Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Julie Benlevi-Zeff

CEO and founder, Blinked.com

Before it became part of a larger national dialogue thanks to the popular nonprofit that adopted it as a name, “girls who code” was simply a phrase to characterize women, like Julie Benlevi-Zeff, who blazed trails with their early, groundbreaking work in the digital space. Following the successful launch, in 2002, and subsequent sale, for $11 million in 2008, of Benlevi-Zeff’s first luxury “e-zine,” JULIB.com, the self described entrepreneur returned to her medium of choice in 2014 with Blinked.com, a site that aggregates recommendations (from users who can include your friends, favorite celebrities and other influencers) for everything from restaurants to vacation destinations. Think Yelp, minus the crazies, plus the bonus of suggestions already tailored to your personal preferences. If her track record is any indication, Benlevi-Zeff’s output of the type of life-improving businesses she’s made a career developing only stands to grow in step with the rapid pace of technology itself.

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Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Jeff Blau

CEO and partner, Related Companies

Since breaking ground, in 2012, on Hudson Yards—the 28-acre neighborhood redevelopment project on Manhattan’s west side with a projected total cost nearing $1 billion—all eyes have been on Related Companies, the organization overseeing the endeavor, and its CEO and partner, Jeff Blau. Already a new home for commerce (companies like Coach, L’Oreal, and Boston Consulting began occupying the first of the area’s completed skyscrapers this year), the mixed-use development is set to open a second commercial building in 2017, followed by additional retail and residential spaces and cultural landmarks like the Vessel—a futuristic public structure that’s expected to draw crowds to rival those at the Eiffel Tower—before its scheduled completion in 2025. “There will be thousands of new residences and more office space than what is currently available in downtown San Diego,” Blau says of the project, which spans the area between Tenth and 12th Avenues from West 30th to West 34th Street.

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Bloomberg / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Louise Camuto

Chief Creative Officer, Camuto Group

If anyone could fill the massive shoes of Vince Camuto—the visionary footwear designer who died in 2015 after founding Nine West, among other companies—it would be his widow, Louise Camuto. Formerly the creative director and president of marketing at Camuto Group, Louise assumed her current position (overseeing the creative on almost a dozen brands) shortly after her husband’s passing, and has since shepherded its lucrative lines (Jessica Simpson, Vince Camuto, BCBGMAXAZRIA, and more) to new heights. In 2015, the same year Louise took the reins as CCO, Vince Camuto was awarded Women’s Collection of the year by industry bible Footwear Plus—just one of many accolades she and the company have received as its next chapter continues to unfold. If this year’s expansion of the already successful line ED Ellen Degeneres (which Camuto Group launched in the fall of 2015) from shoes to handbags is any indication, the praise for Louise and her company doesn’t stand to slow any time soon.

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Courtesy of Louise Camuto

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Michael Capponi and Gideon Kimbrell

Co-founders, InList

Not long ago, common knowledge dictated that “knowing a guy” at the door of any hot nightclub was imperative to getting in, which meant the most social of butterflies might have entire rolodexes filled with bouncers alone. The 2014 launch of InList—dubbed the “Uber for nightlife”—and its signature app turned this notion on its head, and now, common knowledge dictates you need only know two guys: its founders, the nightclub promoter, Michael Capponi, and the software engineer, Gideon Kimbrell. In the years since, the two—both longtime South Floridans—have grown their technology-meets-hospitality company to not only grant exclusive access to nightlife in 45 cities around the world (from Miami to Paris to Dubai), but also to one-of-a-kind special events, from concerts to festivals to sports games. Rounding out their team with in-the-know experts (like the CEO of this publication), Capponi and Kimbrell have positioned InList to be the best in class when it comes to the type of concierge services its growing number of well-traveled patrons deserve.

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Google / DuJour.com

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Mike Collins

CEO, co-founder and principal partner, sales, IMI Living

In the 25-plus years since founding IMI Living with his brother Dan, in 1990, Mike Collins has built a reputation as the go-to guy for elite travelers looking to buy homes at the most luxurious resorts across North America and in the Caribbean. Whether beachfront or on the range, the properties in IMI’s immaculately curated portfolio—which is overseen by Mike and includes the just-opened Four Seasons Anguilla, Northern California’s Martis Camp, and Jackson Hole’s Snake River Sporting Club, among others—share key details important to the most savvy of travelers: abundant natural spoils and exclusivity (in membership and geography). Among Mike and IMI Living’s newest developments are Colorado’s Summit Sky Ranch, a mountain community with residences scattered across 416 acres of unspoiled wilderness, and Tahoe Beach Club, which, when it debuts next year, will be the home of the first luxury condos to open on the iconic California lake in three decades.

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Jason Binn/WireImage

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Jordan Duffy

TV personality, writer

It takes a special type of reporter to both cover headlines and make them. But, earlier this year, Jordan Duffy did just that when she followed a red carpet interview with football star Rob Gronkowski (about his feature in this publication's Summer 2015 issue) with an appearance on the New England Patriots tight end’s arm as his date to the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscars party. Since then, Duffy has been a fixture (as both a journalist and attendee) on the most buzzed about red carpets, from LA Fashion Week to People’s “Ones to Watch” party to the InStyle Awards.

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Phillip Faraone / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Bill Fischer & Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal

Fischer Travel

In 1989, the New York Times dubbed Fischer Travel (then Fischer Travel Enterprises) founder Bill Fischer a “travel agent so exclusive he’s unlisted.” Nearly three decades later, somewhat incredibly, the designation still rings true. The company, which Bill now runs with daughter Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal, has only grown more exclusive in the years since (name another service that can convince chef Thomas Keller to close The French Laundry for one night in order to cook a private dinner elsewhere), and still does not list a phone number (as Stacy has said, “when you’re our client, you have our cell phone.”). Another element that has remained essential to the Fischers’ business throughout: unparalleled customer service. “We are on-call for our clients all the time,” Stacy has said. “And there is always somebody to take care of anything.” Patronage may come at a price (the initiation fee is six figures), but as time has shown, every penny proves to be well spent.

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Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times / Google

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Lepa Galeb-Roskopp

Designer, Misahara fine jewelry

Since Lepa Galeb-Roskopp opened her fine jewelry line, Misahara’s, first boutique at New York’s Plaza Hotel, in late 2014, the designer’s intricate baubles—inspired by her love for the natural beauty of Europe’s Balkan Peninsula and its bordering Adriatic Sea—have been spotted on such fashionable icons as model Carmen Dell’Orefice and in such fashionable magazines as Town & Country. Demand for her exquisite rings, necklaces, bracelets and more quickly lead to the opening of a shop at Montenegro’s luxe marina, Porto Montenegro, followed by debuts at Neiman Marcus stores in Palo Alto and Beverly Hills and the opulent British accessories boutique, Frost of London. Recent partnerships with such esteemed brands as Aurae Lifestyle and Cire Trudon have minted Galeb-Roskopp’s position among the global chic set, cementing her as must-have designer in the wardrobe of sophisticates worldwide.

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Google / DuJour.com

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Andrew Heiberger

CEO and founder, TOWN Residential

In the six years since it was founded, in 2010, TOWN Residential has risen rapidly to become one of—if not arguably the—preeminent luxury real estate firm in New York City. The man behind its impressive growth is Andrew Heiberger, whose unparalleled knowledge of his market has positioned him as the go-to guy for everyone from celebrities to titans of industry looking for a home in the Big Apple. “The 23rd Street corridor, which was once a retail area, is now seriously appreciating [in value],” Heiberger says of one Manhattan neighborhood that’s white hot right now, before adding, “The areas south of 34th Street, moving east from Chelsea all the way to Gramercy Park, are thriving.” While a rumored merger with the Beverly Hills firm, The Agency, earlier this year never came to fruition, the mere talk of it indicates Heiberger’s desire to expand his successful enterprise beyond its current market—one of many reasons he and TOWN are worth keeping an eye on.

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Google / Business Wire

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Adam Hochfelder

Managing Director of Real Estate Acquisitions & Development, Merchants Hospitality

Just as Manhattan’s skyline is ever changing, so too are the careers of the players in the high-stakes game of New York City real estate. Adam Hochfelder, who, over the course of his career, has overseen the development of countless luxury properties in addition to serving on the city’s economic development committee under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is a prime example: upon beginning his next chapter at Merchants Hospitality, the executive has, in a little more than two short years, done upwards of $300 million in deals. These include acquisitions of Times Square’s Brill Building, as well as of the global hospitality brand, Phillipe Chow, among other key transactions.

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Rabbani and Solimene Photography / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Maya Lalo

Co-founder, A’Louest

In French slang, a’louest (which literally translates to “to the west”) is used to describe something quirky, eccentric or unique—three words that couldn’t be more accurate descriptors for the fledgling accessories brand started by Maya Lalo and her sister Noa. Where most women-founded shoe brands might begin by catering to clients of their own kind, the sisters Lalo instead chose the opposite sex as their inspiration. Since launching their collection of covetable men’s boots, sneakers, wingtips and leather accessories (which are all handcrafted in Italy) a little more than a year ago, the styles have quickly become en vogue in their home city of Miami, where each piece is designed. As the company’s buzz only continues to build, we reckon it’s only a matter of time before well-heeled gents across the globe are noticed stepping out in its various styles.

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@mayalaloo

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Jonathan Levine

CEO and founder, Master & Dynamic

Chances are that if you’ve recently spotted any stylish individual from New York to Paris sporting headphones, done a double take and thought, “I need those,” the audio equipment you covet is designed by Master & Dynamic. Since launching the brand, in 2014, Founder and CEO Jonathan Levine has been lauded for creating products that meet the standards of two very different, but equally important (and particular), demographics: hardcore audiophile tech types and fashion-forward trendsetters. While design is central to each style Levine oversees the creation of, it’s never at the expense of sound quality, two reasons why all of Master & Dynamic’s releases have been met with sheer delight from its exponentially growing fan base. With a new wireless on-ear style recently added to its collection, and rumblings of further expansions, the profiles of Levine and his company are only likely to rise in the coming year.

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Christopher Sturman

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Danielle Naftali

Manager of Marketing and Design, Naftali Group

These days, most college graduates are lucky to simply land a job within two years of graduating, let alone assume a significant role at a major corporation. But the latter is exactly what Danielle Naftali did within months of departing Syracuse University. In her current role, she has overseen such important events for the Naftali Group—the real estate firm owned by her father, Miki Naftali—as the opening of its newest luxury apartment house, The Shephard, in New York’s West Village. Danielle’s father isn’t the only one to recognize her natural talent for the business: She herself was the subject of a recent profile in the Wall Street Journal, in which she displayed little worry about the challenges a woman might face in her largely male dominated profession. “If you produce for the company, it doesn’t matter what gender you are,” she told the Journal.

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Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Joseph Nakash

CEO, Jordache Enterprises

To call Joseph Nakash a renaissance man would be an understatement. Since starting the denim line, in the late ‘60s, with brothers Raphael (Ralph) and Abraham (Avi) that would put their family’s name on the fashion map, he, his siblings, and their heirs have grown their eponymous organization to include such diverse—and lucrative—holdings as an airline, commercial and residential buildings (including the late Gianni Versace’s Miami mansion), marinas and ports on shores worldwide and a Tel Aviv-based tomato processing plant, to name a few. Of the strategy that his now multi-million dollar business is based upon, Nakash, who reportedly arrived in the U.S. with $25 in his pocket, has said, “The formula for our success, and our motivation, is simple: Never sell, only buy, and think in terms of generational growth.” More recently, the mogul has set his focus on helping to develop one of his adopted city of New York’s most buzzed about new landmarks: The New York Wheel, on Staten Island, which, when complete, will be the world’s tallest observation wheel. Now set to open in 2018, all eyes will surely be on the site, and its backers, as the structure rises over the coming year.

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Manny Hernandez / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Jason Rabin

Chief Merchandising Officer and President, North America, Global Brands Group

If you don’t know Jason Rabin, chances are you know his work. Since 2014, the fashion executive has overseen the merchandising strategy for a portfolio of more than a dozen globally recognized brands that include Bebe, Joe’s and Juicy Couture—which this year had fashion bibles from Elle to Vogue celebrating the comeback of its signature tracksuit (which was shown on the Paris Couture runway in July in the form of a collaboration with street-wear label of the moment, Vetements). 2016 also saw the addition of Kenneth Cole New York to Rabin’s robust portfolio, an acquisition about which he has said, “We believe that the Kenneth Cole brand has tremendous potential to resonate with consumers far beyond levels it is currently reaching… and look forward to taking it to new phases of growth.”

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Jason Binn / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Rob Ronen

Co-owner, Material Good

It’s more or less a fact now that the words “luxury” and “experience” are somewhat synonymous, which is why the most forward-thinking retail destinations, like New York’s Material Good, co-founded by Rob Ronen in 2015, are taking great strides to combine the two. Ronen’s SoHo shop—like its fashionable neighbor, The Apartment by The Line—is among those destinations that have, over the past two years, redefined the retail experience (think less “store” and more perfectly curated living space where everything happens to be on sale). While Material Good’s goods run the gamut from art to furniture to fancy playthings like foosball tables, Ronen’s inventory of timepieces—both new and vintage—has earned particular recognition. Of this, Ronan has said: “Traditionally, watch and jewelry retail has focused on just two things: product and price. But our focus is service—and providing a luxurious experience from beginning to end.”

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Eugene Gologursky / Getty Images

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

David Seelinger

Chairman and CEO, EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffered Services

Anyone who’s ridden a subway, or in the back of certain cabs (or Ubers, for that matter), knows there’s a big difference between getting somewhere, and getting somewhere in style. Arguably nobody understands this better than David Seelinger who, for more than three decades, has shuttled the rich, the famous, and all types of sophisticated passengers in between with the fleet of luxury vehicles that comprise his EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffered Services (or EmpireCLS, for short). Cadillac Escalade? No problem. Mercedes Benz S-Class? You got it. Rolls-Royce? Phantom or Ghost, take your pick. Seelinger’s state-of-the-art inventory is only matched by his commitment to five-star service with the utmost discretion, and both are crucial to his success. So are strategic partnerships—like EmpireCLS’s recent union with Dav El | Boston Coach—which bore a new kind of ride-share app that offers the instant service customers have grown accustomed to with that very same quality Seelinger built his business upon.

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Donnelly Marks

Handpicked: DuJour’s People to Know in 2017

Take a cue from our little black book and get to know the movers and shakers to watch in the coming year

Written by Editors at DuJour

Carmen Tal

Co-Founder, Moroccanoil

It seems too perfect that the idea which led to one of the world’s leading, multimillion dollar beauty businesses was inspired by—what else—a salon treatment. But that’s exactly how Moroccanoil Co-Founder Carmen Tal says she was first introduced to her products’ main ingredient: argan oil. In less than a decade, she has built a wildly lucrative—and effective—collection of potions for hair, skin and more using this naturally sourced element, with more highly anticipated debuts to come. Tal’s passion for her business is only rivaled by her commitment to empowering women with its success. Moroccanoil’s “Inspired by Women” video series, invites notable female personalities like fashion designer Georgina Chapman and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to share their own journeys toward finding empowerment.

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moroccanoil.com