Irina Vilariño is a mother and business owner residing in South Florida.
As a small child, she arrived in Florida from Cuba with her family as part of the Mariel boat lift in 1980. Her parents sought freedom, political stability, and the ability to live in dignity, and Irina has followed in their footsteps with that same direction in her own life.
Like many new exiles, her parents started out with a simple small business: a fruit-stand. Just a few years later, her parents opened their first restaurant in 1984. The family business has now expanded to include multiple restaurants and real estate investments, and in that process, they have employed hundreds of people throughout South Florida. Irina attended Stetson University and Florida International University in Miami. Her views on our economy and the American Dream have been largely shaped by the real-world experience gained from taking a leadership role in the family business her entire adult life.