• The Miami Herald, Thursday, June 16, 2011 9:30 AM

Michael Capponi, a South Florida promoter who was so moved by events in the devastated island nation that he has traveled there 32 times, has launched a tourism redevelopment project in Jacmel, a town on the south coast known for its local artists and papier-maché handicrafts. With actress Maria Bello, her friend, venture capitalist Reza Bundy, and Haitian business leaders eager to see the town reborn, he plans to redevelop the city and the surrounding coastline with American and Haitian activists and entrepreneurs, all united in the quest to rebrand the country as a hip tourist destination. "This is a dream come true. We want to be a Caribbean cultural destination," says Yanick Martin, the director of the state's regional tourism office, who owns an art gallery in Jacmel.

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