Brett and Maria Beveridge: Work Hard and Play Harder!
Brett Beveridge is a serial entrepreneur who thrives on building businesses from the ground up and prides himself on being at the forefront of technology. Since founding the Revenue Optimization Companies (T-ROC), the Founder/CEO has helped propel the parent company of six brands to become a leader in the wireless, electronics, software and retail industries, assisting many big-box retailers and Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Sprint, AT&T, Walmart, Comcast and many more. Beveridge believes in combining people and technology to help companies reduce costs and increase sales, and always exceeding customer’s expectations.
Beveridge learned the value of hard work from a young age, performing various jobs from waiting tables to even working in a papaya field. At just 23 years old, the University of Miami Graduate started selling cell phones out of a van with a college friend, and impressively turned that bootstrap company into Let’s Talk Cellular & Wireless, which became the largest independent mobile wireless retailer in the country at the time with close to 300 stores nationwide. He would eventually take that company public and sell it to Nextel.
Beveridge would continue to harness his entrepreneurial spirit, raising millions from national venture capital firms like Goldman Sachs, to co-found LetsTalk.com, which became one of the largest online “e-tailers” of wireless products and services. In 2012, LetsTalk. com was acquired by Brightstar Corporation, the largest wireless handset distributor in the world. Over the last 20 years, Beveridge has successfully founded more than 20 companies and used his experience to help national wireless and technology companies with reorganization, profit turnarounds, mergers and acquisitions, and IPOs.
As a top leader in his field, Beveridge is the Chair of the Consumer Technology Association’s, Wireless Board, which meets throughout the year to discuss critical issues facing the industry and devise solutions. He is the past chair of The Young Presidents Organization (YPO) of Miami, where involvement allows him to foster long-term personal and business relationships and offer ideas and strategies to other business leaders in various fields.
Helping others succeed translates from Beveridge’s professional life to his personal life. For more the last 15 years, he’s been heavily involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami, helping to match at-risk kids with dedicated mentors. He is a past chairman and is currently on the foundation board, where he devotes his time to raising money and awareness of the charity. Beveridge also proudly serves on the Orange Bowl Committee with a focus on helping underprivileged youths and rebuilding distressed communities. The University of Miami alum is on the university’s President’s Council and Citizens Board and has mentored college students as a volunteer in the past. His personal goal is to help shape young lives and offer them a better future.
In his spare time, you can find Beveridge golfing or on the water with his wife and three daughters, indulging in boating, fishing or snorkeling. The longtime Coral Gables resident enjoys walking to breakfast on the weekends and sampling new restaurants and experiences around South Florida.
Brett and his wife met while he was bartending at Whistler’s Café in 1985 at The Cutler Ridge Mall. She arrived with an old high school friend of his and he proceeded to make them the best strawberry daiquiris in Miami all night. She was teaching aerobics at Scandinavian Health Spa in South Miami and they quickly discovered that they were both attending The University of Miami. Shortly thereafter Brett quit the bar scene and got a job at Scandinavian health club selling memberships. When Maria refused to date “guys” that she worked with Brett transferred from that branch to one close by and she finally relented and agreed to a date. Their 5-year relationship led to a wedding in 1990. Twenty-eight years later they are still happily married.
The couple enjoys golf, boating, travel, adventures sports like skydiving, water activities. Their volunteer work includes: Orange Bowl Committee, Big Brother Big Sisters, Past Chair of the agency board and founder of the Foundation Board. YPO, Past Chair of the Miami Chapter, Boy Scouts, Best Buy Foundation, University of Miami Citizens Board, University of Miami President’s Council, University of Miami past Volunteer Mentor, Nova University Ambassador Board and various other local and national charities, Industry Board: Consumer Technology Association, Current Chair of the Wireless Division Board. Long time Social and Golf member of Riviera Country Club.
All three daughters Ashley (25), Lauren (23), and Sofia (19) grew up as dancers from the time they were 4 at Dance Empire in South Miami. All three went to Gulliver Academy Elementary and Gulliver Prep High School. Ashley graduated college with a Psychology Major and Human Development Minor from Florida State University and then a Masters in Mental Health Counseling at The University of Miami. She is currently working at The Miami Counseling and Rescue Center in Coral Gables. Ashley is volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a “Big Sister” to Aniyha. Lauren not only danced but was also involved in the drama department as an actor while attending Gulliver and starred in several high school plays before auditioning and being accepted to the University of Southern California’s School of Dramatic Arts. She took many acting classes and graduated with a Communications Degree from the USC Annenberg School of Communication. She is currently pursuing her acting dream in LA and has a small social media business that keeps her busy when she is not auditioning. Sofia was co-captain of the dance team at Gulliver Prep and graduated from Gulliver with an International Baccalaureate Degree and is currently a freshman at University of Texas in Austin at the prestigious Malcolm School of Business.
And finally, their dog, Cole Beveridge, 2 years old, a Beautiful black and white pure bread boxer. He is super hyper and full of energy. Loves his daily trips to the dog park in Hammock Lakes. He has tons of dog friends there that he loves to play with.
And when it comes to playing harder, “We take an exotic and adventurous trip to someplace we have never been each summer. It all started with a European Mediterranean Cruise to Spain, Turkey, France, Italy and Greece several years ago. This year was an Alaska Cruise filled with amazing excursions. We saw and walked on Glaciers, took a half day ATV Tour, went whale watching, hiking, saw the Salmon running, and much more. We ended the trip in Victoria Canada with a tour of Butchart Gardens. On the bucket list is an African Safari, and an action-packed trip to Chile. Who knows what is after that.”