Bal Harbour

Alexa Isbell Wolman You'll notice Alexa Isbell Wolman's bright smile and piercing blue eyes right away. As a trustee of the Pérez Art Museum Miami, Wolman advises on funding, management and engagement through programming. "Our mission is to mirror the diversity of Miami by highlighting artists from the US Latino experience, the African diaspora, Latin America and the Caribbean," she says. After hours, Wolman is also first and foremost a family woman, and has found a silver lining in lockdown in all of the extra time she's been able to spend with her husband and daughter. Tell us about your philanthropic work. I am a Trustee of the Pérez Art Museum, which is truly unique in its mission to mirror the diversity of Miami in its collection and exhibitions. By showcasing the diversity of 20th and 21st century artists, PAMM's programs seek to educate and ensure that all people can participate in a conversation that shares art as its center. I am also involved with the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which I believe is crucial to preserve in order for us to understand the future through the past. Vizcaya was actually ground-breaking in its initiatives involving environmental preservation and local farming. What are your favorite shops at Bal Harbour? This has been such a challenging year for philanthropies, so I am very impressed that retailers like Valentino have gone out of their way to support the local community. I also love Miu Miu and Gucci, who really strike a chord with me fashion-wise and have also historically been suortive of iami's hilanthroic institutions. nd, selfishly, I love Books & Books because I love reading and fear a future with no bookstores to roam around in! What do you enjoy most about your professional life? My husband and I have a venture capital fund that invests in healthcare. What I love most about this is the opportunity to help people, especially in this unprecedented time. We've been working with companies on a daily basis to provide Covid testing options to ensure that their employees can return to work in the safest way possible. And, we've been able to extend this knowledge to the local community by helping our charities weather the crisis through facilitating Covid testing for their various fundraising initiatives. What is your favorite BHS restaurant and your menu go-to? I love everything about Makoto—the beautiful ambiance and especially the outdoor seating. On a perfect day, I'd start with the cauliower and Shishito peppers, followed by the Negi Toro Maki and an array of sushi. And, I love Makoto's selection of Daiginjo sakes. You m ay re c og n i ze s i x-t i me Em m y w i n ne r Pa me la S i l va a s t he c o-a nc hor of Un i v i s i on's P r i me r I m pac to news s how. B or n i n Pe r u a nd ra i s e d i n M i a m i, S i l va ha s ro o te d he rs e l f i n t he c om m u n i t y i n nu me rou s way s— i nc l u d i n g e s t a bl i s h i n g a s c hola rs h i p f u nd a t F lor i d a I n te r n a t i on a l Un i vers i t y, he r a l m a m a te r. hat was it lie to receive your rst mmy and what inspires you most aout your work? When your colleagues recognize your work, especially when there's so much sacrifice, it's really gratif ying. I think the most imor tant ar t of our work as journalists is telling the stories of people who are looking for justice. We're able to ser ve our community and to give voices to the voiceless. You gave birth during the pandemic and have a new baby. Congratulations! What are some of the ways motherhood has changed you? otherhood has changed me in a lot of ways. s you can imagine, being a firsttime mom is already ver y over whelming, then, on top of that, add a pandemic. It has definitely been a transformational year that involved a lot of adating. y son, ord, is my new purpose in life and he has put a lot of things in perspec tive for me. He has made this past year the best of my life. What do you think makes Miami especially unique? I've always believed that the way Miami has grown is due to its diversity and its immigrant communities. or me, the fac t that it's so color ful is what makes iami beautiful and why it continues to shine among other cities. Can you tell us a little bit more about your scholarship? When I star ted the scholarship I knew that I wanted to do something to give back and thank ever yone who had helped me along the way. One of the things I struggled with the most when I was a college student was having to work at the same time, so I hope we're able to alleviate that stress for other students with this fund. The scholarship star ted out with journalism students and then we expanded it to include business students as well. It has become like a family; we keep a ver y close network with former students. One of our recipients is now star ting his own fund at I, so we're already seeing the net generation of givers. Which are some of your go-to brands for accessories? I am a huge shoe and urse collec tor. I love endi, leandre irman and aint Laurent. And now that I have a baby, I'm looking for ward to all of the baby shops. Pamela Silva 110 BAL HARBOUR

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