Miami Hosts Landmark Summit for Latin America’s Richest Families

Miami has once again captured the attention of Latin American investors and entrepreneurs, but this time, its appeal stretches beyond the usual focus on real estate. Wealthy families, including the founders of prominent companies such as Ecuador’s Bonita Banana, Guatemala’s Pollo Campero, and Panama’s Copa Airlines, are set to gather at a major summit aimed at fostering business, investment, sustainability, and technological development across Latin America. The event also seeks to strengthen ties with financial institutions in the United States.

The LATAM Investment Convergence Summit, organized by the Opal Group in partnership with the LATAM Family Office Society, will take place on October 8-9 at the JW Marriott Miami. The summit will explore investment opportunities by identifying high-growth sectors in Latin America, assess the role of technology in opening new business avenues, and analyze the real estate market to stimulate investments in both Miami and Latin American countries, among other financial topics.

A family office, as explained by experts, is a private entity tasked with managing a family’s financial and personal assets, with the primary goal of growing and preserving the family’s wealth across generations. While business summits involving American billionaire families are common, this marks the first event to bring together Latin American families with significant capital.

Ecuadorian businessman Luis Noboa, a board member of the LATAM Family Office Society, emphasized the importance of the event. He stated that the summit is crucial for advancing business development in Latin America. Noboa noted that by bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, and political figures, the event creates a conducive environment for companies of all sizes—ranging from startups to large corporations—to gain access to new investment opportunities, strategic partnerships, and emerging technologies. Noboa, whose family founded Bonita Banana, a company valued at over $1 billion by 1994, is one of the key figures in the summit.

Lourdes Castillo, co-founder of the LATAM Family Office Society and chairwoman of the board, described the event as an essential platform for wealthy families to network and share experiences. She explained that the summit brings together families operating on a similar economic level who are not only focused on enhancing their financial portfolios but also committed to investing in their home countries. Castillo, a Cuban-American executive, and publicist who co-founded the Economic Club of Miami, highlighted that this trend mirrors what is happening in family offices in the U.S., where younger generations, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly interested in supporting socially impactful investments. This trend was also reported by Forbes.

While Miami has long served as a key gateway for companies looking to enter Latin American markets, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted trade relations between the region and the city. Other global powers have since moved in to fill the gap left by weakened ties. However, Miami’s role as a strategic hub for Latin American entrepreneurs remains vital.

The summit will feature a panel that includes Luis Noboa, CEO of Art Mate; Rosemary Sagar, Investment Director of Sagar Family Office and co-founder of LATAM Family Office Society; Felipe Bosch Gutiérrez, CEO of Losa Group and a member of the family behind Pollo Campero; and Joseph DaGrosa, Chairman and Founder of Miami-based private equity firm DaGrosa Capital Partners LLC. Noboa highlighted the advantages Miami offers to Latin American business leaders like himself, who reside in South Florida but continue to run their family enterprises in their home countries.

The LATAM Family Office Society is an exclusive, invitation-only group. Entrepreneurs and investors interested in attending the LATAM Investment Convergence Summit can register on the event’s official website and pay a fee for participation.

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