South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub
24
May, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Spotlight on Our HealthTech & Life Sciences Committee

Read Time 3 Minutes

From a Miami startup that uses blockchain technology to more efficiently administer Covid tests to a Juno Beach-based healthcare software enterprise that is helping hospitals save precious time doing triage, it’s clear that our region is growing into a healthtech hub.

Tech Hub South Florida has established its HealthTech & Life Sciences Committee in order to accelerate this innovation in the healthtech space. Its mission is to empower, educate, and collaborate with the health professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who ensure the health and wellbeing of South Floridians. The committee aims to accomplish this goal by supporting the South Florida healthcare ecosystem’s ability to leverage current and emerging technologies and services.

Meggie Soliman is Chair of the Committee and Director of Strategic Innovations, Applications at DSS. She said that healthcare and life sciences “can no longer be viewed as separate from technology.” From a healthcare perspective, technology enables clinicians to put patients at the center of everything they do. In order to have this patient-centered care, in Soliman’s estimation, “you need access to relevant data that allows us to analyze and make better decisions for that patient.”

From a life sciences perspective, Soliman acknowledged that “technology is allowing us to make booming discoveries because now we have the tools available that we did not have years ago.”

To take full advantage of this boom, Soliman advocates for a multidisciplinary approach. “You either find technologists or healthcare subject matter experts, but it is difficult to find individuals who have the background with both, so my hope is to expand that pool and keep our local talent.”

Pete Martinez, former IBM executive-turned-entrepreneur and Vice Chair of the Committee, echoes Soliman’s excitement: “Technology will be the great catalyst for the transformation to bring healthcare into the 21st Century, on par with all the major industries that thrive on innovation.”

He is particularly bullish on Artificial Intelligence to spur innovation in the healthcare and life sciences space. “AI holds the greatest promise for such understanding as pattern recognition, Machine Learning, multi-disciplinary data integration. Predictive and personalized modeling will become the norm as they have become in most major industries.”

For Martinez, the key to success in South Florida’s healthtech space will be to connect local entrepreneurs with our region’s major investors. “We are fortunate to have plenty of innovators and high net worth [individuals]. Bringing them together will create exponential and sustainable growth.” 

Soliman and Martinez both have their sights set on tangible impacts that they are looking to make through the Committee’s efforts.

First, they both agree that creating awareness around South Florida as a top destination for healthcare and life sciences is a major priority. 

“Brand development, consistent and visionary messaging, and providing tangible proof points of our capabilities and success is fundamental to the engagement by our community and those that are looking to become part of it,” said Martinez. He also said that it is important to have a common vision and agree upon “strategies [that] will optimize our efforts while creating much bigger impact.”

The Chair and Vice Chair also put an emphasis on talent. Soliman said that “it is essential that we educate our communities and future talent on what the capabilities of healthcare tech are.” She hopes to do that by “getting more students involved in healthcare technology early.”

Finally, Soliman highlighted that local impact is crucial. “Bringing healthcare & life science organizations together will allow for collaboration among our communities and impact the local culture,” she said. “We can be the next Silicon Valley but with a taste of paradise living.”

The Tech Hub team would like to thank our most involved committee members to date such as Modernizing Medicine, HealthSnap, New World Angels, Better Living Technologies,  The Venture Mentoring Team, Jupiter Medical Center, HealthDRUM, HIMSS South Florida, Gravity IT Resources, Palm Beach County’s Business Development Board, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Miami-Dade Beacon Council and Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce. We appreciate your efforts in helping build South Florida’s HealthTech and Life Sciences Ecosystem.” 

If you would like to learn more about Tech Hub South Florida’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Committee, please get in touch.

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17
May, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Steve Edwards & Premier Virtual

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: Digital platform for virtual events like job fairs and trade shows

Launched: 2018

HQ: Delray Beach

Full-time employees: 19

Website: PremierVirtual.com

In early 2020, no one was really ready for a global pandemic. The one exception just might be Steve Edwards, Founder and CEO of Delray Beach-based startup Premier Virtual.

Edwards had worked in the job fair industry for the better part of a decade, “living on the road” and traveling as far north as North Carolina and as far west as Texas. He started running virtual events in 2018, and decided to build and license out a platform to help others run virtual job fairs too.

In 2019, when Edwards launched Premier Virtual’s first platform, he did not have a very receptive audience. “People laughed at me,” said Edwards of his early days. “People told me that I would never have clients.”

Enter the pandemic. “We went from small – just me, my business partner, and an administrative assistant – to international almost overnight,” recalled Edwards. Premier Virtual hosted 1,500 events on their platform from April to December 2020. 

Now, the startup has hosted over 200,000 candidates across more than 2,000 virtual events. They have a diverse set of clients including the US Army, who has run their national recruiting event through Premier Virtual’s platform, as well as colleges like the University of Arizona and a host of private corporations. All in all, 25,000 organizations have participated in job fairs run on Premier Virtual’s platform.

The startup is leveraging this growth to continue improving on its core product. Edwards told Tech Hub South Florida that Premier Virtual will launch its 2.0 platform later this year. “Our goal is to make it one of the most user-friendly platforms out there.”

Edwards explained how Premier Virtual’s platform both aims to replicate and improve upon the in-person job fair experience. Jobseekers can easily learn about participating companies and share a video resume. Through Premier Virtual’s “my journey” feature, candidates can keep track of the companies they have seen. They can also customize their resume for each company, which is crucial to stand apart in an increasingly competitive job market.

The platform offers a suite of tools to make it easier for organizers to set up fairs, and more attractive for companies to join them. This includes live reporting, which gives these parties an easily-digestible and constantly-updating dashboard with figures about what is happening on the platform.

Premier Virtual’s success is also a success of the South Florida tech ecosystem. Edwards took part in 1909’s accelerator program, which he credits with helping him learn the ropes of leading a startup. Equally, he noted that the Premier Virtual team actively participates in Tech Hub South Florida events: “there’s always something going on – from peer groups to coffee chats. I feel like Tech Hub is creating a really good community, so we try to give back.”

Ultimately, Edwards said that Premier Virtual’s MO is simple: “We connect people.” After a year of social distancing, perhaps there is no more important pursuit in the business world than forging strong digital connections. For that, Premier Virtual is happy to help.

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14
May, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Spotlight on Our Startup Committee

Read Time 3 Minutes

From northern Palm Beach county to southern Miami-Dade, startups are popping up at a dizzying rate. 

Tech Hub South Florida understands that these fledgling companies are the backbone of our region’s innovation ecosystem. The organization’s recently-formed Startup Committee aims to foster a strong community within our region’s startup scene, promoting collaboration and shared success across South Florida. 

Central to the Committee’s mission is championing issues facing startups. That includes finding initial customers, securing funding, and connecting with mentors.

One tangible way the Startup Committee has already begun to help founders in our community is through the creation of a digital repository of everything founders need to know about the South Florida tech ecosystem. The webpage includes information about local development councils, where to find coworking spaces, and details around some of the region’s top accelerator programs. It also highlights corporations that are deeply involved in the growth of South Florida’s tech ecosystem.

Crucially, Tech Hub is taking a regional approach to the development of the startup ecosystem. Sarah Lucas, Chair of the Startup Committee and COO of Boca-based New World Angels, noted the novelty of this approach: “While innovation and ingenuity know no geographic limits, efforts to support entrepreneurship in South Florida have generally been constrained by city, county, or institutional boundaries.”

She continued, “Collaboration across counties that includes participation from economic development agencies, research institutions, early stage investors, entrepreneurial support organizations and others is critical to making sure that South Florida has staying power as a technology hub.”

Ultimately, Lucas said that this initiative is all about making founders feel at home in the region. “It’s my hope that our efforts will aid any founder in South Florida, whether they are new to the area or have lived here for many years, in accessing and navigating the many resources available to support in their success.”

Imran Siddiqui, District Director for BCEx at Broward College and Vice Chair of the Startup Committee, said that he finds it “rewarding to be a part of a regional effort that connects across our tri-county area to build entrepreneurship and diversify our economy.”

Siddiqui, a native South Floridian who left the region for law school but “made it a point to return back home,” said that he sees his involvement on the committee as a rewarding way to connect with “like-minded leadership from Jupiter to Miami.” 

A diverse set of stakeholders in the regional tech ecosystem sit on the Startup Committee, including venture capitalists, incubator/accelerator leaders, entrepreneurs, community builders, leaders in higher education, and corporate innovators. 

For example, Committee members Maria Dominguez, Site Director of CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) Miami, and Bob Nelson, Founder of VMT (Venture Mentoring Team), are working with Monica Rojas, Member & Inclusion Specialist from Tech Hub to implement regional mentoring hours for our startup founders. And John Wensveen of the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation is helping to develop a physical space in the middle of our region that can be ground zero for high-tech startups.

Rojas said, “the Tech Hub team would like to thank our most involved committee members to date such as New World Angels, Broward College’s BCeX, Endeavor Miami, Refresh Miami, FAU Tech Runway, The Venture Mentoring Team (VMT), Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation, Founders Institute, aire ventures, CIC Miami, Startup Grind, and Miami-Dade Beacon Council. We appreciate your efforts in helping build South Florida’s Tech and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.” 

Tech Hub South Florida realizes that it is important to hear the voices of a wide range of stakeholders in the ecosystem, and urges South Floridians interested in taking part in this rapidly-growing initiative to get in touch.

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10
May, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Andrew Parry & Office Depot

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: A leading provider of business services, products and digital workplace technology solutions to small, medium and enterprise businesses.

Launched: 1986

HQ: Boca Raton

Employees: 40,000+

Website: OfficeDepot.com

Office Depot might just be one of South Florida’s biggest commercial success stories. Founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1986, this publicly traded organization now provides business services, products, and digital workplace technology solutions to small, medium and enterprise businesses. They have an integrated business-to-business (B2B) distribution platform, which includes world-class supply chain and distribution operations, dedicated sales professionals and technicians, online presence, and approximately 1,100 stores.

Andrew Parry is VP of Product and Technology for Office Depot, focusing on application and product development, including customer-facing apps, order management platforms, and tech related to supply chain management. 

While Boca Raton is Office Depot’s headquarters, Parry coordinates with teams in Texas and India to develop the tech that helps the company best serve its customers. “It’s about providing the best experience to customers, from purchasing through to delivery,” said Parry.

Like many businesses, Office Depot had to react quickly to the pandemic. Parry said that technology played a major role in turning this disruption into innovation. He gave the example of consumer deliveries. “Many people are working remote now, so we’re not just delivering to commercial mailrooms anymore. We’re adapting our deliveries to fit the shifting needs and expectations of our customers.”

On the ground, Parry’s mission during Covid has been to “double down on our focus on the customer,” both consumer and business alike. 

Office Depot’s CEO, Gerry Smith, has also noted an increased importance of the B2B market within Office Depot’s overall strategy. Smith said in a statement that the company has “made significant progress on our B2B pivot and digital transformation.”

To get there, Office Depot is investing heavily in all things tech. Parry told Tech Hub South Florida that Office Depot is currently hiring “in all areas” related to technology. “In technology, we can’t grow fast enough,” Parry said, underscoring the company’s commitment to its digital-first approach.

According to Parry, one of the benefits of working at Office Depot is what the company calls its 5C Culture: Customer, Commitment, Change, Caring, Creativity. “These principles help us excel at serving our clients while also making Office Depot a great place to work,” said Parry.

As part of these principles, Office Depot makes an effort to have a positive impact in their communities. Parry is particularly proud of the company launching Elevate Together™ powered by Round It Up America®, a new nonprofit initiative designed to help accelerate the creation, growth and prosperity of Black and Hispanic-owned small businesses.

The initiative, which is run in partnership with the National Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Centers and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, provides education, access, and aid to minority-owned small businesses with five or fewer employees. Eligible small business owners will gain access to educational workshops, training and mentorship services, professional networks and more. 

Parry has thoroughly enjoyed mentoring a few small businesses in South Florida through Elevate Together. “I loved sharing my knowledge and learning from these entrepreneurs,” he said.

“With initiatives like this, it’s definitely an exciting time to be with Office Depot.”

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03
May, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Beth Wagmeister of the Wag Group

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: Helping organizations become more accessible, inclusive, and ADA compliant

Launched: 2016

HQ: West Palm Beach

LinkedIn Profile: Beth Wagmeister

West Palm Beach-based Beth Wagmeister of the Wag Group is on a mission to make our community more inclusive and accessible. 

An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter by trade, Wagmeister is an advocate for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her advocacy work includes helping businesses strategize on how they can be as inclusive as possible. Wagmeister also helps organizations become Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, and makes them aware of related tax benefits.

Top of mind for Wagmeister is increasing the accessibility of events. “My mission is that anytime someone has a public event, to make it inclusive for everyone to participate and join in,” Wagmeister told South Florida Tech Hub. “People who are deaf or hard of hearing should be able to participate,” she continued, adding that events coordinators should factor in the price of hiring a captioner or interpreter when planning an event.

Wagmeister expressed positivity about the South Florida tech community, calling its approach to inclusivity “the most receptive and innovative of any industry that I’ve come across.” Despite seeing some push back from organizations with limited resources, such as not-for-profits, Wagmeister thinks that tech firms increasingly prioritize funds for interpreters.

The pandemic’s push towards digital-first events has been a positive for the deaf and hard of hearing community, according to Wagmeister. “Since events are now virtual, we can have interpreters from anywhere.”

She said that the main issue with signing tech events is that interpreters “have to adapt” because “many don’t know the industry-specific vocabulary.”

Wagmeister herself had to adapt to this new landscape when she started working with local organizations like software development training school Boca Code. For example, she explained that the sign for “server” (the computer hardware) is different from the more common use of “server” (waiter in a restaurant).

At the Wag Group, Wagmeister and team provide services that go beyond signing events. She works with organizations before events to help employees learn how to most effectively engage with interpreters. “Sometimes we need to get people over the fear factor of working with the interpreters.” Wagmeister also conducts debriefs with companies, helping them assess what went well and think about how they can improve going forward.

“Technology has been wonderful for the deaf and hard of hearing community,” said Wagmeister. She explained how new technologies are making it easier for deaf and hard of hearing people to lead more independent lives. 

One highlight for Wagmeister is West Palm Beach founder Saïda Florexil’s invention that makes it easier to see who is talking during group conversations. “It’s a game changer,” said Wagmeister, “I love it.” She also expressed positivity about video phone use and the ability to send a text to 911 in Palm Beach County.

Still, Wagmeister thinks that there is still room for innovation. For example, “captioning still has too many glitches,” Wagmeister noted.

Wagmeister is excited to be part of the South Florida tech community, which she says “brings [her] such energy.” She is passionate about “seeing people raising awareness” and feels like some or her “hard work is already paying off.”

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26
Apr, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Streann

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: SaaS platform that enables content providers to build their own distribution platforms

Launched: 2016

HQ: Miami

Employees: 48

Website: Streann.com

 

Miami tech veteran Gio Punzo is passionate about building the next generation of digital tools for content creators. 

Punzo is the CEO and Co-Founder of Streann Media, which develops an SaaS platform that enables users to “build their own Netflix, Spotify, or HQ in less than 24 hours.”

Streann calls their service “Smart OTT” (Over-the-Top), meaning that users can access content from providers through white-labeled web and mobile apps. Content providers have various options to charge for their content, including pay-per-view, recurring subscriptions, and AVOD (advertising-supported video on demand).

In a media ecosystem where digital accessibility reigns supreme, Streann’s products are in high demand. “Now everybody is becoming a content platform,” Punzo explained, noting the wide range of organizations they work with, from television stations to comedians to event organizers. 

Today’s media landscape stands in stark contrast to the pre-digital prevalence of television and radio broadcasters. According to Punzo, this growth of digital, decentralized content distribution has been favorable for Streann’s bottom line: “Everything doubled during Covid.”

Streann expects that this growth will propel them into a $10 million Series B round of funding. Punzo said that Streann has enlisted the help of Boca Raton-based Noble Capital Markets to scour the market for investors who are interested in a front-row seat to their disruption of the media space.

With this Series B funding, the top priority for Punzo and team will be to continue developing their more than 150 tools. This includes a tool that enables content providers to set up their own social content platform. In Punzo’s own words, this helps Streann’s clients “become more like TikTok and less like Quibi.” 

Streann also hopes to further develop its split-screen feature that displays advertisements right beside content. This allows users to watch their programming without having to pause. Companies are a fan of the feature because it increases the likelihood of users catching a glimpse of their advertisements, unlike the skippable advertisements that are common on other platforms.

Streann plans to expand its team in order to make this product development happen. “We’re hoping to hire for everything from web designers to front end developers,” said Punzo.

While his team is global, Punzo is proud of his Miami roots and hopes to source much of their talent from the South Florida community.

“I’ve been getting messages on LinkedIn from people who are planning to move to Miami, so I see a new pool of talent that’s moving in,” Punzo said. 

Since the pandemic and recent growth of the Miami tech ecosystem, Punzo finds it “easier to convince people to move to Miami.” He says that this Series B funding will allow Streann “to be more aggressive with bringing talent to Miami,” thereby contributing to an increase in the quality of the overall talent pool.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Miami to grow,” Punzo said. “I feel there’s a movement.”

But seasoned entrepreneur Punzo cautions fellow founders in Miami not to get swept up in the hype: “You’ve got to keep your focus, appreciate the noise, and see if you can ride [the growth].”

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19
Apr, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Signature Consultants

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: National technology and professional staffing firm

Launched: 1997

HQ: Fort Lauderdale

Employees: 700

Website: SigConsult.com

Fort Lauderdale-based Signature Consultants connects companies with top tech talent in South Florida and across the US. In an industry and a region where jobs move fast, Signature Consultants is laser focused on finding the right talent for their clients.

“We pride ourselves on building strong relationships,” Account Manager Sarah Norton told Tech Hub South Florida. She explained that having a deep understanding of their clients’ and job candidates’ needs allows Signature Consultants to create a winning match. 

“We don’t want to just place a candidate,” said Norton. “We want to find a long term employee-employer fit.”

Norton believes that a company’s culture is one of the best ways to ensure strong compatibility between jobseekers and Signature’s clients: “It’s about the way you work, not just the job you do.” 

“Skills are important, but skills can be taught and learned,” she said. In Norton’s experience, aspects of company culture, such as whether team-working or individual work is the norm, is harder to learn.

Having been active in the Florida tech community for almost a quarter of a century, Signature Consultants has seen the industry blossom into the robust tech environment it is today. They work with clients of all sizes – “small, medium, big, and everything in between,” said Norton – across a diverse range of industries, including automotive, energy, finance, and hospitality.

While the beginning of the pandemic last year brought uncertainty to the South Florida tech job market, Norton reports that employees and employers alike have reason to feel optimistic.

“It’s awesome to see that the IT market is rebounding quickly from Covid,” Norton explained. Since the turbulent job market has largely stabilized, Norton has noticed a boom in the South Florida tech scene: “People are a lot more eager to get down to South Florida.” 

This growth has led to a strong market for candidates: “Right now there are more roles than there are candidates,” Norton said.

Technical roles are most in demand at the moment, “especially DevOps and cloud migration experts.” But Norton said that demand for project manager and business analyst roles is “always huge” for Signature’s South Florida clients.

While the working world is on track to broadly bounce back this year, Norton thinks that some changes brought on by the pandemic will remain. In her mind, the biggest change has been the shift towards remote working. “South Florida companies used to just hire candidates based in South Florida,” she explained. “Now they’re getting used to hiring people from all across the world.”

With employers casting a wider net for talent, Norton said that local talent should not feel discouraged: “If you’re an active IT candidate, you’re in demand.”

She tells candidates to “apply to as much as they can” and see rejections as learning experiences. “You’re probably not going to get the job after your first interview, so be open to the coaching and to the feedback,” she said.

Her advice to jobseekers in today’s market? “Go with your gut. Go with the person who gets to know you, and knows what you want. That’s how you’ll land the job you’re looking for.”

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12
Apr, 2021

By Todd Albert

Todd Albert | Why Does Talent Leave South Florida?

Read Time 4 Minutes

Companies are moving to South Florida in droves. We all see it. We’ve all read about it. And a few months ago it reached a tipping point when national media began reporting on it.

According to our latest tech talent report, there are approximately 5.1 times as many new tech jobs annually as there are new candidates.

For local software engineers, this is awesome – the last time I applied for a job, I got 6 serious offers within 4 days – one to lead a division of a FAANG company in California that I didn’t even apply to or send my resume. I literally only applied to 4 local companies. (Hmm… maybe our devices really are listening to us?!)

But as a hiring manager, looking to hire local talent, this presents a significant challenge. There are sources of junior talent (0–1 years experience) coming out of colleges and bootcamps, but the level and skills of those individuals vary widely and the supply of mid-level talent (2–4 years experience) and senior-level talent (5+ years experience) is essentially non-existent.

(Yes, the years I put on here are for reference only – I’ve met developers with 20 years experience that were still clearly junior-level and developers with 2 years experience that could run circles on most mid-level developers…)

So why, with the incredible demand for talent here in South Florida, do many of our best-trained developers take jobs elsewhere?

There are likely many reasons for the brain drain we experience, but I can offer 5 key reasons with a simple fix for each.

  • Be Agile: Not all tech companies are created equal. I’ve spoken to several people that work in tech who claim the company they work for “thinks” they are a tech company, but they don’t “act” like a tech company. I had to unpack this a bit. At first, it sounded like spoiled developers that were missing the proverbial ping-pong table at work, but what it really turned out to be was that those companies weren’t following Agile Principles. And one of the Agile Principles is that development teams should be self-organized and any management of the team should be servant-style, not top-down. Well-trained developers know the best way to work and manage their projects and team, so no one outside the team should try to micromanage them. If you’re not truly Agile, you’ll lose top talent fast.
  • Pay more: Obviously places like New York and California are going to pay more than here in Florida due to the higher cost of living, but the small savings we get from not having state income tax does not make up for massive discrepancies in salaries. The cost of living in Florida is higher than in Virginia and the Carolinas, yet tech companies in those states are paying more, on average. Our salaries are on par with the national average, but our cost of living is higher. Be willing to pay a bit more for quality tech talent. It is usually well worth it.
  • Simplify job requirements: Tech jobs notoriously have the most ridiculous requirements. Let me let you in on a little secret – a good software engineer can learn a new technology quickly. We have to. The technologies we use are constantly changing and no one knows them all. Yet we regularly see job postings for junior developers requiring them to know dozens of esoteric languages, tools, libraries, and frameworks, and miraculously have eons of experience in each one. There are famous stories of people not getting a job because they didn’t have enough experience in a library that they, themselves, wrote. Or job postings requiring 7 years of experience in a framework that is only 4 years old. Get real. Stop hunting for some fantasy unicorn. When I post a job description it is “Seeking junior developer.” This aggravates my HR team, but opens us up to a wide range of talented individuals. Which is what I want: talent. I want someone that can quickly learn and excel at most anything I throw at them. And honestly, if someone has 7 years of experience in anything and is still looking for a junior-level position, you might NOT want to hire that person!
  • Set realistic expectations: Not only is the depth of experience often unrealistic or unwarranted, but the breadth of technologies is frequently a source of jokes and ridicule itself! Job requirements often list every technology anyone has ever mentioned in or around the building or on Slack. Yet 90% of the time, you’re just looking for a developer that knows React, Node, and CSS. And that’s it. What else do you need?
  • Hire mostly juniors, some mid-level, and very few seniors: Nearly every job posting I read is looking for senior developers. Clearly, these people have never worked with quality juniors and mid-level developers. Seniors are able to solve problems quickly, but we are, without fail, the least productive developers on a well-rounded team. Seniors spend most of their time thinking, analyzing, and planning, but relatively little time actually coding. We are better at architecting a solution, but can leave the coding to the work horses. Just as a good chef has many assistants, so should a good senior developer. Mid-level developers tend to be pretty fixed in their ways, keep their heads down, and just crank out work. Juniors, on the other hand, are eager to learn and experiment. They can’t work as fast as mid-level developers, but they are much more flexible and willing to try and learn new things. Juniors work best when they have a senior developer that can mentor them, whereas mid-level developers work best on their own. A good senior developer can mentor several juniors and manage several mid-level developers. This is the most cost-effective and Agile formula, especially since you can often hire 3 juniors (or 2 mid-levels) for the cost of a single senior. And if their mentor is good, it will take very little of his or her time to mentor these juniors — the time they spend is more than made up for in added productivity.

There is amazing talent and opportunity in the South Florida Tech community. We are thrilled to be a part of this community and to help train and foster new talent within it.

So what can you do to help keep this talent and hire locally? Simply put: hire more juniors and mid-level developers, be realistic about job requirements and expectations, pay more, and be Agile!

Written by Todd H. Albert, Ph.D., Founder and Lead Instructor at Boca Code

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05
Apr, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Gravity IT

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: IT staffing agency specializing in filling roles for companies in South Florida.

Launched: 2015

HQ: Fort Lauderdale

Employees: 30+

Website: GravityITResources.com

Fort Lauderdale-based Gravity IT has had a front-row seat to South Florida’s booming tech industry. 

“We see a lot of companies today that are growing like crazy,” Account Manager Stephanie Grassi explained. “It’s a great time for people in the tech industry in South Florida.”

This boutique staffing agency serves some of the most technologically advanced companies from Juno Beach to South Miami, including energy giant NextEra (parent company of Florida Power & Light) and security firm G4S.

Since its inception six years ago, Gravity IT has grown tenfold: from three people to a team of more than 30 employees spread across offices in Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, and Columbus.

Grassi, who was Gravity IT’s tenth employee, said that the company prides itself on “providing high quality talent in the areas that matter the most” to their clients. 

No role is too niche for Gravity IT’s staff. The company has teams that focus on recruitment for specialized areas of expertise like Salesforce development, business analytics, and project management.

“One of our main differentiators is our referral program,” said Grassi. She called it their “number one source for quality hires.” This program incentivizes people in the tech community to share referrals, which Grassi described as “crowdsourcing the recruitment process to people we trust.”

Gravity IT is fast moving. Grassi said that in many cases her team finds and delivers talent in under 48 hours: “it’s a very quick turnaround.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the needs of Gravity IT’s clients. “Project managers are more needed now, as well as business analysts,” said Grassi. “There’s also still demand for software engineers, DevOps folks, and Salesforce experts.”

According to Grassi, the pandemic has opened up employers’ minds to remote work. “We’re seeing more companies now that are open to remote work,” she said. Employers still want these contractors to be based in the US, but Grassi has noticed that they are increasingly flexible about the time zone they are in.

Grassi noted that this flexibility towards remote working opens the pool of potential applicants to fill her clients’ roles. However, she said that it is still possible for local talent to stand out in a crowded space.

“Keep your resume up to date and connect with as many people as possible to keep your name out there,” Grassi said. She advises candidates to have multiple versions of their resume on hand to fit different roles that may arise.

She also suggested that jobseekers “talk to as many recruiters as [they] can.” While this may be difficult to do in a pandemic, Grassi said that LinkedIn is a great resource for meeting recruiters.

“You can tell recruiters that you’re looking for a new opportunity and would love to connect,” Grassi said. “It’s really helpful for us to know that you are open to work.”

Despite the high demand for jobs, Grassi says that people looking for tech jobs should feel optimistic: “there are lots of opportunities out there.”

Learn more about Gravity IT on their website, GravityITResources.com.

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31
Mar, 2021

By Rebecca Bakels

Crossing County Lines | Tech Hub Partners Collaborate for Students

Read Time 3 Minutes

Tech Hub South Florida’s Community Creed states “(we are)…wholeheartedly committed to building a welcoming, collaborative, and inclusive community for all” and these values extend to our partners. One of our newest members, VideoBolt, stepped up to the plate and demonstrated exactly the type of community we’re trying to build in South Florida by donating 14 monitors to one of our education partners, ReGenerate Tech, a non-profit looking to help the youth of under-served areas move into the world of Computer Science.

 

What started off as a simple meeting between Tech Hub’s VP, Nikki Cabus, and VideoBolt’s Founder, Corey Saban, turned into a life changing moment for the students at ReGenerate Tech. When we asked what led to this generous donation, Corey said, “We were talking about online schooling and how much of a pain it is…and we started talking about the kids that don’t have the tools to work from home. I thought, ‘I have a bunch of extra monitors here and we’d love to donate them.’”

Cabus directed him to a perfect recipient, Fort Lauderdale-based ReGenerate Tech, whom the Jupiter-Based VideoBolt had not been aware of prior to their meeting. When asked about how this represents VideoBolt’s values Saban mused, “if you can be a good person and do good by giving, it’s better to give than get…and it’s great to be involved in the community.” Little did he know what a profound impact he would have on the students.

 

We spoke with Randell Deich, Chief Networking Officer at ReGenerate Tech, about what this donation meant to them and he put it simply: “(VideoBolt’s)…B stock is another person’s game changer.” This was more than just computer monitors, this was showing the students that someone was thinking about them and willing to invest in their futures. Chamara Spence, a current student at ReGenerate, had this to say, “When I found out about the donation of the external monitor, I felt blessed, thankful, and ecstatic. I am incredibly lucky to have an opportunity like this, to have people become invested in the future of students like me…as a student who is going into a Computer Science major later this year, I already know that this monitor will be my right-hand man.”

 

ReGenerate’s program is focused on helping current high school students with their next steps after graduating and opening them up to the possibilities found in the tech world. They’re being taught the necessary knowledge and skills for entry-level tech positions, working with local software engineers to develop these career-ready requirements.

 

 

 

For Tech Hub this encompasses what we’re all about. Uniting South Florida for the greater good, breaking down the barriers that limit prospective talent, and moving the community as a whole in a positive direction. For those looking to donate, ReGenerate Tech is always looking for more volunteers, equipment, and monetary donations. You can find out more about their program and how to donate through their website, regeneratetech.org. If you’re looking for fast, affordable, professional ready videos find out more about the fantastic VideoBolt crew at videobolt.com.

29
Mar, 2021

By Nikki Cabus

New Bootcamp for South FL Founders!

Read Time 3 Minutes

The LAB is Bringing A New Startup Bootcamp to South Florida Founders!

Beginning March 30, The LAB Miami and Navigate, their in-house accelerator program, will be
launching an 8 week bootcamp series titled, The Startup Go To Market Strategy: A Framework
for Early-Stage Startups to Launch and Scale.

A proper go to market strategy is critical for startup success. It helps teams think through many
of the elements involved in positioning and selling the product or service. When done properly it provides a framework for success and answers questions like:

  • Who should we target first?
  • How much should we be spending on ads?
  • And, what channels (PPC, SEO, Social, etc) should we use to drive sales?

 

Located in the heart of the vibrant Wynwood Arts District, the LAB is Miami’s original coworking community. In 2012, the founding members of the LAB Miami teamed up with the Knight Foundation and a group of angel investors to convert a 10,000 square foot warehouse into a shared office space and event venue. Since then, a growing number of Miami’s brightest and most forward-thinking entrepreneurial minds have converged to share their ideas, learn from one another, and build amazing companies and projects.

 

“Partnering with Navigate has been a huge win for our members and community of
entrepreneurs. For years we’ve received inquiries and demand for the services which the
Navigate team offers, namely help with startup launch and access to resources. This new
service offering really brings everything full circle and will help countless entrepreneurs realize
their full potential.” said Rachael Bickford, Managing Director of The LAB Miami.

 

Navigate is a new kind of accelerator that helps early stage startups launch, grow, or get funding ready through hands-on business planning and advisory. Their advisors are entrepreneurs with a track record of success and passion for helping others grow. Led by 3x founder, growth marketer, and author Pedro Sostre.

 

Over the course of 2 months, we’ll review the framework that Navigate Founder, Pedro Sostre, used to drive over $100M in revenue for early stage startups. “Unfortunately, most small business owners and first time founders don’t take the time to create a proper go to market strategy. Instead of working from a well-thought out plan, they make decisions “from the gut” and inevitably end up floating through their business journey without a clear plan for success.

 

I’m very excited that we are able to launch this with The LAB Miami and give attendees a tactical action plan to improve sales, launch new products, re-launch their brand, or move
existing businesses into new markets.”

 

To register for this free bootcamp, visit
https://www.navigate.capital/bootcamps/go-to-market-bootcamp

 

 

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29
Mar, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | OutPLEX

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: Customer contact management services for a wide range of public and private sector clients

Launched: 2001

HQ: Fort Lauderdale

Employees: 2,000+

 Website: OutPLEX.com

OutPLEX is bringing call centers into the 21st century. 

 

Jim Ryan, OutPLEX’s Founder and CEO, explained that they “help build, design, and deploy tools that combine artificial intelligence (AI) and human beings” to manage these business-to-consumer contact points. This use of AI makes customer interactions more efficient.

Unlike its competitors, OutPLEX benefits from a substantial amount of data, which increases the effectiveness of its AI systems. “It’s incredibly hard to design what conversations are going to be without the data, and you need the experience of the human being,” Ryan said. “Lots of startups don’t have that.”

This foray into AI stemmed from OutPLEX’s early adoption of chatbot technologies. Ryan, a former AT&T executive, described the development of AI tools as a “natural progression” from traditional text chat and concurrent chats, “where one agent can have multiple conversations at a time.”

OutPLEX’s industry leadership did not happen overnight. Ryan said that for many years, OutPLEX’s growth was “incremental, but not as fast as I had hoped.” However, in the last three years, “business has dramatically changed.” Now some of the biggest companies in America like Lowe’s, American Express, and Comcast leverage OutPLEX’s services to ensure their customers are given the highest level of service.

Ryan credits this recent growth to his laser focus on bringing tech innovation to the forefront of everything OutPLEX does: “as a tech entrepreneur, I’m always looking at new tech platforms in the marketplace.”

He continued, “I’ve pivoted the business over the years, trying to come up with different services, and now we’ve found a service [AI-powered chatbots] that we have a pull position on.”

Ryan expressed excitement about the state of the South Florida tech ecosystem: “We’ve gone from a spot of tourism and real estate to a wonderful blossoming tech hub.” Having lived and worked in Florida since the late 1990s, Ryan is impressed by “how far Florida tech has come in such a short period of time, the last 5-8 years.”

“Miami has taken the baton and is at the top of the rocket ship,” said Ryan. “It continues to drive this bursting ecosystem because of its size and dense population, as well as the thirst of Latin America to seek mentorship and capital in Miami.”

He acknowledged that Palm Beach and Broward counties “have done a good job considering their size, but there’s still work to be done.” He urges leaders to “work collaboratively” and that they must “support each other, if our ecosystem is to thrive.”

“Isolation is not going to work,” said Ryan, who prefers to take a regional perspective when looking at tech development in South Florida. Ryan highlighted the importance of transportation to the development of the region: “logistics are a challenge, but the situation is improving.”

Ryan is optimistic about the talent base in South Florida. “Covid is forcing and accelerating an exponential growth in South Florida’s tech talent,” he noted, citing key initiatives at local universities such as Florida Atlantic University’s Tech Runway.

Ultimately, Ryan says that “it’s an exciting time to be a tech entrepreneur in Florida.”

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22
Mar, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | CITY Furniture

Read Time 4 Minutes

Business: Florida-based furniture retailer with 20 showrooms across the state and an e-commerce platform.

Launched: 1971

HQ: Tamarac

Employees: 2,500+

Website: CityFurniture.com

Selling furniture might not immediately come to mind as the most technologically innovative business. But Andrew Koenig, President of CITY Furniture, sees things differently: “My mindset is for CITY Furniture to become a tech company that sells furniture, not a furniture company that has tech.”

Koenig’s bias towards innovation has served CITY well during the pandemic, when most brick-and-mortar businesses scrambled to go digital. Not CITY. They had already armed their associates with transactable iPads, enabling the company’s salespeople to work virtually as soon as in-person businesses were mandated to close. 

CITY had an e-commerce platform before the pandemic, but Koenig said they “doubled down” on their online offerings in a matter of days. They started offering free shipping with no minimums. As soon as they were legally allowed to reenter the showrooms, CITY set up virtual store appointments for customers. This involved two socially-distant salespeople who could chat with customers via an online video feed and show them products in real time.

“We were prepared, and we responded quickly,” Koenig reflected. Even though CITY’s sales took a hit last Spring, the company was able to bounce back, ultimately turning a profit for the year.

Despite the difficulties brought on by the pandemic, Koenig said that CITY “still lived our values and cultures.” The company did not have any layoffs and was able to provide two weeks of paid sick leave to employees. CITY maintained their employee profit-sharing pledge, while also continuing to donate 5% of profits to charities.

Out of the pandemic came growth for CITY. To respond to an increase in business, Koenig hired around 500 new employees in the fourth quarter of 2020. CITY also plans to build a Miami warehouse and enlarge their Tampa warehouse.

Koenig’s unique perspective on running CITY extends past his penchant for technical innovation. Much of his leadership philosophy stems from the time he spent in Asia after college.

“I learned about elements of buddhism: the idea of the collective, the whole. That really resonated with me.” He describes employees as his family and treats them as such. His email signature urges employees to prioritize their work-life balance: “please do not respond to my emails during non-work hours.”

Koenig admits that this emphasis on work-life balance was not always the norm at CITY. “We used to over-work people – that’s just the way it was. But now we’ll terminate leaders if they overwork their people.” Initiatives like this have led to what Koenig describes as “record levels of employee satisfaction.”

Emphasizing work-life balance is not just the right thing to do: it’s backed by empirical evidence. Koenig studied Toyota’s ‘lean’ manufacturing process, which sets out best practices for time management. This philosophy is all about maximizing efficiency and productivity, and, as Koenig described, employees need to understand that “life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” He explained: “Sometimes you have to sprint for a period of time, but you can’t sprint forever without becoming a rude, frustrated person. I’d rather go out of business than overwork our people.”

CITY took another page from Toyota’s book, implementing their ‘kanban’ approach to project management. The company urges employees of all levels to give their input on how to make their processes more efficient. Koenig claims to receive an average of two suggestions per year from each associate. “I take this wisdom of the crowds very seriously,” he said of this suggestion system.

Koenig has a positive outlook on the state of our local economy. “South Florida is one of the best places to be in the country, maybe even the world,” Koenig asserted. He highlighted the region’s diversity and population growth as factors that look to make the “next two or three years very exciting.” And CITY Furniture will not just sit on the sidelines of this growth; rather, Koenig looks forward to being an active participant.

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15
Mar, 2021

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | PATHOS

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: PATHOS is a full-service, multidisciplinary marketing firm that takes a creative approach to solving its clients brand-building needs.

Launched: 1990

HQ: West Palm Beach

Employees: 18

Website: WeArePathos.com

In the rapidly-changing world of marketing, businesses must stay on top of the trends to keep their competitive edge. But Shane Savage, Chief Strategy Officer of PATHOS, admits that this is often easier said than done.

Savage sympathizes with this struggle that many of his clients face. He relishes the opportunity to, in his words, “translate” the ever-evolving opportunities and threats facing companies in an increasingly complex marketing environment.

PATHOS “offers strategic marketing executed through design-orientated thinking,” said Savage. They take a creative “left and right brain” approach to tackle clients’ thorniest marketing needs. This strategy has worked well for PATHOS, which boasts a rapidly expanding client base throughout the South Florida region and, increasingly, the rest of the US.

One way to think about PATHOS, according to Savage, is as an outsourced marketing department for mid-sized corporations: “we’ve become vertically integrated over the decades.”

But the PATHOS team is more multidisciplinary than what you would find in a typical corporate environment. “We hire multifaceted and multidimensional people – people with diverse sets of backgrounds and skills that allow us to adapt quickly and bring cutting-edge innovation to each client,” explained Savage. “As marketing trends come and go, what you need are fantastic people who are hungry to keep learning and keep growing.”

“This has allowed us to break down silos,” he continued, comparing PATHOS to more traditional marketing companies that hire for rigid roles that conform to predefined verticals. By contrast, at PATHOS, “programmers talk to copywriters, copywriters talk to designers, brand consultants speak to all of them.”

The services PATHOS is able to offer reflect their employees’ wide range of skills. They help companies across the entire product lifecycle. Savage mentioned a few tangible ways PATHOS engages with clients: “we help them bring a new product to market, create branding around it, conduct internal training sessions around how to speak about this new product, create go-to-market strategies, leverage media to win new sales.” This beginning-to-end approach ensures that all their clients’ marketing needs are met.

Savage believes that small businesses are often overwhelmed with social media, but that “quality over quantity wins every day.” He said that it’s best to focus on one or two social media channels and use them effectively, rather than have a business stretch itself too thin by using too many platforms. This philosophy also extends to clients: Savage advises newer businesses to avoid “getting caught up on trying to continue getting clients, and try to serve repeat clients well.”

While PATHOS has clients across the US, the company is deeply rooted in the West Palm Beach community. “West Palm Beach is no longer just a tourist destination,” said Savage, “it’s a thriving business center.”

Savage cited Florida’s competitive tax rates, coupled with the trend towards decentralized workforces since the onset of the pandemic, as two major factors leading to the current economic boom in South Florida. According to Savage, PATHOS prides itself on helping “provide a path for career growth for recent college graduates” as well as “continuing to educate the more experienced people in our industry.” 

By providing opportunities for workers of all experience levels to “evolve, change, and learn,” Savage believes that local business leaders can develop “a very dynamic work ecosystem in Palm Beach County.”

PATHOS is taking a front-row seat in pushing for this progress. Pathonians (as PATHOS’s employees are called) mentor fledgling businesses at local accelerators, high schools, and colleges.

Savage’s goals are ambitious but commensurate with this moment of rapid growth. “We’re working with partners in the community to make West Palm Beach into a creative capital. I look forward to continue building on the momentum of uplifting West Palm Beach.”

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08
Mar, 2021

By Rebecca Bakels

Teeing Off 2021 with Tech Hub South Florida!

Read Time 3 Minutes

After a year of virtual events, Tech Hub South Florida started the year off right with some safe, outdoor fun at their annual member-exclusive Tee Off event ⛳ hosted at Drive Shack West Palm Beach. Expectations ran high after many months without in-person events and we could not be happier with the way things turned out.

To kick the evening off we heard from Nikki Cabus, VP of Development, welcome the members and talking about the recent rebrand.  Joe Russo, President & CEO, recapped the accomplishments made and growth achieved to date. 

 

“Premier Virtual was honored to have the ability to sponsor the annual Tee Off. Being able to give back to an organization that has supported our firm since day one was something we always talk about. Even though we are a virtual company, we understand that social interaction is vital. The event itself was a needed escape for many people out there with all that is going on. Tech Hub South Florida is a great organization and helps bring the tech community together with their weekly and monthly events. There is something for all types of members…from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies, THSF has a place for you…the person looking for work to the executive looking to network” said Steven Edwards, Presenting Sponsor and Managing Partner at Premier Virtual, as he took a moment to express his gratitude. 

 

For some, this was the first in person event since the shutdown; in fact many had not attended any in-person events since last year’s Tee Off. Nobody took the afternoon for granted, seizing the opportunity to network with new associates and to meet virtual connections for the first time in person. Attendees were encouraged to invite somebody they didn’t know to a round of golf; college students were frequently seen teeing off with CEOs.

South Florida’s newest coding school, Boca Code, brought their Software Engineering Career Course cohort to network and potentially meet their future employers. Shane Vander Kooi, President and Founder of Green Mouse Academy and one of the event’s supporting sponsors, had this to say about the afternoon: “We were really happy to support the Tee Off event not only to hear about the incredible impact that Tech Hub South Florida is making, but to also join with you in safely restarting these community building, face to face interactions, that are so rewarding at a personal and professional level.  Being able to share the exciting news about the launch of HADO Florida was an added benefit! Thank you for all you do!”

 

We are looking forward to having more events like this in the new year to continue fostering community growth and relationship building, furthering our core value to create diverse and inclusive spaces for all levels in the tech world. Tony Gruebl, event sponsor and President at Think, a local technology and operations consulting firm, expressed it perfectly, “Tech Hub South Florida is bringing the community together in new and exciting ways, and we are thrilled to support that effort any way that we can. Where else can you find a diverse community of software, engineering, digital, and information technology professionals from various verticals to connect, share, and innovate with. Tech Hub South Florida is building something phenomenal.” Tony also gave away his book, The Red Pill Executive, to all those in attendance. 

 

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, Premiere Virtual,  and Supporting Sponsors, Modis, Green Mouse Academy and Think Systems  who made this night of good food and great company possible. 

Click here to check out some photos from this year’s event.

See you next year! ⛳

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Teeing Off 2021 with Tech Hub South Florida!