, Caribbean economies. an indication that the region’s risk is well In his testimony to congress in 2022, managed.

Mr. Shah noted that “FIBA could not For re-risking to be successful, new find any empirical evidence to believe that strategies need to be employed. First, there Caribbean banks had lesser abilities regarding BSA/AML [the Bank Secrecy Act must be a concerted effort to separate the risk ratings of countries from the finanand Anti-Money Laundering].” In fact, cial institutions operating within them. in FIBA’s view, the Caribbean banks have invested heavily in BSA/AML compliance This separation would prevent the unfair enhancements including technology, train- penalization of local banks based on their location, recognizing that many have robust ing, personnel and risk management measures. The region remains highly compliant. AML controls in place.

Second, there should be an increased This is evidenced by the lack of explosive AML issues as compared to other regions. focus on technology utilization, for both efficiency and improved regulatory compliDe-risking stemmed from several ance. Technological advances can assist in factors including characterization by the transaction monitoring, risk assessment, and Department of State’s International Narcustomer service. cotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) Third, there must be regional engageof perceived high risk for money launderment with the U.S. State Department ing and drug trafficking in the Caribbean. regarding INCSR to ensure that all stakeAdditional factors included the stringent holders are heard. regulatory requirements imposed after the Re-risking requires coordinated efforts global financial crisis and the repercussions towards a uniform regulatory landscape, edof the Panama Papers scandal. The consequence was not just a reduction in banking ucation and training, and perception change.

Re-risking is not just about banks resuming services available to Caribbean businesses business. It’s about reigniting trust between and individuals but also restricted remitthe Caribbean and the global banking tances and a stifling of economic development. De-risking resulted in smaller banks community. It’s about recognizing that the region is a viable, profitable, and secure place losing their Correspondent Banking relafor financial investment and growth. l tionships and being forced into expensive GLOBALMIAMIMAGAZINE.COM

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Timeless Luxury. Memorable Moments.

A true icon surrounded by 150 acres of tropical landscape. We invite you to soak in our rich history, world-class golf, European spa, decadent dining, including our internationally recognized Signature Sunday Brunch or Afternoon Tea and more.

The Biltmore, where luxury and good taste never go out of style.

THE BILTMORE HOTEL 1200 Anastasia Avenue | Coral Gables, Florida 33134 Reservations: 305-445-1926 | www.biltmorehotel.com