The Miami Herald CEO Roundtable continues with a new group of participants selected from among South Florida’s top business leaders.
For the next six months, the CEOs will give their views on the most important civic and economic issues of the day. We’ll also ask them to share personal stories of their successes and setbacks and tips on how to succeed in the business world.
The CEOs come from a variety of companies and nonprofits — both big and small — across Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The industries they represent include technology, real estate and architecture, insurance, law, the arts, banking, nonprofits and small business.
Michelle Abbs recently joined Mana Tech, a new group formed by developer Moise Mana, as the Director of Miami, responsible for vision, strategic partnerships and development of over 550,000 square feet of real estate in Downtown Miami. The project will establish downtown as the epicenter of entrepreneurship and innovation in Miami while connecting international tech ecosystems to South Florida. Previous to her role at Mana Tech, she served as the Director of Babson College’s WIN Lab accelerator program where she supported over 60 female-founded startup companies.
Hakan Baykam is a respected entrepreneur, is most recently known for his significant contribution to Miami’s fashion and design community. In 2017, Hakan inaugurated the prestigious fashion, art and design school, Istituto Marangoni, in Miami’s Design District as the first U.S. campus for the global institution. Istituto Marangoni is consistently ranked as one of the top fashion schools to attend around the world, and has earned its reputation as an industry innovator under Hakan’s leadership.
Dexter A. Bridgeman is the CEO & Founder of M•I•A Media Group LLC, one of the nation’slargest Black media publishers. Established in 2004, his company has more than one millionreaders bi-monthly and publishes Legacy Miami, Legacy South Florida and M•I•A Magazines. Bridgeman is a member of the Black Owned Media Alliance (BOMA), Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Broward County Black Chamber of Commerce, and National Association of Black Journalists.
Luis Flores is the managing partner of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr’s Miami office. As part of his role, he is responsible for recruiting the next generation of talent, strengthening the firm’s brand, and overseeing the firm’s involvement in the local business and legal community. In his practice, he represents local and national developers in the acquisition, construction, development and financing, refinancing, leasing, and sale of vacant land, condominium projects, multifamily housing apartment complexes, hotels, commercial shopping centers, and commercial office buildings.
Veronica Flores has been a key member of the Executive team at First National Bank of South Miami since her arrival in 1999. As Executive Vice President, she is responsible for the daily management of the Bank, with a primary focus on client and community relations. The bank has doubled its asset and deposit size and tripled its loan portfolio since her leadership began. She is past President of the South Miami Hospital Associates where she continues to serve on its Board since 2000.
Dr. Guy Harvey is widely recognized today as the world’s finest marine wildlife artist and one of the world’s foremost authorities on shark conservation. He combines his unique artistic talents with his background as a marine biologist, diver, photographer, conservationist, explorer and angler, to create marine wildlife art with an unmatched authenticity and visual appeal. Proceeds from sales of his original paintings, reproductions of his art, often seen on magazine and catalog covers, and Guy Harvey-branded apparel, accessories and home decor benefit the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation which funds ocean conservation, groundbreaking scientific research, innovative educational programs and helps foster the next generation of ocean conservationists.
Nelson Hincapie joined Voices For Children Foundation, Inc. as President and CEO in May 2009, bringing with him significant experience in the political arena, fund development, transformational leadership and a commitment to public service. Nelson began his career in government on the staff of Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas, as part of the team that led the successful statewide campaign for Universal Pre-Kindergarten. In 2005 he joined Miami-Dade County Commissioner Carlos A. Gimenez, as an Aide, where his responsibilities included policy and legislation, land use, media relations, and constituent issues. Nelson also served as Commissioner Gimenez’s liaison with community-based organizations. Nelson serves on the board of The Children’s Trust, where he is part of the executive committee and Vice Chair of the Bylaws ad-hoc committee.
Darryl Holsendolph serves as President and CEO of Holsen Inc. Merchandising, a promotional products and special event concessions company based in Miami, Florida. His company has over 26 years of experience in providing event concessions, promotional products, procurement services, graphic design, screen-printing, embroidery, product development, product sourcing, and special event merchandise and food concessions for area event promoters and sports franchises. Holsen Inc. merchandising also develops online stores and provides fulfillment services for its contracted events and clients. The online services include an interactive catalogue that includes over 50,000 promotional products and corporate premium gifts.
David Jobin is president and CEO of Our Fund Foundation, South Florida’s only LGBTQ+ community foundation. Our Fund served as the financial vehicle to collect and disseminate all funds raised during the South Florida Pride Collective’s Virtual Pride event which brought together five separate Pride festivals. Jobin was instrumental in creating Our Fund’s new COVID-19 Resilience Fund, an emergency fundraising initiative to provide critical aid to LGBTQ+ nonprofit agencies in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties whose operations have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative exceeded its fundraising goal in less than two weeks and distributed more than $310,000 in emergency financial aid to 27 local community agencies.
Michael Pappas is the President of The Keyes Company/Illustrated Properties, a Miami-based real estate company with 58 offices, 3,000 associates and mortgage, title, property management and insurance affiliates. Keyes Company with sales and services in excess of $6.7 billion annually, is the largest independent brokerage in Florida and a Top 30 independent brokerage nationally. Pappas serves on the board of the National Association of Realtors. Born and raised in South Florida, Pappas graduated Cum Laude from Wake Forest University, where he majored in Business and Spanish. He joined Keyes as a Sales Associate in 1980 and held a variety of positions until taking over as President in 1992.
Coralee Penabad is co-developer of River Landing Shops & Residences. Her firm, Urban-X Group, is about to finish completion of the 2.2 M square foot retail, office and apartment complex a block from Jackson Memorial Hospital in the Health District. Coralee, a lawyer by training, is one of the few women in the male-dominated world of real estate development. Coralee played an active role developing new buildings during the last real estate boom and, later, disposing of troubled assets during the Great Recession. She has amazing institutional knowledge to help your readers put things into perspective as these challenging moments unfold in front of our eyes.
Allan Prindle is President and Chief Executive Officer of Power Financial Credit Union, a cooperative financial institution dating back to 1951 with nearly $850 million in assets and nine branches throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Power Financial Credit Union has been recognized as Best Credit Union to Work For by Credit Union Journal, Top Workplaces by Sun-Sentinel, Best Places to Work by South Florida Business Journal and for achieving both an 80+ Net Promoter Score and Bauer 5-Star rating for the past five years. In addition, S&P Global Market Intelligence named it one of the top 50 “Best Credit Unions of 2016” in the nation and #1 in that list from Florida.
Kerry-Ann Royes is a mom, businesswoman and a 20-year veteran of the social sector, particularly passionate about social issues affecting women and girls. As CEO of YWCA Greater Miami-Dade, a non-profit that seeks to eliminate racism and empower women through advocacy, Kerry-Ann brings a wealth of expertise in social innovation, strategic alliances, and program management to refine the chapter’s current programs and deliver social services the community has come to expect from YWCA.
Mindy Solomon, owner and director of Mindy Solomon Gallery, has dedicated her life to the visual arts as a practicing artist, educator, advocate, and collector. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Studio Art and Art Education from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art, with additional course work at Ursuline College in Ohio, Lacoste School of the Arts in Lacoste, France, and the Tyler School of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Frank Steslow is President and CEO of the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. Steslow has over 30 years of experience as a scientist and executive manager in science-based, non-profit organizations, including eight years as the museum’s chief operating officer. As COO, Steslow was responsible for the overall operations of the museum in the areas of finance, communications, marketing, exhibitions, environmental conservation, public programming and visitor services. Before joining Frost Science, Steslow was the CEO of the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania where he led the institution’s expansion and successful opening of its new science center.