By Michaela Greer
Decades after being inspired by the internationally acclaimed Estancia Golf Club that he developed in his hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona, Michael Meldman used his real estate broker expertise to found a company devoted to helping families bond in untouched sanctuaries. His attempts finally came to flourish in 1994 when Discovery Land Company was born. Twenty years later, Meldman’s dream has amassed into a collection of 17 award-winning private resorts in the United States, Mexico and the Bahamas.
Anyone who has ever visited these locations probably would not have difficulty conjuring up images of magnificent golfing greens, exquisite properties overlooking gorgeous beaches or killer ski slopes covered in a blanket of well-manicured snow. While the resorts themselves are absolutely enchanting, it is the company’s generosity that makes it truly spectacular.
In an effort to give back to the community, Discovery Land Company developed the Discovery Land Company Foundation, which seeks to enrich the lives of local children near its properties. Together, both branches receive donations and host events to raise funds for organizations that focus on housing, education, medicine and other human services within the local communities.
Discovery Land Company Foundation also raises money by inviting local artists to submit their paintings for sale. Two key artists are Bahamian native Amos Ferguson and world-renowned painter Stephen Craven. Ferguson uses his wit to create vibrant paintings of objects broken down into simple shapes that often tell a particular story. On the opposite end, Craven’s paintings are so intricate that upon closer inspection, the viewer can find hidden treasures between each stroke of his brush. Like Ferguson, Craven’s paintings are vivid, but instead he creates scenes that are so lifelike, it’s as if you could step right into them.
This unique union of local artwork and charities within a large real estate venture once again shows how Meldman’s Discovery Land Company is much more than just resorts.
Originally appeared in the Winter 2014 issue.
