Recreo LLC
Recreo's vision has a few simple tenets.
* Private luxury accommodations with individualized activities and experiences to suit each guest's lifestyle
* Unrestricted use of activities and services offered
* A level of service and amenities akin to that of the world's finest resorts and hotels
Recreo Costa Rica strives to be ecologically and socially mindful of each country and area where it chooses to develop, adapting the model that they have developed in Costa Rica to Latin America and Europe. The Management Team is comprised of six partners, all board members of Bolanos Bay Foundation, a Recreo led United States and Costa Rica non-profit, providing access to basic needs, play and wishes for children faced with economic and/or health challenges in Latin America to enrich their lives with hope, spirit and happiness. Through our programs and initiatives, we will give children a better learning environment by improving the learning conditions, by renovating the school and implementing new educational programs.
History, Partnership and Management Team
In 2005, Paul Pawlowski began to develop the concept of Recreo, combining the tenets above with an emphasis on geo-tourism. In 2007 he brought Michael Porter, Matthew Van Dyne and Anthony Jarrin on board, and the partners have since honed their collective vision to create what will be Recreo's beta project in Costa Rica.
Pawlowski, Porter, Van Dyne & Jarrin, all homeowners in Costa Rica, chose the country for their first joint enterprise for its breathtaking scenery, its strengthening economy, the Costa Rican government's commitment to protecting foreign investment and a worldwide resurgence of interest in the culture, food and music of Latin America. The partners plan to expand their brand to other parts of Latin America (including the Dominican Republic and Colombia) and eventually to Europe, all following the model of Recreo Costa Rica.
Bios
Paul Pawlowski - Partner
Paul is founding partner with Michael of Recreo. He has been an entrepreneur his entire life. At the age of thirteen, Paul opened his own landscaping business, which would eventually hit nearly $5 million a year in revenue. Also at an early age, Paul discovered his love for real estate and development.
In 2005 he opened Recess Management LLC. One hour into his first visit to Costa Rica, he purchased property there; his vacation home was completed five months later. After seeing the beauty and opportunity of Costa Rica, the landscape architect, real estate developer and adventure-lover conceived his vision for Recreo. Paul enlisted the assistance of his sister, Kristine Pawlowski, and her husband, Eduardo Rodriguez, to make his vision for Recreo a reality (more details below).
Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province proved the ideal spot, with its beautiful Pacific beaches and national parks, wildlife refuges, waterfalls and natural seclusion. In early 2007, a mutual friend introduced Pawlowski to finance professional Michael Porter, who was looking for his own 6-bedroom house in Costa Rica. Enthused by the area and by Pawlowski's vision, Porter came on board as partner to help Recreo become a reality.
Michael Porter - Partner
Michael is founding partner with Paul of Recreo. He first fell in love with Costa Rica after commencing building his house. He currently works in private equity and prior to this was a turnaround and restructuring advisor to distressed companies. In this position he served in various interim senior management roles for companies up to $1 billion in revenue. He has also worked at a distressed hedge fund and in investment banking.
Michael received his Masters in Business Administration from Columbia Business School, with a concentration in finance via the accelerated program. In addition, he studied international business at Senshu University in Kawasaki, Japan.
When he is not in Costa Rica surfing and enjoying the pura vida, he lives in Miami, Florida with his daughter, Dakota Skyy. Michael is proficient in Spanish and shares with his partner a deep appreciation for Latin American culture, as well as a commitment to maintaining the delicate ecological balance of the area they are developing. It is with great pride that he signed on to help execute Pawlowski's vision for Recreo - a vision the partners now share, with plans to expand into other Latin American markets and, eventually, to Europe.
Matthew J. Van Dyne, CFA - Partner
Born and raised in Long Island, NY, Matthew moved to Nashville, TN where he attended Vanderbilt University, from 1996 to 2000, and graduated with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. He currently works in the financial services industry and is based out of New York City. Matthew received his CFA designation in 2007 and is a member of the NYSSA.
With a passion for traveling in Latin America and learning Spanish, Matthew, also a homeowner joined forces with his friends and partners in this endeavor to deliver the quality, life-changing and unforgettable experiences for the guests of Recreo.
Anthony Jarrin - Partner
Born and raised in Ecuador to American and Ecuadorian parents, he moved to the United States in 1996 for college and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor's degree in economics, business administration and Portuguese in 2000. Currently he works in the financial services industry and is based out of Miami attending to the Latin American High-Net Worth and Institutional clientele.
Tony has always been fascinated with tourism and the service industries since childhood with firsthand knowledge of the beauty of Costa Rica's natural geography and scenic panoramas. Tony is a homeowner and investor in Recreo; he joined forces with his friends and partners in this endeavor to deliver top quality, life-changing and unforgettable experiences for the guests of Recreo. When out of Miami, Tony enjoys spending time with his family in Ecuador and traveling around the world in pursuit of another magical spot like Recreo!
Kristine Pawlowski –Director of Operations, Partner
Kristine moved to Costa Rica to teach English in 2002. During the day she taught at the local school, and at night held adult classes for the entire community. Within three short months of arriving in Costa Rica, Kristine became fluent in Spanish, and a respected community member. Within a year of moving to Costa Rica, Kristine met and married her husband, Eduardo, who would also become an asset in creating Recreo.
Eduardo owns and operates his family's construction company, and Paul contracted with him to build the homes within Recreo. From the beginning, Kristine and Eduardo have been influential in making Recreo a reality. As a partner, Kristine is the Director of Operations overseeing all resort activities, complimented by Eduardo as General Manager of Facilities.
Michelle Porter – President and Chief Financial Officer, Partner
Michelle joined Recreo in May 2008, bringing 15 years of accounting, finance, tax, audit and consulting experiences from both Fortune 100 and privately-held media entertainment conglomerates. She began overseeing all accounting and tax activities for Recreo, then expanding her role in 2009 to oversee all marketing and business partnerships.
Michelle holds a B.A. degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, and is both a Certified Public Accountant (in California and Illinois) and Certified Internal Auditor (Internationally).
News |
 |
 |
|
|