Carlos Rodriguez Sr. founded Driftwood Acquisitions & Development (DAD) in 2015. Carlos’ journey started well before his latest enterprise. Carlos is the former Chairman and CEO of Cardel Hotels – a group of affiliated hotel management, ownership and development companies based in Miami, Florida. In 2003, Cardel Group merged with Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM). By 2011, DHM grew to more than 30 hotels worldwide and as Executive Vice President of Acquisitions and Development, Carlos helped the company grow into one of the largest hotel operators in the country. DHM, today, employs over 4,000 associates and manages more than 9,000 rooms. In 2015, Carlos realized a need for a private equity fund that eliminated the middleman and provided investors with the opportunity to pick and choose the projects they wish to pursue. He set out, with DHM’s support, to create a revolutionary business model in DAD. Since inception, Carlos and the DAD team have seen incredible results, proving the need in the market and consistently surpassing targeted results.

Carlos is the recipient of numerous awards including Entrepreneur of the year for the Doral Chamber of Commerce, the National Excellence in Construction award from the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., and Hotelier of the Year award from the National Hispanic Association of Hoteliers. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. In the past he was Vice Chairman of the Hospital System and Pension System of the Country of Costa Rica (CCSS), and he was a Board Member of the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (CABEI).

A well-known and venerated industry veteran, Richard Millard was at the helm of Trust Hospitality for over three decades before joining Highgate to lead business development and owner relations efforts in the region. Prior to joining Trust, the UK-born hotelier served in management positions with some of the world’s most recognized hotel companies, including Hyatt, Sheraton and Hilton. A self-described “lifetime hotelier,” Richard continues to guide Trust’s development and growth.

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

Over the past 29 years, as co-founder and CEO of Straticon, Jeff along with his co-founder in business and life, Chris Hardin, have grown their once-regional painting firm into what is today, one South Florida’s leading general contracting firms. Known for their general contractor and construction management services, Straticon has completed over 200 construction projects worth over $2 Billion dollars in markets including hospitality, multi-family, condominium, marina, retail, and mixed-use…just to name a few. Recent projects include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Residences in Boca Raton, Las Olas Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Walkers Cay in the Bahamas, Hotel Maren, Sonesta and Gale Boutique Hotels in Fort Lauderdale.