We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yuval Ofir a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Yuval thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?
In 2013 I oversaw the curation of the murals for Wynwood Brewing Company, starting while they were still undergoing the final renovations before opening their doors. As the first craft production brewery to open in Miami, I felt it was an opportunity to showcase the work of our talented local artists, as well as contribute to the nascent brand identity of the brewery itself.
I recruited and managed 10 local artists to paint the first batch of murals throughout the interior and exterior of the property, curated rotating monthly featured artist exhibitions, introduced recurring programming, facilitated funding through grant opportunities, and helped secure PR throughout my time working for them over the course of four years.
The brewery was bought out by Anheuser-Busch in 2019, which was certainly a success for the owners, though some in the community were sad that the local staple would become less tied to those who had helped it gain success in its earlier stages.
Yuval, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m born and raised in Miami, and it’s always felt like home, regardless of the places I’ve visited in my life. Through my early experiences at my grandpa’s perfume distribution business, I’m uniquely positioned with a firm grasp of high-level business dealings, while maintaining a love and respect for the creative expression that gives our lives meaning. I provide my clients with Strategic Consulting focused on Creative Projects, including Project Management and Event Services. I also advise and mentor many of the artists and other creative professionals within my network. I excel at making connections in unique and impactful ways that help to get clients from the earliest kernel of an idea, all the way through devising solutions and implementing them.
I work with Property Owners, Business Owners, Cultural Institutions, Municipalities, and Creative Professionals, and have served many other types of clients over the last thirteen years. I make impactful connections through a holistic understanding of diverse fields, based on extensive successful past experience.
Some of the specific services I offer include: Discovery, Marketing, Mural Production, Product Development, and Event Design. We also have capabilities to handle PR, Production Services, Fabrication, and Art Curation.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I made the decision in 2019 to phase out of the family business, which had provided me financial security till then, in order to focus my attention on my own business. This was in part because at the time I was producing 4-6 monthly recurring events for clients, plus another 3-4 monthly events at my gallery space, Yo Space. I planned on building on that momentum, having event production as one of the main sources of revenue for the business.
Things were put in motion such that in January 2020 I exited the family business with an understanding that it was not a reversible decision. Needless to say, when I found myself in March 2020 with all my events on hold, it was an unexpected and stressful position to be in. But thankfully I was able to continue offering studio spaces for artists to work from at Yo Space, working on mural projects for clients, and I started focusing more on the product development side of the business, which has since grown into one of my main revenue streams.
What’s something you wish you’d known sooner?
I wish I had delved more into the nonprofit side of the industry more intentionally from the early years rather than just peripherally. I established my own 501c3 (Yo Miami Permanent Collection) in 2017, but found it difficult breaking into the grant cycles etc. while juggling the main business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yo-miami.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsyomiami
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsyomiami
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/69402977
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsyomiami
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPS2-oBZ_OKvew8_WFB6BbA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/yo-space-miami
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/yo-miami
