Something special is happening at DARIA: more and more people who initially invested in villas as members are also applying for jobs. They don't just want to be part of the community - they want to play an active role in shaping it. What is behind this trend?
It often starts quite inconspicuously. Someone becomes part of the Infinity program. A membership to connect and jointly secure investment opportunities in Florida. A few weeks after signing the contract, the participant visits Florida, often for the first time. They get to know other members, meet the management and employees of DARIA. He senses the energy on site. And suddenly the question arises: What if I not only invested, but also worked here? If I became part of this development?
This is exactly what we are experiencing more and more frequently at DARIA. People see Florida not only as an exciting investment, but also as a Life perspective. A place where they can Start a new career or simply expand their professional mission into a wider context. Where they can contribute their skills and at the same time live their vision of freedom.
Why DARIA attracts people
DARIA is Not a traditional employer. There are no rigid hierarchies here, no run-of-the-mill job descriptions, no corporate structures. Instead: a vision that connects people. Values that are lived. And the Cape Coral and Fort Myers region as a place that combines quality of life and professional opportunities.
At DARIA, no one is simply doing a job. Something bigger is being created here: an entire district, a community, a new attitude to life. Anyone who works here is helping to build something that will last.
Genuine co-design. No prefabricated processes, no tight corsets. Instead: the freedom to contribute your own ideas, take responsibility, drive things forward. It's sometimes exhausting - but also incredibly fulfilling.
Community instead of elbows.
„Your customer is the community“ is how Lydia Siegel, who will be managing DARIA US IT Solutions LLC together with Marc Siewert from 2026, puts it.
Every individual counts. It's not about optimizing quarterly figures, but about giving people a better life.
If you want to take responsibility, you get it. If you have an idea, you can put it into practice. Those who take action are not held back.
That's exhausting - no question about it. There are no ready-made manuals. No established structures. Much is created by walking. But that's exactly what makes it incredibly fulfilling: you're not a cog in the wheel. You are a designer.
Insight into 10 stories from our employees
One Facebook post changes everything
Katja Schäfer was scrolling through her Facebook feed in gray Hamburg when she saw a picture that gave her pause. Frank Rahlf, founder of DARIA, was standing in the stadium in Tampa. His message: „Anyone who wants to join DARIA should get in touch.“
Katja came forward.
What began as a curious message developed into an intensive examination of a project that would never let her go. The more she learned about DARIA, the clearer it became to her: „This was invented just for me.“
Katja has dreamed of emigrating to Florida since the early nineties. A dream that was always there - but never seemed tangible. Until DARIA came along. Suddenly there was not only the opportunity to invest, but the chance to become part of something. Part of a team. Part of a vision.
„It was clear to me from the start: I want to work for DARIA in Florida“, she says today. „Whichever way.“ And Katja kept at it.
„After a period of orientation, I was very lucky to have a very special person at my side: my mentor Jutta. This time not only allowed me to get to know Daria better, but also myself,“ she recalls. „I discovered aspects of myself that I didn't even know existed - courage, perseverance, trust and the ability to let go. The personal development I have experienced since then has been tremendous - and wonderful. I have grown beyond myself and continue to learn every day.“
Today, Katja accompanies DARIA members through the programs with passion and perseverance and loves her work.
What makes DARIA so special? „Everything,“ says Katja without hesitation. „I work with people I like and trust. We develop the project together. Everyone gets involved and everyone pulls together.“
For the first time in her life, she knows what it means to really trust. And this is how miracles happen. „To be able to experience these miracles every day is a happiness that is reserved for only a few.“
From founding member to employee
Dina Scheve was unhappy in her old job. It no longer felt right. She wanted something new. A challenge with meaning.
Then she met Christian Bühner from the West sales team. And with him, DARIA.
„Because of the maximum trust I had in Christian, I knew it could only be good,“ says Dina. „And when I heard America, I was even more convinced: I'm definitely in.“
Her first trip to Florida with DARIA was a week that changed everything. Conversations with colleagues on site. Especially with Frank. And at the end of that week, a feeling she had never had before:
"This is home.“
What makes DARIA so special? „The people behind it,“ says Dina without hesitation. „An incredible amount of knowledge. Trust and honesty.“ DARIA has changed her entire life. „I couldn't be more grateful to have been given this opportunity as a Founding Member - but especially as an employee.“
„The best decision of my life“
Maximilian von Garnier spent 38 years of his life playing American football. First as a player, later as a coach and board member in Hamburg. He also worked for AOL, then Yelp. For three years, he managed a large restaurant location in Hamburg's city center.
His love for the USA had existed for a long time. He pursued the DARIA project from the very beginning.
When Max walked into the new headquarters in Fort Myers for the first time, he immediately saw the potential. The high ceilings. The location in the middle of downtown. The possibilities that lay in these rooms. At that moment, he knew: this is where I want to be. This is where I want to help build.
Today, Maximilian is Director of Sport Events and one of the driving forces behind DARIA's catering division. He is negotiating with the Florida Panthers for the exclusive DARIA Suite. He plans new bakeries. He is developing the concept for a German restaurant that will also serve as an event space. And he works every day on the headquarters - the building that is more than just a workplace for him.
„Headquarters was a favorite project for me right from the start,“ he says today. „The decision to come here was the best decision of my life.“
What drives him is not the salary. Not the title. It's the feeling of working every morning on something that really lasts. To be in a place that makes him happy. And to be part of something that is bigger than himself.
The impossible dream
Marc Siewert is a media business economist. He has been involved in programming for over 25 years. He loves creating things that can be seen and used in the end, as he says. He worked as a product owner at Car2Go and was co-owner of a digital agency in Hamburg. A good job. A fulfilling life.
The idea of emigrating to Florida with your family? Absolutely impossible.
„I had completely ruled out ever living in Florida,“ says Marc today. Then came corona.
Marc watched as Germany became increasingly restrictive, while Florida took a different path. For the first time, he looked seriously in the direction of the Sunshine State - but only mentally. The step still seemed far too big.
Until DARIA came along.
Initially only as an investment. A share in a villa. Then the first visits to Cape Coral. The conversations with Frank and Patrick. The realization that not only properties were being built here, but that something much bigger was being created. And suddenly - within a few months - there was this opportunity: to set up my own tech company under the umbrella of DARIA. With Lydia as a partner. With real creative freedom.
Today, less than ten months after his first investment, he and Lydia will be setting up the entire IT infrastructure at DARIA from 2026. What was unthinkable in the spring is now a reality.
„It's impressive how quickly everything has developed,“ says Marc. „But the crucial thing is: Only with DARIA did I feel that this step - going to Florida with my family and leaving a lot behind - really made sense.“
I will bring the hummingbird home
For Dewi from Garnier DARIA was more than just an investment right from the start. It was a vision. An energy. A new beginning.
After saying goodbye to their son Jacob, she and her daughter Zoë needed a fresh start. Florida offered this fresh start - but it was more than just a change of scenery. It was a symbolic journey.
In August 2023, Frank gave her son Jacob a hummingbird handmade by Native Americans. A gift that carried a deep meaning. For Dewi it was clear: this hummingbird had to go back home. She would symbolically take it back to where it belonged.
„I've always wanted to come here,“ says Devi. „Even as a teenager, I dreamed of it.“ Over the years, this dream faded. It was almost forgotten when she made the decision to move to Florida. And that's where the magic lies: „Timing is everything.“
„The inspiration from DARIA, the energy of the project, the opportunity to be part of something bigger - all this led to an almost forgotten dream suddenly becoming a reality.
Today, Dewi feels at home in Florida. It is a new beginning - one in which Jacob is always present in her heart. The hummingbird that she symbolically brought home carries this connection within it:
„In its infinite flight movement, which describes the shape of a horizontal figure of eight, it stands for eternal life and infinity.
A sign that some connections never end, that love remains. And that a new beginning does not mean letting go - but carrying on what is forever a part of us.
When heart and professionalism come together
Boris Hagemeister had known for some time that he wanted to work in an environment where ideas were not only heard, but also tried out. Where people not only think, but also help to shape things.
That's exactly what he found at DARIA.
„I was gripped by the atmosphere at DARIA right from the start,“ he says. „This feeling that something is really happening here and that you are part of something real.“
It wasn't just the project. It was the people. The team. The way people work here. And the more he got involved with DARIA, the more he realized that it was worth taking the big step. The step of emigrating.
„When I realized how much the team and the projects inspired me, it was clear that I would take the big step.“ Today he is in Florida. And is inspired anew every day.
What makes DARIA so special? „Heart and professionalism come together here. You can simply feel that every single person is important.“
The connector
While Jenny's husband Boris was gripped by the opportunity to become an entrepreneur under the DARIA framework Jennifer Hagemeister is responsible for important tasks at DARIA headquarters. As a coordinator, she is the link between the various departments. She ensures that information flows and nothing gets lost. If employees have questions, they turn to Jenny. She fills in the gaps when open issues need to be clarified due to the company's rapid growth.
„I connect what belongs together,“ she says. And that's exactly what she does - and not just professionally.
For Jenny and Boris, the decision to go to Florida was clear. They were ready. But things were different for their 14-year-old daughter.
Florida? That meant giving up her circle of friends. Everything that was familiar. „She didn't want to at first,“ Jenny admits openly. „It was hard for her. And we understood that too.“
But as parents, they knew something that their 14-year-old daughter could not yet grasp: What an incredible opportunity this was for her. An international school-leaving certificate and soon speaking fluent English. A perspective that will open doors for her that other teenagers her age can only dream of.
Today there are five of them in Florida - with their two dogs. They are exploring life on the beach, enjoying the vastness and the many incredible opportunities.
„We are happy here,“ says Jenny. „And we are grateful to be working on a project that gives us so much meaning. This is more than a job. It's a life.“
Now or never
Ten years ago Melina Schmelter her high school year in America. It was more than just an exchange year. It was the moment when she knew: this is where I belong.
The connection remained. But life went on. She returned to Germany. Years passed. Until DARIA came along.
„DARIA was my chance to finally realize my dream and work here in the USA,“ she says today. „I thought to myself: now is my chance. If not now, then when? I will regret it if I don't do it.“
So she did.
Today she is in Florida. And what she has found here is more than just the fulfillment of a dream. It's the people.
„The incredibly great people who work on this project every day,“ she says.
What makes DARIA so special for her? „Everyone can focus on their strengths and go their own way. And yet we walk the path together.“
She has waited ten years. She has carried this dream with her for ten years. Now she is living it.
From dream to life like in a movie
„A year ago, everything looked very different,“ says Alexandra Welsch. She recently celebrated her one-year anniversary in the USA. A year that has changed her life on all levels.
Alexandra is a tax clerk and accountant. She has been at home in the field of finance and taxes for over 30 years. Today she manages DARIA US Accounting Service LLC.
„The professional side of things has developed in such a way that this company has grown into a consulting firm,“ she says. „The perspective has become more complex. And therefore bigger. And that makes me quite happy and proud as an entrepreneur.“
But it's not just work. It's life. „I've become calmer. More chilled out,“ she says with a laugh. „I've adapted to the pace of the Americans. That doesn't mean I work more slowly - but I'm just calmer inside.“
She now thinks in English. She dreams in English. She feels at home here.
„Living where others go on vacation,“ she says, „Blessed. That's the word that sums up what it feels like to be here.“
As a single mother, she didn't know for years how she would sometimes make it to the end of the month. „I had the whole burden on my shoulders,“ she remembers.
She felt restricted in Germany. She wanted more for her daughter. Other possibilities. A different life. DARIA gave her this opportunity. Today, she is part of a wonderful team and is living her dream of freedom.
From the community for the community
Diana Siegel was never someone who dreamed of Florida. At first, she only knew DARIA as a concept: villas in Cape Coral, co-ownership model, community idea. Interesting - but not her thing. Until she started working for DARIA.
Her job: To organize the members' trips to Cape Coral. Coordinate flights if someone wants to see their villa for the first time. Booking accommodation for the time before moving in. Planning processes so that everything runs smoothly. Being the contact person for all the big and small questions that arise when you come to Florida for the first time.
The more trips she organized, the clearer it became to her: "This is not just logistics. These are people who are taking a big step. Who invest. Who dream. Who are excited. And who need someone to make this first step easy for them.
Diana became an expert for this very moment. She knew which flight connections worked best. Which hotels nearby are recommended. What you need to bear in mind when entering the country. How to make the most of the first few days in Cape Coral. She developed a feel for what members need - often before they knew it themselves.
And at some point, after months of this work, she asked herself the question: Why from afar? Why not on site?
Diana moves to Florida in January 2026. Not just to continue organizing trips - but to turn it into a fully-fledged travel agency. A business that has emerged from the community and works for the community. A company that can only exist at DARIA because it knows exactly the needs that no one else has on their radar.
She will not only book flights. She will welcome members on site. Show them Cape Coral. Connect you with the right people. Help them to settle in. And at the same time set up the travel agency she would have wished for from the very beginning - if she had come to Florida for the first time herself.
A job becomes a mission. The organizer becomes the entrepreneur. Distance becomes home.
Anyone at DARIA who sees the need and can deliver the solution gets the chance to turn it into a business.
What is different about DARIA
These ten stories have one thing in common: they are all just possible.h, because DARIA is not a normal company. No corporate structures. There are no 50-page compliance manuals at DARIA. No endless approval loops. No politics. Instead: short paths, quick decisions, real responsibility.
Community at the center: If you work at DARIA, you work for people you know. People you meet at events. People you might even be friends with. That changes everything. Suddenly it's no longer about abstract KPIs, but about real people with real needs.
Speed: „A year ago, we wouldn't have thought we'd be here today,“ says Max. Everything is developing rapidly at DARIA. Anyone who works here has to be ready for change. But that's exactly what makes it exciting.
Meaningfulness: At the end of the day, something remains. A headquarters that you have helped to build. Software that makes members' lives easier. A restaurant that brings the community together. That's something other than PowerPoint slides for the next quarterly meeting.
What comes next
DARIA is growing - and fast. And with growth comes new opportunities.
New positions are being created everywhere. Some jobs are advertised in the traditional way. Others are created because someone has an idea and simply implements it. Still others develop from within the community.
We regularly publish vacancies here.
Or send us an unsolicited application: Do you have a skill that will take DARIA forward? Do you want to be part of this vision? Can you imagine starting over in Florida? Then apply. Show us what you can do. Tell us why you want to work at DARIA.
Maybe your next step is not just an investment. Maybe it's the start of something much bigger.
Maybe it's your professional reorientation. Your path to freedom. Your chance to build something that really matters.
DARIA is growing. Be part of it.
Click on the link here to fill in your unsolicited application details and tell us more about yourself and your skills.
There are only 10 stories and there are so many more. Maybe you can feel the energy. We are proud of our wonderful team. And we are growing every day.
What do you think about our team spirit? Please leave us a comment.
Jutta Burmeister
With over three decades of entrepreneurship, Jutta combines analytical clarity, strategic foresight and empathetic leadership. As an integral business mentor, she stands for responsibility, awareness and leadership. As part of the Daria Project management board, she shapes the foundation for sustainable growth - with a focus on structure, process intelligence, team development and value-based leadership.
Really great stories. Being a member here is something very special. I wish all those who have dared to take the step to Florida every success and that you can fulfill your lifelong dream.
Is it still possible to invest?
Dear Kaarina, please write to us here send us a message and our wonderful team will get in touch with you so that you can clarify any personal questions directly.