The Palm Beacher: Iconic Islander

From as early as she can remember, Lilly Leas Ferreira, 30, the grand-daughter of designer and Palm Beach icon Lilly Pulitzer, was taught to dream big. Pulitzer, fondly remem-bered as the “Queen of Prep,” instilled a sense of female empowerment in Ferreira that is still very much present today. “I had a little girl a few months ago,” says Ferreira, speaking of her newborn daughter, Lillian, marking the fifth Lillian in the family beginning with Ferreira’s great grandmother. “Thinking about growing up with ‘granny’ and now having a daughter, it’s all coming full circle. I’m so fortunate to have had her in my life. She brought such a special type of energy and liveli-hood to my family.” This past January, Ferreira, who was born and raised in Palm Beach, was appointed general manager of The Royal Poinciana Plaza, an upscale mall known for its food, fashion and entertainment. That, too, was a full-circle mo-ment, she says. “My grandmother taught me through example,” she says. “She always took on new challenges, and that’s certainly something I try to emulate. My grandmother is so well known for the brand and lifestyle she created, but she also left behind a legacy of inclusion, compas-sion and empathy, which together helped her find success. Now as a young professional trying to make my own mark, I make sure kindness and empathy are part of my own mantra too.” Ferreira, who attended Florida Atlantic University, has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, opening her own public relations firm a few years after graduation and later selling it to attend the University of Florida for an acceler-ated MBA program.