Stephen DeMilta

Stephen DeMilta
Founder, CEO

Stephen served in the United States military. 1975 – 1978 in Washington DC.

After terminating service Stephen joined Nectar Rose, a New York City-based restaurant development conglomerate belonging to his successful father and his father’s partners, Stephen was invited to join Northern Star Engineering eight years later. He advanced through the ranks of this civil engineering and land surveying company located in Pennsylvania, USA, to become a partner. He won an Olin Ordnance contract for DOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal in the minefield clearing of the United States sectors in the Kuwait desert as a support land survey and engineering company.

Stephen parlayed his assets and business acumen to assist in the recovery effort in Kuwait after the first Gulf War with several engineering-based contracts during reconstruction. Establishing his long-time partnerships and regional associates, Stephen quickly made a name for himself in the Gulf Cooperative Community (GCC) business sector.

Stephen was approached by Philip Morris (Bahrain) to assist in the assessment of the Czechoslovakian (now known as the Czech Republic) market upon the Russian occupation withdrawal. Stephen spent nine months in Prague establishing potential supply chains and distribution and assisting the US Ambassador's office in Prague, (the Honorable Shirley Temple Black) in locating back-office administration space for reinserted US companies such as Citibank.

Returning to Kuwait to Supply & Building Company, a large multinational trading and services company representing American clothing, cosmetics and FMCG brands, DeMilta assisted in the re-establishment of these brands after the Iraqi devastation left behind after the Gulf War; American brands such as Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, J.C. Penney, Estee Lauder, Clinique, with expansion into Hershey's Chocolate throughout Pan Arabia, General Mills, General Foods, and the review of potential factory alliances for Anheuser Bush and Anheuser Bush Eagle Snacks in North Africa.

Stephen then moved to Dubai, the epicenter of trade and development in the region for the representation of top American clothing brands and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). Stephen quickly expanded his sphere of influence and was taking on premium retail and factory clothing expansion for Martin Emprex (a top global clothing manufacturer) for Dunn Stores (Ireland), Sears, JC Penney, and Marks & Spencer (UK). Stephen was on regular inspection tours of Martin Emprex's mega clothing factories spread out all over Far East Asia and the Near East. Stephen is considered a clothing-manufacturing expert for many major brand buyers. Stephen went on to deliver the first Wal-Mart Stores developed for Western China, Xi'an City (Shaanxi Province).

Stephen called Dubai, Kuwait, Prague, China & Hong Kong home for nearly twelve years; he returned to his native USA. He established a base of operations in Florida and offices in Hong Kong. Al Ahli Holding Group recruited Stephen under the Immersion Development banner. Mr. DeMilta enmeshed himself and his company in the design/development and premium branding of the 1.4 million sq. Ft. Dubai Outlet Mall (DOM), a major clothing and accessory discount mall and part of the 10 million sq. Ft. realization of the Dubai Outlet City, adjacent to the Universal Studio Park site in Dubai. Al Ahli Group was the first development to open in Dubailand, a 4.2 billion square foot tourism hub for Dubai, on budget and ahead of schedule.

Dubai Outlet Mall (DOM), opened fully leased, Stephen was leading the charge for the 1.6 million sq. Ft. expansion of phase II and the benchmarking of additional premium outlets.

Stephen went on to be named the President of Al Ahli Holding Group and its 8,000 employees. In addition to his efforts at the Dubai Outlet Mall and Dubai Outlet City (DOC), Stephen, under the AAHG flag, established Chimera Design, LLC, a project management, and creative design company located in Santa Monica, CA. Chimera was funded with ten million dollars in paid-in capital delivered by Stephen for the sole and specific implementation of the $1 billion Dubai Gates of Adventure theme park (the first Marvel Studio and Nickelodeon Park in the world), in Dubai, UAE. The project had drawn intense interest from the Ruler in Dubai, (H.E. Shk Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the Dubai government and now continues through the co-licensing arrangement developed by Stephen for AAHG and Tatweer, (a Dubai Holding Company and the developer of Dubailand).

Gathering and securing world-class talent, Stephen went on to sign Marvel Entertainment (A Walt Disney Company) for a 28-country licensing deal, the first and largest entertainment licensing deal in the world for the Marvel brand. He then furthered the licensing portfolio for AAHG by adding Nickelodeon (A Viacom brand) for a 22-country agreement. Stephen established the first licensing agreement in the Pan Arabian world with the Marriott Hotel Group for the development of a branded Nickelodeon Hotel and Resort concept. Stephen also delivered MTV Networks, and Virgin Animation, and was the catalyst for DreamWorks Animation Studios' relationship with the Dubai government while working directly with DWA studio head, Jeffrey Katzenberg. Stephen established the first licensing deal and eventual IP development agreement in the Pan-Arabian World with DreamWorks Animation.

Again, Stephen was hand-selected by the Chairman & CEO of Al Ahli Group & Al Ahli Holding Group, to open up an operation in Busan, Korea for an $800 million Marvel-themed entertainment expansion on the Korean peninsula. Stephen spent two years shuttling back and forth to Korea, establishing strong business relations along the way, which he maintains until today. Stephen played critical roles in an Al Ahli Group/Nakheel JV on the Dubai Waterfront for an entertainment-themed mixed-use development in conjunction with the core of the Dubai Waterfront and the associated amenities. He led the Al Ahli Holding Group, Dubai UAE as President of International Development, created their Entertainment division under his leadership and of the group, Chief Executive Officer, to further exploit the host of intellectual properties housed within the collective.

Stephen, until today, has influential and respected relations with all of the major clothing manufacturers, clothing brands, and entertainment brands out of Hollywood and beyond.

Stephen partnered with the top three Retail Outlet Developers in the world for a significant Chinese REIT client in just a few short months; all were willing to invest in the development sites offered by Immersion by way of the Chinese REIT. The American and European retail brand migration, led by DeMilta, continues until today.

Stephen delivered the largest master license deal for the iconic fitness brand, Gold's Gym; ninety-eight-gym development deals spanning 13 countries with a 360-million-dollar build-out price tag. Additionally, Immersion added both Yogen Fruz (the world's largest frozen yogurt brand) and other (confidential)
fast food and retail licenses to the Pan Arabian inventory delivering US-based brands to emerging markets of the highest echelon.

Immersion was the winner of highly competitive and exclusive consultancy contracts in the Fitness industry with (JP Morgan-Chase) which took on ownership and restructuring of the global fitness brand “Bally's Total Fitness”. Additionally, three large and well-known American-based fitness companies had signed with Immersion (DeMilta) to represent their international development interests in China, Singapore, Korea, and Dubai and other key global markets; Gold's Gym, Bally Total Fitness, and Fitness Evolution.

Stephen was the catalyst for a Foreign Direct Investment project joint venture, a US Government-backed investment program via an extensive fitness brand expansion program in Sacramento, California.

Immersion today holds direct contracts with IMG Artists, the leading global events company specializing in Music, Classical Artists, Cultural Events, Dance & Film Festivals, as well as being the organizers of the most significant "Grand Opening" events on record. Immersion is engaged with three large Asian-based clients, both the Evergrande Group China, the developer of the largest man-made island, and with LOGAN Property Holdings Group, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, as well as with AVECS in Korea.

The LOGAN Group of China is active in many southern regions with some exciting projects. Logan has branched out beyond its 19-billion-dollar real estate development holdings into cutting-edge Technology partnerships with major European and US-based companies. Immersion leads the way in directing Logan to these investments concentrating on US-based firms and IP. Immersion also has delivered one of the highest-ranked publically traded, US-based Entertainment Properties to the Logan group for Chinese development under licensing.

Immersion has been signed to a two-contract development deal in Korea; one is a faith-based 500-million-dollar experience park, and the second is a Peace Park on the DMZ border with North Korea.

For these two massive projects, Immersion did what we do best; we joined the talent with the developer. Immersion Development secured a partnership for AVECS Korea with ITEC Entertainment, the leading creative house outside of Disney with Offices in Orlando, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and now Seoul.

Immersion has just signed a contract to deliver critical confidential partnerships for the world's leading Graphene Production companies; Celtig and ACCR. Celtig & ACCR evolved from the United States government’s Oak Ridge Laboratory in Tennessee and the University of Tennessee engineering schools. Their manufacturing and processing of Graphene have made them the most sought-after supplier of Graphene in the world. Graphene is a compound that will replace silicon and many other components, from electronics to ballistic armor protection.

IMMERSION has pivoted into the lucrative domain of hard commodity deliveries and is now focused on grain commodity sourcing and delivery to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore dealing in soybean, sugar, and meat protein. Immersion holds forward contracts in all grain commodities ensuring on-time delivery at a stable market pricing. (www.immersion-development.com).

Finally, Stephen is also a partner (CPO) in Nutrition 2 Go, LLC (http://www.n2gsupps.com) a state-of-the-art supplement nutrition company based in Idaho experiencing amazing growth and market penetration. Led by his partner, Fitness executive icon Manzo Hodge, N2G is poised for continued growth delivering the cleanest supplements on the market.