Estremera reluctantly returned to Northeast Ohio six years ago after living away for more than two decades. "I thought it was going to be a honky-tonk town," he says. Instead, he's become the director of business services for the Hispanic Business Center and opened Trunk, a men's clothing store in Detroit Shoreway.
Homeward Bound: While working for JPMorgan Chase and Co. in Chicago, Estremera was offered the choice of moving to Salt Lake City, Miami or Cleveland. "I thought that, as I get older, I would regret not seeing my sister get married and seeing her kids take their first steps."
Play Ground: A Cleveland Public Theatre board member and performer with Teatro Publico de Cleveland, Estremera appreciates Cleveland's artistic spirit and freedom. "You see people trying completely new and out-of-the-box approaches to art," he says. "We have so many art-serving organizations that support diversity, experimentation and, most importantly, accessibility to the arts."
Favorite Lakewood Hangout: Despite all the inner-ring suburb's entertainment options, Estremera prefers his front porch where he can watch people of all colors and orientations walk past. "When you plug into social media, all you see is hate and separation, but where I live, you don't see that."
Dream Denied: Growing up, Estremera spent hours in his basement working on his dance moves hoping to become a backup dancer for Janet Jackson. "Imagine telling that to your dad," he laughs.
Dream Fulfilled: With an obsession for Vans and a penchant for bolo ties and lapel pins, Estremera felt a constant pull to create the kind of store where he'd like to shop. The result? Trunk, a new-and-used men's clothing and accessories store located in Detroit Shoreway. "It was an itch that I needed to scratch."
Next Up: He would love to learn Spanish. "My father speaks it fluently, and my grandmother reminds me constantly that she can't believe I don't," he says. "I don't cook. I'm not a good dancer. I don't speak Spanish. Where in the bloodline did it cut off?"
Digging In: His happiest times are in his backyard gardening — with his dog and without his phone. "There's a spiritual moment that happens when you're connecting with the earth."
Cleveland in One Word: "Opportunity."
