EDDY MORATIN

PRESIDENT, LIFT ORLANDO, ORLANDO

Lift Orlando, Florida Trend’s 2021 Floridian of the Year, is a place-based community development organization working to strengthen the West Lakes communities near downtown Orlando. With 25 employees, Lift Orlando leads Florida in place-based revitalization through a model that transforms both lives and entire communities. Moratin has led the group since 2013. During that time, Lift Orlando has invested more than $120 million in everything from housing to education to health care. “We helped transform one of Central Florida’s most distressed properties into a vibrant mixed-income community, opened universal early learning access and cut childhood poverty in half over 10 years, all by putting residents at the center of the work,” he says.

FIRST JOB: At 24, I became director of membership services at the Orlando Regional Chamber.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I love creating spaces where people connect and thrive. If I weren’t doing this work, I’d likely be a chef —bringing people together over food and conversation.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: As a kid, I dreamed of designing futuristic vehicles and spent hours sketching concept cars. I’m still a car enthusiast at heart.

INDUSTRY TREND: Place-based investment is becoming a driving force in philanthropy.