CJ Follini
Encyclopedia
CJ Follini is an American digital media entrepreneur, film producer and real estate investor. A native New Yorker who built his group of companies by investing in alternative real estate
types such as: digital film studios; healthcare real estate
; student housing; and artist residence clubs as well as providing venture capital
for early stage digital content creators..
where he attended the prestigious Jesuit high school - Fordham Preparatory School
.
Follini received a General Course Degree in Econometrics
from the prestigious London School of Economics
in the United Kingdom
. While in London
he played rugby
for LSE.
studio and digital media
centers in the United States, respectively, Follini was always active developing and investing in alternative real estate such as: industrial; waterfront land development; brownfields re-development; film studios; and most recently, medical office and senior housing. The following are a few career real estate milestones:
1994 Developed a 400 acres (1.6 km²) site with the Rockefeller Group for the expansion of the International Trade Center in Mount Olive, New Jersey.
1995–2001 Conceived, designed and renovated 400,000+ square feet of digital media studios in New York, Miami, Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles. Known as the Gun For Hire Production Centers, his New York site won the Crain’s Small Business
Award in 1998.
2001 Developed a re-claimed 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) brownfield located on the waterfront in Queens, New York. Purchased for $9,000,000 out of bankruptcy
, Follini sold the property three years later to the Bayrock Group, Donald Trump
's partner in Trump SoHo
for $27,500,000.
2002 Formed Noyack Medical Partners, LLC to develop and acquire health care real estate ( i.e. medical office buildings). Since 2003, Follini has accumulated a $100MM+ portfolio.
2005 Formed North Street Community to develop 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) former St. Agnes Hospital Campus in White Plains, New York
purchased at a foreclosure auction for $22,000,000. Recently announced the largest active adult housing
development in North America.
The 730000 square feet (67,819.2 m²), $250MM planned campus also includes assisted living
and medical office buildings.http://www.globest.com/news/946_946/newyork/162181-1.html
2008 Purchased the commercial half of the tallest building in Brooklyn
, the famed landmark - One Hanson Place
2009 Started BLACKSWAN webzine.
(medical office buildings, acute care centers); senior housing ; sustainable building investment; student housing ; affinity club hospitality ( i.e. gay & lesbian); fractional real estate development; private airport ownership/management; etc.
for the R.E.A.C.H. Foundation, an organization that helps children with life-threatening diseases and children in low-income school districts.
Follini is also the Executive Producer for the documentary
""Burning the Future: Coal in America
"" story of mountaintop removal mining and its disastrous effects on the environment.
Recently, the U.S. EPA objected to three more federal permits for mountaintop-removal coal mining citing its disastrous effects on the environment and local water quality as alerted in "Burning the Future: Coal in America
"
Additional production credits for CJ Follini include:
2000 "You Can Count On Me"
with Laura Linney
2000 "Once in the Life"
with Laurence Fishburne
1999 "Judy Berlin
" with Edie Falco
1998 "Croupier"
with Clive Owen
Renee Ryan who developed the highly successful Vera Wang
fragrance for which she won a coveted 2003 FiFi Awards
. She also started the luxury pet products company - Sexy Beast
The couple live on their waterfront estate in Sag Harbor in Southampton
, Suffolk County, New York
with their white boxer
, Austin. Their collection of contemporary art
and patronage of emerging art have garnered much attention.
, NYC.
Winner of The International Documentary Association's 2008 Pare Lorentz award for Best Documentary http://www.documentary.org/content/ida-2008-ida-documentary-awards-competition-nominees-announced
Winner of 1998 Crains Small Business Award for Gun For Hire Digital Media Centers
Winner of 2001 Universal Studios/Hypnotic Film Award for "Bullet In The Brain"
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
types such as: digital film studios; healthcare real estate
Healthcare real estate
Healthcare real estate is a niche market within the larger real estate market. Healthcare real estate or "Medical real estate" describes buildings, offices, and campuses leased to members or organizations within the healthcare community, but owned and operated by third party groups...
; student housing; and artist residence clubs as well as providing venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
for early stage digital content creators..
Biography
Follini grew up in Westchester County and New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he attended the prestigious Jesuit high school - Fordham Preparatory School
Fordham Preparatory School
Fordham Preparatory School is a private Jesuit all-boys high school located in the Bronx, New York City, with an enrollment of approximately 950 students. It is located on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University....
.
Follini received a General Course Degree in Econometrics
Econometrics
Econometrics has been defined as "the application of mathematics and statistical methods to economic data" and described as the branch of economics "that aims to give empirical content to economic relations." More precisely, it is "the quantitative analysis of actual economic phenomena based on...
from the prestigious London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. While in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
he played rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
for LSE.
Career
From the age of 12, he worked at entry level construction jobs learning the building trade from his father, Charles Follini Sr., a highly decorated former fireman with the FDNY and the CEO the building conglomerate responsible for Idlewild Airport - the Edenwald Group . While Follini’s early accomplishments came as a Senior Executive of Shooting Gallery and as Founder and CEO of Gun For Hire Production Centers, the largest independent filmIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
studio and digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
centers in the United States, respectively, Follini was always active developing and investing in alternative real estate such as: industrial; waterfront land development; brownfields re-development; film studios; and most recently, medical office and senior housing. The following are a few career real estate milestones:
1994 Developed a 400 acres (1.6 km²) site with the Rockefeller Group for the expansion of the International Trade Center in Mount Olive, New Jersey.
1995–2001 Conceived, designed and renovated 400,000+ square feet of digital media studios in New York, Miami, Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles. Known as the Gun For Hire Production Centers, his New York site won the Crain’s Small Business
Crain Communications Inc.
Crain Communications Inc is a publishing conglomerate based in Detroit, Michigan. The company publishes a variety of trade newspapers, including some city-based business newspapers, such as Crain's Cleveland Business, Crain's Chicago Business, Crain's Detroit Business, and Crain's New York Business...
Award in 1998.
2001 Developed a re-claimed 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) brownfield located on the waterfront in Queens, New York. Purchased for $9,000,000 out of bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, Follini sold the property three years later to the Bayrock Group, Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
's partner in Trump SoHo
Trump SoHo
Trump SoHo New York or just Trump SoHo, announced in 2006,, is a $450 million, 46 story, 391 unit hotel condominium being constructed in SoHo, New York City.-Overview:...
for $27,500,000.
2002 Formed Noyack Medical Partners, LLC to develop and acquire health care real estate ( i.e. medical office buildings). Since 2003, Follini has accumulated a $100MM+ portfolio.
2005 Formed North Street Community to develop 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) former St. Agnes Hospital Campus in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
purchased at a foreclosure auction for $22,000,000. Recently announced the largest active adult housing
Active adult housing
Active adult housing refers to communities either age-targeted or age-restricted to people aged 55 or older .Homes for active adults tend to be single family detached homes, and typically range from 1500 to , and lots tend to be less than a quarter of an acre. “In single-family detached homes, two...
development in North America.
The 730000 square feet (67,819.2 m²), $250MM planned campus also includes assisted living
Assisted living
Assisted living residences or assisted living facilities provide supervision or assistance with activities of daily living ; coordination of services by outside health care providers; and monitoring of resident activities to help to ensure their health, safety, and well-being.Assistance may...
and medical office buildings.http://www.globest.com/news/946_946/newyork/162181-1.html
2008 Purchased the commercial half of the tallest building in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, the famed landmark - One Hanson Place
2009 Started BLACKSWAN webzine.
BLACKSWAN
BLACKSWAN is a successful webzine focused exclusively on Alternative Real Estate. The strategies discussed are founded upon meeting the modern infrastructure needs of our society’s demographic and technological changes. They create new definitions by expanding or leaving altogether the customary real estate categories. BLACKSWAN describes alternative real estate strategies across the risk spectrum such as: healthcare real estateHealthcare real estate
Healthcare real estate is a niche market within the larger real estate market. Healthcare real estate or "Medical real estate" describes buildings, offices, and campuses leased to members or organizations within the healthcare community, but owned and operated by third party groups...
(medical office buildings, acute care centers); senior housing ; sustainable building investment; student housing ; affinity club hospitality ( i.e. gay & lesbian); fractional real estate development; private airport ownership/management; etc.
Producer credits
In 2000, Follini produced the short film BULLET IN THE BRAIN, winner of ten festival awards including the first Million Dollar Hypnotic/Universal Short Film Award. He also produced Someday, a music video for Irish pop band "Tellulah Crash," and a public service announcementPublic service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
for the R.E.A.C.H. Foundation, an organization that helps children with life-threatening diseases and children in low-income school districts.
Follini is also the Executive Producer for the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
""Burning the Future: Coal in America
Burning the Future: Coal in America
Burning the Future: Coal in America is a 2008 documentary film produced and directed by David Novack. The film focuses on the impacts of mountaintop mining in the Appalachians, where mountain ridges are scraped away by heavy machinery to access coal seams below, a process that is cheaper and faster...
"" story of mountaintop removal mining and its disastrous effects on the environment.
Recently, the U.S. EPA objected to three more federal permits for mountaintop-removal coal mining citing its disastrous effects on the environment and local water quality as alerted in "Burning the Future: Coal in America
Burning the Future: Coal in America
Burning the Future: Coal in America is a 2008 documentary film produced and directed by David Novack. The film focuses on the impacts of mountaintop mining in the Appalachians, where mountain ridges are scraped away by heavy machinery to access coal seams below, a process that is cheaper and faster...
"
Additional production credits for CJ Follini include:
2000 "You Can Count On Me"
You Can Count on Me
You Can Count on Me is a 2000 American drama film starring Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin, and Matthew Broderick. Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, it tells the story of Sammy, a single mother living in a small town, and her complicated relationships with family and friends...
with Laura Linney
Laura Linney
Laura Leggett Linney is an American actress of film, television, and theatre. Linney has won three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has been nominated for three times for an Academy Award and once for a BAFTA Award...
2000 "Once in the Life"
Once in the Life
Once in the Life is a 2000 movie written by, directed by, and starring Laurence Fishburne. Fishburne adapted the script from his own play, Riff-Raff.-Plot synopsis:...
with Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
1999 "Judy Berlin
Judy Berlin
Judy Berlin is a 1999 American drama film directed by Eric Mendelsohn. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.Mendelsohn won the directing prize for Judy Berlin at the 1999 Sundance International Film Festival...
" with Edie Falco
Edie Falco
Edith "Edie" Falco is an American television, film and stage actress, known for her roles in Oz as Diane Wittlesey, as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and as the titular character on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie...
1998 "Croupier"
Croupier (film)
Croupier is a 1998 film starring Clive Owen as a croupier. Directed by Mike Hodges, the film was released by Image Entertainment on DVD in the USA, and Alliance Atlantis in Canada. Though intended as a feature film, it was shown on television in North America...
with Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
Personal life
Follini is married to fellow entrepreneur and perfumerPerfumer
A perfumer is a term used for an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a Nose due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions...
Renee Ryan who developed the highly successful Vera Wang
Vera Wang
Vera Ellen Wang is a Chinese American fashion designer based in New York City and former figure skater. She is known for her wide clientele of couture bridesmaid gowns and wedding gown collections.-Personal life:...
fragrance for which she won a coveted 2003 FiFi Awards
FiFi Awards
The FiFi Awards are an annual event sponsored by The Fragrance Foundation which honor the fragrance industry's creative achievements and is the most prominent and prestigious celebratory event of the fragrance industry...
. She also started the luxury pet products company - Sexy Beast
The couple live on their waterfront estate in Sag Harbor in Southampton
Southampton (town), New York
The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...
, Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
with their white boxer
Boxer (dog)
Developed in Germany, the Boxer is a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog. The coat is smooth and fawn or brindled, with or without white markings. Boxers are brachycephalic , and have a square muzzle, mandibular prognathism , very strong jaws and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to...
, Austin. Their collection of contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
and patronage of emerging art have garnered much attention.
Honors
CJ Follini is Chairman of The Board of Directors of the renowned HERE Arts Center in SoHoSoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
, NYC.
Winner of The International Documentary Association's 2008 Pare Lorentz award for Best Documentary http://www.documentary.org/content/ida-2008-ida-documentary-awards-competition-nominees-announced
The International Documentary AssociationInternational Documentary AssociationInternational Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
has chosen Burning the Future: Coal in AmericaBurning the Future: Coal in AmericaBurning the Future: Coal in America is a 2008 documentary film produced and directed by David Novack. The film focuses on the impacts of mountaintop mining in the Appalachians, where mountain ridges are scraped away by heavy machinery to access coal seams below, a process that is cheaper and faster...
for the , honoring the best documentary film of year that deals with socially relevant issues. The award will be given in Hollywood on December 5th, and will be followed by a screening of the film on December 6th in Los Angeles.
Winner of 1998 Crains Small Business Award for Gun For Hire Digital Media Centers
Winner of 2001 Universal Studios/Hypnotic Film Award for "Bullet In The Brain"