Born on May 12, 1955, Herman Echevarria called Camagüey, Cuba his home until 1966, when his family fled to Hialeah, Florida.
Beyond starting up BVK/Meka, he also founded the Spanish-language magazine Venue and spent decades helping out Miami in a variety of ways.
He assisted in negotiations to keep the Miami Heat in the city for 30 years, and he also played a big role in securing the historic landmark status for the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center, where musical legends such as Elvis Presley and Pavarotti have performed.
It was there that he served as a council member from 1985 to 1997, later hitting up the business world to great effect.