On Saturday, March 12, United Way Miami’s Young Leaders hosted their sixth annual Build Your Own Brunch (B.Y.O.B) at the Intercontinental Miami. Nearly 400 people attended the interactive cooking and eating experience that allows guests to cook, eat and drink under the tutelage of some of Miami’s most creative and innovative chefs while benefiting United Way Miami and its mission to build a stronger Miami through education, financial stability, and health.
United Way Miami’s Young Leaders are an engaged group of young professionals – 40 and younger who are dedicated to building a stronger Miami. This year’s event was co-chaired by Jonathan Alfonso of Portal Real Estate and Jake Freeman of Colliers. Donations reached over $170,000 – a record-breaking amount that will benefit United Way Miami.
This year’s line-up of all-star chefs included Oscar del Rivero, chef and restaurateur of Coconut Grove staple, Jaguar Restaurant; Karla Hoyos, Miami New Times’s 2022 Best Chef and disaster relief head chef for World Central Kitchen; and Giorgio Rapicavoli, chef and owner of Luca Osteria and the new location of Miami favorite, Eating House. In addition to preparing the three-course brunch, guests enjoyed networking and bidding on live auction items, such as private dining experiences and lavish travel packages.
“B.Y.O.B has become a highly anticipated event for our young professionals, donors and volunteers,” said Karla Hernandez, Senior Vice President, Development at United Way Miami. It is inspiring to see our young professionals come together to benefit the most vulnerable residents in our community. We hope their efforts encourage the next generation of business and community leaders to continue United Way’s ongoing mission to make our Miami a better place to live for everyone,” continued Hernandez.
Sponsors of the Sixth Annual B.Y.O.B. included: Executive Chef Presenting Sponsors JP Morgan Chase & CO and King Ocean Services; Hollandaise Sponsors H&CO and The Keyes Company; Bearnaise Sponsors Amazon, AT&T, Bilzin Sumberg, GreenbergTraurig, Holland & Knight, Panorama, and Ryder; and Florentine Sponsors Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, BDO, Colliers International, Hunton Andrews Kurth, Jackson Health System, Jones Day, Kaufman Rossin, Landmark Surveying & Associates, Inc, Mastec, Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, Northern Trust, PNC, Portal Opening Doors, Quirch Foods, Royal Caribbean Group, Stearns Weaver Miller, TD Bank, United Property Management, University of Miami, and Winston & Strawn.