South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub
24
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Renowned Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine invests in Boca Raton-based restaurant tech company

Read Time 3 Minutes

GRUBBRR, the industry-leading provider of self-ordering technologies that are revolutionizing the way commerce is transacted globally, announced today a new partnership and investment with celebrity chef, restaurateur, and TV host Robert Irvine. Together, they will tackle challenges plaguing the restaurant industry, including labor shortages and rising food costs, and help restaurant owners navigate the future of the industry.

Robert Irvine is a world-class chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is best known for saving failing restaurants on his hit show, Restaurant: Impossible and for his commitment giving back to our nation’s defenders through the Robert Irvine Foundation.

The new partnership will combine GRUBBRR’s cutting-edge self-ordering technology and Robert Irvine’s expertise in the restaurant space to create an unparalleled solution for restaurants. The self-ordering solutions will provide customers with an efficient and convenient ordering experience, while improving general restaurant operations.

The residual effects of COVID-19 have continued to wreak havoc on the restaurant industry as owners navigate inflated food prices and staff shortages. To combat these obstacles, restaurants are turning to technology to increase operational efficiencies and save money.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with GRUBBRR to bring their solution to restaurants to help improve operational efficiencies and overall performance,” said Irvine.

“The industry has been struggling to recover from the pandemic, and for many restaurants, there is a dire need for transformation and innovation. This partnership will help us turn restaurants around, making the seemingly impossible recovery – possible.”

Headquartered in Boca Raton, GRUBBRR is a global self-ordering solutions and POS systems provider at the forefront of self-ordering technologies. GRUBBRR’s award-winning eco-system, including kiosks, mobile ordering, POS, online ordering, KDS, contactless smart lockers and more, are proven to help businesses maximize revenue, decrease labor costs, and increase operational efficiency while improving the consumer experience. GRUBBRR’s solutions are adaptable and beneficial to a multitude of businesses, and power both enterprise-level and small and medium businesses across verticals such as quick-service restaurants, fast casual restaurants, stadiums, movie theaters, casinos, micro-markets, retail, and more.

Bhavin Asher is the founder and Chief Technology Officer of GRUBBRR®. He founded GRUBBRR with the mission of changing the way commerce is transacted by automating both the consumer and business experience through artificial intelligence and machine learning.

He joined forces with Sam Zietz, CEO of GRUBBRR in November 2018. Under Sam’s leadership, GRUBBRR has been the recipient of multiple awards and accolades for its self-ordering kiosks and contactless ordering solutions.

“We are proud to be working with Robert Irvine to revolutionize the restaurant industry,” said Sam Zietz, CEO of GRUBBRR.

“Robert’s expertise and his commitment to the industry and innovation makes him the perfect partner for GRUBBRR as we continue to raise awareness of the benefits of self-ordering technology for restaurant owners and customers alike.”

For more information about the partnership between GRUBBRR and Robert Irvine, or to learn more about GRUBBRR’s self-ordering technology, please visit www.grubbrr.com.

 

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23
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Did you know? History & Future of Tech in South Florida started in Boca Raton.

Read Time 10 Minutes

From Miami Beach to Palm Beach, South Florida is becoming one of the best-known tech hub’s across the country. 

Many cities throughout the state of Florida — now the fastest-growing state in the nation — have been announced as up-and-coming tech hubs. South Florida Tech Hub recently celebrated the birth of the tech scene in South Florida and our region’s continued innovation at the “History & Future of Tech in South Florida” event held at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus. 

Guests at the event enjoyed a blast from the past as we explored the era of IBM’s first PC, the ground-breaking research being done, and the thousands of patents and inventions still driving technology today. We heard from some of the original OGs of South Florida tech and former IBM employees – where they went, what they built, and where they are now.

ABOUT THE VENUE

South Florida holds a major piece of tech history right in the heart of Boca Raton. Designed by iconic architect Marcel Breuer, the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, or “BRIC,” was IBM’s North American Research and Development facility in the 1960s.

BRIC is home to the invention of the first personal computer. IBM’s own PC (IBM 5150) was introduced in August 1981, only a year after corporate executives gave the go-ahead to Bill Lowe, the lab director in the company’s Boca Raton facilities. He set up a task force that developed the proposal for the first IBM PC.

As home to the invention of their first personal computer, one might argue that the future of tech in South Florida began here!

The office park has been significantly upgraded since Crocker Partners acquired the property in 2018.What began as an outpost for IBM’s R&D and became the birthplace of the PC is now a state-of-the-art office park that is a magnet for forward thinkers in technology and life sciences. There is a growing roster of entrepreneurs, visionaries and global enterprises who have chosen BRIC as their stomping grounds.

Today, at 1.7 million square feet, BRIC is the largest single-office facility in the state of Florida. BRiC consists of three interconnected facilities located on 123-acres of beautifully maintained land with a lake situated in the center of the property, offering supreme office views and walking paths. CP Group, formerly known as Crocker Partners, has a massive vision of building off its innovative past and evolving the campus into the premier technology and life sciences hub in the Southeast.

Among the future featured amenities, there will be a Science Technology Engineering Art and Technology (STEAM) lab and coworking space, presentation hall that seats up to 1,000 to host science and technology trade shows, TedX events, coding camps and community events, a wellness center, including on-site salon, medical center and massage therapy and so much more. The renovations and construction have already begun. 

Oh, and BRIC is also home to the longest hallway in America coming in at 907 feet. For comparison, the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet tall, the Gateway Arch is 630 feet and the Golden Gate Bridge stands at 746 feet in height.

 

ABOUT THE KEYNOTE

The event started with a special keynote by Dr. Dave Bradley, or “Dr. Dave,” one of the twelve engineers who worked on the original IBM PC. He is famously known for developing the computer’s ROM BIOS code and for implementing the “Control-Alt-Delete” key combination used to reboot the computer. In his speech, he shared insights on early IBM marketing, the release of the first personal computer, working with Bill Gates, and other significant inventions.

Although internationally know for being the inventor of CTRL-ALT-DELETE, he doesn’t think this is his biggest contribution to to computing history. He’s proud that he created something became so popular, but knows that this is minimal to some of the other development work having been done in IBMs early days.

Bradley described the time that he helped with a sales pitch to the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, aiming to convince them to use personal computers as part of their instruction. They showed a demo program allowing the user to pick a song, which is then played on the two-and-a-quarter-inch speaker. However, there were 30 people in the room. They came up with the idea to plug in a guitar amplifier into the cassette cord. Then, no matter what song the user chooses, The Stars and Stripes Forever is played. They made the sale.

During testing of the IBM PC, Bradley frequently had to power the computer off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. As a result, he decided to make a shortcut: CTRL + ALT + DELETE. This was never supposed to be used in production, but then the publications team found out about it. They were trying to tell people how to start up a program, and they found the answer with the keyboard shortcut. It took Bradley five minutes to create and has since become an essential element of the user experience and even a “cultural icon”.

After the success of the IBM PC, thousands of IBM employees started working on the PS/2 family of products in Boca Raton. They took up so much office space, and even expanded into the Boca Raton mall where a department store went out of business. Bradley remarked that IBM filled all of Boca Raton in order to get the PC developed.

 

 

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

The evening’s agenda featured two panel discussions focused on the history and future of South Florida’s tech ecosystem and featured some of the trailblazers of modern technology.

The goal of the event was to educate the community about South Florida’s history in tech and innovation, honor some of the former IBMers who made huge strides back in the 80s, 90s and 2000s allowing the rest of the tech community to flourish today, and showcase what many of these technology leaders are doing currently.

Many people have no idea the original IBM PC was even born in South Florida, the fact that the company has thousands of patents that a huge percentage of current tech companies use, or that these tech professionals didn’t just stop innovating after they left IBM.

IBM patents range from the ATM to e-commerce, speech recognition technology, two-nanometer chips, the UPC bar code, Lasik laser eye surgery technology, screen rotation technology, “siesta” or sleep mode on the computer screen (Pete Martinez), quantum computing and so much more!

Now, the future of IBM is cloud, AI and quantum computing.

 

 

PANEL: History of Tech

The history of technology panel discussion was moderated by Pete Martinez, former IBM executive and founder of Sivotec and RaiseLink. Panelists included Chris Fleck, a former IBM executive and Vice President and Tech Fellow at Citrix, Maria Hernandez, a former Chief Innovation Officer-LATAM at IBM and CEO of InnoGuia, and Nick Savage, a former Senior NLS Developer at IBM, entrepreneur, and Digital Inclusion Director at CPSF. Each speaker transformed from working at IBM to executive roles or founding their own companies.

Each former IBM employee shared stories of their experiences at IBM, the culture around innovation they created, and some of the forward-thinking projects they were a part of at the time.

  • Hernandez was a developer on IBM’s airline reservation system in 1985, which, believe it or not, is still in use as a main system today. She also served as the technical assistant to the senior vice president of research. Her job was to help take research projects to the market faster. Hernandez helped train the voice control in cars’ natural language processing algorithm. She worked with Modernizing Medicine to introduce IBM Watson and AI to the healthcare industry.
  • Savage was a Senior Systems Engineer & Product Manager helping to develop the disk operating system (DOS) and modernize the keyboard into a software app. Savage remarked that he knew he was at the forefront of something great. He helped design SQL (Structured Query Language), and all the products building off of the operating system. Savage was in biweekly meetings with Bill Gates, Steven Ballmer, and Paul Allen. Savage was asked to escort the IBM Personal Computer AT to its announcement in New York. The AT computers took up three first-class seats.
  • Fleck was a Business Unit Executive at IBM, working on mainframe manufacturing. Fleck turned a lot of IBM technology into commercial offerings, such as IBM branded robots and industrial computers.
  • Martinez described his department in IBM working long hours on the original PCs and being given special permission from IBM to break the rules, to not conform to the old standard of five years of product development and three years of testing. They became a favorite of the company, which came with respect, but also responsibility. Failure was not an option. Martinez used the RISC chip (reduced instruction set computing), which was very fast, allowing a PC to act like a supercomputer. He and his team worked with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children to do the age progression of children who had been missing for years. This process would take around two weeks for a skilled agent to do manually, but the IBM team reduced this to about an hour. This led to an increase from a 46% to a 78% recovery rate in a year.

PANEL: Future of Tech

The future of technology panel was moderated by Nikki Cabus, CEO of South Florida Tech Hub. Panelists included Pete Martinez (above) , Vanessa Michelini, a former Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technologist at IBM and Senior Director of Engineering at Natera, Mark Smith, a former VP and Senior Partner at IBM and President of OZ Digital Consulting, and Ania Rodriguez, a former UX Consultant at IBM and CEO of JourneyTrack.

Panelists discussed the biggest contributions of South Florida’s tech industry, the largest enterprises, the coolest startups, and companies that made an impact in the industry.

  • After working at IBM, Martinez decided to dedicate his next stage in life to improving the human condition, primarily in health and education. He created a number of companies, primarily in the AI space, starting with biotech and genomics. Martinez also co-founded a fintech company called RaiseLink, which uses a matching engine to link investors with startup opportunities, supported by AI technology.
  • Michelini worked on applying speech recognition technology to the industry at IBM before moving on to the genomics space. She worked on a project called Watson Genomics, which focused on using artificial intelligence and data analytics to interpret genomics in clinical oncology. Michelini fell in love with the mission of helping people through the combination of biology and technology. She joined Natera, a company dedicated to using genomics to interpret oncology, prenatal care, and organ transplants, after leaving IBM.
  • Rodriguez started at IBM in 2000, where she worked on building user experience and front-end interfaces, which she excelled at, particularly in accounts that were struggling with their technology. She also mentioned being part of a program for top ten women at IBM, which allowed her to meet many influential people. Rodriguez started her own consulting firm, which ended up being one of South Florida’s top women-led businesses. Rodriguez’s firm works with Fortune 500 companies to help optimize their digital transformations by focusing on the strategy behind it, rather than the design. Rodriguez also shared her recent successful venture into SaaS (Software as a service) product creation. However, she has had some difficulties with fundraising, particularly as a woman in the industry.
  • Smith worked in the management consulting group at IBM and focused on digital transformation, using artificial intelligence. He also worked on commercializing Watson’s natural language processing capabilities to help clients digitize unstructured data in the insurance industry. The main struggle was to attain trust in the data and algorithm. Now with OZ Digital Consulting (the food sponsor of the evening!), Smith works with startups to help them leverage emerging technologies and solve business gaps. Smith believes that startups are often at the forefront of innovation and offer valuable insights on how to use emerging technologies.

For almost 30 years, IBM led the United States in producing patents and in its pinnacle year filing over 10,000 US patent applications just that year. That’s more than any other tech company including companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft. These patents generate around $3 billion per year. They do not need to build products anymore, instead, they license them. Therefore, IBM technology is used extensively behind the scenes.

That all changed in 2022 – the first time since 1993 that IBM didn’t claim the top spot on the list of companies with the most U.S. patents. That was completely intentional though. IBM decided that they no longer aimed to be the leader in patent creation, but in innovations in hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. IBM has been opening collaborating with competitors in an effort to further innovation. IBM has re-focused.

OUR EVENT PARTNERS

The Boca Raton Historical Society Martinez made a patent called siesta mode, which turns off the monitor when it is not used for a period of time. exhibited a working original IBM personal computer at the event which was a treat for our younger attendees who probably hadn’t seen one in real life. It sure captured some of their attention.

 

Brian Callanan from Callanan Financial Advisors opened with a sponsor message telling his story of “1995’s spring break capitol of the world” in Ft. Lauderdale as a college student to relocating back to South Florida years later during a time when the internet and technology industry was rapidly evolving, with companies like Microsoft, Craigslist, Match.com, Amazon, and eBay emerging as major players. Only 12 million people, or 3% of Americans, had logged onto the World Wide Web at that time.

Callanan initially sold telephone systems, voicemail, and data networks before getting involved in the technology community. He was introduced to an organization by a direct competitor and began attending meetings with a small group of like-minded individuals to stay on top of the latest developments. As the group grew in size and influence, Callanan became increasingly involved in regional technology initiatives, eventually serving as president of the South Florida Telecom Forum which was later acquired by SFTA and then by South Florida Tech Hub.

Callanan shared some insights on the current market trends for platform acquisitions. Private equity firms are the main financiers in this space and are actively seeking businesses in the tech and skilled labor sectors. Callanan emphasized the importance of having scalable, bankable profits and transferable value for companies to be considered exit-ready. He also mentioned the importance of effective communication among professionals to avoid costly mistakes. In addition, Callanan encouraged a regional approach to promoting South Florida’s tech ecosystem applauding the work of South Florida Tech Hug, highlighting the potential benefits for all businesses in the area.

The event was a great success, and attendees had the opportunity to learn about the journey of South Florida’s tech industry, its pioneers, and its future. Thank you to our sponsors and partners: Callanan Financial Advisors, OZ Digital Consulting, Boca Raton Innovation Campus, The Boca Raton Historical Society, Dr. Dave and all our panelists.

See event photos here. 📸

To stay updated with future events, tech news and startup resources, make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

 

This article was written in collaboration between South Florida Tech Hub and Tech Hub volunteer, Adam Elitzur. To read his full article, click here.
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23
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Brian Kornfeld steps down as CEO of Synapse; yet another Florida female leader is crowned

Read Time 4 Minutes

After 6 years, Brian Kornfeld, CEO & Co-Founder of Synapse, steps down as CEO. 

In a letter to the community via a social media post, Brian wrote “When we launched Synapse in 2017, we set out to transform Florida. We wanted to turn it into a destination for innovators and a place where they can live, work, build, and scale. As a native of the Tampa Bay area, I have always loved everything about the state and set a goal to make it a better place. It was a personal mission to get people to embrace and empower innovation across Florida. That mission could not be accomplished without the efforts of a talented team and the advocacy of an engaged community.”

He went on to write that the change will be effective as of April 30th, 2023 which coincides with the organizations 6th year anniversary. Synapse was incorporated in January 2017 in the Tampa Bay region which is one of the state’s hottest tech hubs.

Currently the Chief Strategy Officer, Lauren Slawsky Prager, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer effective May 1st, 2023.

Lauren joined the organization in early 2018 starting as a volunteer and then as the VP of Communications and Programming where she lead efforts to bring the brand and mission to life through identifying and crafting the stories worth being told, organizing community events, and the annual Synapse Summit. After 4 years in this role, Lauren was promoted just last January to her current role as Chief Strategy Officer. Her vision and strategy have been instrumental to the growth of Synapse since its inception and the first Synapse Summit.

Lauren said that she started as a volunteer organizer aligning speakers and outlining content for the first Synapse Summit not thinking this would turn into a career opportunity, but when the opportunity arose she knew it was one she had to take. “The first Synapse Summit was magical,” she said. “We had three times the expected attendance and you could really feel the desire for human connection.” The role aligned with her passion of bringing people together.

“Lauren has been a driving force behind the scenes for years and has become a visionary leader of the community and the team,” noted Brian Kornfeld. He continued, “I am beyond thrilled that somebody so talented will take Synapse to the next level as her vision and strategy in community building is truly unique and top notch.”

Brian said, “Lauren has made an indelible impact on the Synapse community since she joined us in early 2018 and she is the unequivocal choice to bring Synapse to its next chapter. I leave Synapse in the most capable hands with Lauren and the incredible team around her and I look forward to supporting them as a continued member of the Board of Directors.”

Not ready to announce any new venture quite yet, Brian stated that he is looking forward to achieving “new professional aspirations” and the other Synapse alumni who have been able to reach new heights through the organization and the community. He expects to still be an active member in Florida’s innovation ecosystem and will remain an active member of the Board of Directors and the Impact Board. In his public letter, Brian closed by expressing that this has been the “best chapter of my career.”

In an interview with South Florida Tech Hub, Lauren shared that “Brian has given so much to the community. He has a deep passion and respect for the work of the people with some really great ideas and has always supported them with the execution of those great ideas. He is a champion of true collaboration working to create ties across the state.” She told Tech Hub CEO, Nikki Cabus, “His passion of creating connections brought us together.”

Lauren shared that she is beyond proud of working alongside Brian, and is honored to have the ability to not only have called him a colleague, but a friend and a partner. Lauren will continue the work of moving the needle for tech and innovation in Florida – now that the world is watching. She wants to show the world at “Innovation Lives Here.”

Synapse is a statewide non-profit organization that brings communities from Pensacola to Miami to Tampa and everyone in between together aiming to connects and catalyze Florida’s innovation community. Curated events and targeted engagement enable the organization to make meaningful connections.  They connect key stakeholders across industries, technologies and geographies: entrepreneurs, investors, corporate innovation leaders, policy makers, innovation enablers, entrepreneur support organizations, educational leaders, and talent. Synapse celebrates, discovers and engages thought leaders, doers, creators, and entrepreneurs driving innovation across the state of Florida and beyond.

The overall vision of Synapse is to be an all-encompassing, interactive, and flexible methodology for building, facilitating, and exposing the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem of Florida. The organization is elevating Florida’s profile as a global innovation leader by connecting people so they can inspire, energize, and impact the world. To learn more, visit https://synapsefl.com/

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23
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

FAU announces winners of 2023 ‘Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition’

Read Time 4 Minutes

Florida Atlantic University has announced the winners of the 7th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition.

Hosted by the Graduate College, this year was the first live and in-person ‘s 3MT® Competition since the pandemic. It was held at the Boca Raton Campus Student Union with students, faculty, and the public in attendance.

Developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008, the idea for 3MT came about at a time when the state of Queensland was suffering severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The then Dean of the Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, put two and two together and the idea for the 3MT competition was born.

Since 2011 the popularity of the competition has increased, 3MT competitions are now held in over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.
In November 2013, the first Universitas 21 (U21) 3MT competition was held with several universities from around the world competing in a virtual competition. The 3MT® competition challenges graduate students around the world to pitch their research in only 3 minutes to a live audience.

FAU’s 3MT® is a venue for graduate students from various disciplines to interact with one another and discuss their research and its implications. The competition provides an opportunity for undergraduates, alumni, industry partners, various on-campus departments, institutions and the community to gain exposure to high-level, cutting-edge research at FAU.

The goal of the 3MT® competition is for FAU graduate students from all colleges and departments to cultivate the ability to explain their research, including both breadth and significance, in a language appropriate to an audience containing both specialists and non-specialists in three minutes or less. The 3MT® competition provides FAU graduate students with the opportunity to sharpen their professional development skills, reignite their passion for discovery, promote preeminent research, and foster community.

  • Skills development for research candidates
    Participating in 3MT develops academic, presentation and research communication skills, while developing research candidates’ ability to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
  • Building research culture in universities
    3MT provides a valuable opportunity for HDR candidates to come together (live or virtually), get to know one another and talk about their research. It also provides a supportive environment in which schools, institutes and universities can provide presentation skills training.
  • Building external relations for the university
    3MT winners may go on to represent their university at national and international 3MT competitions which provides an excellent networking and professional development opportunity. Previous 3MT finalists have benefited from invitations to a variety of other networking events following their participation in the competition.

At FAU’s annual competition, over $30,000 in scholarship prizes are awarded annually to winners from both the Preliminary Rounds and the Championship. Distinguished FAU community members serve judges and a public vote determines the People’s Choice winners. FAU’s 3MT® Championship Award is generously sponsored through the Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Award Endowment Fund.

A panel of distinguished FAU community members determined the 2023 first-place, runner-up, and second runner-up championship winners. This year’s FAU 2023 3MT® Heat & Championship judging panel included: Dr. Stacy Volnick, President, Florida Atlantic University, Dr. Michele Hawkins, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Larry Faerman, Vice President for Student Affairs and Nikki Cabus, Chief Executive Officer, South Florida Tech Hub. More than 200 online votes submitted by public viewers named the People’s Choice Award winner.

“Conducting research is a critical component of graduate education, and being able to effectively communicate the significance of that research to a broad audience is a valuable skill,” says William D. Kalies, Ph.D., interim dean of the Graduate College.

“The graduate students at Florida Atlantic perform impactful research, and the Graduate College is honored to support this annual competition and provide a platform for students to gain experience presenting their research to the public while having the opportunity to earn scholarships.”

A total of 51 graduate students pitched their research projects to a live audience with 19 of them awarded scholarship prizes in the championship round. The championship winners of the 2023 3MT® competition are:

FAU championship winner and recipient of the Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Endowment Award* (tie)

Title: “From Poop to Parent: Examining Paternity in Dynamic Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Populations in the Bahamas”
Presented by: Hayley Knapp, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty Advisor: John Baldwin, Ph.D.
Title: “Corrosion is in the Air”
Presented by: Ingrid Santillan Barragan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty Advisor: Francisco Presuel-Moreno, Ph.D.
FAU 3MT® runner-up and People’s Choice Award
Title: “So, You Wanna Build a Protein?”
Presented by: Amish Mishra, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty Advisor: Francis Motta, Ph.D.
FAU 3MT® second runner-up
Title: “‘What Does A Surgeon Look Like?’: How Stereotypes May Negatively Impact Recruitment Into the Least Diverse Specialty in Medicine”
Presented by: Emmanuel McNeely, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Caceres, Ph.D.

The two (We had a tie!) championship winners and recipients of the $2,500 Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Award also will represent FAU at the Conference of Florida Graduate Schools at the University of Miami from April 17 to 19 and present their 3MT® research. For more information on FAU’s 3MT® competition or to see all submissions and heat winners, click here.

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22
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

CAST AI Receives $20M in New Funding Led by Early-Stage VC Creandum

Read Time 3 Minutes

The intelligent cloud-native automation and cost management startup, CAST AI, has announced the closing of a $20M investment round.

The investment round was led by Creandum, an early-stage venture capital investment firm behind companies like Spotify, neo4j, and Klarna. Creandum invested $15M, joining CAST AI’s original lineup of investors which injected an additional $5M, signaling renewed enthusiasm for advanced AI-driven cloud cost optimization solutions.

Founded in 2003, Creandum is a leading pan-European early-stage venture capital firm whose portfolio of 120+ companies includes some of Europe’s most successful tech companies across a wide range of industries. Today, every sixth company is a unicorn. Creandum’s advisory teams are based in Stockholm, Berlin, London, and San Francisco and offer extensive operational expertise to support the funds’ portfolio companies from seed to exit to become global category leaders. Learn more at www.creandum.com.

With this investment, CAST AI is ready to take advantage of the significant opportunity as the market for cloud-native solutions is experiencing hypergrowth and, at the same time, facing the challenge of sustainable cost management. In a recent ‘State of Kubernetes Report” released by CAST AI, it showed that companies overspend by 60% due to overprovisioning containerized applications.

CAST AI Co-Founders, Laurent Gil (CPO), Leon Kuperman (CTO), and Yuri Frayman (CEO), started the company out of their own personal frustration with rising cloud costs. They had just sold their previous startup, Zenegade, which was acquired by Oracle and they stated that they couldn’t get it out of their head that there must be a better way to manage costs. And so came, CAST AI.

The Co-Founders told South Florida Tech Hub, “We are proud to be a part of Miami ecosystem and will expand our operations and our presence in the region. We will also continue to be active in the community by participating in events, helping other startups and sharing insights and know-how we’ve learned along the way.”

Headquartered in downtown Miami, CAST AI also has a European branch in Vilnius, Lithuania. The company has raised $38M from investors including Creandum, Cota Capital, and Uncorrelated Ventures.

CAST AI is an all-in-one cloud-native automation platform that cuts cloud bills in half for AWS, GCP, and Azure customers. Powered by AI, it analyzes multiple data points to find an optimal cost-performance ratio. The company founders are serial entrepreneurs who successfully led previous startups to acquisitions by Google, Comcast and Oracle. The CAST AI platform employs AI and automation to analyze compute resources and optimize them in minutes. By connecting their Kubernetes clusters to the platform, organizations can see suggested recommendations and use powerful cloud-native automation techniques for immediate cost reduction.

Recently, the platform has helped the social media unicorn ShareChat, the Adtech company Iterable, and the global mobile analytics leader Branch to start saving millions of dollars annually.

“This funding is just in time to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity in the market as more and more companies transition to containerized applications in the cloud,” said Yuri Frayman, CEO of CAST AI.

“With this investment, we can further grow our position as a leading provider of intelligent cloud optimization solutions globally as well as expand our all-in-one platform capabilities to more cloud-native ecosystems and use cases.”

Since the platform launch, CAST AI has experienced quarter-by-quarter revenue growth of over 220%, based on the company’s ability to provide optimization solutions that simplify cloud-native application management, a much-needed service in today’s tech-driven world.

Carl Fritjofsson, General Partner at Creandum, commented “CAST AI’s explosive growth is unheard of in this macro market.

This demand really shows how unique and powerful the company’s solution is. We believe the needs for DevOps automation will only grow from here, and can’t wait to see CAST AI become the leader in the cloud optimization space.”

CAST AI positions itself as an all-in-one platform for cloud-native applications. Users can benefit from the full-suite of solutions including cost monitoring, autoscaling, spot instances automation and container security.

For  more information on CAST AI, visit https://cast.ai/

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16
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Remi Robotic Navigation System cleared by FDA for use with 2D Fluoroscopy-Based Imaging

Read Time 3 Minutes
Accelus announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a 510(k) clearance to Accelus for its Remi® Robotic Navigation System for use with GE OEC 9900 C-Arm fluoroscopic imaging systems.As a privately held medical technology company, Accelus is focused on accelerating the adoption of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) as the standard of care in spine. The company does this by enabling technology with broad accessibility to previously underserved markets. Established in 2021 through the combination of Integrity Implants and Fusion Robotics, the company is focused on providing its proprietary Adaptive Geometry™ technology with pragmatic and economical navigation and robotic solutions with broad clinical use in spine surgery.

The Remi Robotic Navigation System is a robotic targeting and navigation platform that assists surgeons with robotic-assisted pedicle screw placement in the lumbar spine. The Remi 2D system utilizes a near-field optical tracking camera to track spinal instruments relative to an anatomical model based on a 3D imaging scan or 2D fluoroscopic images of the patient. Remi was previously cleared by the FDA in February 2021 for use with the Medtronic O-arm 3D imaging system, and in October 2022 for use with the GE OEC 3D, Ziehm Vision RFD 3D, and Stryker Airo TruCT imaging systems.

The adoption of robotic and navigated technology for spine surgery has been significantly challenged by the high capital cost of incumbent systems plus the expensive 3D imaging systems that are required for their use. In addition, previous systems require a large operating room (OR) footprint, steep learning curves, procedural workflow disruptions, and increased setup, teardown and procedural time.

Some of the major benefits are:

  • Quick & Compact Robot: The robot arm and targeting module facilitates fast, semi-automatic positioning to increase efficiency and surgeon control. Lightweight without compromising rigidity or accuracy.
  • Lightfield Nearfield Camera: The camera position minimizes line of sight constraints. The wide-angle camera enables close positioning while tracking instruments with a broader range than conventional systems.
  • Clinical Optimization: Constructed around spine surgery workflows. System intelligence anticipates next actions to enhance ease-of-use.

“Most hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are already utilizing C-arm X-ray fluoroscopy in their surgeries, which means they do not need additional imaging technology to utilize the Remi Robotic Navigation System, thanks to Remi’s most current FDA clearance,” said Accelus Chief Executive Officer, Chris Walsh. “This allows Remi to be used in smaller hospitals and ASCs and for Accelus to continue to meet the needs of spine surgeons in ways that our competitors have not been able to do.”

The Remi Robotic Navigation System was designed to eliminate these barriers at a fraction of the cost of incumbent systems, now with the ability to utilize it with both 2D and 3D imaging technology. Other significant improvements include:

  • a surgeon-centric, simplified workflow designed to reduce the learning curve and negate the need for an additional resource in the OR to run the system,
  • a small, portable footprint that allows the system to be used in multiple rooms and for multiple procedures in a given day,
  • procedural efficiency with reduced setup and teardown times, and
  • minimized line-of-sight constraints due to its lightweight, nearfield camera.

Optimized for daily use, the system has a small 30″ x 30″ footprint, integrated cleaning and storage, and price that is a fraction of the cost today’s commonly used spine robotic systems.

“Remi was developed with the knowledge that robotic navigation systems need to be practical, reproducible and cost-effective in order to appeal to a broad range of spine surgeons and facilities,” said Dr. Kevin Foley, Chairman of the Semmes Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute and Chief Robotics Officer of Accelus. “Remi not only provides equivalent accuracy to legacy spinal robotic systems, but it also addresses the significant limitations associated with those systems, even more so now that it is cleared for use with 2D imaging.”

Initial surgeries with the Remi 2D are expected to begin in July with a full commercial launch of the system anticipated in late Q3 2023.

For more info on Accelus, please visit: https://accelusinc.com/

 

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16
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Innovation leader Leigh-Ann Buchanan steps down as leader of aīre ventures – What’s next?

Read Time 4 Minutes

After seven years, Leigh-Ann Buchanan, is stepping down as President of aīre ventures.

Leigh-Ann has been a staple leader in the tech and innovation ecosystem in South Florida known for her passion and work building a more inclusive and equitable ecosystem. As the founding executive of aīre ventures, a venture studio focused on scaling tech and innovation solutions addressing systemic gaps in access, opportunity and racial equity, Leigh-Ann lead strategic efforts around innovation for the social impact.

As part of the aīre ventures portfolio, Leigh-Ann was able to launch multiple projects portfolio companies including Tech Equity Miami, Opportunity Connect, Talent Scout, Passport, REDI Scorecard, Capital Days, Venture Café and more. Under her leadership, the portfolio ventures collectively served more than 55,000 innovators, 85 local small business entrepreneurs of color, and over 750 students from underrepresented backgrounds over 4000 hours of entrepreneurial support in collaboration with over 1000 organizations and partners. Leigh-Ann has raised over $5.5 million in equity free capital to fund the projects and helped syndicate over $55 million in philanthropic capital for digital equity initiatives. Impressively, these efforts served a diverse demographic of over 70% people of color and 49% women.

Leigh-Ann did share that although she is stepping down that she will continue to support the organization as a strategic advisor and overall equity-driven efforts that leverage tech, innovation and social investment to transform communities.

In a social media post, Leigh-Ann wrote, “I’m delighted to pass the baton to Paulina (Nina) Cousiño Parada who has served as Managing Director since late 2022. Nina brings a wealth of experience in both the public and nonprofit sector to her new role and has been an aīre ventures team member since 2019. I am confident that aīre ventures will continue to thrive in the capable hands of Nina, our dynamic team, and dedicated board.”

Paulina has been the Strategy and Impact Manager leading the development and implementation of an impact and evaluation strategy across aīre ventures. She has experience working in the public sector in Chile, and the nonprofit sector in Boston, where she worked for The Social Innovation Forum, an organization dedicated to accelerating and building the capacity of nonprofits in the Boston area. She has worked in an array of roles throughout her career including strategic planning, impact and program evaluation, and fundraising and development. After graduating in 2018 with an MBA in Public and Nonprofit Management from Boston University, Paulina moved to Miami where she now resides.

Leigh-Ann, a former commercial litigation and white collar defense lawyer loves strategy. After finding her way into tech in 2016, she has continued to use her love of strategy as an ecosystem builder and voice for the underrepresented population in South Florida. She has been very successful in hiring great professionals to lead the aīre ventures portfolio companies continually aiming to foster a “culture of excellence by prioritizing people, purposeful work, and excellence in impact.”

 

What’s next for Leigh-Ann?

Leigh-Ann has has accepted the role as President of the newly formed Miami-Dade Innovation Authority Inc. (Innovation Authority).

During her recent State of the County Address, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced county grant funding for the newly formed nonprofit which was created to support equitable, sustainable economic growth driven in partnership between private and public sector innovation.

The Innovation Authority was established with seed funding commitments of $3 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, $3 million from Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, and $3 million from Miami-Dade County to provide grants to innovative companies working to solve pressing community challenges in climate, health, housing, transit, and more.

“With pilot programs and an openness to creative solutions, we are flipping the way government does business by inviting businesses to pilot their innovations with us,” said County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Working hand in hand with private sector funders to support best-in-class startups, the organization will leverage private investment dollars to maximize their impact –applying seed funding from the County to identify and solve local problems, and creating a path for successful entrepreneurs to scale and access private funding.

The Innovation Authority has three focus areas:

  • Challenge Grants: to issue and oversee challenge grants designed to test and validate technology,
  • Pipeline Support: to work in collaboration with local academic institutions to help scaling companies find talent and build a strong corporate culture based out of Miami-Dade
  • Tech Ecosystem Enhancement: to continue the rapid growth of the tech sector and to cement Miami-Dade as a world-class location for innovation.

The Innovation Authority’s Board of Directors has appointed Leigh-Ann A. Buchanan, Esq., as President to lead the launch of the organization and support its strategic vision to scale solutions for people most affected by critical challenges, improve economic and social outcomes, and make Miami-Dade a world class capital for high growth companies.

Congratulations, Leigh-Ann!!

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15
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

BCEx and Tech Hub celebrate Black Founders at exclusive annual brunch

Read Time 3 Minutes

The Broward College Entrepreneurship Experience, or “BCEx,” and South Florida Tech Hub collaborated to host the 2nd Annual Black Founders Brunch in an effort to bring together black entrepreneurs across the region to support stronger relationships in the back startup community.

The exclusive event was held on Saturday, February 25th at the Beach House in Pompano Beach with approximately 35 startup founders from across all three South Florida counties in attendance.

The guest speaker of the morning was BCEx Faculty Coordinator and Associate Dean (AD) of the Institute of Public Safety at Broward College, Rudy Jean-Bart. He is also the college’s Chair of the Advisory Council for the Advancement of Diversity, Equity, (ACADEI) and Inclusion. The Advisory Council for the Advancement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ACADEI) oversees the College’s focus across seven areas— accountability, benchmark best practices, cultural competence, communication and discussion, training and education, policy/procedure/practice, and community outreach.

A former African American history professor, Jean-Bart, was exposed to the meaning of activism at a very young age. He has always been at the forefront of issues such as racial equity and social justice, participating as a keynote speaker and panelist in many events. Jean-Bart spoke to the founders on the topic of ‘Generational Trauma to Generational Wealth.’

Jean-Bart closed his speech out by saying, “It is important that people believe in the power and the ability of Black founders.”

This quote resonated with attendees and spoke to the importance of supporting, celebrating, and elevating minority founders as we continue to grow the tech ecosystem in South Florida. As an ecosystem, we must be intentional about inclusion of our founders from all corners of the region ensuring inclusion and overall innovation for the region.

According to a recent Tech Crunch article, “In total, U.S. Black founders raised an estimated $2.254 billion out of the $215.9 billion in U.S. venture capital allocated last year. That’s about 1%, a slight drop from the 1.3% raised in 2021.” It seems like no matter the efforts of organizations across the country working to diversify funding and across all marginalized groups of founders, that black founders continually remain around the 1% mark for funding. This percentage has stayed stagnant even though the overall VC numbers continue to rise.

Assistant Director of BCEx, Quinella (Queen) Davis, told South Florida Tech Hub that these events are crucial to ensuring strong connections in the black founder community, but also making sure they have connections to industry organizations such as Tech Hub and are able to see themselves in other successful entrepreneurs and leaders such as keynote speaker, Jean-Bart.

“I’d like to give a special thank you to Rudy Jean-Bart for delivering an impactful message, sharing valuable information about generational wealth, and helping our founders discover ways to think differently about the businesses we develop to have an everlasting presence in the tech ecosystem,” stated Davis.

BCEx helps Broward College students, faculty, and staff cultivate their entrepreneurial mindset and turn their ideas into reality by launching high-quality businesses at little-to-no cost. Started in 2018, BCEx began assisting participants innovate, create, and prepare for the future of work through mentorship, coaching, funding, and training.

Participants in BCEx receive support through six main strategies: Campus Accelerators and Events at Broward College, Student Learning at Broward College, the Innovation Hub at Broward College, LaunchBC – the BCEx business accelerator, the J. David Armstrong, Jr. Student Venture Fund, and Partnership Opportunities with Broward College.

The next Ideation Phase cohort is a student-community friendly introduction to the entrepreneurial mindset, customer discovery and business model canvas. Students, faculty, staff and community will develop or refine your business idea by focusing on your customer segment and value proposition while finding your WHY. This 4-6 week virtual program will prepare you for the next phase while helping you articulate a well-developed idea.

To learn more about the next cohort that begins March 21st, visit https://forms.gle/ToscjC3CfTDT6M1k7

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14
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Techstrong supports diversity in tech; the next Engineer The Change scholarship recipient announced

Read Time 5 Minutes

Techstrong Group has teamed up with Boca Code once again to award another ‘Engineer the Change’ scholarship to help foster diversity in South Florida tech talent pool and empower individuals from underserved communities to develop the skills needed to succeed in the industry.

The scholarship is awarded twice per year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Winners receive $10,000 each to put toward Boca Code’s Software Engineering Course. The 10-week intensive coding bootcamp combines theory and hands-on, project-based learning that prepares the students for a career in software engineering. Boca Code offers adults comprehensive training in software development using real projects for real companies to best prepare you for and help place you in a career in the tech industry.

Our Engineer The Change scholarship recipient for the Spring 2023 cohort is . . . Camila Sandoval!

Camila was born in Colombia, South America in a small town where tragedy struck her family early on. With the support of her grandmother who taught her English and her mother who instilled strong values and a love for mathematics, Camila was driven to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering where she took two programming classes that ignited her interest in coding. She then realized she wanted to dedicate her career to developing medical software. With few opportunities in Colombia in this field, she moved to South Florida, a state known for healthcare and innovation.

Moving to the United States presented several challenges, including a lack of connections, her degree not being recognized, and having to prioritize finding a job to cover my basic needs over prioritizing her education. She continued self-taught online bootcamps where she discovered Boca Code and the “Engineer the Change” scholarship opportunity. She knew this was her next step.

Camila has a great desire to help others and much of that stems from her own personal experiences. She believes these opportunities should be available to everyone no matter there background or circumstances.

Upon winning, Camila told South Florida Tech Hub, “As an immigrant, winning the Engineer the Change Scholarship means more than just having the financial support to achieve my goals. It also provides me with the opportunity to join an industry that transforms the world. I am grateful for the chance to contribute my unique perspective and inspire others who may be facing similar challenges.”

Congratulations, Camila, we are all rooting for you!

The Engineer the Change scholarships combine two goals that are core to Techstrong Group:

  1. Doing their part to make South Florida a world-class hub for the tech industry and
  2. Providing opportunities for individuals from underrepresented communities to acquire the skills they need for a successful career in tech.

Techstrong Group is a media company and the power source for people and technology accelerating understanding of technologies that drive business by serving the needs of IT leaders and practitioners with news, research, analysis, events, education, certifications and professional development. Their focus is digital transformation, DevOps, cybersecurity, cloud and cloud-native under brands such as Techstrong Media, Techstrong Associations, Techstrong Research, Techstrong Learning and Techstrong Live!

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Boca Code to support and empower talented individuals who are seeking opportunities for growth and have demonstrated a deep commitment to pursuing a career in IT,” said Alan Shimel, founder and CEO at Techstrong Group. The scholarship will be awarded to the most deserving student whose application shows a genuine interest in technology and demonstrates the potential to be a future leader.”

Research shows a staggering lack of diversity in STEM fields, most noticeably within computer and engineering positions. It is a glaring workforce disparity that requires both recognition and responsibility from those at the highest levels in the tech world to create a more diverse and equitable workforce.

To be eligible, applicants must be over the age of 18 and be part of an underrepresented community (i.e. women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans or other minority groups). To be considered, applicants will are required to submit an essay (minimum of 500 words in length) detailing how they can serve as a role model to other disadvantaged individuals hoping to acquire the skills to become successful tech workers and what type of career in the tech industry they are hoping to pursue.

While the idea is to help the South Florida tech community, applicants can apply from anywhere as long as their essay explains why they are coming to South Florida to launch their tech career.

Boca Code CEO Todd Albert told South Florida Tech Hub that ‘The scholarship has a huge impact because we have been able to help students that would otherwise not have been able to afford to attend. We’ve given 8 students the opportunity to change their lives and have a better future for them and their families.”

“Techstrong is an amazing partner and shares our passion for making the tech community even more diverse,” he continued.

“It is important to us that we seize every opportunity to help foster diversity and inclusivity within the tech industry, and the Engineer the Change scholarship is a great start to empowering disadvantaged minorities within the South Florida community to grow their technical skill set.”

Unlike other code schools where students work on dummy projects, Boca Code partners with real companies to give our students real life resume-worthy projects to work on that not only build their portfolio, but give them meaningful experiences. Their curriculum is designed by professional educators and senior developers.

Additionally, scholarship winners are featured in the ‘Engineering the Change’ video series, produced by Techstrong Group, which follows the recipients on their journey to become software engineers. From the highs to the lows, you can get a view into what these software engineering students are facing.

Additional Resources

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13
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Inspire CIO announces 20 finalists for South Florida CIO Awards 2023

Read Time 3 Minutes

SouthFloridaCIO has announced the 20 finalists for the 2023 South Florida CIO ORBIE® Awards. 

For over 20 years, the CIO ORBIE Awards have recognized technology executives for leadership and excellence across the country. Since inception in 1998, over 500 CIO of the Year winners have received the prestigious ORBIE Award. SouthFloridaCIO is one of 25 chapters of the InspireCIO Leadership Network, a national membership organization comprised exclusively of CIOs from public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare and nonprofit institutions.

The South Florida CIO ORBIE® Awards will honor the CIOs who are driving innovation and transforming South Florida’s leading organizations. The CIOs are typically recognized in multiple categories, based on the size and scope of their organization and responsibilities.

“Every organization is technology-dependent, but strong leadership is the X-factor that can turn day to day IT into a remarkable strategic differentiator,” said Ann Dozier, SouthFloridaCIO Chair and Large Enterprise category winner in 2022.

“The ORBIE Awards are meaningful because they are judged by peers – CIOs who understand the challenges of technology leadership.”

Finalists and winners are selected by an independent peer review process, led by prior ORBIE recipients, based upon leadership and management effectiveness, business value created by technology innovation, and engagement in industry and community endeavors.

According to the South Florida Business Journal, the finalists were named in 5 categories including:

  • Global: Over $5 billion annual revenue and multi-national operations.
  • Large Enterprise: Over $5 billion annual revenue.
  • Enterprise: Up to $5 billion annual revenue.
  • Large Corporate: Up to $1 billion annual revenue.
  • Corporate: Up to $500 million annual revenue.

 

Meet Our 2023 Finalists:

  • Global Finalists:
    • Eric Firer (Bacardi)
    • Kevin Grayling (Florida Crystals)
    • Tim Langley-Hawthorne (Hertz)
    • Rocky Wiggins (spirit)
  • Large Enterprise:
    • Margaret Brisbane (Miami Dade County)
    • Sam Jaddi (ADT), Christos Kotsakis (AutoNation)
    • Tom Moreno (Lennar Financial Services)
  • Enterprise:
    • Patrick Hale (VITAS Healthcare)
    • Steven May (JenCare – a ChenMed Company)
    • Ram Puppala (ACI Worldwide)
    • Brad Rohrer (University of Miami)
  • Large Corporate:
    • Mary Desmarais (NCH Healthcare System)
    • David Seo (Nicklaus Children’s Health System)
    • Daniel Tehrani (ScribeAmerica)
    • William M. Velez (Harvard Maintenance Inc.)
  •  Corporate:
    • Lakshmi.N B. (Now Optics)
    • Tony Casciotta (Broward College)
    • Ely Garcia (Cisneros)
    • Mark Moch (American Oncology Network)

“Being a finalist for the SouthFlorida CIO ORBIE awards is a recognition of the entire team and the work they have delivered through our digital transformation agenda over the last 5 years. This journey has been delivered with great quality and is driving enormous value for the company,” said Kevin Grayling, CIO of Florida Crystals and one of the 2023 finalists told South Florida Tech Hub,

It is because this award is judged by our peers that sets it apart from others.

Winners will be announced at the CIO ORBIE Awards on June 9, 2023 at the The Diplomat Beach Resort.

 

Check out highlights from the South Florida CIO ORBIE Awards 200 here —>>> https://sofloridacio.org/awards#highlights

 

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13
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

OZ is Advancing Diversity and Opportunity in Tech for Hispanics

Read Time 3 Minutes

OZ, a South Florida-based digital consulting firm, announced its Chief Solutions Officer Emmanuel “Manny” Ramos has joined the Hispanic Technology Executive Council’s Board of Directors. 

HITEC is a premier global leadership organization which seeks to “create a more inclusive and diverse technology workforce.” Their mission is “to empower Hispanic technology professionals to accelerate leadership capacity through access to a network of business leaders and decision-makers at the highest levels of the global economy.”

The HITEC Foundation is dedicated to investing in the next generation of Hispanic technology professionals through scholarships, mentorship and career opportunities.  The Foundation and partners help young, bright students get the education they need to achieve their dreams. Since 2017, the Foundation’s scholarship program has awarded 163 scholarships totaling $815,000. Scholars also have access to mentorship through HITEC.

Corporate partners include companies such as Capital One, IBM, Dell Technologies, Microsoft and many other national and international brands. These organizations are committed to equity and inclusion by investing in the professional development of their current diverse talent while accessing the HITEC network and providing opportunities to the familia at large.

“I’m honored by the invitation to join the Hispanic Technology Executive Council and look forward to learning from and lifting up the next generation of Hispanic tech leaders,” Ramos says. “As Hispanic professionals, we have come so far, yet the potential is there to do so much more. It’s a transformational moment—and we should not let it pass us by.”

Born and raised in Puerto Rico where his family still resides, Ramos had the opportunity to move to the U.S. for college. Ramos took time to master the English language as he attended UMass, or the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Ramos stated, “I have been blessed with acceptance and opportunities in the US.”

When asked what he hopes to accomplish, Ramos told South Florida Tech Hub that he’s “interested in connecting with fellow Hispanic technology executives and most importantly pay it forward with the younger generation.”

Ramos is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council and an accomplished senior executive with more than 30 years of experience leading business operations, P&Ls, and professional services in a diverse range of industries. He is a Startup Mentor at the Tampa Bay Wave incubator, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Agile Leader.

As Chief Solutions Officer at OZ, he leads the Global Digital Technology Consulting practices providing thought leadership to clients, strategic direction for our practices, manages relationships with technology vendors, and partners with other departments at OZ to drive sales, recruiting, consulting, and operational efficiencies. He is responsible for the overall execution of business and technology consulting across a breadth of expertise areas including digital technology strategy & innovation, intelligent workflow automation, data analytics, AI, SAAS, and DevOps.

“Here at OZ, embracing next-gen innovation and fostering transformative collaboration are a part and parcel of our core values,” OZ Chief Executive Officer Amjad Shamim says.

“Manny embodies those values as a leader in our company every single day. I know he will be an amazing resource for the Hispanic Technology Executive Council as it does the important work of expanding opportunity and nurturing rising talent. I’m excited to see the results.”

OZ is a global digital technology consultancy and software delivery & development partner founded to enable business acceleration by leveraging modern technologies I.e., Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, Micro Services, Cloud, RPA & Intelligent Automation, Web 2.0/3.0, Azure, AWS, and many more.  To learn more about OZ, visit followoz.com

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07
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

$1 million dollar gift from FPL establishes new Center for Intelligent Energy Tech at FAU

Read Time 4 Minutes

 

A $1 million dollar gift from Florida Power & Light Company will help establish the FPL Center for Intelligent Energy Technologies (InETech) at Florida Atlantic University  

The considerable donation will be made through FPL’s charitable arm the NextEra Energy Foundation. The foundation supports organizations involved with arts and culture, education, the environment, health, animals and wildlife, affordable housing, human services, neighborhood development, economic development, government administration, and economically disadvantaged people. NextEra Energy provides a dollar-for-dollar match of employee gifts to eligible high schools, colleges and universities. Since 2003, the NextEra Energy Foundation has provided millions of dollars in support to the communities across Florida.

FAU and FPL have agreed to a four-year collaboration to establish the FPL Center InETech which will be housed in the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science which is internationally recognized for cutting edge research and education in the areas of Computer Science and Artificial intelligence (AI), Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering, Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Ocean Engineering.

Research conducted by the faculty and their teams expose our students to technology innovations that push the current state of the art of the disciplines. The College research efforts are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Education (DOEd), the State of Florida, and Industry.

“Florida Atlantic takes great pride in its partnerships with community and industry leaders,” said FAU President Stacy Volnick, Ph.D

“We truly appreciate this gift from our partners at FPL and NextEra Energy, which will support our bold vision to solve tomorrow’s challenges today and create impactful opportunities for our students and faculty.”

Dr. Volnick collaborates with the Board of Trustees and other stakeholders to determine priorities and accomplish the many objectives of the University. The decision to approve the $1 million dollar gift was officially approved by the Board of Trustees on February 14th, 2023.

The primary focus of InETech will be research relating to smart technologies and products relevant to the energy sector, along with workforce development. This exciting partnership will enhance student recruitment for the College of Engineering and Computer Science and enable the brightest minds at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels to participate in state-of-the-art projects that are directly related to the current and future needs of the energy industry.

“We have a long-standing partnership with FAU, and we are honored to work together to bring this state-of-the-art facility to life to inspire and motivate the energy leaders of tomorrow.”“

FPL, one of the state’s largest employers, has some of the best technology internship opportunities across the state. FPL’s approach to hiring reflects a belief in bringing in diverse backgrounds and experiences to their technical teams. Entry-level interns are often very eager to put their new skills to work and learn from the seasoned professionals and FPL hopes to attract an retain this innovative generation of technical talent.

At FPL, we hope that many of these students will become our future employees that can help drive innovation and creative solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers and our communities,” said Pam Rauch, FPL vice president of external affairs and economic development.

Yufei Tang, Ph.D., associate professor and I-SENSE fellow in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will serve as the director of the FPL Center for Intelligent Energy Technologies, and James VanZwieten, Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, will serve as the center’s associate director.

FAU Professor, Nancy Romance told South Florida Tech Hub that “the award was a major effort on the part of the Dean [Stella Batalama] and Michael Miller, Director of Development for the College of Engineering.” Miller said that the FAU team has been “collaborating with various entities within FPL” to make this happen. He mentioned working closely with the Power & Delivery team at Florida City Gas, Manny Miranda, Executive VP President Florida City Gas and Mike Putt, Senior Director of Real Zero Design and Application. NextEra Energy, Inc

“We are delighted to deepen our relationship with FPL/NextEra,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“This generous gift will have a multiplier effect on FAU’s successes in cutting-edge research and development, and endorses FAU’s capabilities to produce technologies and a skilled workforce for the energy industry.”

In addition to funding research for the benefit of the energy sector, the gift from the NextEra Energy Foundation also allows for the creation of the FPL InETech Center Scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students, which will assist in the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s ability to attract highly qualified students. The gift also makes available community outreach and K-12 activities that educate and engage younger students about the energy industry.

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07
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready opens new round of grant funding

Read Time 3 Minutes

Verizon just announced that a new grant funding opportunity for small businesses, totaling $500,000, is now available via Verizon Small Business Digital Ready.

In partnership with partners Next Street and LISC, the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready online resource is designed to give small businesses the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital economy. Small businesses can access, for free, personalized learning through over 40 courses, mentorship, peer networking, 1:1 expert coaching and incentives such as grant funding. There are over 30 online courses on digital readiness, finance, operations and more and more than 200 live and virtual events to connect with experts and peers.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities,” said Rose Stuckey Kirk, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Verizon.

“We developed the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal to give small businesses tools and resources that can help them succeed and, ultimately, help benefit their local economies.”

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal was created with and for small businesses, with a specific focus on helping diverse and under-resourced business owners. Starting March until May 12, 2023, small businesses can unlock the application for this round of grant funding by first registering on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, available at www.verizon.com/smallbusinessdigitalready, and completing at least two of the following, in any combination: courses, live coaching or community events. Small businesses that complete the application will be eligible to receive a $10,000 grant.

“We had taken a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready course on social media and wanted to invest in digital marketing. And we were fortunate to receive a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grant,” said Joe Alvarez, co-founder of iCareClean. “With the grant funds, we funded marketing projects and placed ads in online search results and on social media, all of which have significantly helped our sales efforts.”

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready includes courses designed to provide essential knowledge and tools, including topics such as developing a marketing strategy, marketing with influencers, creating a content calendar, and the basics of building your business website. The free portal also includes access to mentorship, providing small business owners with the opportunity to obtain ongoing advice and support from experienced professionals who can help them overcome business challenges. Spanish language course offerings, coaching from experts and community events are also available.

In an effort to help launch the next round of grants and support the small business community, Verizon welcomed hundreds of entrepreneurs for StartUP FIU’s Small Business Kick-Off presented by Bank of America this past week. Merdochey LaFrance, Director, Local Engagement (State & Local Government Affairs) at Verizon, moderated a discussion on Digital Equity for Small Business Panel which explored the importance of digital equity for small businesses in today’s digital age.

She was joined by panelists Martu E. Freeman-Parker, Director of Fashion Business Development at Mana Common, Steven Banasiak, Broker Associate at Baron Real Estate, Dr. J. Chris Ford,
Mission-to-Market Manager at FU, and Nikki Cabus, CEO at South Florida Tech Hub, who discussed the challenges small businesses face in accessing digital resources, strategies to create a level playing field for all businesses, and the potential long-term effects of building equity for small businesses.

This initiative is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1M small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy as part of its responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon.

Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts.

 

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07
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Christine Vanderpool to the Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council

Read Time 3 Minutes

Just last month, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Palm Beach County’s Christine Vanderpool to the Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council. 

Christine Vanderpool is the Vice President of IT Strategy, Architecture and Chief Information Security Officer for Florida Crystals Corporation.

Florida Crystals Corporation is a fully integrated cane sugar and agriculture company in Palm Beach County. Florida Crystals’ subsidiary, ASR Group, jointly owned with Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, is the world’s largest cane sugar refining and marketing company, with refineries in Louisiana, California, New York, Maryland, Canada, Mexico, England, Portugal and, with a joint venture partner, Italy. Its products are marketed through its brand portfolio: Florida Crystals®, Domino®, C&H®, Redpath®, Tate & Lyle® and Sidul®. Florida Crystals’ FCI Residential subsidiary develops, constructs and manages luxury multi-family communities in urban and infill areas.

Vanderpool is also a current Board Member of the South Florida Tech Hub and serves as Chair of the Evanta Chief Information Security Officer Florida Governing Body. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of New Mexico. Christine was also named the 2019 Cyber Security Woman Leader of the Year and the 2020 recipient of Global Technology Executives Who Matter Award.

Vanderpool simply stated that she is “deeply honored and excited to be appointed to the council.”

Passed during the 2021 Regular Legislative session of the Florida Legislature, the Cybersecurity Advisory Council was established. According to Cyber Florida, “the Council is tasked with helping state agencies protect their information technology resources from cyber threats and incidents by assisting the Department of Management Services in establishing and implementing cybersecurity best practices.” Seven individuals were appointed to the original task force in 2021.

Other members of the Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council include:

  • Mike McConnell, VADM, USN, Ret., Cyber Florida Executive Director and former director of US National Intelligence and the National Security Agency
  • Jaromy Kuhl – Professor and Dean, University of West Florida
  • Pedro Allende – Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure, Risk and Resilience Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Linda Reid – Vice President of Security, Walt Disney Company
  • Eli Dominitz – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Q6 Cyber
  • Jason Raymond – Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, GuideWell and Florida Blue
  • Benjamin Miron – Vice President of Infrastructure and Cybersecurity, NextEra Energy

The council shall be comprised of the following members:

  • The Lieutenant Governor or his or her designee.
  • The state chief information officer.
  • The state chief information security officer.
  • The director of the Division of Emergency Management or his or her designee.
  • A representative of the computer crime center of the Department of Law Enforcement, appointed by the executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement.
  • A representative of the Florida Fusion Center of the Department of Law Enforcement, appointed by the executive director of the Department of Law Enforcement.
  • The Chief Inspector General.
  • A representative from the Public Service Commission.
  • Up to two representatives from institutions of higher education located in this state, appointed by the Governor.
  • Three representatives from critical infrastructure sectors, one of whom must be from a water treatment facility, appointed by the Governor.
  • Four representatives of the private sector with senior level experience in cybersecurity or software engineering from within the finance, energy, health care, and transportation sectors, appointed by the Governor.
  • Two representatives with expertise on emerging technology, with one appointed by the President of the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In a recent Online Sunshine article, it was written that “Beginning June 30, 2022, and each June 30 thereafter, the council shall submit to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives any legislative recommendations considered necessary by the council to address cybersecurity. Beginning December 1, 2022, and each December 1 thereafter, the council shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a comprehensive report that includes data, trends, analysis, findings, and recommendations for state and local action regarding ransomware incidents.”

 

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07
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

9 South Florida & Treasure Coast companies honored at GrowFL Awards 2023

Read Time 4 Minutes

GrowFL recently awarded the 50 companies selected as 12th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honorees and 9 of them came from South Florida and the Treasure Coast region!

The awards program – now in its twelfth year – honors impressive second-stage companies from throughout the state for developing valuable products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and broadening new industries throughout Florida. The 12th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch awards celebration is brought to you by Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation. 

Companies to Watch was developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation as a unique way to recognize and honor second-stage companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace with innovative strategies and processes. In addition to evaluating past growth and projected success, applicant companies are judged according to their special strengths and impact in their markets, communities, and within the state – thus deeming them worth watching. 

66 finalists were announced last year, and the 50 honorees were selected after a final round of judging by a panel comprised of past honorees, economic development leaders and corporate partners of GrowFL. Companies were judged on a number of criteria including growth in number of employees; impact of the business in the job market; increase in sales and/or unit volume; current and past financial reports; innovativeness of the product or service; response to adversity; and contributions to aid community-oriented projects. 

“GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch was designed to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and to shine a spotlight on the most deserving companies,” said Jennifer Taylor, president, and CEO of GrowFL. “This year’s honoree span 21 different counties, represent 22 different industries and 50% of them are woman, veteran, or minority owned. This diverse group of honorees can only mean one thing – Florida is the place where entrepreneurs thrive!” 

Since the first awards celebration in 2011, GrowFL has honored 550 companies from throughout Florida with this prestigious award. With this year’s honorees, GrowFL has now recognized 600 companies throughout the state that are making a positive impact on the economy and the communities in which they live. Many of the past honorees have now grown their companies to stage 3 and stage 4 businesses employing more than 500. 

“These are some of the most vibrant and dedicated entrepreneurs in our state. They are the champions that keep our communities strong by stimulating the economy, keeping the workforce employed, and giving back in ways that will change the course of our state for years to come. Like all the classes before them, this class of GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch honorees truly embody success and I know they’re only getting started,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL founder. 

To qualify for the award, companies must be headquartered in Florida and have between 6 and 150 and revenue between $750,000 and $100 million. From 2018 through 2021, these companies generated $1 billion in revenue and added 881 employees, reflecting a 96% increase in revenue and a 104% increase in jobs for the four-year period. That translates into a 24% average annual revenue growth and a 26% average annual growth in employees. 

These companies projected continued growth in 2022, with a 40% revenue increase and a 20% growth in employees compared to 2021. If their projections hold, these companies will have generated $1.5 billion in revenue and added 1,233 employees over the last five years — a 174% increase in revenue and 146% increase in jobs since 2018. 

Below is the list of the 12th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honorees from South Florida & Treasure Coast:

  • 2TON Agency | Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services  (Palm Beach)
  • Affinity Management Services | Management Consulting Services (Miami-Dade)
  • Bug Bite Thing | Retail Trade (St. Lucie)
  • Casabianca Home | Wholesale Trade (Miami-Dade)
  • Earth And Sugar LLC | Wholesale Trade (Palm Beach)
  • FloSpine LLC | Scientific Research and Development (Palm Beach)
  • Misfits Gaming Group | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (Palm Beach)
  • Pharma Natural Inc. | Manufacturing (Miami-Dade)
  • Sloane Staffing | workforce staffing (Palm Beach)

One of those companies, Sloane Staffing, specializes in filling Marketing Technology, Digital Marketing, SaaS Sales, and Technology positions. The were founded in Palm Beach County in 2018. From 2018 – 2021, the company saw a 91% increase in revenue and 300% increase in employee growth.

When asked what’s his advice for entrepreneurs, Founder & President, Max Spanier, told GrowFL “Take the leap. It’s going to be scary. It’s going to be tough. You’re going to be anxious. You’ll probably get anxiety even if you’ve never had anxiety. But, if you have a good idea, why not give it a try? Otherwise, you might go through your whole life wondering what if. Failing at something is way better than never doing something.”

To read Sloane Staffing’s full interview with GrowFL, click here. 

 

 

 

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