Miami is home to some of the most influential people in the world. Haute Living's annual Haute 100 list celebrates the biggest names in the city, including philanthropists, entrepreneurs, power couples, developers, creatives, athletes, hospitality power players and more. These business titans make Miami one of the greatest cities in the world. Here are the key power players in the Miami development scene.
Jorge Pérez
Photo Credit: Andrew Milner
Company: Related Group
Industry: Real Estate, Philanthropy
Jorge Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, has been at the forefront of South Florida’s complex urban evolution for over 35 years. A commitment to building better cities, and a natural ability to identify emerging trends has made him one of the most trusted and influential names in real estate. Armed with a dynamic selection of land parcels, new financing techniques, the collective strength of Related’s management team and a pipeline of more than 90,000 residential units, Pérez is set to answer the demands and desires of a new generation.
Pérez started out in the 1970’s, making a name for himself in the public housing market of neighborhoods like Miami’s Little Havana and Homestead. More than three decades later, his continued passion for vibrant urban communities has made him a trendsetter, often the first developer to enter emerging or undiscovered neighborhoods.
Through the years, Pérez and the Related Group have partnered with world-class names in architecture and interior design to produce neighborhood-defining projects and establish Related’s developments as integral components of Miami’s evolving cityscape.
A lover of art and an avid collector, Pérez infuses each development with carefully selected pieces from master artists including Fernando Botero, Jaume Plensa, Julio Le Parc and Fabian Burgos. Their works are proudly displayed at Related developments, complementing each building’s unique character and often serving as public fixtures of the community landscape.
Mr. Pérez is deeply involved in supporting Miami’s ongoing cultural renaissance, sponsoring organizations such as the Miami Film Festival, The National YoungArts Foundation and, most notably, the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). He is also a member of the University of Miami’s board of trustees, chairs the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council and is a director of the Miami International Film Festival.
Mr. Pérez has received numerous awards for his professional and philanthropic achievements, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, the Hispanic Achievement & Business Entrepreneurship Award from Hispanic magazine, The Developers and Builders Alliance’s Community Advancement Award and The Beacon Council’s 2015 Jay Malina Award. Mr. Pérez is also committed to The Giving Pledge, a campaign founded by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates that states he will donate 50 percent of his wealth to philanthropy. In 2005, TIME Magazine named Pérez one of the top 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States, and he has appeared on the cover of Forbes twice.
Louis & Angela Birdman
Photo Credit: World Red Eye
Company: Birdman Real Estate Development
Industry: Philanthropy, Real Estate
Reshaping the community and redefining Miami’s skyline, Angela and Louis Birdman are actively involved in elevating the world around them. Louis is currently co-developing One Thousand Museum, Zaha Hadid’s first and final residential tower in the Western Hemisphere. Set to complete in December, the property is already one of Miami’s most iconic buildings.
In addition to their professional endeavors, the Birdmans have a strong hand in the community as co-chairs of the Humane Society of Greater Miami Brunch and the Special Olympics Athlete Awards. Angela has made waves in Miami as the founder of the annual Walk in Style for the Animals, chair of the Giving Circle at National YoungArts and board member of the Miami Summer Music Festival. Angela has also been a longtime godparent at JAFCO.
Carlos Rosso
Photo Credit: Related Group
Company: Related Group
Industry: Real Estate Development
Since joining the Related Group in 2002, Carlos Rosso has been responsible for a broad range of activities, building unmatched experience across construction, project financing, land acquisition and sales, and project marketing. Currently the president of the firm’s Condominium Development Division, Rosso directs all aspects of condo development throughout South Florida as well as internationally in countries including Mexico and Argentina. Throughout his career, Mr. Rosso has developed more than 20,000 units, with the most recent being marquee properties such as SLS Brickell Suites & Residences, SLS LUX Brickell Suites & Residences and Hyde Suites & Residences Midtown. He is currently preparing to deliver the largest project of his career: the four-tower Paraiso District in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood.
Prior to joining Related, Mr. Rosso served as vice president of Real Estate Development for Investment Properties in Boston and 10 years as project director for Besix International, overseeing the development and construction of over 10 million square feet of multifamily, hotel and office buildings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Mr. Rosso graduated summa cum laude from the Universidad de Buenos Aires with a master’s degree in architecture. He also earned a master’s degree in real estate development and finance, with the highest honors, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Ugo & Sara Colombo
Company: CMC Group/Nest
Industry: Real Estate /Fashion
Veteran real estate developer Ugo Colombo has played a pioneering role in the transformation of Downtown Miami’s skyline over the last 20 years. Ugo and his firm, CMC Group, have developed some of the most iconic luxury properties in South Florida–including Brickell Flatiron, the firm’s latest condominium tower on the rise in the downtown Brickell Financial District. His wife, Sara’s interior design shop, Nest, specializes in high-style products for the home presented with a European flair that is reflective of her innate sense of style.
Edgardo & Ana Cristina Defortuna
Company: Fortune International Group
Industry: Real Estate
Fortune International Group founder and president Edgardo Defortuna founded the company in 1983, and in 1998 he and his wife, Ana Cristina, launched their luxury-development arm. Fortune is a leader in high-end luxury real estate in Miami, with global reach through their International broker network and exclusive partnership with Savills. The firm is shaping Miami’s international real estate landscape into what it is today with stellar projects like Jade Signature, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach, Auberge Beach Residences & Spa Fort Lauderdale and Hyde Resort & Residences.
The Ardid Family
Photo Credit: Key International Group
Company: Key International
Industry: Real Estate
The Ardid family owns Key International, a world-class real estate investment and development company with a four-decade track record. The company is helmed by co-presidents Diego and Inigo Ardid and CEO/founder Jose Ardid. Key International has purchased over $4 billion of real estate across a variety of asset classes including residential, hotel and commercial property, and has developed over 10 million square feet, including over 2,600 luxury residential units. Key International’s high-profile projects include the development of such sought-after addresses as 400 Sunny Isles, 1010 Brickell and the expansion and rebranding of the world-famous Eden Roc Miami Beach/Nobu Hotel.
Michael Comras
Company: The Comras Company of Florida, Inc.
Industry: Retail Development and Leasing
Michael Comras is president and CEO of The Comras Company, which has seen continued success over the years that includes the $370 million sale of an entire block on Lincoln Road (Apple, Nike, Gap) and the $200 million purchase of CocoWalk and Sunset Place, the two marquee retail developments in Coconut Grove and South Miami. His latest venture, BLVD at Lenox, a 67,000-square-foot, multi-story retail project featuring Target’s long-awaited debut on South Beach. The company’s brokerage division represents cutting-edge retailers and developers throughout South Florida’s hottest neighborhoods, including the Design District, Wynwood, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Aventura, Miami Beach, Los Olas Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue in Delray.
Gil Dezer
Photo Credit: Dezer Development
Company: Dezer Development
Industry: Real Estate
Dezer Development encompasses unique and strategic holdings in New York, Las Vegas and Florida, and is the largest owner of oceanfront property in Sunny Isles Beach with just over 27 acres. Credited as major players in the rebirth of Sunny Isles Beach, the Dezers have developed nine luxury high-rise residential and condo-hotel developments through unique partnerships with some of the world’s leading marquee lifestyle brands, including six Trump-branded towers, the newly opened Porsche Design Tower and Residences by Armani/Casa.
Donahue & Katrina Peebles
Company: The Peebles Corporation
Industry: Real Estate
Don Peebles is the founder and CEO of the New York City-based The Peebles Corporation (TPC), which specializes in public-private developments and is one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate development companies. It is currently in planning to develop the tallest building in the Western United States in downtown Los Angeles His wife, Katrina, serves on the board of directors of the Peebles Corporation, The New York City Mission Society and CARE Elementary School in Miami, and brings more than 20 years of experience as creative director for TPC. Mr. Peebles, providing advice to several U.S. presidents, is a national political and business powerhouse and a frequent commentator and guest host on national cable news channels, served on the National Finance Committee of former President Barack Obama. He is the former chair of The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and former chair of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. Considered a potential candidate for NYC mayor in 2021, Mr. Peebles is a champion of economic empowerment for minority and women entrepreneurs. The company is currently developing major projects in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, NC, Miami and Los Angeles.
David Edelstein
Company: TriStar Capital
Industry: Real Estate
David Edelstein began his real estate career in the 1980s as a real estate broker. His extensive and deeply rooted relationships within the real estate and banking communities are key to the strength and success of TriStar Capital. His hands-on construction expertise comes from ground-up, high-rise developments in New York and Miami. Edelstein has been the driving force behind numerous high-profile ventures including numerous Lincoln Road redevelopment projects. He spearheaded his ground-up development of the W South Beach Hotel & Residences in a joint venture with RFR Holding LLC and opened the property in July 2009. The property quickly seized the attention of domestic and international media and became the most successful hotel in the W chain, gaining global recognition as one of the most sought-after and exclusive travel destinations in the world. The “buzz” surrounding W South Beach has also helped catapult residential sales, which have been extremely robust in Miami Beach and along the coastline.
Russell Galbut
Photo Credit: Crescent Heights
Company: Crescent Heights
Industry: Real Estate
Russell Galbut is the managing principal of Crescent Heights, a company heralded as the leader in high-rise residential development as well as chairman of the board of Norwegian Cruise Lines. Crescent Heights is among the nation’s largest residential companies with properties around the country with an emphasis in L.A., San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and Boston currently. It has over 2 billion in ground-up construction projects in various stages of development. Crescent Heights’ Santa Monica project in Los Angeles changed high-rise living with over 67,000 square feet of pure amenities coupled with outstanding architecture and bespoke art. The Crescent Heights NEMA brand is changing lifestyles in the residential world across the nation. As chairman of NCL, Russell Galbut spends his time leading the third largest cruise company in the world and an S&P 500 company. His first love has always been the hospitality industry, and cruising is certainly part of that. He and his family reside in South Florida, where Crescent Heights and NCL headquarters are located. Galbut serves on the boards of numerous charitable organizations and is a firm believer in giving back to the community.
Joey Goldman & Jessica Goldman Srebnick
Company: Goldman Properties
Industry: Real Estate
Goldman Properties, founded by visionary Tony Goldman is responsible for transforming SoHo in New York, the Art Deco District in Miami Beach and now Wynwood in Miami from overlooked and lifeless areas into vital, thriving global destinations. Jessica Goldman Srebnick is carrying on the family business as CEO and continues to drive the company’s innovative developments, growth trajectory and artistic collaborations. Early on, Joey Goldman, along with his father, Tony, recognized Wynwood’s potential as Miami’s next new neighborhood and began purchasing properties, helping kick-start the Wynwood renaissance and opening Joey’s Italian Cafe, the first restaurant in what has become one of Miami’s most important culinary destinations.
Manuel Grosskopf
Photo Credit: Château Group
Company: Château Group
Industry: Real Estate
Manuel Grosskopf is chairman and CEO of Château Group, an international organization that specializes in the development of ultra-high-end projects in Florida as well as South America. He established the Château Group brand in South Florida, making it one of the most prestigious real estate development companies in the region. Mr. Grosskopf’s greatest undertakings include the co-development of Quantum on the Bay and 900 Biscayne Bay residences in Downtown Miami, with the acquisition of the adjacent prime land for additional development. His portfolio also includes forming alliances with renowned brands and the development of ultra-luxurious, high-rise residences on the beach, such as Château Beach Residences and FENDI Château Residences—the first real estate development branded by FENDI worldwide. His latest project is the development of The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Sunny Isles Beach that is currently under construction, with more to come.
Avra Jain
Photo Credit: Pepe
Company: The Vagabond Group
Industry: Real Estate Development
With a career that began on Wall Street to developing properties along Miami’s trendiest streets, Avra has a reputation for identifying the next it neighborhood. The recipient of three Sundance Film Awards, the Purdue industrial engineer graduate develops projects around her favorite pursuits: art and architecture. The vision has resulted in boutique projects that range from converting a warehouse to luxury loft condominiums in Manhattan to the remake of The Vagabond Motel on Biscayne Boulevard.
Daniel Kodsi
Photo Credit: Paramount Ventures
Company: Paramount Ventures
Industry: Real Estate
As the developer behind one of Miami’s most anticipated and high-profile luxury residential projects, Paramount Miami Worldcenter―a soaring 60-story tower in the heart of Downtown set to offer the most amenities anywhere in the world―Daniel Kodsi has been at the forefront of shaping South Florida’s skylines for more than 27 years. With a proven track record of developing over $2 billion, he is known for defining new neighborhoods and changing city landscapes with his gleaming glass high-rise towers. Kodsi’s projects have been lauded for their progressive designs that focus on the future of how people live and seamlessly intertwine into the fabric of communities. Attracting buyers from more than 50 different countries throughout the world, some of Kodsi’s most notable developments include West Palm Beach’s Esplanade Grande; the luxurious Paramount Bay in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood; and his most recent completed project, the sophisticated, oceanfront Paramount Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Kevin Maloney
Photo Credit: PMG
Company: Property Markets Group
Industry: Real Estate
As the founder of Property Markets Group (PMG), Kevin Maloney has hands-on experience in the acquisition, renovation, financing, operation and marketing of residential and commercial real estate. He is responsible for all of PMG’s 150-plus property acquisitions, projects and capital sources. With offices in New York, Chicago and South Florida, PMG is currently developing over 5 million square feet of residential property—including 10 Sullivan, Queens Plaza South, Muse Residences, 111 Leroy Street, 548 West 22nd St and numerous other projects across the country. PMG recently launched a new division—X Social Communities (XSC). XSC offers social-living rental communities for those seeking a convenient lifestyle at an attainable price point—with properties currently located in Chicago, Miami and Denver.
David & Christy Martin
Company: Terra Group
Industry: Real Estate
Christina and David Martin’s passion for making a difference in their native South Florida has delivered an impact in both the corporate and philanthropic sectors. As president of Terra Group, one of South Florida’s leading real estate development companies, David and his firm are known for reshaping neighborhoods from Coconut Grove and Miami Beach along the coast, to Weston and Doral in the suburbs―all while enlisting some of the world’s top architects to design his projects, including Bjarke Ingels (Grove at Grand Bay), Rem Koolhaas/OMA (Park Grove), Renzo Piano (Eighty Seven Park) and Chad Oppenheim (Botaniko), among others. Christina and David’s strong commitment to South Florida is underscored by the couple’s active role in the community. With a unique interest in education, the arts and health foundations, they support several organizations with philanthropic contributions.
Camilo Miguel Jr.
Photo Credit: Alisa Ferris
Company: Mast Capital
Industry: Real Estate Development
Camilo Miguel Jr. founded Mast Capital in 2006 and serves as its CEO. He has ultimate responsibility for Mast Capital’s investment strategy, risk management and operations. Under Miguel’s leadership, Mast Capital has become a leading investor and developer of high-end residential, hospitality, office and retail projects, with a focus in high barriers-to-entry markets. Since 2010, the firm has acquired 16 properties with total capitalization of over $1 billion. Recently, Mast Capital acquired the Conrad Brickell, an underperforming trophy asset below replacement cost being repositioned into one of Miami’s leading hotels. The firm is also currently developing 688 Class A multifamily units on 6.31 acres directly on the Miami River, and 255 Class A apartments near Merrick Park.
Stuart Miller
Photo Credit: Romain Maurice
Company: Lennar
Industry: Construction
Using his years of experience and entrepreneurial wisdom, Stuart Miller’s company, Lennar, the third-largest homebuilder in the nation, has been able to beat Wall Street’s estimates of its growth. Miller predicted that his company would make profit even if the economy did not strengthen. His confidence is due to careful planning and strategic building, which means knowing where to build and for whom. Thanks to Miller’s business sense, the shares of his rivals have also increased in value, which in turn helps the economy grow.
Jeff Soffer
Photo Credit: Gio Almas
Company: Turnberry Associates
Industry: Real Estate
Jeff Soffer, co-chairman and CEO of Turnberry Associates, runs the company alongside his sister, Jackie Soffer, and is one of the country’s most prominent real estate developers. Turnberry Associates is a multi-generational real estate institution that has built enduring communities. Jeff’s vision and influence can be seen in the development of numerous award-winning projects in South Florida including the $1 billion renovation of the landmark Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the current renovation of the Turnberry Isle Miami and new ventures―Turnberry Ocean Club Residences in Sunny Isles Beach and Solē Mia Miami in North Miami. Turnberry also saw the opening of its 533-room JW Marriott Nashville in July. Turnberry Associates is known for consistent quality, innovation and luxury.
Jules Trump
Photo Credit: Acqualina
Company: The Trump Group
Industry: Real Estate
Jules Trump, along with his brother Eddie Trump, is co-chairman of several companies collectively known as The Trump Group, which covers a broad spectrum of industries. The Trump brothers are best known for their development of Williams Island, Acqualina Resort, The Mansions at Acqualina and the upcoming The Estates at Acqualina. Jules’ and Eddie’s philanthropic endeavors and those of The Trump Group include the founding and operation of the I Have a Dream Foundation chapter in Miami and the founding and operation of the Beit Issie Shapiro home for children with disabilities in Israel. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and with no relation to Donald Trump, Jules currently resides in Sunny Isles with his wife, Stephanie.
Matthew Whitman Lazenby
Photo Credit: Romain Maurice
Company: Whitman Family Development
Industry: Real Estate
As the president and CEO of Whitman Family Development, Matthew Whitman Lazenby is the third generation to operate Bal Harbour Shops, which were created by his grandfather, Stanley Whitman, in 1965. He is also the fourth generation involved in local commercial real estate, as his great-grandfather, William Whitman, developed Española Way on Miami Beach and owned stores on Lincoln Road in the 1920s. This innovation in retail continues with Brickell City Centre, a $1 billion-plus mixed-use property in the heart of Miami. The Whitman family is in charge of the retail component, with tenants like Saks Fifth Avenue, Vilebrequin, Apple, Richard Mille, Sephora and Giuseppe Zanotti. They’re also in the process of expanding 450,000-square-foot Bal Harbour Shops, with an additional 340,000 square feet of space.
Craig Robins & Jackie Soffer
Photo Credit: Romain Maurice
Company: Dacra Development and Turnberry Associates
Industry: Real Estate Development
With six children between them, a dog, one of the most successful shopping malls in the world, a trailblazing urban center that combines commerce and culture, luxury properties from Nashville to Aventura and a world-renowned design flair, Miami power couple Jackie Soffer and Craig Robins have perfected the art of multitasking. Soffer, the co-chairman and CEO of Turnberry Associates, oversaw the recent and successful Aventura Mall expansion, which features a 93-foot-tall art installation and slide structure by Carsten Höller. She is also working to bring SoLē Mia Miami, which will feature 1.4 million square feet of retail, 37 acres of parks and 4,390 residences, to life in North Miami. Robins, the CEO and president of Dacra Development, is the visionary behind the 18-block Miami Design District, with top-tier luxury retail tenants like Cartier, Creed, Fendi, Gucci, Harry Winston, Hermés, Hublot, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tom Ford and Valentino. He is also the co-founder and co-owner of Design Miami/, the prestigious design fair during Art Basel in both Miami and Basel, Switzerland. Both are avid art collectors and integrate culture into their projects.
