Celebrating Diversity: Owen Bale and Rocco Carulli Of R House Wynwood On How To Build Inclusive Communities
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Prioritize Visibility
If people don’t see themselves reflected in leadership, programming, or branding, they won’t feel like they belong. At R House, we intentionally spotlight underrepresented voices and aesthetics — not as a trend, but as a truth.
In a world where diversity is often acknowledged but not always celebrated, we are taking a step forward to highlight the importance of inclusivity in building strong, vibrant communities. This series aims to explore the various facets of diversity — be it racial, cultural, gender-based, or within the differently-abled community — and understand how embracing these differences strengthens our social fabric. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Owen Bale and Rocco Carulli.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about celebrating diversity, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I started my professional life as a corporate attorney at the global law firm Clifford Chance in London. While the legal world taught me discipline, negotiation, and critical thinking, I would be hard pressed to say it ignited me creatively. That spark came when I met Chef Rocco Carulli — an American chef with a bold, heartfelt vision of food and hospitality as a tool for inclusion and joy. We took a leap together and opened R House in Wynwood, Miami. What began as a restaurant concept quickly became something deeper — a celebration of all things culinary, culture, chosen family, and expressive freedom.
Can you share an interesting or hopeful story where spending time with someone who did not look like you or who was different from you taught you something that has been useful to you?
Before we launched drag brunches at R House, I had never met a drag queen in person, I had only seen them on stages. Unlike my partner Rocco, who had more experience in this arena, I didn’t truly understand what drag was all about — the art form, the history, the meaning, or the people behind the makeup and costumes.
Getting to know our cast of drag performers has completely transformed my perspective. I learned not just about wigs and fabulous costumes, but about resilience, creativity, and what it means to hold space for joy in the face of adversity. These queens taught me that drag isn’t just performance — it’s power, it’s protest, and it’s healing. Through our work together, I’ve also come to understand and celebrate my own gay identity in ways I didn’t even know I needed, and showed me the strength that lies in being visible, proud, and unapologetically who you are.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Adaptability — Moving from the UK to Miami and pivoting from law to hospitality required a full mindset shift. I had to rewire what success looked like — from legal briefs to brunch reservations.
- Risk Tolerance — Leaving a stable legal career to launch a restaurant and drag venue in a gentrifying Miami neighborhood wasn’t the “safe” choice. But I’ve learned that real growth comes when you lean into discomfort. R House would never have become what it is if we had played it safe — the risk was the path.
- Resilience — Running a hospitality business through COVID, political shifts, and the challenges of championing LGBTQ+ visibility hasn’t been easy. But staying grounded in our mission — joy, food, and freedom — kept us going.
Can you share a personal story that highlights the impact of diversity and inclusivity in your life or career?
We once hosted a drag brunch where four generations of a Cuban-American family celebrated their grandmother’s 90th birthday — front row, beaming. Watching her joyfully tuck dollar bills into the queens’ wigs reminded me that inclusivity isn’t about “target audiences” — it’s about creating moments where everyone feels welcome, safe, and celebrated. Those moments are magic.
How do you approach and manage the challenges that arise when working towards creating more inclusive communities?
At R House, we’ve always believed that real inclusivity means welcoming everyone — across age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and lived experience. But creating that kind of space doesn’t happen by accident — it takes constant listening, learning, and adjusting. We’ve had to challenge our own assumptions over the years. Sometimes that’s meant rethinking how we cast shows, how we train our staff, or how we represent different communities in our marketing. The work isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. When people from totally different walks of life can come together, dance, laugh, and feel like they belong — that’s when we know we’re doing something meaningful..
What innovative strategies or initiatives have you implemented or observed that effectively promote the importance of diversity and inclusivity?
Honestly, one of the most powerful things we do is also the most visible: we run drag shows every single week. At a time when drag is being politicized and targeted in some places, we treat it as what it truly is — an art form rooted in self-expression, resilience, and celebration. Hosting drag brunches and shows week in, week out, is our way of making a loud, joyful, and unapologetic statement about inclusion.
We’ve been intentional about building a rotating cast of performers who reflect Miami’s true diversity — in race, gender identity, language, body type, style, and story. Our queens aren’t just entertainment — they’re culture-shapers, and we make sure they have the mic. But it doesn’t stop at the stage. Behind the scenes, inclusivity plays a big role in our recruitment, marketing, playlists, and even our menu development.
In your opinion, what are the key elements that make a community truly inclusive, and how can these be fostered on a larger scale?
True inclusivity means people feel like they fully belong — seen, safe, and celebrated. At R House, we’ve learned it takes real representation at every level, plus a culture that centers joy — not just tolerance. That kind of joy is powerful, especially for marginalized communities, and it’s what transforms a space into a home. Inclusivity isn’t about checking boxes — it’s about creating energy people can actually feel.
5 Ways We Can Build Inclusive Communities:
- Prioritize Visibility
If people don’t see themselves reflected in leadership, programming, or branding, they won’t feel like they belong. At R House, we intentionally spotlight underrepresented voices and aesthetics — not as a trend, but as a truth. - Make Space for Feedback — and Act On It
Inclusivity isn’t a one-time policy. It’s responding when a guest says, “your bathrooms don’t feel safe for me,” and fixing it. We’ve done exactly that. - Celebrate, Don’t Just Tolerate
Inclusion should feel joyful, not clinical. Celebrate cultural holidays, highlight LGBTQ+ excellence, book DJs from different scenes. Don’t just include — elevate. - Collaborate Locally
Work with neighborhood organizations, diverse creative folks, immigrant entrepreneurs. Building community starts by supporting the communities you’re in. It’s how we’ve kept R House authentically rooted in Wynwood. - Invest in People, Not Just Optics
True inclusivity isn’t just about who’s on stage or in your feed — it’s about who’s getting paid, mentored, and given real opportunity. If you rely on diverse talent, treat them like the core of your business, not a photo op. We’ve found that when people feel genuinely valued, they bring their full selves — and that changes everything.
How do you measure the impact and success of diversity and inclusion efforts, and what changes have you seen as a result of these initiatives?
When a young gay person brings their conservative parents to brunch and says, “this is the first time they really enjoyed being in a space like this — and I felt totally accepted.” Or when a straight staff member tells us they’ve learned more about gay culture working here than they ever had before — and that it’s changed how they see the world. At R House, we don’t just entertain — we open minds.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I’d start a global campaign to reintroduce drag to the world as what it truly is: a force for joy, artistry, and human connection. So much of the anti-drag rhetoric we see today is rooted in fear — fear of what people don’t understand or haven’t experienced firsthand. But when someone actually sits through a show, laughs, cheers, connects with a performer — that fear often dissolves.
We see it all the time at R House: parents, tourists, even skeptics who walk in unsure and leave completely moved, entertained, and changed. Drag isn’t sinister — it’s celebratory. I’d love to create opportunities for the drag-sceptics amongst us to experience the joy of R House and encounter drag not as a political flashpoint, but as the joy-filled, creative expression it really is. That kind of exposure doesn’t just shift opinions — it opens hearts.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Follow us on Instagram at @rhousewynwood or check out what we’re cooking up at www.rhousewynwood.com. You’ll find me somewhere between the kitchen and the DJ booth.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Celebrating Diversity: Owen Bale and Rocco Carulli Of R House Wynwood On How To Build Inclusive… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.