Francis X. Suarez is the 43rd Mayor of Miami. As the first Miami-born mayor, he is committedto building a Miami that lasts forever and welcomes everyone. First elected with a mandate of 86 percent and then re-elected with a mandate of 79 percent, Mayor Suarez has championed the integration of climate adaptive technologies, building practices, and economic policies across all facets of government as part of his Miami Forever Plan. Under his leadership, Miami has cut crime and cut taxes to one of their lowest points in over fifty years, spurring an economic resurgence and expansion across Miami. Mayor Suarez has also pursued a package of affordable
housing reforms that leverages federal opportunity zones with the activation of underutilized land to increase access to affordable housing and homeownership for working people and communities of color. Most recently, Mayor Suarez has championed the development of Miami’s tech economy through Venture Miami along with initiatives that connect education and job training to Miami’s new emerging economic sectors such as Fintech, Medtech, and Greentech.

As the son of former Miami Mayor, Xavier L. Suarez, Mayor Suarez learned the values of public service and servant-leadership along with the need for economic opportunity, fairness, equal rights, and reconciliation for all. Mayor Suarez earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida International University, graduating in the top ten percent of his class, and then received his law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he graduated cum
laude. Mayor Suarez was recently selected to serve as an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow and was also named as a Time Future 100 Leader and as a Forbes 50 Top Leaders. Mayor Suarez currently serves as Vice President and has been elected to serve as President of the US Conference of Mayors for the 2022-2023 term. He currently practices law with Quinn Emmanuel LLP, an international law firm. Mayor Suarez is married to Gloria Fonts Suarez. They have a son, Andrew Xavier, and a daughter, Gloriana Pilar. They love Miami and consider themselves blessed to raise their family in the Magic City.

Ximena Caminos is Cultural Entrepreneur, an internationally recognized non-traditional curator, cultural agitator, and philanthropist who has been shaping the global arts scene and beyond for over two decades. With a keen interest in bridging culture, community-building, and urban development, she has been appointed Artistic Visionary Planner for The Underline, the largest public art project in the U.S. She is also the former Artistic Director and Chair of Faena Art, Partner and CCO of the multi-awarded Faena Districts. 

Most recently, Ximena leads several approaches to promote ocean conservation and combat climate change. She is the founder of the cross-disciplinary cultural platform HoneyLab and the nonprofit BlueLab Preservation Society, the co-founder of Aorist, a new blockchain technology for social good, and advisor for ClimateCoin, a carbon trading cryptocurrency launching this year. Ximena is also the founder of ReefLine, a 7-mile underwater public sculpture park, slated to open in 2022 off Miami Beach’s shoreline.

The Miami Design District is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood that combines luxury shopping, galleries, museums, design stores, restaurants, and major art and design installations all within an architecturally significant context. The Miami Design District is owned and operated by Miami Design District Associates, a partnership between Dacra, founded and owned by visionary entrepreneur Craig Robins, and L Catterton Real Estate, a global real estate development and investment fund, specializing in creating luxury shopping destinations. As Miami becomes increasingly known for its own rich culture, the growth of the Miami Design District further reflects how the city is deserving of its place on the global stage.