2024 Hall of Fame Inductees
Presented By: Return on Life Wealth Partners
Rocco DiLillo
PCX Corporation,
City Visitor Inc.,
PorchLight Destination Services,
Advanced Hydro Solutions,
Habacoa
Rocco A. Di Lillo was winner of the Ernst & Young, NASDQ and USA Entrepreneur of the year in 1997. Rocco’s career spans the fields of advertising, the development of hydroelectric energy, corporate housing, manufacturing in the construction industry, marina development and philanthropic development. He has operated 12 companies in his career, seven he founded and five he acquired. He founded his first company, City Visitor Inc. in 1980 with the mission of serving travelers and the businesses that serve them. City Visitor published relocation books, visitor guides and specialty publications for Sea World, Rock N Roll HOF, Six Flags, and numerous other museums.
Rocco is the former founder and CEO of Corporate Lodgings and founder of BridgeStreet Accommodations, which provides fully furnished housing for travelers in over 130 markets around the world. Rocco successfully completed an initial public offering of BridgeStreet in 1997 on the NASDAQ market.
In addition, he is the former CEO of Cooperative Resource Services, the third largest relocation company in America which was sold to Allied Worldwide. Rocco is the founder and past chairman of Porchlight Rental Services, the leading provider of professional rental finding services, nationally, for corporate transferees looking for rental assistance in North America.
As Chairman and majority owner of PCX Corporation, the manufacturer of off-site electrical and mechanical gear for the construction industry, Serving International companies like Walmart, Meta, and Amazon, which he sold to Hubbell Controls in 2022.
Rocco is the founder and Chairman of Advanced Hydro Solutions, a developer of hydroelectric facilities for the purpose of generating Green Renewable power.
Rocco is the 2016 honoree of the George Dively Entrepreneurship Award which is granted annually by the Harvard Business School Club of NE Ohio.
Rocco’s latest development is Habacoa, an Iconic Real Estate and Marina in South Abaco, Bahamas. When completed it will be the largest marina in North America and the newest luxury residential community in the Bahama’s. Habacoa will offer a private airstrip, superyacht club, casino, golf courses, upscale hotels, and luxury homes.
Rocco has spent his life working for a variety of charitable and social services organizations. He was inducted into the Dealmakers HOF in 2024. Rocco supports numerous Philanthropic organizations ranging from Health Care, Education and Entrepreneurship. As a supporter of Christian Education, he supports the Northern Ohio Italian American (NOIA)-Northern Educational Legacy Program which serves the advancement of Christian education.
He grew up in NE Ohio and now lives with his wife, Joan of 48 years in Naples, Florida.
J. David Heller
The NRP Group
David Heller is the President, CEO, and Co-Founder of The NRP Group. Over the past 30 years, The NRP Group has emerged as one of the largest multifamily development, construction, and property management companies in the United States. Since its inception in 1994, The NRP Group has developed over 50,000 apartment homes and currently manages more than 26,000 residential units across fifteen states.
The NRP Group consistently ranks among the top 10 largest developers and builders in the U.S., as recognized by the National Multifamily Housing Council and Affordable Housing Finance. The company has been honored with the National Association of Home Builders Multifamily Pillars of the Industry award for “Builder of the Year” and has received the Pillar Award for “Development Firm of the Year” four times. The NRP Group is renowned for its expertise in developing both affordable and market-rate communities on a national scale.
Before founding The NRP Group, Mr. Heller worked as a consultant for The Townsend Group, where he managed over $3.6 billion in real estate investments in just two years, covering office, industrial, retail, single-family, and multifamily projects. He also played a key role in portfolio diversification, asset management, investment strategy, and project underwriting. Prior to this, he spent five years as a manager in the real estate consulting division at Arthur Andersen & Co. in Chicago, where he conducted feasibility studies, market analysis, strategic planning, and audits of real estate partnerships.
Mr. Heller is deeply committed to community service and has held numerous leadership positions in civic organizations. In January 2009, he was appointed by the President of the United States to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. In 2010, he was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young Cleveland. He has been a member of the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund Board since 2008, with subsequent reappointments in 2012, 2016, and 2020.
In support of the multifamily sector, Mr. Heller serves on the executive committee and is a past Chairman of the Housing Credit Group for the National Association of Home Builders. He is on the advisory board for the Campaign for Affordable Housing and the editorial advisory board for Affordable Housing Finance magazine. Additionally, he serves as a board officer for the Housing Advisory Group and is a certified public accountant, holding membership in the AICPA.
Mr. Heller's community involvement extends to several board positions, including University Hospitals of Cleveland, Parkwood Corporation, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Foundation, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He also serves on various university boards, including Case Western Reserve University and the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He previously served on the board of Cuyahoga Community College and chaired the board of Northeast Ohio Medical University.
Dedicated to the Jewish community in Northeast Ohio, Mr. Heller was Campaign Chair for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in 2013 and 2014, later serving as Board Chairman from 2019 to 2022. He held various officer roles within the Federation from 2007 to 2018 and served on its Executive Committee. His past roles include Chair of the Federation’s Government Relations Committee, President of the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, President of Ohio Jewish Communities, and Vice President of Gross Schechter Day School.
Mr. Heller holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. In 2017, he was honored with the David D. Alger Alumni Achievement Award from the Ross School of Business, recognizing his significant contributions and achievements.
Ansir Junaid
Junaid Group
Ansir Junaid is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Junaid Group. He also serves as Co-Founder, Principal, and Senior Advisor at Morningside Group. With extensive experience in global manufacturing, supply chain, real estate, and mergers & acquisitions, both domestically and internationally, Mr. Junaid is a recognized leader in these fields.
Mr. Junaid is actively involved in numerous corporate and civic boards, prioritizing programs that support medical research, economic growth, and the empowerment of youth and women through expanded access to education and healthcare. As the Founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Junaid Group, a privately-held conglomerate, he oversees a diverse array of industries focused on full-service supply chain solutions and sustainability. His expertise has propelled the Junaid Group of companies (SupplySide, Morningside Group, Packaging Supplies, Prime 360, Southwood, and others) to serve hundreds of customers, including Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Target, UPS, Home Depot, and Lowe's, particularly excelling in logistics management and packaging services.
Mr. Junaid is renowned for transforming fragmented markets into sustainable growth engines through innovative techniques and technology integration. He has redefined traditional supply chains to foster new relationships between large retailers and suppliers across Asia, Dubai, and Africa. Additionally, he collaborates with private equity firms to convert fragmented businesses into valuable acquisition targets with a national presence.
His civic engagement is equally significant, demonstrated through his extensive work with local and international philanthropies and political initiatives. The Junaid Family Foundation (JFF), established in 2021, serves as a platform for his philanthropic efforts. Notable examples include his role as the 2024 co-chair of the PanAm Masters Games in Cleveland, a collaboration with Kirk Humanitarian Foundation and the Government of Pakistan on a groundbreaking multi-micronutrient supplementation program supporting over 2 million women, and providing grants to local organizations helping resettle refugees in Cleveland.
Mr. Junaid is also dedicated to advancing educational opportunities for girls and young women in rural Pakistan through initiatives like The Citizen Foundation and Hunar Foundation. His philanthropic contributions have earned him recognition, including being honored by Crain's as a 2020 Notable Immigrant Leader.
Outside of his professional and philanthropic endeavors, Mr. Junaid enjoys golfing, racing, supporting the JFF sponsored racing car, traveling, and spending quality time with his family
Matt Kaulig
Kaulig Media
Matthew Kaulig is the executive chairman of Kaulig Companies Limited. Kaulig Companies is known for offering a diverse spectrum of businesses, which includes sports and entertainment, marketing and events, and private equity and real estate.
His sports ventures include Kaulig Racing, which is a multi-car NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series team, and he is minority owner of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team. Kaulig is also an award-winning entrepreneur, business owner, and philanthropist. Additionally, he is the founder of Leaf Home, which is a contractor business he started out of his home in 2005, which is now one of the largest direct to consumer home products companies in the United States and Canada.
Kaulig’s philanthropy work is also notable, as he has been a major contributor to the Cleveland area since his college days when he led the University of Akron football team at quarterback. He is the founder of Kaulig Charitable Giving Programs, which has over 300 nonprofit partnerships that focus on children and families in need. Supporting the well-being of children and developing partnerships with like-minded nonprofits are key to Kaulig, who believes one of the best investments that can be made is in children.
Stephen McHale
UnifyWork
Stephen McHale’s mission is founding and building data and technology companies that transform industries. A hallmark of his career is the acquisition of his first three companies by industry leaders. Since 2021, Steve has dedicated his experience and resources to building his fourth company, UnifyWork, a platform company delivering AI technology that transforms work. UnifyWork is the first for-profit spin-off of Unify Labs, a 509(a)3 venture impact non-profit that Steve co-founded in 2017 with the mission of Powering Inclusive Prosperity.
In 2009, Steve co-founded Explorys in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. As Chairman of the Board and CEO, Steve led the Explorys team as they invented and brought to market a big data solution to improve healthcare outcomes. Through his leadership, the company amassed the world’s largest clinical database, spanning hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers and more than 60 million patients in the United States. Explorys was acquired by IBM in 2015. Prior to Explorys, Steve founded and led Everstream, a media analytics company acquired by Concurrent, an Atlanta-based publicly traded company. And, the first company he founded, USConnect, a North America-focused systems integration company was also acquired by a publicly traded company.
Steve is committed to supporting entrepreneurship and invention. He serves as the Managing Partner of 23Bell Ventures, an invention capital firm, himself has 4 issued patents, and is amember of the Texas A&M Innovation Council. He chairs the board of Arrive Health, a leader in prescription decision support, and serves on the board of Axuall, a company specializing in workforce credentialing and intelligence. Steve is as involved with his community as he is with his work serving on the boards of the Centers for Families and Children, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Cleveland Food Bank, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Clinic.He is an LP in all of the North Coast Angel & Venture Funds and is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization. Throughout his life and work, Steve has been widely recognized asa leader in technology innovation and a champion of community thriving.
Ron Weinberg
Weinberg Capital Group
Ronald Weinberg is the founder of the firm and remains actively involved as both an investing partner and in managing our portfolio companies, frequently serving as the liaison between the Board and management. He collaborates closely with management teams to identify new business opportunities and to establish strategic direction and financial objectives.
Previously, Mr. Weinberg co-founded and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hawk Corporation, a leading manufacturer of specialized brake materials for the aerospace, industrial, and specialty consumer markets. Under his leadership, Hawk Corporation expanded from a single plant generating $19 million in sales to 16 facilities worldwide, with revenues surpassing $400 million at its peak.
Mr. Weinberg has also held the position of Chairman at New West Eyeworks, a chain of 160 retail optical stores across the Western United States, which was successfully built, taken public, and sold at a substantial profit to the original shareholders. Additionally, he served as Chairman and CEO of SunMedia Corp., a publisher of 46 suburban weekly newspapers.
A prominent figure in the Cleveland business and civic community, Mr. Weinberg is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic, where he chairs the Research and Education Committee. He and his wife, Terri, recently made a significant donation to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation to enhance its research capabilities. Mr. Weinberg is also the past Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Cleveland State University and a former Board Member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed by Governor Bob Taft to the 2007 Northeast Ohio Universities Collaboration and Innovation Study. Additionally, he has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Visiting Nurse Association and on the Advisory Board of Empower America, an advocacy organization founded by Jack Kemp.
Mr. Weinberg grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and, together with his wife Terri, maintains residences in Naples, Cleveland, and Nantucket. He holds a B.A. in Science from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.