Episode 49 - Shareef Malnik - Entrepreneur, Restaurateur, & Chairman of Nextwave Funding

Entrepreneur Shareef Malnik is one of the country’s top restaurateurs. The Forge is Malnik’s celebrated, award-winning steakhouse. He has also owned the widely popular nightclubs: Jimmy’z, Cuba Club, Glass and Café Nostalgia.  By day, Malnik is the Chairman of Nextwave Funding, which provides funding to thousands of small and mid-sized companies across the nation. “I work with a cross-section of businesses across the country and feel rewarded when I see our capital help their companies thrive and grow" says Malnik. Shareef has also added Executive Producer to his oeuvre with the documentary film "Sexology", which was directed by his wife Gabrielle Anwar. They are presently working on a subscription website and spinoff series of the film. As a prominent philanthropist, Malnik has held the prestigious title of Chairman of the InterContinental Make-A-Wish Ball for 11 years, helping to raise more than $14 million for the organization. Under his leadership, the gala has become the most coveted event in South Florida with celebrity guests and entertainers spanning Diana Ross, Marc Anthony, Gabrielle Anwar, Wayne Newton, Paula Abdul, Macy Gray, Adam Lambert and Sharon Stone. In 2017 Malnik will become Chairman of the Board of Make-A-Wish South Florida. As a University of Miami School of Business graduate, Malnik also earned a J.D. degree from UM Law School. He sits on UM’s Medical School’s Advisory Board of the Psychiatry Department and is a board member of the PAL. Shareef is also a regular speaker at Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality. In his personal time, Malnik is an extreme skier, Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast, licensed helicopter pilot, former race car driver and offshore powerboat racer, and “tech” diver, having tested his steel at depths greater than 500 feet. He has run with the bulls in Pamplona and ice climbed the Cascades. Malnik resides in Miami Beach with his wife, children and assorted pets.