Greeting from the President Claudio Riedi
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…And once again a year has gone by, and we are heading into the busy holiday season. Art Basel is looming on the horizon, Oktoberfests have passed, and cooler weather is creeping in. This means that the GABC’s annual holiday gala is just around the corner. Our dedicated staff, together with our events committee (including new Board Members Madhu Mehta and Ellen von Geyso) are hard at work organizing our Gala for December 3, 2019. Yes, we know it is an early holiday gala, and yes, Art Basel kicks in the day after the Gala, but it is very difficult to find a date that suits everyone. As we get closer to the Holidays, there are firm parties, family events, and vacation schedules to consider. Thus: December 3, 2019: Gala Night. Be there or be square. Once again, we will have fantastic auction prices and many surprises. Save the date. Early Weihnachten.
And hopefully, we will also be able to welcome our new Consul General, Mr. Andreas Siegeland his lovely life partner Ms. Agnès Meyberger. He has taken his post with gusto, and shown great interest in the mission of the GABC. We are looking forward to the coming years of cooperation and exchanges between the GABC and the German Generalkonsulat.
This issue of our newsletter is once again chockfull of information, giving you the tools to connect and interact with the German-American business community in Miami. Take advantage of what we offer. Place and advertisement or a news story in the newsletter. Be seen. That has always been the secret of my success: Late to bed, early to rise, work like heck – and advertise.
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Meet our new Consul General
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After saying goodbye to our previous Consul General, Ms. Annette Klein, we offer a warm welcome to Mr. Andreas Siegel, who will be filling in her place at the consulate.
Mr. Siegel officially started on September 10th. We had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Siegel during the “Humboldt, a Journey into the American Nature“ event presented by the German and Mexican consulates last July as well as at the reception to celebrate the Day of German Unity hosted by the Consul General and Ms. Agnés Meyberger.
We are happy to welcome you to Miami and are very looking forward to working together with you!
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Help our community grow and as a reward your membership renewal will be free of charge for 2020.
Requirements:
Find/mobilize 3 or more new members to sign up with the GABC at your membership level or higher You can find our application form with all membership details at:
https://gabc.us/Application
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When: Wednesday, November 13th, 2019
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
1063 SW 8th St,
Miami, FL 33130
Join us and our member
LifeCann MD
for an educational Happy Hour about the benefits of Medical Marijuana
Members: $0
Non-Members: $20
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EU Chambers
Networking Event
When: Thursday, November 21st
6:00 - 8:00 pm
1100 Brickell Bay Drive #106
Miami, FL 33131
The European Chambers are pleased to invite you to their next European Business Networking Event
Members: $0
Non-Members: $20
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December Events
The GABC's Annual Holiday Gala
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Food for Thought: GABC Member Insights
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Article submitted by
Ellen von Geyso
Attorney-at-Law und Rechtsanwaeltin
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Welcome Our Board of Director members
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Madhu Mehta
Here are some words expressed by Madhu Mehta:
My family and I are citizens of the World and I am fortunate enough to live on 3 Continents; Asia, Europe and North America. I am travelling all the time- in fact wake up every morning and ask, “where am I today?”
I was born in Saharanpur, UP, India to a Hindu family: married a German Catholic and raised two children in Baden Baden, Germany. My daughter married a Moroccan Muslim to complement our embrace of diversity.
As a textile designer, I built my own business “India Silk” in Germany of decorating fabrics which are all produced in India. I lived in Germany, 30 years and also started the Deutsche- Indische Gesellschaft in Baden Baden. We arranged chain performances in 27 cities in Germany of famous artists from India including Pandit Ravi Shankar. I was always grateful for the support received from the Indian Embassy in Berlin, when the Ambassadors would be present in the annual “India Week” in Baden Baden.
When my children came to the US to study, I never dreamed that I too, would one day, move here, part time. It was wonderful to have the children around and enjoy Miami’s beautiful weather and a panoramic view of the Ocean.
In 1996, whilst continuing my textile business in Germany, I opened “India Silk USA. Inc.” here in Miami which services the American clientele. In addition, I started the India US Chamber of Commerce INC., South Florida in 2005 which has come a long way in spite of the fact that there are so many Indian organizations in Florida. I gave up my Presidency in June 2019 and am now President Emeritus.
Between my business and private life in 3 countries, I enjoy my life “multitasking.”
My transition to the US was not at all difficult because I had been to American Boarding School in the Himalayas in India. I am grateful to my father who had the foresight to send his children to a Missionary school. I am still in touch with many of my classmates who are living in America and often have the opportunity to share memories at our class reunions.
For me, America is a wonderful melting pot of diverse cultures. My children with the German and Indian traditions embedded in them, are very much at home here. My son Kalyan is a pilot and has his own private airline charter company, here in Florida. My daughter Shalini is the proud mother of three daughters and is helping me in my silk business which she will take over one day. We have the good fortune to visit all 3 continents often which maintains the bond with our origins.
I have been a member of the GABC since 1997 and even had the honor of receiving the
Award of Excellence in the year 2008.
Website
INDIA SILK USA INC.
3801 N.E. 207th Street
Suite 1102
Aventura, Fl 33180
Tel: (305) 931-8257
Fax: (305) 937-4909
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Ellen von Geyso
We are very happy to introduce to you our new Member of the Board Ellen von Geyso who will serve as Director, and her law office Ellen von Geyso, PA as a new trustee member of the GABC.
A native of Hamburg, Germany, Ellen von Geyso moved to Miami in 1995. She is an attorney-at-law admitted in Florida and Germany. Ellen has been a member and active participant of the GABC for more than 20 years. For many years, she has supported the GABC and has also seen how beneficial the GABC has been to many of her German clients who have relocated to South Florida.
Ellen von Geyso PA is a German American law firm serving international clients with their US immigration needs. Ellen von Geyso, PA also advises on German immigration and citizenship law matters, including dual citizenship issues and restoration of German citizenship.
Ellen von Geyso
Attorney at Law and Rechtsanwältin
Ellen von Geyso PA
1395 Brickell Ave., Suite 900
Miami, Florida 33131
T: 305.967-9003
C: 305.298-4365
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Welcome Our New Trustee Member!
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DeLaRocca Corp
DeLaRocca, headquartered in Miami, is the US-real estate developer of Munich based Rosa-Alscher Group and specialized in offices, hotels, and apartments. We are a 360-degree solution that manages all aspects of projects, including acquisition, planning & design, financing, construction, and marketing. Our vision is to combine world-renowned German quality in engineering & construction with state-of-the-art design and architecture. Energy efficiency, sustainability, elegance, and comfort are our core focuses.
The Rosa-Alscher Group has been shaping the Munich cityscape with its projects for over three decades. The group includes the architecture firm SAM and SAM Plantech GmbH. They are responsible for providing architectural and general contracting services. In addition, the Rosa-Alscher Group offers a range of services covering all aspects of real estate development and construction project management. The Münchener Grundbesitz Verwaltungs GmbH (MGV) develops and executes all German real estate projects. At the moment, for example, we are developing the center of the new urban quarter Freiham Nord in Munich – the most significant district development in Germany.
Tony Zwicker
DeLaRocca Corp.
100 N Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33132
Phone: +1 305 742 7820
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Welcome Our New Individual Members!
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Alexander Rauser
Alexander Rauser is the author of Boardroom Guide to Digital Accountability and Digital Strategy: A Guide to Digital Business Transformation, and creator of the DSX Program, a digital strategy and transformation program for Enterprises.
When the first-ever MP3 players popped on the scene, followed in 2001 by Apple’s iPod, this new tech disrupted the music industry, including the company Alexander worked so passionately for. That event opened his eyes to just how quickly an entire industry can be turned on its head.
Based on these events he made it his personal mission to be a digital transformation expert and help enterprises across industries, by implementing practical methods of technology utilization, innovation, and operations transformation, he has helped countless brands improve their digital footprints.
His team has worked with companies of all sizes, from startups to multinational firms. Throughout this work, they have obtained a uniquely deep insight into the toughest digital transformation challenges faced by organizations today.
He founded his company, Prototype, in 2010. Prototype is a Digital Strategy & Transformation agency that offers organizations of all sizes a guide to achieving success in digital transformation via a highly skilled team of UX, development, and marketing experts.
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Wilbur A. Velarde
Wilbur joins our GABC following a career in the merchant marine, United States Coast Guard and the United States Foreign Service. With the US Government he has served overseas in Germany, Netherlands, Mexico, and Panama, and domestically in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Texas and the District of Columbia. He’s an alumnus of the US Coast Guard Academy (B.Sc. Naval Engineering), Eastern Connecticut State University (M.Sc. Organizational Management), and US Naval War College (M.A. National Security and Strategic Studies). While assigned to Germany he worked at the Consulate General Hamburg and on occasion as the Acting Consul General responsible for the consular region extending to Hamburg, Bremen, Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Following 20-plus years of active duty then reserve military service, Wilbur retired from the US Coast Guard in 2018 with the rank of Captain. And more recently, this September, Wilbur retired from the US Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer and following his last assignment as the Political Advisor and Political Military Officer of the United States Southern Command’s Directorate of Strategy, Policy and Plans. Since September 2018, Wilbur and his wife Melinda (nee Parcinski), their children Will and Bethany, plus their two cats and one dog, call Miami home.
To connect with Wilbur find him on
LinkedIn
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Sebastian Lang
Being a German national, Sebastian was born in Luxembourg and raised throughout Europe. He received a Bachelor of Science at the hospitality management school, École Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland. In 2007 he founded Lang & Schwander a company specializing in interior design and furnishing services for hotels (
www.Langschwander.com
). In 2011 he moved from Zürich to Miami with his company, since then developing his business throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. He plans to eventually return to Europe, together with his family and business.
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Welcome Our New Student Member!
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Neda Askari Tari
Please join us in welcoming our new student member Neda Askari Tari!
"I am interested in business and project development, energy consulting and technical advisor positions in Florida.
I have over 6 years of international work experience in Germany and the United States as a consultant and project developer. I have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical engineering and a master's in Energy engineering from RWTH Aachen. I am a German citizen and I am fluent in English and German. I will have the work authorization to work in the USA after my graduation, which will be from January- February 2020. I would be a great fit for the German companies in the United States based on my qualifications and work experience in both Germany and the U.S."
You can contact Neda through her
LinkedIn
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Sabrina Schmid
Please join us in welcoming our new student member Sabrina Schmid!
Sabrina is an Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) student at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton with a major in Hospitality Management. Sabrina recently joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the world’s most luxury cruise line owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. with headquarters in Miami, Fl. Sabrina permanently relocated to Florida from Constance, Germany in 2015. Prior to her position with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, she has worked as Director of Sales & Marketing with Florida Sun Magazine Inc., the leading German-speaking Florida tourism magazine. In her role with Florida Sun Magazine, Sabrina was actively engaged with the GABC in Miami. In Germany, she worked for ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Marine Propulsion Systems as Director of Marketing and Public Relations.
Sabrina holds a master’s degree of International Business Management with a major in International Marketing Management from University of Applied Sciences, Furtwangen, Germany. Her hobbies include travelling the world, diving, swimming, running, foreign cultures and reading. She is fluent in German, English, French and Spanish. Sabrina has lived and worked in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and the US. She lives in Coral Springs and Miami Beach with her husband Wolfgang.
Sabrina, we are happy to have you as a new member!
You can contact Sabrina through her
LinkedIn
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Dear GABC members,
We are happy to announce our new and updated GABC Benefits for members
!
What GABC Benefits?
All registered GABC members receive special discounts or promotions from our member/partner companies. With discounts for legal consultations to your restaurant bill, make sure you take advantage of these exclusive offers!
Who participates in the program?
How can I participate?
If you would like to promote your product/service and have a benefit you can provide our members, please contact us at
[email protected] to be included in the program.
Should you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to reach out back to us.
Kind regards,
The GABC Team
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Board of Directors Elections
Monday, September 9th, 2019
We all came together to elect our new Board of Directors.
We are happy to welcome Ellen von Geyso and Madhu Mehta who have newly joined our board.
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EU Chambers Technology Seminar "Conquering New Markets"
Tuesday, September 26th, 2019
285 Aragon Avenue,
Coral Gables, FL, 33134
The European Chambers were glad to organize this event for you!
We heard from three te
chnology leaders (
Spotify
,
Amadeus,
Twitter) their strategies to enter new markets, their barriers and the keys to success.
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Oktoberfest
Saturday, September 28th 2019
4218 Ponce de Leon Boulevard,
Coral Gables, FL, 33134
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Climate Change
Risks and Opportunities for Businesses
Tuesday, October 1st 2019
333 SE 2nd Avenue,
Miami, FL, 33131
The Jean Monnet Center of Excellence and the EU Chambers invited Yovita Ivanova to speak about this important topic.
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Day of German Unity
Hosted by: Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany
Mr. Andreas Siegel
Thursday, October 3rd 2019
Grand Ballroom
1200 Anastasia Ave
Coral Gables,FL 33134
Celebrating the reunification of the Federal Republic of Germany
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Bi-Monthly Stammtisch
Wednesday, October 16th 2019
3540 Main Hwy, Coconut Grove, 33133
The GABC held it's bi-monthly Stammtisch at the Ariete Restaurant in Coconut Grove. The Stammtisch is always a great way to meet and mingle with GABC members and friends.
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Roof Top Happy Hour
Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019
32
7 E Ro
yal Palm Blvd,
Boca Raton, FL 33432
We got the opportunity to share a wonderful evening with our guests and delicious drinks and appetizers.
We also received a private tour through the luxurious apartments of the building! All we can say is that the evening was perfect.
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The GABC offers job postings and internship assistance.
Companies and employers can publish their vacancies on our Facebook page, as well as in our upcoming newsletters.
For more information please contact the GABC by email: [email protected] or telephone 305-371-4282.
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Prices:
Members: free
Job Seekers - $50 per post
Companies and Employers - $100 per
post
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Publish Your Advertisement in our Newsletter
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If you are interested in publishing an advertising in the next GABC newsletter, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 305-371-4282.
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FOR GABC MEMBERS:
Price per section is:
$ 75 for business card size (approx. 5x9 cm / 2x3.5 inch)
$ 125 for third page ad (approx. 10x18 cm / 4x7 inch)
$ 135 for half page ad (approx. 14x21 cm / 5.5x8 inch)
$ 175 for 1 full page ad
Run ad for 2 Newsletters – receive 10% discount on second ads
Run ad for 3 Newsletters – receive 15% discount on second and third ads
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FOR NON-MEMBERS:
Price per section is:
$ 125 for business card size (approx. 5x9 cm / 2x3.5 inch)
$ 150 for third page ad (approx. 10x18 cm / 4x7 inch)
$ 175 for half page ad (approx. 14x21 cm / 5.5x8 inch)
$ 215 for 1 full page ad
Run ad for 2 Newsletters – receive 10% discount on second ad
Run ad for 3 Newsletters – receive 15% discount on second and third ad
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Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
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German American Chamber of Commerce
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German International Parents Association
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German American Social Club
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Stay Connected with the GABC
Dear GABC members and friends,
We are excited to announce we are increasing our presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We will come back with more stories and events for your joy!
We would love to connect with you and get your feedback.
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Claudio Riedi
President
Lehtinen Schultz, PLLC
Attorney at Law
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Lydia Harley
Vice- President
Kelley Kroneberg
Attorney at Law
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Timo A. Becker, J.D.
Treasurer
Becker International LAw
Attorney at Law
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Alexandra C. Peters
Secretary
Senior Global Real Estate Advisor
ONE Sotheby’s International Realty
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Dr. Volker Anding
Director
Ambassador (ret.)
International Consultant
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Monika Böhm-Fandiño
Director
Viva Action
TV Productions, Print, PR
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Alexander Evans
Director
Alexander J. Evans C.P.A.
Certified Public Accountant
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Nickel Goeseke
Director
Cervera, Realtor
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Svenja Hammerstein
Director
Real Estate Agent
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Madhu Mehta
Director
India Silk USA, Vice President
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Ellen von Geyso
Director
Ellen von Geyso PA,
Attorney at Law
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Miriam Moser
Director
Marketing Director VAPIANO US
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Christian Riehl
Director
TV Productions
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Jan Heck
Director
Miele USA
President
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Michael Claus
Founding Member of the GABC President Emeritus and Honorary Director of the Board
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Peter Jacobs
Founding Member of the GABC and Honorary Director of the Board
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The GABC is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization founded by local business men and women in Miami. For over 30 years, the organization has promoted business and trade between Germany and the US, particularly in South Florida. The objective of the GABC is to support commercial and personal relations between its members and to promote economic, social and cultural relations between the USA and Germany.
The GABC promotes communication between companies, individuals, organizations and associations that share the same interests.
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Leonie Vallerius
Executive Director
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German American Business Chamber of South Florida
141 NE 3rd Avenue | Suite 1000 | Miami, FL 33132
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