Co-founder, Naples and Fort Myers Restaurant Week and SWFL “First Bite.” Co-owner, Food Idea Group

Rafael Feliciano has a lengthy history of creating organizations and movements that make a difference. Before co-founding Naples and Fort Myers Restaurant Week, which raised more than $20,000 for local charities from 2016 to 2017, and Food Idea Group, a marketing company aimed at busy chefs, he co-founded the First Multicultural Greek Organization at FGCU, which is now the largest multicultural men’s organization in Southwest Florida. Also at FGCU, he started a program called “Betas Wrap It Up,” where fraternity brothers and other students would partner with Miromar Outlets to wrap and deliver gifts for underserved Immokalee preschoolers during the holidays.

In 2016, Florida’s Paradise Coast granted Feliciano with the Innovative Star Award for the positive impact Restaurant Week had on the region’s tourism industry. In his downtime, Feliciano enjoys traveling, sports, and spending time with his two dogs, Bourbon and Kahlua.