Florida & Caribbean Hotels & Hospitality Summit

As Managing Director, Luxury and Lifestyle for Driftwood Capital, Alinio brings his 25+ years of luxury and lifestyle hospitality experience to lead Driftwood Capital’s further expansion into these segments, as well as to support Driftwood Hospitality’s management and operating expertise in highly-amenitized, service-focused and mixed- use properties. Most recently, prior to joining Driftwood Capital, Alinio was CEO of Aspen Hospitality, where he led the company’s management and expansion strategies as well as oversaw the operation of its portfolio of owned and operated hotels and residences. These consisted of The Little Nell, Aspen’s only Five-Star, Five-Diamond, ski-in/ski-out hotel, and its affiliated Residences at The Little Nell, both located at the base of Aspen Mountain; and the upscale Limelight Hotel Aspen and Limelight Hotel Snowmass in Colorado, as well as the Limelight Hotel Ketchum/Sun Valley in Idaho and the Limelight Hotel in Denver. Alinio also managed $700M in capital deployment to initiate development of three new hotel properties in Mammoth Lakes, Boulder, and New York City under the Limelight and The Little Nell brands. Alinio was also a global board member of Relais & Chateaux. Alinio’s twenty-five-year career also includes hotel/resort acquisitions and development for Loews Hotels, the opening of a Miami development office and brand expansion in the Americas for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, hospitality and real estate advisory services for Ernst and Young LLP in Miami, and hotel investment and development for Cardel Hotels. An internationally-experienced and quadrilingual industry professional, Alinio’s past experiences include investor relations and projects in North America, Caribbean, Latin Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Community involvement has always been vital to Alinio as a third-generation Rotary International member and as a board-member of the American Business Immigration Council, a bi-partisan group of business leaders which promotes policy changes in support of immigrant families. As a former adjunct Professor of Hospitality Feasibility in the Hospitality Management Master’s Program at Florida International University, Alinio served as a mentor to the next generation of hospitality leaders. Alinio recently completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, has an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, Brazil. Alinio has also attended the École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales (ESSEC) in Paris, France.

Samantha Ahuja, Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Hospitality Practice, focuses her practice on hotel acquisitions, operations, development and finance, hotel management agreements, licensing agreements, and commercial real estate acquisition and sale. She advises domestic and international clients on the acquisition and disposition of hotels and other commercial property, hotel management and operations, franchising, licensing and branding, restaurant management agreements, lease negotiations, and casino agreements. She regularly prepares and negotiates purchase and sale agreements, financing and development agreements, and other documents related to the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, management, and disposition of real and personal property with a focus on hotels and resorts. Samantha regularly works on complex transactions involving a combination of hotels, resorts, condominiums, food and beverage facilities, and other shared access amenities. She also advises her clients on traditional and investor financing, joint ventures and capital and legal structures for complex transactions. She works regularly with her clients on piecing together the various aspects of a deal while taking into balancing the business and legal objectives of the client. Samantha works closely with her clients to address operational issues that arise over the course of ownership. Most recently, she counsels clients on a wide range of blockchain related matters, from anti-money laundering and know-your-customer best practices for cryptocurrency transactions to legal issues associated with novel uses of blockchain within the hospitality industry. Samantha also serves as pro bono counsel to many affordable housing cooperatives and tenant associations with the District of Columbia. She works with her clients to find alternative financing, investors or other government grants to maintain long-term housing affordability.

Jason Reader serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Davidson Hospitality, bringing over 25 years of experience in hospitality leadership. After joining Remington in 2021 as Senior Vice President of Operations, he quickly ascended to Executive Vice President of Operations before taking on his current role as Chief Operating Officer. Jason leads all company operations in this capacity, focusing on driving operational excellence, implementing streamlined management systems, and expanding Remington’s footprint as a leading third-party management company. In his role, Reader oversees all company operations, engineering, and food & beverage, focusing on driving operational excellence, implementing streamlined management systems, and expanding Remington’s footprint as a leading third-party management company. Before joining Remington, Reader was the Chief Operating Officer at Magna Hospitality, leading operational strategy across the company’s portfolio. Before that, he spent 15 years at Pyramid Hotel Group, holding several leadership roles, including over four years as Senior Vice President of Operations. There, he managed a portfolio of more than 50 hotels, overseeing the lifestyle/independent division and a range of full- and select-service properties under top lodging brands across the U.S. With a deep understanding of third-party management and a proven track record of optimizing hotel operations, Reader continues to shape Remington’s strategic growth and reinforce its reputation as a premier hospitality management company.

Claudia Jean (She/Her) is a Luxury Hospitality Leader at Lutron Electronics, partnering with owners, designers, and operators to deliver refined lighting and shading solutions for high-end hospitality projects across the CALA region. With a background in architecture and interior design, she brings a thoughtful balance of creative vision, technical expertise, and client-focused leadership to every project. Claudia holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture and has practiced professionally in Washington, DC and New York City before transitioning into luxury residential and hospitality sales. She also completed advanced studies in Interior Lighting Design, deepening her ability to translate design intent into immersive, performance-driven guest experiences. Influenced by a multicultural upbringing and a deep appreciation for the built environment, Claudia believes luxury is defined not only by aesthetics, but by how a space makes people feel. She is passionate about using intentional lighting to elevate hospitality environments, support wellbeing, and create memorable, human-centered experiences.

Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos is the co-founder, President, and COO of Flag Luxury Group, a real estate development firm focused on luxury hotels, boutique hotels, and retail. Dayssi oversees all aspects of the firm’s initiatives, including site selection, finance, acquisitions, branding, management contracts, design, programming, zoning, construction, and asset management. Her renowned portfolio includes the 250-key Ritz-Carlton New York (named a “Best Hotel in New York” by Condé Nast Traveler), ICON Park (named among the “Best Things To Do in Orlando” by US News) and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, South Beach – a collection of “beach houses in the sky” setting a new standard of Miami luxury. Before joining Flag Luxury, Dayssi worked as a commercial real estate financial analyst and broker in New York. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, where she has served on the Board and as a guest lecturer in its 45th Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Dayssi is a valued member of the President's Council of Cornell Women and the Trustee Council of the University. She holds a Master’s in Real Estate Development and Finance from NYU. Dayssi is also the co-founder of Women’s Power Series, a nonprofit empowering women entrepreneurs through accessible networking events. She is the founder of The Friends of New Yorkers for Children, which supports children in foster care through education, mentoring, and career initiatives. She serves on the board of Save Venice, the largest private nonprofit dedicated to preserving the art and architecture of Venice. Dayssi has been honored with multiple industry accolades, including CRE Women in Real Estate, the Casita Maria Medal of Honor, and the Maryhaven Philanthropist of the Year, and has been inducted into Hospitality Design’s Platinum Circle for their lifetime achievement award. Website: flagluxury.com

Todd Tyler is an accomplished interior designer, furniture designer, and creative leader with over two decades of experience in the industry. He is currently the Chief Creative Officer of Studio IDC, a full-service Miami-based interior design and procurement firm specializing in luxury residential and hospitality projects. After earning his BFA in Interior Design from The Art Institute, Todd worked with Kenneth Brown Design in Los Angeles, then moved on as a Senior Designer with Jennifer Bradford Davis Interior Design, where he collaborated on a range of high-profile residential projects in NYC and Mustique. Todd also served as a furniture designer for Blue Leaf Hospitality, where he created case goods, indoor and outdoor seating, upholstery, tables, and banquettes for the hospitality and commercial industries. His work has been featured in national design publications and received praise for its beauty, functionality, and attention to detail. Throughout his career, Todd has been recognized for his professionalism and dedication to the tenets of interior design. He draws inspiration from all forms of art, including fine art, film, fashion, music, and theater, and in his downtime can often be found visiting museums around the world. As a former competitive elite gymnast, Todd learned valuable life lessons such as always putting your whole heart into everything you do, discipline, competitive spirit, and accountability, which continue to serve his colleagues and clients today. He is a proud member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and holds certification from the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), two of the most respected professional organizations in the industry.