Ari Gold is a serial entrepreneur who has repeatedly anticipated consumer trends, and he’s already planned out the next trend among Miami residents who like to spend their time on the water. His new venture, BoatBuddy Club, is designed to help you spend more of your time yachting off the coast for less money and have a better time while you’re at it. He’s sure you’re going to love it.
You can trust Ari to know what businesses work and what’s about to trend. He started his career by co-founding a cosmetics retail and wholesale operation across the US and later took on the restructuring of a chain of cosmetics stores around cruise ports and airports. Once he had those businesses bringing in more than $25 million in annual revenue, he got into real estate. Every business Ari takes on seems to come at just the right time, right at the turn of a trend or the growth of an industry, and that’s no accident. He’s part of a rare class of entrepreneurs with the vision to anticipate what’s next.
His new venture, BoatBuddy Club, hits a bit closer to home for him, though.
One of his greatest joys, what he calls a “profound passion,” is to spend time on the water whenever he’s in the world. To him, shared boat experiences are a special environment of joy and adventure where memories are made, bonds are forged, and long-term friendships begin. He’s met some of his best business partners and greatest friends on boats. “But the soaring costs of boat rentals,” Ari says, ” without a large group to share expenses, posed a significant obstacle.”
That’s where the idea for BoatBuddy Club came from. The goal is to give people more affordable experiences by getting them on the water more often without breaking the bank. BoatBuddy Club is now Miami’s first and only shared yacht rental service, a cost-effective way to “Yacht Pool” groups looking to spend their weekend off the coast. It’s not just a way to save money while boat renting; BoatBuddy Club is a social project, too.
Ari isn’t someone who likes to spend his weekends alone. He didn’t find his business success alone, and he’s all about making connections wherever he goes. That’s one of the first things he learned about business and life. Relocating to the US from Israel when he was young before he’d started building his business portfolio, he knew the first thing he needed to do was get to work, learn the language, meet people, and make connections. “I had to work tirelessly to foster relationships,” he says, but this was the most valuable work he’s done. This desire to make new connections and friendships is baked into the BoatBuddy Club concept.
“We take immense pride in our sophisticated pooling algorithm,” says Ari. “A unique feature that connects like-minded people based on very specific criteria.” When you sign up to share a yacht with someone, BoatBuddy Club makes sure it’s someone you’ll want to meet. While BoatBuddy is providing your shared yacht experience with its captain, fuel, food, and plenty of drinks on ice, it’s also picking the right companions for the trip. Ari says, “Through this personalized approach, we aim to foster meaningful friendships and communities among our guests while they enjoy a unique time on the water.”
Ari Gold has always built his businesses based on the next big thing he sees coming. This time, he’s creating the next big thing for people wondering what to do in Miami, and he’s basing it on a life of building connections and a love of boating. It’s rare for business opportunities to line up with personal passions this well, and it’s not a chance that Ari is going to miss.