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By Michael W. Sasser & Rafa Carvajal

Once again, the South Florida community will come together to combat the ongoing challenge of HIV/AIDS. The 27th annual AIDS Walk Miami: One Step Closer to a Cure kicks off at the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) on Sunday, April 26, 2015.

Designer and television personality David Bromstad will act as Grand Marshal. Bromstad is the original winner of HGTV's Design Star and became host of his own series, Color Splash.  He has also appeared on other HGTV programs including HGTV Showdown and Bang for Your Buck. Emmy award-winning reporter and WSVN 7 News anchor Robbin Simmons will act as master of ceremonies.  

The 5.15K (3.1 mile) walk-a-thon fundraiser benefits Care Resource and the Food for Life Network. Care Resource provides comprehensive primary medical and preventive care, including health, oral and mental health/substance abuse services. Funds raised by AIDS Walk Miami benefit diverse communities in need in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

AIDS Walk Miami registration begins at 8 a.m., with the Walk beginning at 9 a.m., at the MBCC, 1901 Convention Center Drive, and ending at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive. To register visit www.aidswalkmiami.org

Wire Magazine sat down with Care Resource's Jonathan Welsh and AIDS Walk Miami volunteer Nicholas Regueiro to learn more about this year’s walk and its importance.

Rafa Carvajal: Tell us about this year’s AIDS Walk Miami. 

Jonathan Welsh: Care Resource is proud to present the 27th Annual AIDS Walk Miami: One Step Closer to a Cure on Sunday, April 26, 2015 at the Miami Beach Convention Center located at 1901 Convention Center Drive in Miami Beach. Care Resource is also proud to announce and welcome David Bromstad, American designer and television personality as this year’s Grand Marshal. Artist, designer and television personality, David is the original winner of HGTV's Design Star, which led to his gig as host on his first hit series for HGTV, Color Splash, where he completed more than 150 makeovers around the country including in San Francisco, New York and Miami.  

Care Resource is equally as proud to welcome Emmy award-winning reporter and co-anchor of the weekend editions of 7 News, Robbin Simmons. Robbin has covered several major stories locally and abroad, including the Million Man March in Washington D.C., the Gianni Versace murder, the Elian Gonzalez saga, Timothy McVeigh's execution and the widely disputed 2000 Presidential election. Pregnant with her first child, she covered the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Moreover, Robbin Simmons was the only South Florida reporter in Vatican City for President Obama's visit with Pope Francis.

Rafa Carvajal: Describe your experience supporting AIDS Walk Miami last year.

Nicholas Regueiro: Both last year and this year, I volunteered in helping with fundraising, in putting up posters and in recruiting other college students to participate in the Walk. On the day of the event, I also helped Jonathan with the media, with cheering on the teams and with incorporating some new social media techniques to help him in his marketing efforts.

RC: Why is AIDS Walk Miami so important for raising awareness and funding?

JW: In earlier years the community came together because there was a sense of crisis. It still is (a crisis) for individuals who are suffering through it. The changing face of HIV/AIDS in this nation reflects a devastating number of people in South Florida. A high percentage of HIV- positive residents in South Florida are not in care and hundreds more do not even know their HIV status. The state of the epidemic continues to grow and change; therefore, the support of the community for HIV education, prevention, research and treatment is crucial.

RC: What do proceeds from AIDS Walk Miami help fund?

JW: Funds raised during AIDS Walk Miami help meet the critical needs of South Florida's diverse communities. Last year, for example, this annual fundraiser helped make it possible for Care Resource and Food For Life Network to: • Serve over 79,850 client encounters with over 17,224 medical visits to 5,426 patients. • Perform over 13,895 HIV and STD screenings. • Deliver over 25,150 meals to home-bound clients. • Extend dental services to over 1,307 clients through 4,837 dental visits.

RC: How many participants did you have in AIDS Walk Miami last year and how many people do you expect to participate this year?

JW: There was a time that we had thousands upon thousands of walkers. Last year, we had approximately 1,400 walkers. I expect the same number this year too. However, I want to increase that number and bring in a whole lot more young people as well. People think HIV/AIDS is no longer an emergency because it has become a manageable disease. Society is now more for battling cancer or Alzheimer’s, but the fight here isn’t over. We’re seeing clients come in that are younger and younger. HIV/AIDS has always been hard to address because of the stigma around it and the issue with discrimination, but now it’s even more so with the idea that it’s not a pressing need. While advancements in medical treatment should be celebrated, they should not allow the community to lose sight of the epidemic’s continuing challenges — especially as medical needs grow larger with aging populations.

RC: Why should young people support AIDS Walk Miami and get involved?

NR: It is important that young people become involved and continue to carry the torch for a cause that has affected so many in South Florida. The nonchalance that people have toward HIV, however, has thwarted ongoing efforts to push back against the virus and ensure that the infected live long, fruitful lives. Young people today have not seen the epidemic killing their friends and partners like those at-risk did in the 1980s. Among many young people, this has led to the development of a somewhat nonchalant attitude about HIV risk. Many young people do not understand the difficulties they will face if they acquire HIV infection and the enormous challenge of HIV treatment. I am healthy, I don’t want those enormous challenges and I want all of my friends to stay healthy too.

RC: What does AIDS Walk Miami mean to you?

JW: There was a time when many really good people had nowhere to turn after their diagnosis. I feel sadness when I think that they might still be alive if they had they had the availability and support of a great organization like Care Resource. To me, this Walk ensures that members of our community have a medical home, a place to receive care for their condition, a place that will commit and fight the good fight until a cure is found. NR: I believe every life deserves hope, and with the community’s support, we can really make a difference for those infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS right here in Miami.

RC: What is the most important objective of AIDS Walk Miami this year?

JW: The Miami metropolitan area still ranks No. 1 in the nation in new rates of HIV infections. The objective is to curb that trend. When we say that we are walking to end HIV or becoming one step closer to the cure, this is not just a pipe dream. Even without a cure or vaccine, through testing and early detection and a comprehensive care plan, we can create an AIDS-free city and be moving towards ending HIV. Now we need everyone’s participation and support to make it a reality.

RC: Why did you select David Bromstad as this year’s Grand Marshal? JW: I like to utilize local talent. Although he travels a lot for work, Miami is where David considers home, so he knows first-hand the issues that our city faces. He has had many friends and acquaintances that have been affected by this condition and is passionate about ending this disease once and for all.

RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?

JW: I am so proud of all my fellow staff at Care Resource. They have been doing so much internally to fundraise and build awareness about the Walk — either through baking cupcakes, cooking big Cuban meals, creating raffles, hosting small events and so much more. There is so much team spirit. That spirit and the good work that is done every day in our offices inspire me to work harder.

NR: I love Miami’s rich culture and diversity. It is a mecca for fashion, great food and for amazing nightlife. As a student here, Miami is now my adopted home and I have a unique responsibility to do all I can to make it a little better. I want to channel my energy into a cause that affects my community. See you April 26th at the Miami Beach Convention Center!

This article was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 16.2015

By Rafa Carvajal

The mission of Miami Beach Gay Pride is to bring together members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, their friends, allies and supporters, in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBTQ community. An estimated 15,000 spectators turned out for the first Pride parade in 2009, which grew to an estimated 100,000 in 2014. "Two Days of Fun in the Miami Beach Sun" is the theme for the 2015 Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade and Festival, April 11-12. This year, Pride will include two full days of activities: a beach party on Saturday with DJs, performers, community booths and refreshments; the parade and festival on Sunday with celebrity Grand Marshal Mario Lopez, DJs, performers, concerts, community booths and refreshments, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display.

Wire Magazine sought out several people from all walks of life to find out what Pride means to them, and asked them the following two questions: What does Pride mean to you?; and Why do you think it's important to celebrate Pride? Here are their responses.

Steve Adkins President & CEO, Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

• Happiness! I cannot think of another event that brings more people together or generates more smiles than a Pride celebration. Each year (for the past five), the Chamber/LGBT Visitor Center has ridden a Big Bus up Ocean Drive, and only if you been a part of an event of this size can you understand the sheer joy that abounds. We see it first-hand as we gaze down from the bus and see an ocean of smiling faces and waving rainbow flags. As a community, Miami-Dade has always been ahead of most when it comes to celebrating community, leaders and achievements. Pride is a day for everyone to celebrate equality, in all of its diversity, what we have achieved as a community and as a family.

• Pride crosses over every type of divide you can think of, from cultural and ethnic, to economic and gender. It clearly is a time to celebrate who we are in our very uniqueness and enjoy the incredible community we have built for our LGBT brothers and sisters and our wonderful allied friends. We fight every day for our place at the community table, but for that one weekend a year we call Pride, we set advocacy aside and celebrate. What could be better for the soul?

Michael Bustamante Associate Publisher, Wire Magazine

• Pride is about living every day with honesty and integrity so that I can make a difference. 

• Pride is significant because it's not always apparent that our world is built around straight privilege. It's about the gay community being visible, to raise awareness and spread love in the hopes that generations to come don't have to be afraid to come out, and discrimination is abolished as much as possible.  

Gino Campodonico Public Relations Manager, Adrienne Arsht Center

• Pride means being proud of who I am. Pride is a state of mind that lets me live my life just how I want it – a life with meaning, integrity and just enough boldness to be unapologetically me. Pride also gives me power; a supernatural strength to fight for what’s right, to demand equality across all communities and to stand up for others in need.

• Pride month is a special time to put focus on the LGBTQ community. It’s an opportunity for us and our allies to reflect on the past, celebrate our progress and continue preparing for the future. I love going to Miami Beach Gay Pride and seeing it grow every year!

Rocco Carulli Executive Chef & Owner, R House Wynwood

• Pride to me means liberation. I remember how liberating it felt to go to Gay Pride in NYC in the late '80s and just be myself with my friends and think, "this must be how straight people feel every day." Pride, for me, also means marriage equality. Today my marriage is recognized by my friends, family, the majority of the country and finally, as of this year, my home state of Florida!

• Its important to celebrate Pride because we can't forget the struggles we've been through to get where were are today and how much further we have to go to make life better for every LGBTQ person in this country and around the world. Things still aren't easy for a lot of folks in this country, so we still have work to do.

Todd Erickson Executive Chef & Director of Food & Beverage, Haven Hospitality Concepts

• Pride is a great way to show how far we've come since the era of the Stonewall riots. Gone are the days when we had to hide and be afraid; we can now be who we want to be, when we want to be. Pride festivities magnify that sentiment by allowing us all to let out our inner diva, and who doesn't love an excuse to wear a feather boa? 

• I think it's a great way to show the younger generations that they are not alone. I remember seeing SF Pride on TV when I was a closeted kid in Flower Mound, Texas, thinking, "wow, I'm not alone in this whole mess."

Scott Galvin North Miami City Councilman

• Pride is the chance to celebrate how far we've come in such a short period of time. We're here, get used to it!

• Younger folks often aren't aware how strong the grasp of discrimination was only a few years ago. Pride gives us a chance to educate, as well as celebrate.

Michael Gongora Former Miami Beach Commissioner

• For me, Gay Pride is a celebration of diversity, acceptance and a recognition that it is acceptable to love who we choose. As the first (and to date, only) openly gay person elected to public office in the City of Miami Beach, Pride commemorates how far we have come since I was elected in 2006. Miami Beach Gay Pride was created in 2009 to celebrate the diverse population in Miami Beach, which includes so many LGBT residents and visitors, along with our friends, allies and supporters. Miami Beach has always been a leader in recognizing that uniqueness is what makes a community special.

• I support and celebrate Pride every year to show the pride I have in my city and our residents.  Pride allows us to highlight the wide variety of interesting people that make up our community.  Along with the endearing caricatures of LGBT life that are represented at Pride, there are parents, children, students, legacy couples and others who make up a great parade! Our diversity is even further evidenced by so many heterosexual persons and businesses who partake in Pride. Gay Pride shows how far we have come and reminds us of the hard work and struggle to be accepted. This gives us great cause to celebrate!

Pablo Hernandez Andrew Christian Model

• Pride means so much to me. If you're not happy in your own skin, you will never be happy with the world around you.

• Celebrating Pride is a way we can all come together to show society that the LGBTQ community is here and needs to be heard, respected and treated with 100 percent equality.

Erika Jayne Pop Music/Dance Artist

• Pride is about being oneself and celebrating life.

• It's important to show others that love and acceptance will always prevail.

Tony Lima Executive Director, SAVE

• Pride is a chance for all of us to come together as a community to celebrate the advances for equality that organizations like SAVE have helped achieve for LGBTQ people over the last 30 years, and especially during this decade. This year at Miami Beach Pride, there's so much to celebrate at the local level, including the arrival of the freedom to marry in Florida, which we didn't have at this time last year, and the passage of non-discrimination protections in Miami-Dade County for transgender people, which SAVE helped win last December. It’s a new dawn for our community, but there's still lots of work to be done and the fight is far from over.

• It's important to celebrate Pride because it's one of the few opportunities LGBTQ people have to make themselves truly visible to the larger community. It also give us a chance to come together to recognize all the advances we've made so that we don't take them for granted and so that we can remind the community that in order to defend our advances, we have to stay visible.

George Neary Director of Cultural Tourism for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

• As a founding board member of Pride, I got to see first-hand the amazing emotion from our community and how much this event meant to them. I received so many hugs and kisses from strangers thanking me for helping to make this happen. I thank Mayor Bower for creating the LGBT business committee from which this Pride event emerged.

• Miami Beach has many LGBT events throughout the year geared to tourists, but this one gives locals the opportunity to celebrate who they are and the importance of our community, while gathering with friends and relatives. It’s wonderful to celebrate with our allies, friends and family. It is a wonderful celebration!

Carlos Rojas DJ & Manager, The Cabaret South Beach

• Pride isn't just a month to me; it's a state of mind. It's a constant in my life. Pride is about living every day out with integrity and honesty, so I can make a difference for others. Pride is about standing up for others when, for whatever reason, they're unable to stand up themselves. Pride is about accomplishing small goals for our community, with the hope that one day we'll all live in a much better place. Pride is about giving hope for a better future, strengthening new generations and empowering confidence in education, tolerance, respect and courage. 

• It is important to celebrate Pride because it is about spreading hope that not only are things getting better, but also things will continue to improve because we won't forget the battles, the lives lost and the pain suffered that now affords us a growing list of equal rights in the entire world. Pride matters because it's not always obvious that our world is built around straight privilege, but it is important to celebrate as a symbol of unity and solidarity. Gay Pride is the celebration of life, human rights and ultimately, the right to love whoever we want. That is always worth celebrating.

Steve Rothaus Journalist, Miami Herald

• LGBT Pride is being your genuine self – anytime, anywhere – without fear, regret or apology. 

• Don't celebrate just once a year. Show your pride every day, at home, at work, at play – just by being yourself.

Vinna Rouge Entertainer, Singer and Artist

• To me, Pride is the celebration of being who we are, the celebration of a part of humanity that is open to love each person/human for who they are without judging or being critical in any way and accepting others, because we all are exactly the same on the inside. Being proud of yourself and who you are, by loving and respecting others just the way you would yourself. 

• As any company or person celebrates their anniversary or birthday, we as humans with equal rights should have a day to celebrate and remind the world who we are and what we've achieved. To express to others the right to be who we are in equality while having fun and decorating the streets and ourselves with all the colors of the rainbow.

Jason Tamanini Brand Champion Tequilas Miami & Miami Beach, Brown-Forman Corporation

• I feel Pride is a special time when we can take a moment and celebrate how far we have come as an LGBTQ community. 

• So many fight everyday to overcome adversity and create one human race. This is a time to remember those who we lost along the way and to fight for those who are to come. This is a very special year to celebrate, with the huge strides we have made with marriage equality.

David Vance Portrait, Fashion & Location Photographer

• I am proud to be aware that we are all the same at our core and whatever our sexual orientation may be, it doesn't change that.

• It's important to remember that we are all children of the universe, one and the same. Remember who you are and celebrate your authentic self.

Dmitry Zhitov Film Producer & Director 

• Growing up in a small town in Siberia, I always thought I was the only "different" person. The first time I heard about Gay Pride, I was very excited to see what it was. Now I realize that Gay Pride is a movement around the world that unites everybody and helps to build a stronger community by showing the support and acceptance of differences. I hope that one day, it will happen in my motherland, Russia, and that I will be there to enjoy it. 

• Pride should be everyday, but having a special day in a year that gathers people from all over really gives you that energy to move on in spite of the obstacles that we still face. By celebrating Pride, everyone has a chance to teach people around us who still live in ignorance that it is ok to be different. So let’s celebrate Pride and be happy!

This article was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 15.2015

By Rafa Carvajal

There are drag brunches and there is the Drag Brunch at R House, with delicious food by a talented, dedicated chef, plus great entertainment. You no longer have to settle for low quality food on Ocean Drive for a drag brunch. Instead, you can head over to R House and enjoy a mouth-watering menu crafted by Chef Rocco Carulli. More than 400 people did exactly that for R House’s first Drag Brunch and I was there to enjoy every bit of it. I interviewed Rocco to help you learn more about his new Drag Brunch.

Rafa Carvajal: Tell us about your new Drag Brunch at R House.

Rocco Carulli: The R House Drag Brunch is our new monthly brunch special event, taking place on the first Sunday of each month. We’re also calling the event Wynwood Is Burning, after the seminal documentary Paris Is Burning, which told the story of New York drag queens in the 1980s. We’ve already built up quite a following for our lively Sunday brunch. Now we’ve thrown in a twist in the form of live drag performances throughout the day to keep our customers thrilled and entertained. When brunch service ends at 4 p.m., we have an after-party with DJs playing until 10 p.m.

RC: Tell our readers about R House.

RoC: R House is a unique venue on the Miami dining scene, offering an unmatchable combination of food, art and music all under one roof. We serve a contemporary and eclectic mix of American, Mediterranean, Asian and Latin dishes, and provide patrons the opportunity to admire and purchase art, as well as enjoy DJs and live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The R in R House stands for me, Rocco. I know Wynwood is the perfect neighborhood for the R House concept and am thrilled to be a part of the evolution of this unique corner of the United States. Earlier this year, we were one of Bravo TV's 16 best new restaurants in the U.S. on their hit show Best New Restaurant.

RC: Why did you decide to start your new Drag Brunch and how did the idea come about?

RoC: Before opening R House in Wynwood, I had a restaurant in Provincetown, MA, where many venues hold drag brunches. They were always the most fun places to get brunch on the weekend and I wanted to bring something similar to Miami. We didn’t think that anywhere in Miami offered a brunch and drag combination, so we decided to make it happen!

RC: Describe the Drag Brunch menu to our readers. What type of food and beverages are included?

RoC: Our brunch menu is a real treat. We have a great selection of options to choose from, including dishes such as creole shrimp and grits with roasted red peppers and a jalapeño sauce, or polenta with manchego cheese, crispy pork belly and sunny side up egg. If you’re coming hungry, we offer unlimited brunch for $35 and bottomless mimosas or sangria for $22. If you want to do both, we offer a combined price of $52, which we think is a great deal. Those bottomless drinks keep pouring until 4 p.m.!

RC: What are your favorites on the brunch menu?

RoC: My personal favorite is our Chipotle Rubbed Pork Ribs in a bourbon barbecue sauce. Juicy and tender spicy meat, which just falls off the bone, smothered in our trademark barbecue sauce that we make according to my own special recipe.

RC: Which drag performers are entertaining customers during brunch?

RoC: Our first Drag Brunch was hosted by legendary Miami drag queen Adora. Adora was joined by performers Kiara Lords and Vinna Rouge. Adora will continue hosting the event and will be joined by different performers each month. We are open for novice performers to audition in hopes of making an appearance at the actual event, ahead of the Drag Brunch. If you are interested in auditioning, please get in touch!

RC: Describe your Drag Brunch in three words?

RoC: Delicious. Fabulous. Fun.

RC: How many people attended your first Drag Brunch? How was it?

RoC: We had more than 400 guests passing through our doors for the first Wynwood Is Burning Drag Brunch. That day, we were celebrating the first anniversary of our grand opening and also my own birthday, so we really had a lot to celebrate. The atmosphere was incredible all day. The first Drag Brunch was a one-off event, but our patrons enjoyed it so much that we decided straight away to make it a monthly event. Our Easter Sunday Drag Brunch is already shaping up to be another great day. We were fully booked for reservations way in advance of the first Drag Brunch, so we recommend your readers reserve a table as soon as possible for April!

RC: When did you begin your culinary career? What inspired you to pursue cooking professionally? 

RoC: I was first inspired to pursue a culinary career by my Italian parents who, just like in so many Italian families, made gastronomy such an important part of my life growing up. As a young adult, I toyed with careers in accounting and banking, but in the end decided to pursue my true passion, which is food and hospitality. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America, then went on to work my way up the ranks until I became owner of my own restaurant, Edwige At Night in Provincetown in Cape Cod. After 13 years in P-Town, I was ready for my next challenge and opening R House in Wynwood, Miami was that challenge!

RC: Who are some of your culinary influences?

RoC: As a child, my father. I worked for a time with Judy Rodgers at Zuni Café in San Francisco. She was the first chef who made me aware of farm-to-table gastronomy and I learned so much from her and have taken that into my own menus over the years.

RC: What is your philosophy on food and dining?

RoC: Flavor profiles are my primary interest. There are a lot of fads and passing trends in the culinary world. I prefer not to get caught up in all of that, and focus on creating simple dishes using high quality fresh local ingredients. I want to create dishes that the diner is blown away by simply because of how amazing they taste rather than because of their novel design or the hippest new ingredient.

RC: What are your top three tips for running a successful restaurant?

RoC: Consistency – always give each patron the same outstanding experience and you will always have customers coming back for more and spreading the word.

Communicate with customers – we are lucky to have so many ways to communicate with our customers these days, for example, using social media. This allows us to get to know our customers and for them to also get to know us and what we are about. Do it because you love it – when you love creating a fantastic dining experience for your patrons, they can really feel it and will want to spend more time in that environment.

RC: What is your customer service philosophy?

RoC: R House is your house. Although we offer a fine dining menu, our atmosphere is a little more casual. We want customers to feel like they just walked into our house and are guests at our dinner party. We do everything we can to make sure our guests feel as at-home as possible.

RC: Tell us about the White Porch Gallery and its contributions to R House. 

RoC: The White Porch Gallery curates our ever-changing art displays that are exhibited throughout the interior of R House. Curator Tom Shirk brings a diverse range of local and international artists to our walls. We love how every month or so, the whole look of the restaurant is shaken up by a new exhibition. It really keeps the restaurant looking new and fresh. We are currently showing the edgy works of Peggy Mella, not to be missed.

RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?

RoC: Although we are not an officially gay venue, R House is a gay-owned business, owned and managed by myself and my husband Owen. We already have many loyal LGBT patrons, which we are thrilled about. We hope to go on to become one of Miami’s LGBT community’s favorite dining destinations over the coming years. We can’t wait to welcome more of your readers through our doors soon!

This article was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 13.2015

By Rafa Carvajal

This past Saturday, Miami was center stage of the world for the FIA Formula E Miami ePrix in a racetrack built on the streets of downtown Miami. I attended the race, invited by TAG Heuer, the world’s number one manufacturer of luxury timepieces inspired by sport, the official timekeeper, official watch and chronograph and technical founding partner of the new Formula E Championship – that also debuted it’s new TAG Heuer flagship store in Miami’s Design District with a party this past Friday.

Before the race, I had the pleasure of sitting down for an interview with Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag to ask him some questions about Formula E, the cars and his choice of Miami as one of the cities from around the world hosting a race.

Rafa Carvajal: How is TAG Heuer keeping time for the Miami ePrix? Alejandro Agag: TAG is responsible for the timing of the race. It is very important. It’s much more complicated than it seems because we need a whole loop of cables and sensors all over the circuit. It needs to be installed for 24 hours. They need to do it very quickly and take it away because we need to leave the city as fast as we can after the race. We disappear the day after tomorrow.

RC: Can you tell us more about the Formula E cars?

AA: There were no cars. This was a bit of a chicken and egg situation with this championship. We wanted to get an electric racing championship, but there were no electric racing cars. There were no cars because there were no championships and there were no championships because there were no cars. We said OK, we will create the cars. We will design the cars and make them available to the teams, so we are sure the teams have cars when we start racing. So that’s what we did.

One of my competitors, but friend, a great engineer, Fred Vasseur took the challenge with me and said let’s do it. I said I’ll look for the money and you look for the technical parts and we did that. He found McLaren. We looked all over the world for technology. We found it in Formula 1. Actually, Formula 1 has the best technology for electric cars. Formula E is like a child, technology-wise, of Formula 1 because the motors come from McLaren, the inverter comes from McLaren, the ACU electronic system comes from McLaren, and the batteries, which are the heart, come from the Williams Formula 1 team. We brought them all together to create the Spark. So that is the car we have, the Spark-Renault, and all the teams use the same car.

In February, two years and one month ago, we put on our website the first drawing with pencil of the car. Not even designs. Three months after, we had the first prototype. We tested it and one month later we started producing the 40 cars. It was crazy.

RC: Are you planning to monetize that into the consumer market? That is an incredible way to design a car.

AA: Well, that intellectual property belongs to us, but it is specific for racing. What we want is for all the manufacturers to come in and start with that – so, to develop technology here that they can use on road cars.

RC: How is your relationship with Tesla?

AA: Well, I love Tesla, it is fantastic, but they do not want to race for the moment. I had a meeting with Elon Musk back a year and a half ago, talking about Formula E, and he knew everything already. Basically, his line of reasoning is 'I want to focus on my road cars,' especially because he is doing a new model now and cannot distract some of his engineers to go racing. Which is very sad. We would love to have Tesla. I think it’s a brand that has been amazing for electric cars. They just make electric cars more exiting and better, so I will keep working on it to try to bring them onboard. I think they are fantastic cars and he is a genius and visionary and I would love to have him here. I’ll try to invite him to the next race in Long Beach, not so far from his place, and see if we can get him there and start convincing him.

RC: BMW?

AA: BMW. Yes. They are our partners. Our safety car is BMW, our medical car is BMW, and now they are looking into coming in and racing. The safety car is hybrid. It is a plug-in hybrid, so you can go only on electricity 100 percent, or you can go with combustion. The medical car is the i3, full electric. They are really cool.

RC: Do you sacrifice speed for technology in Formula E?

AA: Well, it’s a balance always. The immediate answer is yes. Our priority is technology. This is not a race about speed, it’s a race about technology. First we improve technology and later we will have more speed. The priority is to get the better technology because it is through technology how we will succeed. Technology is the name of the game here. We put the priority on technology because that will deliver faster cars, cheaper for the people and more efficient.

RC: Have you ever driven an electric race car?

AA: The first time was here on Tuesday. It was super fun. It was incredible actually. I did about 10 laps at the Homestead racetrack. I had never driven a single-seat race car before.

RC: Why did you choose Miami as a location for one of the Formula E races?

AA: Because we like to go to cities where people want to go, and we want to go to Miami. We love this city. So we came and were really welcomed. It was very easy. Everyone was open to the idea. We had a lot of help. We have been working with Miami for about two years to put this together. We had to obtain 163 different permits for the race.

RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?

AA: Welcome to Formula E. Enjoy the racing!

This article was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 12.2015

By Rafa Carvajal

“I got it!” Those were my overjoyed words when I called Jesse Spencer, my associate publisher at Wire Magazine, to share the great news that I had won the auction to purchase a new Internet address for Wire Magazine. I was ecstatic! Now we have a new and permanent home on the World Wide Web for Wire Magazine and Wire Media Group to showcase our upcoming new portal for the gay community. 

I purchased Wire Magazine three years ago with a dream to build a media group. Wire Media Group LLC was born to acquire the assets of Wire Magazine – “The Wire,” as many people still refer to the longest running weekly publication in South Beach and the best lifestyle publication for the gay community in South Florida.

I have been able to achieve many milestones along this three-year journey with the help of my team, such as the recent publication of Wire Magazine with a glossy cover for special issues, getting over 175,000 hits on one of my YouTube videos on our Wire Media Group channel, the rapid growth of our Facebook and Twitter, the expansion of our distribution in both Miami and Fort Lauderdale, having so many famous celebrities grant Wire interviews for cover stories, etc. etc. For three years I have been trying to find the best possible Internet address for our brand to house a new Internet portal for the gay community. Well my friends, patience is a virtue and it is sometimes well rewarded.

Since Wire Magazine is a weekly publication, I created our www.wireweekly.com Internet address as the best possible available alternative at the time to bring you our magazine, photos, and content online – the URL our readers currently see in our logo and on the cover of the magazine. However, I always wanted a better URL that was more closely aligned with our Wire Magazine brand name.

This week I am very proud to formally announce that www.wiremag.com will become our new Internet home under a powerful, short, easy to remember URL for Wire Magazine and Wire Media Group. Please stay tuned over the next few weeks as we remind everyone thatwww.wiremag.com is coming! This summer we will launch a new portal for the gay community to bring you tons of great content, photos, videos, special deals, events information, products and services, and much more.

We are developing our new www.wiremag.com website with you, our readers, in mind. It will be a living, breathing community that will grow and be enhanced over the coming months, just as we have grown and improved Wire Magazine in print by adding new writers and ample new content since the beginning of the year.