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TEAM

LIONHEART CAPITAL

Meet Our Team

Ophir Sternberg

Ophir Sternberg

Founder & CEO
Allison Greenfield

Allison Greenfield

Chief Development Officer
Paul Rapisarda

Paul Rapisarda

Chief Financial Officer
Faquiry Diaz Cala

Faquiry Diaz Cala

Chief Operating Officer
Jessica Wasserstrom

Jessica Wasserstrom

Chief Legal Officer
ASHLEY SPITZ HAMAOUI

ASHLEY SPITZ HAMAOUI

Chief Marketing Officer
Ashley Thornburg

Ashley Thornburg

Vice President of Retail Leasing
John Petersen

John Petersen

Comptroller
Colin Carby

Colin Carby

Director of Development

Glenn Guthiel

Director of Construction

Mike Rabinovitch

Senior Advisor

WENDY MONICA

Paralegal

CARLA DENT

Assistant Controller

PAULINA GERLACH

Accounting & Operations Manager
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Ophir Sternberg

Ophir Sternberg

FOUNDER & CEO

Ophir Sternberg is a self-made entrepreneur and philanthropist with a diverse range of accomplishments. As the Founder & CEO of Lionheart Capital, he has built a remarkable reputation for identifying assets with untapped potential and generating exceptional returns.

Under Sternberg’s leadership, Lionheart Capital has successfully acquired and developed prestigious properties, including The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Miami Beach, which achieved a total sell-out value exceeding $550 million. Another noteworthy achievement was the $120 million sale of The Seagull Hotel, the highest-grossing hotel sale of 2020 in Miami Beach.

Sternberg is also the Founder & CEO of Out of the Box Ventures, a company specializing in repositioning distressed retail properties throughout the United States. Additionally, as a Co-Owner of Cigarette Racing Team, he is involved in the legendary American speed boat racing brand known for its high-powered luxury performance powerboats.

In his executive role as Chairman of BurgerFi (Nasdaq: BFI), a leading fast-casual “better burger” concept, Sternberg has played a crucial role in its success. He also serves as Chairman of Security Matters (Nasdaq: SMX). SMX integrates chemistry, physics, and computer science to give materials memory and create a culture of transparency and trust across multiple industries. Additionally, Sternberg holds a position on the Board of Directors for LifeWallet (Nasdaq: LIFW), previously known as MSP Recovery, a prominent data-driven solutions provider.

In complement to his business ventures, Sternberg’s dedication to education led him to found The Lionheart Classical Academy, a chartered public school in New Hampshire. He is passionate about providing quality education to young learners. Sternberg’s notable titles and accomplishments, including his commitment to philanthropy through the Lionheart Academy, exemplify his entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to making a positive impact in his community. Sternberg resides in Miami, Florida with his wife and two children.

Allison Greenfield

Allison Greenfield

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

 

Allison Greenfield, is Chief Development Officer at Lionheart Capital, with over 25 years of experience in the management, operations, marketing and organization of real estate investments.

Beginning her career in the real estate industry in sales in Manhattan, Greenfield co-founded Oz Holdings, LLC in 1995. At Oz, she worked to realize the full potential of undervalued assets through renovation, construction and unique marketing campaigns.

At Lionheart Capital, and its subsidiaries, Greenfield has been involved in all aspects of an investments lifecycle including operations, design, construction and marketing. Greenfield’s responsibilities continue to be the implementation of development and repositioning plans, with particular specialization in Development and Construction activities.

Greenfield is also a trained architect; a trade she learned to better compliment her duties with the firm. Ms. Greenfield studied Architecture at The New School University, Parsons School of Design and holds a Bachelors Degree in History from Barnard College/Columbia University.

Paul Rapisarda

Paul Rapisarda

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

 

Paul has also acted as board member at several emerging growth companies, primarily in the energy, technology and infrastructure sectors. Recent experience included acting as Chief Financial Officer at dual-listed (Canada/Sweden) solar energy development company. Here Paul was responsible for managing all finance functions, including financial reporting, treasury & cash management, corporate finance, regulatory/SEC compliance matters and investor relations. While at Etrion (as CFO) Paul implemented risk mgmt controls, robust reporting templates with Audit Committee, and improved institutional investor relations through improved scoring by ISS and Glass Lewis.

Prior to this, Paul acted as chief commercial officer for a dual-listed (Canada/US) independent power company with over 2500 MW of power generating assets under management. Here Paul oversaw expansion of the company from 15 employees to 300+ and internalization of key corporate functions (Asset Mgt, HR, IR, Legal). Paul chaired the Investment Committee and had primary responsibility for $1.5B merger that more than doubled the company market cap, involved integrating union/non-union employees, multiple accounting platforms.

Paul has a BA from Amherst College and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Faquiry Diaz Cala

Faquiry Diaz Cala

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

 

Faquiry Diaz Cala is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Lionheart Capital and its affiliated entities. In this role, he leads Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Strategy.

An investor and operator, over the past 25 years, Mr. Diaz Cala has held positions as an executive, board member, and observer at various public and private corporations in the US and internationally. He has also served on the boards of several non-profit organizations and educational institutions.

He is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and resides in Miami, Florida.

Jessica Wasserstrom

Jessica Wasserstrom

CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER

 

Jessica Wasserstrom is the Chief Legal Officer for Lionheart Capital, LLC and its affiliated companies. She is a highly-skilled attorney with nearly 30 years of high-level local, national and international experience and expertise. Jessica spent more than half of her legal career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, one the nation’s most prestigious law firms, before serving as Vice President for a subsidiary of Wells Fargo and then returning to the full-time practice of law at Meland, Russin & Budwick.

She has a breadth and depth of experience and knowledge in a myriad of legal disciplines and is responsible for handling or overseeing all legal matters within the Lionheart group of companies. Originally from Pennsylvania, Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

ASHLEY SPITZ HAMAOUI

Ashley Spitz Hamaoui

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

 

Ashley Spitz Hamaoui is Chief Marketing Officer playing a pivotal role in Lionheart Capital’s diverse portfolio. Ashley oversees the marketing, public relations, events, branding, advertising and partnerships associated with Lionheart’s myriad of projects from luxury branded residences to commercial shopping centers and malls to public companies.

Her transformative impact in luxury real estate is evident through projects like The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach, and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Singer Island, Palm Beach. What sets her apart is not just her real estate expertise, but also her ability to orchestrate special events that have featured luminaries like Martha Stewart, Dwayne Wade, and Lee Schrager. These high-profile gatherings not only elevated Lionheart Capital’s brand but also created unforgettable experiences for their audiences.

Ashley’s multifaceted career extends to the commercial real estate side, where she has applied her expertise to properties such as Lakeside Mall and Manassas Mall. Having also served as CMO for BurgerFi and successfully guiding the company through the IPO, Ashley’s accomplishments in taking companies public add another layer to her already illustrious career. Working for Lionheart Capital for over a decade, she continues to shape the company’s future with her prolific contributions, showcasing her profound influence on both luxury and commercial real estate marketing.

Ashley Thornburg

Ashley Thornburg

VICE PRESIDENT OF RETAIL LEASING

 

Ashley Thornburg is the Vice President of Retail Leasing for Lionheart Capital and its affiliate Out of the Box Ventures. Thornburg has over 13 years of retail experience and most recently formed Elevated Commercial Real Estate in 2013 serving numerous clients, including Equity One, Regency Centers, and First Washington, among others, on the third party leasing of their shopping centers. She currently serves on the ICSC South Florida Idea Exchange Committee and is a former Miami-Dade ICSC NextGen Chair and Broward ICSC committee member.

Thornburg has been awarded for her excellence in retail leasing and received the 2010, 2011 and 2016 CoStar Power Broker Awards. Prior to forming Elevated Commercial, Thornburg spearheaded leasing of Publix Super Markets’ portfolio of seventeen South Florida owned centers – among other third party assignments in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties as the South Florida office for Orlando based Crossman & Company. Thornburg is an honors graduate of the University of Florida and received her M.B.A. with honors from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

John Petersen

John Petersen

COMPTROLLER

 

John Petersen is Comptroller at Lionheart Capital with more than 25 years of experience in public accounting and financial management within the hospitality and real estate industries. During his career he has coordinated and managed the business side of several ventures across the U.S. and Canada, developing a broad expertise in financial operations, systems and reporting.

Originally from California, Petersen started his career in 1982 with the public accounting firm of Deloitte Haskins and Sells in Alberta, Canada, now Deloitte and Touche. He left public accounting to join the hospitality industry in 1985, devoting himself to the financial management of major hotel properties in the Canadian Rockies, New York City and Miami.

While in New York he became extensively involved in real estate development and the acquisition, retrofitting, redevelopment and operation of choice hospitality properties in the northeastern U.S. After moving to Miami, during his six-year tenure at Carnival Hotels and Casinos, he directed the financial operations of the luxury five-star Grand Bay Hotel in Coconut Grove.

In 1999, Petersen joined Flagler Holding Group, a predecessor partner of Lionheart Capital, as CFO and oversaw all administrative and financial matters relating to their major condominium developments in Miami.

As Controller at Lionheart Capital and its 15+ affiliate companies, Petersen is responsible for all administration, including internal/external reporting, forecasting and budgeting. Petersen studied Economics at UCLA and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Business) in Accounting from the University of Alberta in Canada.

Colin Carby

Colin Carby

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

 

Colin Carby is the Director of Development for Lionheart Capital.

Carby has 20 years of real estate experience developing large scale mixed-use, hospitality, residential, retail and commercial projects in North America, Middle East, Asia, and the Caribbean markets.

Since 2002, Carby has represented entities, such as LVMH, Dubai World, Capital Partners, Midtown Miami, City of Miami, and Bank of America, leading global acquisitions, pre-development due diligence, master planning, and full cycle development management initiatives, which yielded several million square feet of lifestyle communities.

In 2020, Colin joined Lionheart Capital to redevelop several large scaled assets, such as Lakeside Mall in Michigan, which is a 94-acre master planned initiative.

Mr. Carby received his B.A in real estate development at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA.

Glenn Guthiel

DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION

 

Glenn Gutheil is the Director of Construction for Lionheart Capital.

Glenn has over 30 years of Architecture, Construction and Development experience managing large scale mixed-use, hospitality, residential, retail, and commercial projects throughout the continental United States.

Prior to joining Lionheart Capital, Glenn was the President of Lenox Development a Florida licensed General Contractor and Consulting company. Glenn has represented entities which included CBRE, Midtown Equities, Laval Management, Urban X Development and Matthews Southwest leading design, construction and project closeout initiatives which yielded several million square feet of mixed-use assets totaling over $3 billion dollars.

In 2022, Glenn joined Lionheart Capital to provide substantive construction feasibility studies, construction cost analysis and to direct all design and construction related projects.

Mike Rabinovitch

SENIOR ADVISOR

 

Mike Rabinovitch serves as Senior Advisor to Lionheart Capital with over 30 years of sophisticated financial leadership roles in several international and high growth publicly traded companies in the hospitality, retail & distribution industries. He specializes in public company management and governance, M&A transactions both on the buy side and sell side, integration, synergy capture, financings, and turnaround execution. Mr. Rabinovitch has participated in over 30 M&A transactions ranging in size from $10 million to $6 billion.

As Senior Advisor to Lionheart Capital, Mr. Rabinovitch assists the Lionheart team with general due diligence of prospective target companies, as well as provides ongoing advice and analysis in relation to financing opportunities, general business matters, complex accounting, reporting, and financial matters arising in connection with the acquisition, management, and disposition of investments, by or on behalf of Lionheart Capital.

Prior to joining as Senior Advisor, to Lionheart Capital, Mr. Rabinovitch served as Chief Financial Officer for one of Lionheart Capital’s publicly traded portfolio companies, BurgerFi International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFI) following its IPO through merger with a SPAC in late 2020.

Prior to joining BurgerFi, Mr. Rabinovitch served as Chief Accounting Officer for Tech Data Inc. (NYSE: TD), a $40 B global leader in technology and technology solutions distribution. At Tech Data, he led all aspects of accounting, reporting, financial systems, and internal controls and also led the financial and accounting diligence for the take private transaction by affiliates of Apollo Global Management in June 2020.

From 2015 to 2017, Mr. Rabinovitch was Vice President, Finance – Americas for Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP) and from 2017 to 2018, Chief Accounting Officer where he completed the integration of the merger of Office Max into Office Depot, generating over $700 million in synergies, and led five strategic acquisitions.

From 2005 to 2014, Mr. Rabinovitch was Chief Financial Officer of Birks Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGI) a leading North American retailer of fine jewelry and Swiss timepieces through two brands, Henry Birks in Canada and Mayors Jewelers in the U.S.A. Mr. Rabinovitch also led Claire’s Stores as V.P. Finance from 1999 to 2005 during their period of rapid international expansion.

Mr. Rabinovitch began his professional career as an auditor with Price Waterhouse.

Mr. Rabinovitch is a CPA (Inactive) and has degrees in both accounting and finance from Florida State University. He has been involved with several universities accounting advisory boards, including Florida State University, University of South Florida, and Nova Southeastern University.

He resides with his family in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.