Soul food, free water and a no-cost prom in South Florida. Here’s what to know
A water refill startup landing a national honor, a beloved Overtown restaurant marking five years and Broward seniors getting a surprise free prom. South Florida saw feel-good business news this month.
Here are key takeaways:
• Cristina Gnecco, 31-year-old co-founder of HOPE Hydration, made Inc.’s Female Founders 500 List. Her company provides free drinking water through ad-supported refill stations and has logged 4.4 million refills across five U.S. markets while raising more than $26 million.
• HOPE Hydration has partnered with Nike and Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. The company operates in Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, Austin and Minneapolis.
• Red Rooster, the Overtown restaurant co-founded by Derek Fleming, Michael Simkins and chef Marcus Samuelsson, has become a community fixture after opening during the pandemic — when it pivoted to serve over 7,000 free meals before ever hosting paying customers.
• Samuelsson, an eight-time James Beard award winner, was drawn to Overtown’s cultural parallels with Harlem. Booker T. Washington Senior High School Principal Anthony Simons arranged for 75 students to have a catered lunch at the restaurant after learning some felt unwelcome.
![The senior class reacts to the news that their prom tickets would be free during a ceremony announcing that Becca’s Closet and Macy’s donated $65,000 so that prom would be free for students on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Nova High School in Davie, Fla. “We weren’t hitting that mark [with fundraising] and sometimes kids can’t participate in things because of cost and now not only can they go to prom for free, but then can go to Becca’s closet and get a dress. Being able to come together as a class for prom and take that concern away means the world,” said Jayla Huntley-Murphy, class treasurer.](https://www.miamiherald.com/public/latest-news/q9rkn9/picture315199817/alternates/FREE_1140/Beccas%20Closet%20AGS%20089%20.jpg "Beccas Closet AGS 089 .jpg")
• Seniors at Nova High School in Davie learned at an assembly that their prom was fully paid for through a $65,000 donation from Becca’s Closet and Macy’s. Tickets cost $225 last year, according to the school.
• Becca’s Closet was started as a project by Nova student Rebecca Kirtman, who died in 2003 before graduating. Her mother, Pam, worked at Nova for more than 20 years and had wanted to make its prom free since her daughter’s death. Nova is one of eight high schools covered by Macy’s Prom Fund, which has raised $600,000 toward a $1 million goal.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.