Pura Vida Miami Names Donnie Upshaw Chief People and Culture Officer

Pura Vida Miami Names Donnie Upshaw Chief People and Culture Officer

Tue, September 8, 2026 at 11:34 PM GMT+3 2 min read

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Pura Vida Miami, the all-day café and lifestyle brand operating 55 locations across six states and Washington D.C., today announced the appointment of Donnie Upshaw as Chief People and Culture Officer. Upshaw joins Co-Founders Omer and Jennifer Horev and the company's expanding executive leadership team as Pura Vida Miami continues its national expansion.

As the company enters its next chapter, Pura Vida is investing not only in new cafés and markets, but in the people, leadership and culture required to build an enduring organization.

In his role, Upshaw will lead Pura Vida's people and culture strategy, with responsibility for attracting and developing exceptional talent, strengthening leadership at every level of the organization, improving employee engagement and retention, and building the systems and infrastructure necessary to support the company as it scales.

"As we build the next chapter of Pura Vida, one of my greatest responsibilities as CEO is to make sure we are not simply building a bigger company – we are building a better one," said Omer Horev, Co-Founder and CEO of Pura Vida Miami. "I believe the strongest companies are built by people who genuinely care – about the guest, about their teammates, about the details, and about what we are building together. Donnie brings a deep understanding of what it takes to build strong teams, develop great leaders and create an environment where people can grow with the company. I think about our organization much like a great sports team," Horev continued. "We may play different positions and have different responsibilities, but we wear the same jersey and are working toward the same goal. Bringing Donnie into our leadership team is an important investment in the company and culture we intend to build in the longterm."

Donnie Upshaw, Chief People and Culture Officer

Upshaw joins Pura Vida Miami following an eight-year tenure with Wingstop, where he held senior leadership roles across people, brand and restaurant operations during a period of significant growth and transformation. He brings expertise spanning leadership development, succession planning, talent acquisition, workforce strategy and organizational effectiveness.

At Pura Vida, Upshaw will work closely with executive leadership to strengthen leadership capabilities, develop talent from within and create opportunities for employees to grow into management and leadership roles. Central to his role will be preserving the entrepreneurial culture, hospitality and sense of community that have distinguished the brand as it scales.

"Pura Vida Miami has built something truly special—a brand with an incredible culture, passionate people and an ambitious vision for the future," said Donnie Upshaw, Chief People and Culture Officer of Pura Vida Miami. "I'm excited to help build the leadership, talent and capabilities to support our growth while maintaining the culture and sense of community that makes Pura Vida so special. I want Pura Vida to be a place where exceptional people want to build their careers and where leaders are developed from within."

Upshaw's appointment further strengthens Pura Vida Miami's senior leadership team as the company continues to invest in the people, operational capabilities and infrastructure needed to support its national expansion. His appointment follows the company's recent additions of Andrew McCaughan as Chief Development Officer, Chad Brauze as Chief Culinary Officer, and Bruno Cardinali as Chief Marketing Officer in June 2026.

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