Manny (Manuel) Espinosa is the President and founder of Gulfstream Computer Applications a software support and development company based in Miami Florida. He was born in Sancti Spiritus Cuba in 1957 and arrived as a 3-year-old to Miami on January 12 1961, as part of the early wave of Cuban refugees seeking freedom from the communist dictatorship. 

Miami in 1961 was very different from the Miami we know today. Miami then was a small tourist town and snowbird destination with a Florida cracker feel.  There were rodeos and stock car races in Hialeah, retirees from NY sat on lounge chairs on the front porches of the art deco hotels in South Beach and Seminole Indian families came to do their laundry at the coin laundry near Coral Way and Galloway Road in southwest Miami.  The Espinosa family settled early in the new Westchester neighborhood and Manny and his sister Cristina began attending Rockway Elementary where they were the only Hispanic students at the school. As such, Manny has had the privilege of seeing the transition of Miami into the diverse and dynamic metropolis it is today. 

After graduation from Christopher Columbus High School, Manny, at the urging of his big sister Cristina, applied to UF and joined her there in the Summer of 1976. Since that time, UF and the friends and families connected to the UF experience have become an integral part of Manny’s life. Manny met his Gainesville born wife, Carol, at the University in the hallway when they both arrived early for CIS 101 (their first Computer Science class). All 5 Espinosa siblings attended the University as well as Manny’s three sons, his daughters-in-law, nieces and nephews, in-laws and most of his best friends and extended family.

Manny received his BS in Computer and Information Science from the College of Business Administration in 1980 and began his career as a programmer for the Data Communications Corporation in Memphis Tennessee.  In 1982, the family moved back to Miami where Manny continued his career as a Computer Systems Analyst working for various companies including Time Sharing Resources, BBM, and Financial Processor Inc.

In 1990 Manny started Gulfstream Computer Applications to provide his computer programming and analysis services directly to his customers. Over the years, Gulfstream Computer Applications has developed and supported software for numerous corporations in a variety of platforms and industries. Manny continues to lead and participate daily in the activities at the company. In addition to his work at Gulfstream, Manny is a managing member and daily participant in two other Espinosa family businesses CGLC (a Dry-Cleaning Business) and Ayme Properties (a Real Estate Owner Operator).   

A passionate UF supporter, Manny, Carol, and their sons, have organized an annual pilgrimage to Gainesville (and beyond) on the first football weekend of each year for 27 years. This tradition has grown to include multiple generations of schoolmates, family, friends, employees, customers, and their children, who were or have since become Gators as well.