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JORGE, JON PAUL, NICKY AND FELIPE MANUEL PÉREZ Jorge Pérez, 58, is training his sons Jon Paul and Nicky to be future real-estate moguls. As chairman and founder of The Related Group, Jorge is responsible for transforming Miami’s skyline. His sons hope to follow in his footsteps: Jon Paul, 23 (center right), is working for Related in New York as an analyst and will pursue his MBA in the next year before rejoining the family business. Younger brother Nicky, 20 (far right), spends his summers as a Related employee while he finishes his finance degree at Loyola Marymount University in California. (The boys’ half brother, Felipe Manuel, turned five the day of this shoot.) “Jon Paul and Nicky are both independent, well-rounded, caring young men,” Jorge says. “They have a thirst to learn and exhibit eagerness to build their paths.” While both heirs bond with their father at Miami Dolphins games and long lunches at La Piaggia, they are cognizant of Jorge’s legacy. “Those are big shoes to fill, and that just pertains to the business side of my dad,” Nicky says. “I also hope to honor his commitment to the arts, the betterment of Miami, and charitable causes.”
ALAN AND DIEGO OJEDA Alan Ojeda never pressured his son, Diego, to pursue real estate. While it would only be natural that the younger Ojeda, 26, would join the Rilea Group, which has developed impressive buildings such as Met 1 Miami and One Broadway at Brickell, Diego instead has shown a knack for the arts. He recently produced the movie Máncora, a Spanish-language film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. The film, which co-stars Enrique Murciano and Elsa Pataky, is set to receive a national distribution deal. Alan, 55, the CEO of the Rilea Group, has always nurtured his son’s cinematic career. “He has had a deep passion for producing and directing movies since he was young,” he says. “It’s not an easy environment, but ultimately, there is no substitute for hard work.” Next up for the budding filmmaker is an English-language thriller called Detroit. Diego, who lives in Miami and commutes to Los Angeles, intends to model his career after Andy Garcia’s. “I want to leave my stamp in Hollywood as a Miami producer,” he says.
OSCAR AND ERICA FELDENKREIS Oscar Feldenkreis knows what it is like to work with family. When he started out at Perry Ellis, his father was president of the company. Now, as vice chairman/COO of the dynamic clothing conglomerate, Oscar, 48, has a similar business relationship with his daughter. While Erica, 23, works in New York for their Original Penguin brand (she is an assistant in the design department), Oscar claims there is no nepotism. “When you put your own children in your company, sometimes they think that because they have the same last name they have higher authority over the other employees,” he says. “That’s not true. You have to earn that authority. I started out in the stockroom myself. I was not anointed. Erica understands those values, too.” In their spare time, the father-and-daughter duo can often be found pursuing their favorite activity—boating.
KATHERINE FERNANDEZ AND JUSTIN RUNDLE As the State Attorney for Miami-Dade County, Katherine Fernandez Rundle believes strongly in law enforcement, public safety and local government. Her son, Justin, 24, has made his name as the proprietor of South Beach’s latest hotspot, Heathrow Lounge. While the two careers seem at odds, Justin’s loving upbringing and strong sense of right and wrong have made him successful in an industry that can be murky at times. The younger Rundle, whose godmother is Janet Reno, credits Katherine, 57, with shaping him into the man he is today. “She balances being a sweet mother to me with acting as a hard-as-nails leader for her community,” he explains. “She is the strongest person I know. My mother has the ability to move mountains but needs my help bringing in the groceries.” Adds Katherine, “He has taken on a tough challenge, but he is competitive. He has always been at the top of his game—in school, sports and the martial arts. He is totally focused and driven to succeed.”
SHAREEF AND YASEEN MALNIK Yaseen Malnik’s childhood was certainly not typical: He resided on Ocean Drive, watched his father, Shareef, race boats, and hobnobbed at The Forge with stars such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. That’s all par for the course for the married 24-year-old boxing promoter, who eschewed the restaurant business for the fight world. Shareef, whose father, Al, bought The Forge in 1968, also took a circuitous route as a youngster before taking over the venerable Miami Beach steak house in 1992. Since then, Shareef, 50, has made the eatery into celeb central, upped the gourmet quotient and reenergized the brand. He’s even opening a satellite location in Dubai next year. Yaseen, whose number-one contender is Francisco “El Gato” Figueroa, puts that same dedication into his boxing bouts. “I need to uphold a legacy of integrity, honor and loyalty, which my grandfather started and my father continued,” he notes. As for whether Yaseen will ever run The Forge, Shareef says, “That’s up to him.”
SCOTT, DAVID AND JONO KING Fine jewelry runs in the King family’s blood. Four generations have run King Jewelers since 1912, and the fifth is represented by David, 31 (center), and Jono, 28 (right). While their father, Scott, 58, oversees operations as CEO and president of the company, the two heirs are modernizing the business with a flashy store on Biscayne Boulevard, a celebrity following, and more upscale merchandise. In order to achieve this, David, the director of business development, left a lucrative job on Wall Street to return to his hometown and use his finance background to increase profitability. Jono, the company’s director of sales, believes strongly in the adage that the customer is always right. He also understands that keeping the past alive is as important as innovating. “Being the fifth generation of the King Jewelers legacy brings great responsibility and standards to uphold,” Jono notes. “The bar was set high.” And in this case, diamonds are a boy’s best friend.
CHRIS AND ANDREW KORGE Chris Korge, 53, is chairman and CEO of Korge Holdings, with interests ranging from alternative energy and technology to hospitality and real estate. He is deeply involved in Miami politics and is one of its most influential players behind the scenes, raising money and awareness for causes and candidates he is passionate about. His close friendship with Bill and Hillary Clinton caused rumors to fly that he might be named ambassador to England if Hillary was elected President. His son Andrew, 27, is also an entrepreneur who is just as committed to politics and leaving his imprint on the world. Andrew says he believes adaptation and creative problem solving are the keys to his success. He credits his self-made father with teaching him to honor his word, the value of hard work, and, most importantly, to treat everyone with respect and dignity regardless of their status in life. The dynamic father and son enjoy getting together to take in myriad sporting events, from college football to major-league baseball.
TONY AND CAROLINA ARGIZ Tony and Carolina Argiz are more than father and daughter: Not only are they co-workers at Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, the largest independent accounting firm in Florida, but they also share a deep love of philanthropy. Tony, 55, is the chair of the Board of Trustees of the United Way of Miami-Dade, while Carolina, 28, serves as a Young Leader for the organization. The elder Argiz is also vice chair of the Orange Bowl Committee and is on the board of the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Carolina’s alma mater. At the office, Tony runs the company while his socialite daughter focuses on marketing and business development. “It was weird at first,” Carolina says of the working environment. “But now that I’m older, it feels great. He has always been a role model for me. He has taught me to be a tough cookie.” Adds Tony, “I love how she thinks, analyzes problems and resolves issues. I’m very proud of her.”
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