Ft. Lauderdale's Hospitality & Retail Renaissance

Robert Finvarb is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1993. Following his graduation from law school, he practiced law at Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. in Miami. In 2003, he founded Robert Finvarb Companies (RFC) and currently serves as its CEO. Under Robert’s leadership, RFC has become an industry leader in developing, owning and operating mixed-use hotel projects throughout the United States. RFC has developed projects in excess of $1bn of market value, containing more than 3,000 hotel rooms and over 200,000 square feet of retail space throughout the U.S. and the company’s projects have been recognized for excellence by several organizations and municipalities, including, the American Lodging Investment Summit (best hotel project in 2017), Marriott International (Outstanding Contribution), the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) and the City of Miami Beach. Robert is a Founder of Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, a Diamond Society Member of the Miami Children’s Hospital and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Miami Country Day Sc

http://meninhospitality.com/about/the-team/keith-menin/

Susan is an award winning Interior Designer with expertise spanning Hospitality and Residential projects across the country. Her knowledge of emerging trends, detailed focus on design aesthetics, and a deep understanding of her client’s needs allow her to take a holistic design approach, creating spaces that are timeless and tell a story for each guest. With a unique approach to conceptualizing design, she instills a blend of meticulous project management among her team merged with a passion for the highest levels of design and modernity, all while maintaining the integrity of the building, the community and her client’s needs.

Jake Wurzak is the President at Wurzak Hotel Group. Jake also serves as the company’s in-house counsel and co-general counsel. Jake has been involved in the family hotel business from a very young age and is passionate about creating hotels and developing hospitality concepts in order to better enhance the guest’s experience. He is primarily focused on the analysis and executions of new acquisitions and dispositions, deal sourcing, new business development and the pursuit of third party management agreements. Jake also plays a key role in working with our brand partners as well as our capital and development partners to help grow the Wurzak Hotel Group. In addition, he leads the purchasing and procurement company, WHG Supply, LLC. Jake is also a member of the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale Board of Governors. Prior to joining Wurzak Hotel Group Jake worked with The Kor Group in Los Angeles, and Hersha Hospitality Trust in Philadelphia. Jake received his BBA, cum laude, with honors from The University of Miami School of Business. He later earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University. Jake also serves as partner in Dove Hill Holdings, LLC, a real estate investment firm. Jake is a member of the Florida Bar.

Allison McCarthy is a real estate and hospitality lawyer in Florida based in Holland & Knight's Fort Lauderdale office. As a member of the firm's Hospitality, Resort and Timeshare Group, Ms. McCarthy's practice focuses on commercial real estate and commercial lending, with a strong emphasis in hotel and resort development, and hospitality law. This includes hotel acquisitions and dispositions; development and finance; mixed-use development projects; hotel management agreements; branded residential projects; restaurant and spa agreements; and general hotel operation matters throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. Ms. McCarthy has a thorough understanding of the legal intricacies that affect the hospitality industry, and represents owners, developers and international hotel companies in sophisticated and complex hospitality transactions.

Angie has been a south Florida resident since 1976 and is a highly regarded executive in the Commercial Real Estate Industry representing brands such as Starbucks, Burger King, Dunkin Brands and currently P.F. Chang’s group. Throughout her career she has created lucrative brand growth throughout the country by developing new units and managing the real estate, design and construction aspects of major brands. She has led great teams of people to accomplish challenging growth goals and is responsible for the majority of the Starbucks locations in Florida. She will be joining BBX Capital group as the VP………….. Angie is also an avid athlete and has participated in many triathlons and marathons, including New York Marathon, Marine Corp Marathon, Disney Marathon and San Diego Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. She has a passion for the arts communities in South Florida and is actively involved in The Arts Garage, Delray Beach and School House Square Arts in Delray Beach and now an active board member of Benzaiten. She has served as President of Dade County International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and is an active member in this organization as well as 100 Women Who Care and CityHouse Delray.

Robert L. Shapiro is the founder and President of Master Development, Inc. Organized in 2001, Master Development focuses on the acquisition, design, development and redevelopment of retail and mixed-use projects throughout South Florida. Since 1986, Bob, both individually and with joint venture partners, has been involved in the acquisition and development of over 7 million square feet of retail space in more than 30 separate properties. Each of these properties were successfully developed, completed and sold primarily to institutional investors. In 2021, Bob partnered with Stuart Meyers, the principal of The Meyers Group. Mr. Meyers has more than 40 years of experience as a residential development specialist in both Florida and Texas. Bob was named Vice Chairman of The Meyers Group and President of the newly formed Master Meyers Development, a joint venture between Master Development and The Meyers Group. That company is designed to be a diversified real estate development company which will acquire land and create and develop mixed-use projects throughout Florida. Bob was one of the original partners in the entity that developed Dania Pointe beginning in 2014. Dania Pointe is a 102-acre mixed use development in Dania Beach, Florida, just south of the Fort Lauderdale Airport. The property was developed in partnership with Kimco Realty, Inc., a NYSE-listed REIT. Comprising 2.5 million square feet of retail, residential, office, hotel, restaurant and entertainment components, Dania Pointe is one of the largest mixed-use destinations in South Florida. Kimco acquired Bob’s interest in the property in 2020. Bob has been a panelist regarding commercial and mixed-use developments at seminars of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Florida Redevelopment Association, and the Florida Board of Realtors. He has also been a guest lecturer at Nova Southeastern University Graduate Real Estate program. In both 2015 and 2016, the South Florida Business Journal recognized Bob as one of the "Top 100 Power Leaders in Real Estate" in South Florida. Bob is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a JD law degree from the University of Connecticut Law School, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University. A resident of Miami since 1971, he practiced law at large Miami law firms. He is married to Janet Shapiro and has three children and five grandchildren.

Michael Comras is President and CEO of The Comras Company of Florida, a Miami Beach- based full-service real estate brokerage company founded in 1992. Comras specializes in the leasing and sale of urban and suburban retail properties across South Florida. As a principal in various development entities, Michael also has been involved in the construction, leasing and sale of properties that have evolved into some of the region’s top retail and entertainment destinations. Michael’s talent for seeing transactions from the perspectives of both owners and tenants has generated phenomenal success for once-languishing urban cores. He is extremely active in Miami’s emerging neighborhoods, including the burgeoning Wynwood Arts District, Coconut Grove, Design District and Downtown Miami. His influence also stretches beyond Miami’s urban core through various leasing assignments in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. Clients represented by or located in a Comras property include Polo Ralph Lauren, Sephora, Nike, Forever 21, Apple, Le Pain Quotidian, Capital One Bank, BCBG, J Crew, Madewell, Sephora, Suit Supply, Lucky Strike, Bonobos, Sugarcane, and Tesla to name a few. On Miami’s mainland, Comras recently spearheaded the investor groups’ acquisitions of the lifestyle centers CocoWalk in Coconut Grove and Shops at Sunset Place in South Miami. His latest venture, BLVD at Lenox, a 200,000 square foot, multi-story retail development, features Target’s long-awaited debut on South Beach. Among the firm’s renown redevelopment achievements are the conception of Miami Beach’s Collins Avenue Fashion District and the renaissance of the historic Lincoln Road promenade. These achievements have culminated in Comras’ $370 million sale of an entire Lincoln Road blockfront, the largest sale of a retail property in Miami-Dade County history. New York-born, Comras holds a BA from the University of Miami and an MBA in banking and finance from Pace University. A licensed real estate broker in the state of Florida, he is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches. Comras participates in several business improvement districts and civic committees. He serves on the University of Miami Real Estate Advisory Board and is a sought-after panelist for real estate programs organized by ICSC and a variety of commercial real estate news providers. A former chairman of The Lincoln Road Marketing Association, he has also served on the Miami Beach Mayor’s Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Tourism-Retail- Nightlife/Dining. Charitable activities include The AIR Society of National Jewish Health (founding member), Women of Tomorrow, Bass Museum, Mount Sinai Medical Center and Miami Children’s Hospital.

Co-founder of The Restaurant People and its current CEO. TRP has owned and operates various full service restaurants from quick-casual to fine dining throughout Florida. Current operations include Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle (Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables). Himmarshee Bar & Grille and SIDE BAR (sold 2006), The River House, Yolo and O Lounge, VIBE Music Lounge, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza West Coast Developer, S3: Sun, Surf & Sand, Township, Centrale Italian Parlor, Boatyard, Spatch Grilled Chicken and Taste & 1WLO (Opening 2017). Co-owner (TRP along Harren Equity) Shrimp Basket, 31 unit casual seafood chain throughout Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. Co-founder of Urban Street Development  Florida State University Collegetown Entertainment District Phases 1& 2; 160 student housing apartments/337 beds -60,000 square feet of retail and 600 space parking garage in Tallahassee, Florida.  Queue Apartments - 200 Unit residential apartment building in downtown Fort Lauderdale.  New River Trading Post Development – 36,000 square foot Mix use project in the entertainment district of Fort Lauderdale comprising of 7000 square feet office, 7000 square feet retail, 6500 square foot Maritime Museum and 8 work/live loft units.  Foundry/Mill Lofts – A residential project in the heart of Flagler Village that is comprised of 70-loft style units.  Flagler Storage (Extra Space Self Storage) 100,000 square foot self storage facility in Downtown Fort Lauderdale.  Atlantic Avenue East -- 32,000 square foot Mixed Use project on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach entertainment district comprising of 12,000 square feet office, 20,000 square feet of restaurant & retail.

Barron Real Estate, Inc., is a commercial real estate development and leasing company located in Coral Springs, Florida. Charlie Ladd, founder and president of Barron Real Estate, has extensive experience providing full service project management to outside investors in addition to developing a portfolio of owned real estate properties via joint venture partnerships. Mr. Ladd has worked, as a development partner, with George Rahael and the Amera companies since the late 1980's. Starting in 2012, Mr. Ladd began working with Jesse Gaddis in developing 500 Federal and with Steve Hudson in acquiring a substantial parcel on E. Las Olas for a new development that will be built over the next two years. Among Mr. Ladd’s development projects and professional endeavors include the following notable Fort Lauderdale properties developed and currently owned: Starbucks/Scotty’s (Broward/Federal) Palm Court (Broward/Federal) Kinko’s (300 N. Federal) Paradise Bank (SEC Federal and 6th) Victoria Park Shoppes (Federal/NE6th St.) Park Plaza on the Curve (Federal/NE9th St.) Las Olas Blvd. property (Tommy Bahama to Louie Bossi) Fresh Market – 400 N Federal The Walk redevelopment, Coral Springs Charter Place, Coral Springs

David Ramos is the Vice President for Hotwire Communications Fision Enterprise Division. As Vice President, his responsibilities include business development, community relations, account management, and consumer sales for new and existing businesses, creating cutting-edge, convenient solutions for all their IT needs in office and commercial properties. He is a proven leader with extensive experience building and leading high performing teams that focus on changing the landscape of our industry within the Commercial Market. David began his cable career at Atlantic Broadband as a door-to-door sales rep, and was then given the opportunity to use his sales, management and innovation skills to improve business performance by leading the Florida region as their Sales Manager. Previously, he served as Vice President of Sales for Advanced Enterprises, one of the largest sales; call centers, and installation vendors for DIRECTV. Prior to that, he was a Director of Sales for Comcast overseeing residential sales, indirect retail, and special markets in South Florida. A graduate of Trinity International University, David holds a B.A. in Organizational Leadership, and a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Miami-Dade College School of Business and is a Certified Business Counselor with the SBA's SCORE program. David’s aim is to continue to drive innovation for Fision customers by introducing products, and services, that fit their technology driven business needs.