Mario Cartaya

Mario Cartaya was born in 1951 in Havana, Cuba. Nine years later, he was forced to flee into exile in the United States as a result of the imposition of Fidel Castro's regime. There, he fulfilled his early childhood dream of becoming an architect and, in 1979, founded a highly acclaimed architectural firm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which he led for 43 years. In 2019, his life story and numerous award-winning architectural designs were published in the United States Congressional Record of the US House of Representatives and enshrined in the United States Library of Congress. In September 2022, the US House of Representatives flew an American flag over the United States Capitol in recognition of his many contributions to the betterment of our country and presented it to Mario during a ceremony held in the Congressional Members' Only Reading Room of the US Library of Congress. In 2022, Mario retired from the architectural firm he founded to focus on a new literary career, bringing the same passion, dedication to excellence, and commitment that helped him become a successful architect and notable US citizen. His literary work has appeared on numerous television, radio, newspaper, journal, and podcast outlets, including Univision, PBS, The World's Best Magazine, and Authority Magazine. Mario has also contributed as a featured guest speaker at various US universities and book festivals, inspiring all with his humanist values.