Meet Dmitry Orel | Tech Entrepreneur, Product Strategist & Multi-Vertical Investor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dmitry Orel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dmitry, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
More and more, I find happiness in the present moment. That’s something I only began to truly understand in the last few years. For a long time, I was driven entirely by growth, ventures, investments, tech, AI, outcomes. But around 2-3 years ago, a shift happened. I began to explore life outside of business: more time with my family, with my parents, more travel, more reflection on what truly fuels me.

What makes me happiest now are the moments when I’m fully present with my daughter, especially while she’s still young and seeing the world with pure, unfiltered curiosity. Kids under 8 have this magic in them that many of us forget as we grow older. Their joy is raw, honest, and not yet shaped by expectations. It inspired me to reconnect with that version of myself, the fearless, imaginative 10 year-old boy, and begin creating from that place again.

Since then, I’ve launched and invested in several projects that reflect that shift:
• Prototyping innovative vehicles in the automotive space.
• Opening restaurant concepts and building franchise-ready models.
• Developing AI-driven service platforms that elevate everyday experiences.

Each venture now comes from a place of alignment, not just opportunity. I create things I want to see in the world, and that I want my daughter to grow up around.

So what makes me happy? Living a life where I can dream freely, build with heart, stay close to my family, and explore the world with them, together.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work can’t be summed up by a job title, it’s a living system built on curiosity, experimentation, and connection. I’m a serial entrepreneur, repeat founder, investor, strategist, and creator. But more than that, I’m someone who builds across verticals, from AI platforms and moving-tech startups to automotive prototypes, wellness products, hospitality experiences, and sustainable prefab housing.

What sets my work apart is the way I blend intuition with systems thinking. I don’t enter industries, I challenge them. I often build as an outsider with fresh eyes, guided by a vision, a gut feeling, and the ability to assemble world-class teams who can turn ideas into reality. I prototype fast, validate through user experience, and scale only when the value is real. My projects aren’t just startups, they’re ecosystems built for longevity.

That said, I wasn’t always this balanced. A few years ago, I was consumed by outcomes, product launches, VC deals, scaling fast. Then life shifted. I began traveling more with my wife, my daughters, and my parents. I gave myself space to reconnect with the version of me that builds from joy, not pressure. Since then, I’ve launched projects that not only perform but fulfill me. I’ve designed restaurants, built smart moving platforms, created AI vision tools, invented meditative hardware with Ukrainian roots, and released custom G-Wagon and coffee van prototypes.

Was it easy? No. But I’ve learned that real breakthroughs come when you combine your business brain with your inner dreamer. When you stop chasing only metrics and start building from emotion, empathy, and purpose.

What do I want the world to know? That being multidimensional is a strength. That success doesn’t have to cost your creativity, family, or health. That you can be both a visionary and an operator. That your childhood instincts may be your best strategy.

And that when you lead with heart, everything else can follow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend came to visit South Florida for a week, I wouldn’t hand them a schedule, I’d give them a rhythm. Something that starts slow, opens up wide, and wraps around memory like sunlight on skin. A week that feels like a story you didn’t know you needed.

We’d begin with breakfast at All You Need, my friend’s neighborhood café, where the Ukrainian cheese pancakes come warm, the coffee is smooth, and the pace is intentionally slow. The kind of place where conversation flows without needing a plan.

Then maybe a long, aimless drive along the coast, windows down, music turned up, no GPS, just instinct. Eventually we’d wander through Wynwood, not for photos, but for the people: the vintage record seller, the muralist painting over something old, the stranger reading poetry in front of a thrift shop. That’s where the city’s soul lives, not in the Instagrammed version, but in the messy, brilliant realness between the curated corners.

We’d spend a day absorbing beauty at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, then walk the bayfront outside and just… pause. Another day we’d head to the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science, get lost in the planetarium, stare at jellyfish, and remember how curious we used to be. We’d leave feeling re-centered and oddly recharged.

And then, the water calls, because it always does here. We’d rent a boat, pack it with fruit, drinks, music, and maybe some stone crab claws if we’re feeling indulgent. Out on Biscayne Bay, we’d drift toward one of Miami’s iconic sandbars, the ones that feel like floating villages on weekends. And if we time it right? That sandbar becomes a floating cinema. Someone rigs up a projector, stretches a screen between two boats, and suddenly you’re watching a film under the stars, while waves tap against the hull and strangers become neighbors. It’s surreal. And completely unforgettable.

Evenings vary. One might take us courtside at a Miami Heat NBA game, all sweat, lights, and city pride. Another might be chilled rosé and live jazz at Lagniappe, sitting on mismatched chairs under string lights, surrounded by people who look like they belong in three different countries, because they probably do. Or maybe it’s a Florida Panthers NHL game, with the sharp chill of the arena a perfect contrast to the Florida heat outside. It’s loud, wild, and exactly what we didn’t know we needed.

Midweek, we’d disappear, take the long, sun-soaked drive to Key West. No destination, just a direction. Stop at Robert Is Here for a tropical fruit shake, feed tarpon in Islamorada, take Seven Mile Bridge like it was built just for us. In Key West, we’d ride bikes, catch the sunset with street performers at Mallory Square, and spend the night in a boutique guesthouse with a lazy ceiling fan and no real plans for morning.

On the way back, we’d stop at a regenerative farm or eco-sanctuary in Homestead. Pick mangoes. Walk barefoot. Talk to someone who’s chosen a slower life. That kind of pause stays with you.

The last day? We return to All You Need, full circle. Same breakfast. Same table. But we’re not the same. The week has worked its way into our skin, through saltwater, music, movement, color, stories, and quiet.

This wasn’t a trip. It was a reset. A reminder of how it feels to be fully here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s no version of my story that exists without my family. I want to dedicate this shoutout to them, my wife, my daughter, and my parents, who have always grounded me, believed in me, and reminded me what really matters.

I also want to acknowledge the close friends and partners who challenged me to think bigger, supported my wildest ideas, and stood by me when things didn’t go as planned. Entrepreneurship is never a solo game, it’s built on trust, collaboration, and shared resilience.

And finally, a special shoutout to the mentors, teams, and dreamers I’ve worked with, across continents, cultures, and industries. You’ve helped shape the way I build, lead, and live.

This journey is all the more meaningful because of the people walking it with me.