This holiday season we invite you to create a truly unforgettable year with help from these businesses owned and operated by fellow ’Canes. Happy holidays and happy shopping!
Stocking stuffers
For your holiday stockings hung by the chimney with care…
Caneswear — Caneswear, founded by Ken J. Graff, B.B.A. ’98, M.B.A. ’03, is the largest privately owned retailer for University of Miami merchandise. With apparel and accessories for everyone—including hats, license plates, decals, lanyards, pet products, and more—there’s something for every fan.
📍 Available nationwide, online
Puffy (Children’s book) — In their book, “Puffy,” Nastasha Pollard, B.S.N. ’13, and Kelechi Onyejiaka, B.A. ’12, invite young readers to wonder what their hair would say if it could talk. “Puffy” is an open invitation to embrace uniqueness, build self-love, and reflect on your natural hair. Alumni are welcome to 15 percent off with promo code CANES.
📍 Available nationwide, online
MANTRA — Mantra, founded by Dominic Natalizio, B.S.B.A. ’15, makes sustainable performance apparel prioritizing recycled materials. Their flagship product is a performance polo made for everywhere, from the office to links or drinks.
📍 Nationwide, online
Handsome Bald Men’s Club — Handsome Bald Men’s Club, founded by Corbett Compel, B.S.C. ’00, sells gifts and gear for the handsome bald man in your life! Shop the ‘Be Bald. Be Happy!’ collection, offering a variety of hats, beanies, t-shirts, and mugs.
📍 Nationwide, online
The Chosen Gift — The Chosen Gift, founded by Susan Lockenbach, B.Arch. ’84, is a family-owned business offering the Jewish community products to celebrate the holidays, Shabbat, and everyday life. Alumni are welcome to a ten percent discount with the code UMALUM.
📍 Nationwide, online
Lime and Cocoa — Lime and Cocoa, founded by Rodrigo McCarthy, M.B.A. ’06, with his wife Erica, creates all-natural, award-winning, and locally sourced gift baskets for realtor closing gifts, corporate gifts, wedding favors, party favors, personalized gift baskets, corporate events, retreats and more. Alumni are welcome to a free upgrade. Click here to learn more about their story.
📍 Nationwide, online
Gifts for vintage and antique collectors
Find something that’s one-of-a-kind to add to the collection.
Spin Alley Vintage Radios & Phonographs, LLC — Spin Alley, founded by Oscar Herrera, B.F.A. ’83, specializes in the restoration and sale of antique phonographs and radios from the early 1900s to the 1970s, including wind-up models, mid-century Bakelite tube phonograph and radio combos, and more. Restore a cherished item or give the gift of music this holiday season. Alumni are welcome to a 10 percent discount on presentation of ’Cane card or alumni card.
📍 Miami, FL
Cognizant Cards & Collectibles — Cognizant Cards & Collectibles, founded by lifelong collector Joseph Gorrin, M.S.F. ’18, is a leading online retailer of sports cards, trading card games, exotic snacks and more. Shop sports cards, including basketball, football, soccer, and wrestling; and trading cards, like Pokémon, MetaZoo, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Alumni are welcome to a five percent discount.
📍 Nationwide, online
Speedway Vintage Cycles — Speedway Vintage Cycles, founded by Carol Laracuente, M.B.A. ’13, offers motorcycle restoration and vapor blasting cleaning for vintage cycles.
📍 Miami, FL
Gifts for the home
Whether your home needs a quick reset, a revamp, or a realtor, these ’Canes can help you rest easier knowing you are in qualified hands.
Big C’s Services, Inc. — Big C’s Services, Inc., founded by husband-and-wife team Cory and Jasmine Naylor, A.B. ’00, M.A. ’04, has provided housekeeping and window cleaning services for families, business owners, and contractors in Miami-Dade and Broward since 2002. Alumni are welcome to $20 off window cleaning on services starting at $95.
📍 Miami, FL
Sobie Fabrics — Sobie Fabrics, operated by Ida Sobie Plotkin, A.B. ’76, is family-owned business that has been providing great deals on fabrics from the same South Florida storefront location since 1962.
📍 Miami, FL
Levine Realty Inc. — Levine Realty Inc., founded by Miami native Jack Levine, B.S.C.E. ’73, is a full-service real estate brokerage firm. With 44 years in the real estate industry, Levine has put together a team of experienced and highly motivated professionals with a strong track record, an extensive knowledge of the marketplace, and a wide network of community and real estate contacts.
📍 Miami, FL
Gifts to support New Year’s Resolutions
Whether you’re looking to grow your professional toolkit, build a new hobby, or get more involved, these ’Canes can help you to achieve your goals and reach new heights of success.
The Vocal Actor with Corbin Abernathy — Corbin Abernathy, B.M. ’93, established his vocal academy to help aspiring singers, actors, voice-over artists, and public speakers polish their pipes. Abernathy teaches singing, acting, voice over, dialect coaching, and public speaking. Alumni are welcome to a 15 percent discount on services.
📍 Philadelphia, PA
Mandeville School of Music & Dance — The Mandeville School of Music & Dance, founded by Ryan Cullen, M.M. ’05, has a range of music lessons, dance classes — including improv! — and drama classes for aspiring actors and thespians. Give the gift of music and dance this holiday season to children, teens, and adults. Alumni are welcome to a 20 percent discount on services.
📍 Mandeville, LA
Comic Cure — Comic Cure, run by Benjamin Leis, B.S.C. ’04, hosts stand-up classes, comedy coaching, and comedy shows featuring promising local talent to raise awareness, funds, volunteers, and donors for local non-profit organizations. Comic Cure has showcased more than 2,000 comedians to benefit more than 200 non-profits in South Florida, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia since its founding in 2015. Alumni are welcome to a ten percent discount on services and events.
📍 Nationwide
Miami Community Music Center — As the director of educational programming, Wendy S. Gunther, M.M. ’20, seeks to offer community and connection through high quality intergenerational music education and engagement from birth through adulthood.
📍 Cutler Bay, FL
Experience gifts
Gift a fun outing—or create your dream vacation—with help from these businesses owned and operated by fellow ’Canes.
Hialeah Park Racing & Casino — Owned for many years by the late John Joseph Brunetti Sr., B.B.A. ’52, now run by John Brunetti Jr., Hialeah Park Racing & Casino invites guests to step back in time to an era of grand celebrations and palatial surroundings, lush with 200 acres of landscape, verdant gardens, and 16th century French Mediterranean architecture.
📍 Hialeah, FL
The Comedy Inn — Rated among the top 50 comedy clubs in the country, the Comedy Inn, operated by Michael J. Levine, J.D. ’07, is Miami's premier venue for stand-up comedy. Producing comedy shows around South Florida with national headliners and local acts, the Comedy Inn promotes its shows exclusively by email to its "Inn List" of dedicated comedy fans who want to laugh late, and sleep over at the Inn. Alumni are welcome to one free drink and premier seating upon presentation of a ’Cane card.
📍 Miami, FL
Museum of Graffiti — The Museum of Graffiti, co-founded by Allison Freidin, J.D. ’10, B.S.C. ’07, is the first institution in the world to exclusively exhibit, educate, and celebrate graffiti artists transforming public spaces into vibrant masterpieces. Alumni are welcome to a ten percent discount at the Museum of Graffiti.
📍 Miami, FL
Getaways Done Your Way — At Getaways Done Your Way, Shelley Dilworth, B.S. ’91, can book you a ticket to paradise with her a full-service travel agency specializing in custom vacations for couples, families, and groups.
📍 Cochranville, PA
