South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub
20
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Hi-tech production BrandStar Studios expands to Miami-Dade through new multi-year partnership

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BrandStar Studios has inked a multi-year agreement to offer virtual production capabilities at GRUP MEDIAPRO’S facilities in Miami, Florida.

One of South Florida’s largest and most experienced production studios, BrandStar Studios has state-of-the-art cinematic technology and a dedicated team of artists and engineers that produce original content with stunning in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) rendered in real-time – allowing creatives to see their scenes unfold as they are captured and composed on set.

The venture will be called ‘BrandStar Studios at GRUP MEDIAPRO,’ and is BrandStar’s first studio facility in Miami-Dade County, complementing its existing Broward County location and Palm Beach County studio within Lynn University. BrandStar established itself in Miami-Dade in 2021 through a merger with Coral Gables-based KrepsPR & Marketing, who will be supporting the partnership through its integrated services.

With locations in Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach and now Miami, BrandStar Studios offers five Virtual Production stages, feature state-of-the-art LED video walls capable of providing In-camera Virtual Production with immersive environments for producing TV shows, movies, commercials, music videos, podcasts, hybrid events and much more all powered by Unreal Engine software, the world’s most advanced real-time 3D creation tool.

Spain-based GRUP MEDIAPRO, a multimedia conglomerate with expansive experience in content creation, production and distribution for television and film, has had a presence in the U.S. for more than 25 years, and boasts a team of 200 broadcast professionals. They currently offer production services out of their studios in Miami for entities such as ESPN, CNN, beIN Sports, HolaTV, Hemisphere Media Group, CONCACAF and many others.

The agreement calls for BrandStar to design, build and install the largest LED Wall in South Florida in their new 9,900 sf studio, along with providing management and support services needed to operate fully the in-camera Virtual Production system. It also includes a revenue sharing component along with 2,000 square feet of office space to house BrandStar’s staff.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement to further GRUP MEDIAPRO’S vast offerings,” said Irantzu Diez-Gamboa, CEO, MEDIAPRO North America. “BrandStar has a stellar reputation as an industry leader in- Production with a specialty in real time Virtual Production, and we’ve no doubts that this will be an extremely positive relationship.”

The fully operational studio includes a 1,000 panel LED wall that measures 100 feet long and 23 feet tall and is capable of providing immersive environments for filming movies, series, TV shows, commercials, music videos and hybrid events. The system will feature Unreal Engine software, the world’s most advanced real-time 3D creation tool, allowing real-time shooting while exponentially reducing editing and post-production work. The LED volume uses the latest technology allowing for state-of-the-art resolution.

“This state-of-the-art masterpiece is set to transform your creative visions into captivating realities. Get ready to step into immersive worlds and bring your visions to life like never before,” posted BrandStar Studios.

“The film industry is one of Miami-Dade’s most special economic drivers,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Expanding the footprint of Miami-Dade County’s film and production capabilities is one of our key strategic initiatives, and we are honored to see this new partnership bring a first-of-its-kind studio to our county. I look forward to seeing a new level of production coming into Miami-Dade thanks to this new partnership.”

“As Miami-Dade County emerges as a hub for innovation and creativity, the development of virtual reality redefines the boundaries of TV and film,” said Senator René Garcia, County Commissioner District 13. “Harnessing the power of technology paves the way for a future where imagination knows no bounds and offers unparalleled opportunities for our workforce.”

“Almost 80% of all of Florida’s TV and film production is realized in Miami-Dade County,” said Marco Giron, Film and Entertainment Commissioner, Miami-Dade County Office of Film and Entertainment. “The world of virtual production/reality offerings is changing literally by the day, so having this level of technology being offered within the County will only expand our region’s capabilities and reach.”

“BrandStar is absolutely thrilled to open a facility in Miami-Dade County, expanding our services to an entirely new audience,” said Mark Alfieri, Founder & CEO of BrandStar. “The ability to combine our expertise of producing over 300 episode of Television and over 1,000 commercial video projects per year with GRUP MEDIAPRO’s team of industry professionals is sure to create exponential opportunities for Miami-Dade’s TV and film industry. A true win/win for all.”

In a previous press release, Alfieri had stated that, “There’s a reason the technology leverages ‘Unreal. It allows us to create super high-end productions quickly, utilizing the same in-camera virtual environments that major studios are deploying to film their most technology-intensive programming. We will use this technology to produce music videos, virtual events, high-end commercials, television shows, feature films, basically anything anyone can dream up, we can produce it.”

BrandStar is using this advanced technology in production of their own shows, which include The Balancing Act and Military Makeover with Montel, airing on Lifetime and with some of their largest clients in the industry.

To learn more about BrandStar Studios, visit www.brandstarstudios.com

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20
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

West Palm Beach-based Digital Resource acquires South Florida territory Fortune Management

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Digital Resource announced the acquisition of the South Florida territory of Fortune Management. 

This acquisition positions Digital Resource as a one-stop-shop for dental practices in South Florida seeking both business and marketing support to grow their businesses.

Founded in 2014, Digital Resource is a full-service internet marketing agency headquartered in West Palm Beach, FL. The company’s winning solutions and experience deliver great results for businesses in all verticals across several key areas, including but not limited to search engine optimization, social media marketing and lead generation. Digital Resource has a proven track record in generating online leads and sales, elevating brand market share, and proving return on investment.

Fortune Management has been providing dental coaching services to dentists for over 30 years. Their proprietary approach helps dentists achieve their professional and personal goals by providing guidance in leadership, team building, financial planning, marketing, and more.

In partnership with Brian Houlahan, a Fortune Management Executive Coach from the Connecticut area, Digital Resource will take on the South Florida territory of Fortune Management and provide a holistic approach to dental practice management, combining Fortune’s expertise in dental coaching with Digital Resource’s marketing solutions.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Brian Houlahan and start Fortune Management South Florida to provide comprehensive support to dental practices,” said Shay Berman, President of Digital Resource. “With our expertise in digital marketing and Fortune’s experience in dental coaching, we’re able to provide a complete solution for South Florida dentists looking to grow.”

Digital Resource’s services will enable dental practices to gain a competitive edge in today’s digital landscape. The agency’s services include search engine optimization (SEO), digital advertising, social media marketing, website design and development, internal practice marketing, and more. With this acquisition, dentists will be able to receive customized marketing and coaching solutions that are tailored to their unique needs.

Brian Houlahan says, “It’s no secret that practices need new patients to grow! By partnering with Digital Resource, we are able to help practices with all the fun things that need to happen next – perfecting a new patient experience, implementing systems to retain patients, increasing case acceptance, controlling overhead expenses, establishing a culture of success, and much more.”

One of Digital Resource’s biggest goals this year was to invest deeper into their franchise partnerships. This is one of the main strategic decisions that has helped Digital Resource double in size over the last couple years.

The acquisition of the South Florida territory of Fortune Management marks a significant milestone for Digital Resource and strengthens the agency’s position as a leading marketing provider in the dental space.

 

 

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20
Jun, 2023

By Riley Kaminer

Founder of OZ Digital Consulting Reflects on 25 Years of South Florida Innovation

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Business: Offering clients the strategic technical tools and expertise to guide their decision-making, drive data, improve customer experience, and increase efficiency. 

Founded: 1998

HQ: Fort Lauderdale

Employees: 300+

Website: FollowOZ.com

Leading South Florida tech entrepreneur reflects on the lessons he learned over the last two and a half decades.

OZ Digital Consulting recently celebrated their 25th anniversary with a celebratory breakfast and networking event in their newly renovated office space in Ft. Lauderdale. Attendees included Bob Swindell, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance CEO, South Florida Tech Hub Board and Staff, business partners and community members. Distinguished guest, Broward County Commissioner Mayor Lamar P. Fisher, facilitated the event.

For Amjad Shamim, the key to long-term business success is a relentless focus on the people that make business happen: both customers and employees alike. That’s why at Fort Lauderdale-based OZ Digital Consulting, CEO Shamim takes pride in delivering top-tier solutions to clients while also offering employees a great place to work.

“You do good work for your clients, and business will come – money will come,” Shamim told South Florida Tech Hub. He added that OZ Digital Consulting has a customer retention rate of around 90%, which is much higher than average for services firms. 

But critical to achieving this high level of success is having a strong team powering these efforts. “It’s so difficult to retain good talent, but we’ve had people with us for 20 years,” he shared, noting that employees appreciate the strong culture Shamim and his colleagues have invested in building over the decades.

“We treat people with mutual respect,” Shamim continued, acknowledging that employees and customers alike enjoy the consensus-building approach OZ Digital Consulting takes to every project.

Shamim attributes part of the firm’s early success to the fact that he and his brother and co-founder Asad had technical backgrounds rather than sales backgrounds – and approached business development accordingly.

“We’re not sales guys, so we just started working with our clients. We did good work, we continued to get more work, and we continued to grow.”

But it wasn’t all about growth for the Shamim brothers. “For us it wasn’t about growing really big, it was about maintaining the culture.” Of course, maintaining their culture played a role in helping them grow.

As Shamim looked back on the last 25 years of OZ Digital Consulting during our interview, his excitement about his work is palpable. “I really enjoy what I do. The reason I keep doing it is because, honestly, it’s not work for me – it’s fun.”

“My wife already knows that I’ll never retire. Even if I do something with this company, I’ll do something else because this is so fun.”

Shamim hopes to share this same enthusiasm with all of OZ Digital Consulting’s 300+ staff members around the world. “I want you to keep our culture of making sure that everyone is enjoying what they do.”

OZ Digital Consulting has grown alongside South Florida’s tech ecosystem. “20 plus years ago, I remember going to Tallahassee lobbying for technology investments in our area,” he said, explaining that there was no major enthusiasm for South Florida tech at that time. His clients felt the same, with one San Francisco-based client seven years ago delivering Shamim the backhanded compliment that she was “surprised there were good tech companies like yours in South Florida.”

Now, Shamim affirmed that the situation is much different: “We’re still in the early stages, but people are taking us seriously. So I see good things happening.”

 

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11
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Boca Raton-based Sage Dental opens 100th high-tech location; elevating efficiency with AI diagnostics

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Sage Dental, the largest dental service organization in South Florida, announced the opening of its 100th high-tech location. 

The Boca Raton-based dental service organization (DSO) is committed to providing consistent, high-quality care, as well as non-clinical business and administrative services to affiliated practices. The 100th office followed its acquisition of the Kendall Dental Care in Miami. As part of the company’s ongoing expansion strategy to increase its presence in the Southeastern United States, this milestone represents a critical moment in the evolution of Sage. Since 2020, Sage has nearly doubled the number of practices in its network in Florida and Georgia and, in terms of locations, it is now the largest DSO operating in south Florida.

“Everyone on our team is very proud to achieve this milestone as Sage Dental continues in its mission to make high-quality, affordable dental care available to an increasing number of families and individuals in the regions that we serve,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Marler.

Sage, which has served more than 1 million patients since 2020, offers general, specialty, and cosmetic dental care, including restorative, prosthodontic, endodontic, pediatric, and orthodontic treatment. As the DSO continues to expand, its leadership team expects to add at least 20 more practices to Sage’s network by the end of 2023.

“Our modern facilities and highly skilled clinicians and support staff, combined with best-in-class dental technologies, have helped to propel our rapid growth. Since Sage was founded more than 25 years ago, dentistry has evolved exponentially, and Sage has continually evolved with it to ensure we deliver patients the best dental care possible,” continued Marler.

As it maintains its focus on future growth, Sage’s dentists, hygienists, and dental support staff will continue providing personalized care combined with the latest tools and technologies – including artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostics – to deliver the best possible oral health care to patients.

In addition to expansion into new regions and the continued growth of its workforce, Sage Dental has established initiatives with its partner Pearl who is leading the global dental AI revolution with groundbreaking computer vision solutions that elevate efficiency, accuracy and the standard of care in dentistry. Pearl is shaping the future of oral healthcare with a suite of FDA-cleared AI solutions developed to elevate the efficiency, accuracy, quality and consistency of dental care. Sage is one of the first DSOs to deploy Pearl’s AI-powered clinical insight solution company-wide, strengthening the standard of patient care across all Sage locations.

“Across all our practices, our team is constantly revisiting ways to help our patients have a better understanding of their oral health and the best treatment options that are available to them,” said Chief Clinical Officer and Senior Vice President Dr. Cindy Roark, DMD, MS. “Using state-of-the-art technologies, our dental professionals foster trust with patients by making more well-informed prognoses and better treatment decisions.”

Last year, Dr. Cindy Roark joined Harvard’s School of Dental Medicine Board of Fellows. In this volunteer role, Dr. Roark joined a group of strategic advisors who serve to further the school’s mission of developing and fostering a community of global leaders dedicated to improving human health by integrating dentistry and medicine at the forefront of education, research and patient care. She has always been an outspoken leader in the deployment of AI-driven solutions to improve the quality of care, accuracy of diagnosis, and overall patient experience.

“Harvard School of Dental Medicine is setting the bar for clinical excellence and innovation in dental technology,” said Dr. Roark. “I am thrilled to be in a position to support its trailblazing mission and to encourage the future leaders of dentistry to explore beyond what is currently believed to be possible in dentistry today.”

“In comparison with some of our competitors, Sage has taken a unique approach to executing our expansion strategy by incorporating, as evenly as possible, a blend of new and acquired practices into our universally branded network,” said Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President Jim Mizouni. “As we continue to fine-tune and execute our plans to scale the business, our long-term strategy includes expanding into the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions.”

Sage is currently accepting new patients at each of its 100 state-of-the-art practices which offer cutting-edge twenty-first century dental technologies, including teledentistry screening appointments, virtual check-ins, online scheduling, and paperless billing.

For more information on Sage Dental, visit https://mysagedental.com/

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11
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Fiserv now on NYSE; new ticker celebrates company’s commitment to leading fintech innovation

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Just last week, Fiserv, Inc. announced that it has completed the transfer of its stock exchange listing to the New York Stock Exchange.

Effective June 7th, the company began trading under the ticker symbol “FI.” To honor the occasion, Frank J. Bisignano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, rang The Opening Bell® at 9:30 am EST alongside other representatives if Fiserv. You can watch the video clip here.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Fiserv, an established leader and trailblazer in fintech and payments, as the newest member of our NYSE community,” said Lynn Martin, NYSE President. “Fiserv joins our community of innovators, icons and disruptors, who routinely set the pace in advancing tech-driven innovation across the globe.”

Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE: FI), a Fortune 500 company, aspires to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of-sale and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of Fortune® World’s Most Admired Companies™.

“To lead in fintech today means not just enabling commerce and money movement, but disrupting on behalf of, not in place of, its long-standing participants. Our decision to transfer to the NYSE and introduce a new ticker – FI – is a signal and symbol of our leadership position in fintech,” said Frank Bisignano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fiserv.

“Our focus on clients through innovation, talent, and investment has enabled us to drive sustained growth, as we reach more than 100 countries and serve nearly 100% of U.S. households.”

To mark its initial collaboration with the NYSE, this summer, Fiserv will publish the first Fiserv Small Business IndexSM, a monthly snapshot of consumer spending at small businesses with both cards and cash, online and in store. Combining Fiserv data with NYSE indexing expertise will enable new insights to those with a stake in the future of small business, including financial institutions, policy makers, investors, market researchers and businesses of all sizes.

With a satellite location in Coral Springs, Fiserv has been very involved in supporting the local small business community through their international Back 2 Business program. Fiserv has committed $50 million to help Black- and minority-owned small businesses get Back2Business through grants, coaching, and access to technology and networking opportunities.

Fiserv committed $50 million to help black and minority-owned small businesses get Back2Business through grants, coaching, and access to technology and networking opportunities. This number has continued to grow. Since 2020, more than 1,600 Black- and minority-owned small businesses across the U.S. and U.K. received grants and support to keep serving their communities.

On June 5, 2023, Fiserv was named to the FORTUNE® 500 for the eighth consecutive year. The ranking of 230 for 2023 is based on 2022 company revenue of more than $17 billion. Earlier this year, Fiserv was also recognized for its ability to inspire and deliver innovation on behalf of its clients with inclusion in Fortune® America’s Most Innovative Companies, which takes a holistic view of a company’s focus on innovation. Companies were chosen based on surveys of employees and experts in various fields, and an independent analysis of the quantity and value of the company’s patents.

In a world moving faster than ever before, Fiserv helps clients deliver solutions in step with the way people live and work today – financial services at the speed of life. Learn more at fiserv.com.

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11
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Meet the CIO Winners of the South Florida 2023 ORBIE Awards

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On June 9th with over 350 in attendance, SouthFloridaCIO announced the winners of its 2023 ORBIE® Awards.

SouthFloridaCIO is the preeminent peer leadership network of South Florida chief information officers. SouthFloridaCIO is one of over 30 chapters of the Inspire Leadership Network, a national membership organization comprised exclusively of CIOs from public and private businesses, government, education, healthcare and nonprofit institutions.

For over 20 years, the CIO ORBIE Awards has been the premier technology executive recognition program. The Awards have recognized technology executives for leadership, innovation and excellence in this rapidly growing, CIO-led national professional association. For the third year, the South Florida CIO ORBIE® Awards has honored chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.

CIOs are typically recognized in multiple categories, based on the size and scope of their organization and responsibilities. This year’s awards were held at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Broward County where technology executives were recognized in six key categories – Leadership, Global, Large Enterprise, Enterprise, Large Corporate, Corporate.

“Through member-driven, non-commercial initiatives like the ORBIE Awards, we forge powerful professional bonds with peers, collaboratively overcoming obstacles and sidestepping pitfalls,” emphasized Darryl Maraj, SouthFloridaCIO Chair. “Astute leaders recognize that the currency of connections is a formidable ‘superpower’—one nurtured within our trusted circle. Rest assured, when technology leaders unite, solutions emerge from the very room they inhabit.”

The 2023 South Florida ORBIE Award winners are:

  • Ashish Gupta, VP & CIO, NextEra Energy received the Leadership ORBIE.
  • Tim Langley-Hawthorne, EVP, CIO, Hertz received the Global ORBIE for organizations over $5 billion annual revenue & multi-national operations.
  • Margaret Brisbane, CIO, Miami Dade County received the Large Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $5 billion annual revenue.
  • Patrick Hale, EVP, CIO, VITAS Healthcare received the Enterprise ORBIE for organizations up to $5 billion annual revenue.
  • William Velez, CIO, Harvard Maintenance Inc. received the Large Corporate ORBIE for organizations up to $1 billion annual revenue.
  • Mark Moch, CIO, American Oncology Network received the Corporate ORBIE for organizations up to $500 million annual revenue.

Lacey Elmange, Executive Director for SouthFloridaCIO and FloridaCIO, told South Florida Tech Hub, “It is extremely special and meaningful to watch the hard work of the CIO led Advisory Board come to fruition with the execution of the ORBIE Awards. Year round the Advisory Board officers are working hard to ensure great technology leadership is recognized in South Florida and one way to do that is through the ORBIE Awards. This not only gives recognition locally but also puts South Florida on the national stage where CIO peers across the network can see the exceptional leadership coming from our region.” She continued, “All ORBIE winners are able to compete in the National ORBIE Awards that take place during Converge the Inspire Leadership Network National Member Conference every summer.”

Since inception in 1998, over 700 technology leaders have received the prestigious ORBIE Award. The ORBIE honors chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in 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.

The South Florida ORBIE Awards keynote was delivered by Ashish Gupta, VP & CIO of NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE), a leading clean energy company, In a fireside chat, Ashish was interviewed by Ann Dozier, SVP & CIO at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. In attendance we other leaders from the NextEra/FPL team in support of their leader.

In his role Ashish oversees all aspects of the company’s information technology, including technology strategy, driving digital transformation, cybersecurity, and communication services. He joined NextEra Energy in February 2017. Prior to joining NextEra Energy, Mr. Gupta worked at GE Energy Connections as the chief information officer. During his more than 20-year tenure at General Electric Company, Mr. Gupta held CIO positions at GE Capital and GE Energy. Mr. Gupta has been recognized for his leadership and ability to consistently create broad, innovative strategies to leverage technology for competitive advantage, drive business productivity and growth. He received Computerworld’s 2015 Premier 100 Technology Leaders award for the positive impact he had on his organization through technology. He was also recognized in 2009 with CIO Magazine’s CIO 100 honorees and in 2012 by CIO-Asia Magazine CIO 100 honorees.

In a recent South Florida Business Journal interview, ORBIE Leadership Award recipient Ashish Gupta shares advice for the next generation of IT leaders.

“CIOs are the change agents who can share the art of what’s possible with technology and communicate interdependencies across the company,” said Gupta. “They are advocates who promote digital concepts, innovation and experimentation.”

As he looks to the future, Gupta reflects on the evolving role of CIOs and recommends up-and-coming IT leaders apply their energy in three areas: focus on business impact and business value rather than technology outcomes, always be a change leader, and hire teams of professionals who are better than you and who bring different skills and alternate perspectives.

“Leadership is about creating other leaders, not about having all the answers,” Gupta said. “In the end, your legacy will be about the teams and careers you helped build.” He urged the CIOs in the room that morning to hire those who are better than you. 

To see all nominees and categories, visit https://sofloridacio.org/awards/2023

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06
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Title 1 Cypress Run Education Center collaborates with community and industry for final school year’s student hackathon

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Combining art and coding, Cypress Run Education Center held it’s final Hackathon of the 2023 school year – and the student projects were amazing!

This year’s fourth quarter and final hackathon expanded the students’ creativity for the ‘Mark Art Hackathon.’ A Pokémon character, robots, race car, Hello Kitty, a city scape and so man other art projects were featured. School District representatives, community partners and even industry leaders were there as judges, sponsors and volunteers for the day. The event was sponsored by the Broward County School District, South Florida Tech Hub, and CloudHesive who provided gift bags, pizza and dessert for all students and cash prizes and swag bags for the contest winners.

At Cypress Run, the total minority enrollment is 90%, and 82% of students are economically disadvantaged. As a Title 1 alternative school in Broward County for K-12 students, Cypress Run doesn’t have access to all the resources that some students may have across the district, but Ms. Osas Guis-Obaseki, or Ms. “O” to her students, doesn’t let that stop her.

She is a programmer, engineer and current STEM and Computer Science teacher who has been instrumental in scaling up the school’s computer science initiatives and student engagement in community STEM programming. Ms. O was also named the 2021-22 Teacher of the Year for Cypress Run Education Center.

Ms. Osas has spearheaded a STEM Club that meets biweekly to expose students to programming and the computer science field. She has given students the opportunity to to build computers, learn coding and programming, and gain skills using digital tools. Ms. O hosts quarterly Hackathons where students demonstrate their coding skills and compete with other students. Under her leadership, students have complete the Microsoft certifications in HTML and CSS Programming, Website Design, and MS Office.

CloudHesive, an Amazon Premier Partner and an Amazon Managed Services Partner in the cloud technology space, provided gift bags for all students and cash prizes for the winners. People and Culture Leader, Mallory Ryska, volunteered to help set up the event and was there to greet the students as they entered the hackathon classroom.

“A big thank you to our friends at South Florida Tech Hub for including us in Cypress Run Education Center’s Hackathon this past Friday. CloudHesive welcomes any opportunity to develop and support the future engineers in our community. And we greatly appreciate the work Mrs. O does in her classroom to inspire the next generation in tech,” Mallory wrote in a social media post.

Using CoffeeScript, an easily understandable shorthand form of JavaScript, the middle school students had approximately a week to built their art master pieces. The were scored according to the following categories: Visualization, Creativity, Pictures & Background, Design Implementation, and Code Functionality. The high schoolers had to imagine their own high school or college and build a website for the school. They used HTML and CSS for their projects. Judges included Matthew Fritzius, Curriculum Supervisor with Broward County School District, Nikki Cabus, Tech Hub’s CEO, Monica Darville-Martinez, Math Coach for Broward County Schools.

Ms. O partnered with Tech Hub to give her students the opportunity to attend the annual TECHpalooza 2022 allowing students access to one of South Florida leading tech conferences, get exposure to tech professionals and companies across the region, and gain necessary communication skills through volunteering alongside event staff. She also worked with Tech Hub to get access to Broward County’s JROTC Fleet Week STEM Day 2023. In addition to Tech Hub, Ms. O has garnered various business partnerships to support the STEM Initiative at Cypress Run, such as Oracle, ReGenerate Tech, and many more.

Dr. Gastrid Harrington, Cypress Run Education Center’s Principal, Adjunct Professor at Broward College, and Podcaster, was in attendance.

“The goal and the objective is to expose students to coding and programming skills,” he told Tech Hub in an interview.  “Having industry connect with our students is an invaluable experience for them.”

Cypress Run Education Center has been awarded a few grants over the last couple years including the School Choice Enhancement Program (SCEP) and FPL’s $50,000 Classroom Makeover Grant via the NextEra Energy Foundation’s $2 million, four-year commitment. As part of FPL’s commitment to STEM education, the grant funds will improve technology, equipment and resources for the next generation of innovators.

The grant is intended to provide transformational learning opportunities for Black students in a classroom setting. Funds addressed needs in infrastructure, technology or resources (i.e. software, equipment, books, training of teachers, tutors, paraprofessionals) to advance the STEM curriculum and increase exposure of STEM education and careers.

Cypress Run Education Center would love to welcome you to their next Hackathon. Email team@techhubsouthflorida.org to find out how you can support.

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06
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Research Park at Florida Atlantic University® entrepreneur support initiative welcomes four new companies, graduates two

Read Time 4 Minutes

The Research Park at Florida Atlantic University’s entrepreneur support initiative, Global Ventures at Florida Atlantic, is proud to welcome four (4) new companies into its incubator program which serves both international and domestic second-stage technology companies.

To be considered second-stage, a company has achieved annual sales of at least $750,000 and has at least six (6) employees. Global Ventures focuses on healthtech and smart systems technologies.

The companies, which have all opened physical offices at Global Ventures in Boca Raton, FL this year include:

  • Biobeat Medical – The first Israeli company to join Global Ventures, Biobeat’s solution uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide actionable insights for patient care. More than just analyzing the data, Biobeat also generates it, using a proprietary sensor for continuous monitoring of vital signs unique to Biobeat. For more visit: https://www.bio-beat.com/
  • Ecosign Technologies –Ecosign was established as a spin-off of Contech Brazil, a company with over 30 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry. Ecosign is committed to providing innovative solutions for diverse industrial sectors working towards a more sustainable future. Through its technological leadership the company brings constant improvements to control of process contaminants in pulp and paper, textile, agribusiness, and poultry, among others. For more visit: https://www.ecosignus.com/
  • Isolab USA – Originating in Germany with manufacturing operations in Turkey, ISOLAB dedicates itself to providing products and solutions to its customers worldwide for various applications and research activities in universities, institutions, laboratories and home use. For more visit: https://www.isolab.de/
  • Triangulate Labs – Based in South Florida, Triangulate Labs created Skinmap™ to find skin cancer early. Skin cancer kills someone every five minutes. When discovered early, skin cancer is easily treated. Skinmap digitizes skin to save lives. For more visit: https://www.triangulatelabs.com/

“The addition of so many international companies to Global Ventures brings new intellectual and financial capital to South Florida while creating job opportunities for FAU students and alumni well as existing residents. The impact is overwhelmingly positive for this region,” stated Andrew Duffell, president of the Research Park at FAU.

Companies are served within Global Ventures at Florida Atlantic for two (2) years, accessing resources at Florida Atlantic University’s campus, networking opportunities and introduction to relevant businesses before expanding out of the incubator to the South Florida business community.

This month, two (2) companies will graduate from the initiative, having leveraged its resources for growth and success, reaching new heights.

  • FloSpine – An industry leader in spinal implants, the company is graduating after securing its fourth FDA device clearance. It now has six (6) issued patents with three (3) additional patents pending. FloSpine’s staff of seven (7) includes four (4) FAU alumni. Recognized in 2022 as one of the 50 Florida Companies to Watch by GrowFL, FloSpine has built strong relationships in the South Florida healthcare community and will expand to larger facilities within the Research Park at FAU itself. For more visit: https://flospine.com/

 

Peter Harris, Founder and CEO of FloSpine, said, “We are extremely grateful for the guidance and opportunities we received from Global Ventures. The support from their management team has been tremendous in helping accelerate FloSpine’s growth. We look forward to continued collaboration with Global Ventures.”

  • Gustie Creative – Gustie is a leading disruptive retail solutions provider for brands, businesses, agencies and nonprofits. The company develops, markets and sells design and strategy products and services. Gustie is graduating after completing research and development, obtaining three copyrights, publishing two business workbooks and launching Create Disruptive Retail, a mobile design platform devoted to creating disruptive retail solutions for a global user. Gustie has a new office in Boca Raton and will expand nationwide. For more visit: https://gustiecreative.com/

“While at Global Ventures, Gustie gained global recognition as a disruptive retail thought leader, and the company’s next stage of growth includes launching a SaaS learning platform for Disruptive Retail,” said Karen S. Herman, CEO and Design Director of Gustie Creative.

The Research Park at Florida Atlantic University® is home to technology companies and research-based organizations working to support the research and development activities of Florida Atlantic University and to foster economic development and broaden the economic base of Broward and Palm Beach counties. The Research Park at FAU hosts Global Ventures, an international soft-landing center for second-stage technology companies and FAU Tech Runway, a South Florida public-private partnership that serves as a hub to accelerate technology development and incubate startup companies. The Research Park at FAU is a 70-acre destination for R&D companies to thrive, established in 1985, it is widely regarded as South Florida’s laboratory for new entrepreneurial ideas and technologies. The Research Park at FAU is governed by the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority, an independent special district created by Palm Beach and Broward counties in partnership with Florida Atlantic University, organized under Chapter 159, Part V, Florida Statues.

To learn more about Research Park at Florida Atlantic University, visit https://www.research-park.org/

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05
Jun, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Broward College’s Health Sciences Simulation Center is leveling up their OB training for nursing using mixed reality

Read Time 5 Minutes

The Broward College Health Sciences Simulation Center is leveling up their obstetrical training for nursing students by turning to the one woman they knew could handle the job: VICTORIA.

VICTORIA® S2200, to be exact.

A medical mannequin designed by the Miami-based medical training company and industry leader of simulation technology for healthcare education, Gaumard Scientific, is behind the technology used in VICTORIA® S2200.

The mannequin is a top-of-the-line, totally comprehensive birthing simulator. VICTORIA comes equipped with a bevy of tools and software services designed to help improve patient safety in women’s health through education and training. As part of the Broward College SIM Center mannequin lineup, she has already helped to facilitate teamwork and deepen critical thinking skills in learners of all levels.

The Broward College Health Sciences Simulation Center (HSSC) is a state-of-the-art educational facility that models a hospital setting. Designed to provide students with a safe learning environment where they transfer their understanding of theory into hands-on practice, the HSSC offers the opportunity for students to practice in realistic simulations the development of decision-making skills, the reduction of errors, and the improvement of communication and teamwork.

Managed by Dr. Lilia Chavarria, district director of Broward College, the Simulation Center has already provided aspiring healthcare students with more than 80,000 simulations on various medical training devices and mannequins. But when the center received its VICTORIA S2200 medical training mannequin in September of 2022, Dr. Chavarria knew they had acquired the gold standard of obstetric training.

“From early pregnancy complications, high-risk deliveries, and postpartum emergencies to non-gravid scenarios for general nursing care, VICTORIA simulates a full range of obstetrical situations,” said Dr. Chavarria. “More than a childbirth simulator, VICTORIA is a complete simulation solution developed from decades of obstetrical experience. She is a comprehensive package of tools and support designed to help improve patient safety in women’s health through education and training.”

After all, VICTORIA is much more than a training mannequin. Engineers at Gaumard Scientific have equipped her with the latest medical training technology, including interactive eyes and automatic visual object tracking; a fully programmable airway; and true-to-life shoulder dystocia, breech, and C-section deliveries. VICTORIA even births a lifelike, full-term baby featuring programmable vitals for Apgar scoring. Students can also tether VICTORIA to monitoring equipment such as an EKG, capnography, defibrillator, and pulse oximeter for even more realistic training.

What’s more, VICTORIA’s mixed reality feature uses holographic visualization to allow students to see inside VICTORIA and observe the physiological process of birth.

In 2021 with the release of VICTORIA®, Gaumard Scientific announced that CoObstetric MR™ technology was honored in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards in the Learning category. To view a video that demonstrates Obstetric MR in use, click here.

Obstetric MR is a next-generation mixed reality training solution designed to help learners bridge the gap between theory and practice faster than ever before. Comprised of a Microsoft HoloLens 2 preloaded with proprietary software for the VICTORIA S2200 maternal and neonatal patient care simulator, Obstetric MR provides an unparalleled training tool for medical schools, nursing schools, and hospitals worldwide. This new mixed reality system uses advanced holographic imaging technology that allows the wearer to see inside VICTORIA and observe the dynamic physiology and anatomy underlying child birth deliveries.

Obstetric MR brings digital learning content into the physical simulation exercise, allowing participants to link knowledge and skill through an entirely new hands-on learning experience. The future of labor and delivery simulation has arrived at the simulation center.

“Gaumard has harnessed mixed reality technology to bring healthcare education to a new level – bridging the physical and digital world,” stated James Archetto, Gaumard’s Vice President, U.S. Direct Sales.

“Obstetric MR technology synchronizes precisely anatomically detailed holograms with the physical world to enable learners to interact with mother and baby in an extensive range of birthing scenarios that learners may never encounter until clinical practice, providing an unparalleled learning experience.”

Gaumard Scientific is recognized by health care educators and students worldwide for its commitment to innovation with the development of the most advanced patient simulation technology. Gaumard designs and manufactures simulators at its global headquarters in Miami and markets them directly in the U.S. as well as through distributors in 70 countries. Gaumard’s customer base includes militaries, emergency medical services, major teaching hospitals and nursing schools.

VICTORIA couldn’t have arrived at a better time. It has become increasingly clear that health care training is more critical now than ever. Per a report by WLRN, the South Florida community is facing an acute nursing shortage, with the Florida Hospital Association predicting a shortfall of 59,100 nurses by 2035. Fortunately, Broward College has stepped up to provide the healthcare workers of tomorrow and train them with the best tools available, including VICTORIA.

As recently announced, Broward College is also offering healthcare nursing training through their new Sunshine Health Training Center in the City of Lauderhill. Broward College’s BrowardUP and Sunshine Health are collaborating on this new initiative that will brighten the career landscape of the City and pave the way for a unique educational facility that will equip residents with the skills necessary to thrive in the health care job marketplace, one of the most in-demand career fields. This is just one other example of the impact that Broward College is making in healthcare education and training.

As the largest provider of higher education programs in Broward County, Broward College is committed to fostering and achieving success for all students. The College has been recognized by the Aspen Institute three times consecutively as one of the nation’s top ten Community Colleges of Excellence for its outstanding commitment to student success and equitable student outcomes.

Dr. Chavarria said these students were ready and eager to meet the challenge of adapting to new technology.

“The transition has been seamless,” she said. “We have excellent simulation specialists at the forefront of the latest technology and genuinely want to work with our students. The learners and the staff absolutely love the experience. “The nursing students love the technology, which fits well with the younger generation of students,” said Dr. Chavarria. “This is by far the World’s Most Lifelike Childbirth Simulator.”

VICTORIA, so it seems, has found a home at Broward College. For now, she will continue to help Broward College nursing students hone their obstetric skills before taking their training into the real world, to the benefit of birthing patients across South Florida. VICTORIA, quite simply, is a lifesaver.

To learn more about Broward College’s Health Sciences Simulation Center, visit https://www.broward.edu/simcenter/

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31
May, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Two big announcements for Palm Beach Gardens-based TBC Corporation; new CEO and divest Tire Kingdom Businesses

Read Time 4 Minutes

TBC Corporation (“TBC”), one of North America’s leading providers of mobility solutions, announced that it has entered into an agreement to divest its company-owned retail portfolio to Mavis Tire Express Services Corp. (“Mavis”).

For more than 65 years, TBC Corporation has been a company ahead of the curve. In 1956, TBC Corporation began as Cordovan Associates — a small purchasing group of tire retailers in Dayton, Ohio. Through worldwide operations spanning wholesale, retail, and franchise, TBC provides customers best-in-class brands, supply chain as a service, and automotive maintenance and repair services with the underlying mission to exceed customer expectations. TBC serves wholesale customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Middle East and Europe through TBC Brands, NTW, TBC International, and TBC de Mexico.

Additionally, TBC responds to the needs of individual consumers and fleet customers alike in search of total car care at more than 2,000 franchised and company-operated tire and automotive service centers nationally under the brands NTB, Tire Kingdom, Big O Tires and Midas.

In connection with the transaction, through which Mavis will acquire 392 NTB Tire and Service Centers (NTB) and 203 Tire Kingdom Service Centers (Tire Kingdom), Mavis and TBC have entered into a distribution agreement, through which TBC will provide wholesale and tire distribution for Mavis retail locations. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

The 595 NTB and Tire Kingdom stores Mavis is acquiring are in Florida and Texas, as well as other states in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest and South. Upon close of the transaction, Mavis’s retail footprint across all of its brands will span approximately 2,000 locations, including the 112 NTB stores acquired by Mavis from TBC in 2020. All NTB and Tire Kingdom retail store and retail field management associates will have the opportunity to continue their careers with Mavis.

“The announcement represents a significant milestone in the continued acceleration of Mavis’s growth strategy, enabling us to deepen our presence in existing markets and expand our Mavis brand into new markets throughout the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and in Texas,” said Stephen Sorbaro, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Mavis Tire Express Services Corp. “We have a strong working relationship with TBC and a history of successfully integrating NTB locations into our platform, and we look forward to partnering with them again to welcome the talented NTB and Tire Kingdom teams to the Mavis family.”

Kato added, “It was important to us to identify a buyer with an exceptional people-centric culture that aligns with our company values. From our long-term partnership with Mavis, we are confident they are well-positioned to accelerate growth in the NTB and Tire Kingdom businesses as they continue to invest in expanding Mavis’s national footprint.”

The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks.

 

“As we execute our growth plans and strategies, we continuously analyze the assets in our portfolio and periodically fine tune them to drive superior performance in our core focus areas,” said Sam Kato, President and Chief Executive Officer, TBC Corporation.

“Divesting our company-owned retail business allows us to focus and strengthen our wholesale business, pursue growing our distribution and ‘supply chain as a service’ solutions, while bolstering our market-leading Midas and Big O Tires franchise businesses. We have never been in a stronger position to offer best-in-class solutions that address a full range of customer priorities while driving innovation and long-term sustainable growth.”

Kato, who served as TBC’s chief administrative officer for the last two years, was announced as the new President and CEO just this month. Kato replaces Laurent Bourrut who is retiring after completing his assignment to position the company for strategic growth amid the evolution of the tire industry. Bourrut will remain an executive advisor to Kato and TBC.

Kato is a veteran of global automotive businesses for more than 30 years. He served as a director of the board of TBC Corporation from 2015 until 2018 when he was leading Sumitomo Corporation of Americas transportation businesses. Kato was an instrumental part of the Sumitomo leadership team that formed a strategic 50/50 joint venture with Michelin North America, Inc., in 2018 to create the current TBC Corporation. As TBC’s first chief administrative officer, Kato maintained responsibility for legal and compliance, human resources, IT, digital, corporate strategy and communications.

His appointment by the TBC Board of Directors to president and chief executive follows a strategic plan developed in collaboration with Bourrut.

Prior to his appointment as president and chief executive officer of TBC, Bourrut worked at Michelin for nearly 14 years in various roles of increasing responsibility culminating as executive vice president in charge of the worldwide road transport and distribution business lines, as well as operations of the European Region. He also served as a member on the Groupe Executive Committee.

 

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31
May, 2023

By Adam Elitzur

Former South Floridian Farza Majeed raised $10M for school backed by Andreessen Horowitz; now helping others’ ideas come to life

Read Time 4 Minutes

Buildspace, a school that aims to help people learn how to build businesses in domains they love,  raised $10 million from funders such as Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Inc and Y-Combinator.

The school is now offering a six-week, free, online Nights & Weekends program, where creators can pick an idea and build it with the guidance of mentors and peers. Any idea is possible in Nights & Weekends, with projects ranging from software such as AI or blockchain, engineering a bike that powers electricity, or art such as music and films. It’s a place where you can figure out what you’re passionate about, create something you love working on, and then learn how to turn that creation into a financially sustainable path you can pursue full-time.

Nights & Weekends is geared towards those who are working or studying full-time during the week and are excited to devote 6 weeks of their spare time to advance an idea that they have. The program is designed to be flexible and fun, with no lectures or homework. Instead, participants get access to live sessions with mentors and experts. They also get to interact with other builders in a supportive and collaborative community.

During the six-week program, participants decide on a goal for their idea which they work on throughout the entirety of the program. The schedule is pretty simple:

  • Week 1: Lock Down Your Idea
  • Week 2: Create Version One of Your MVP
  • Week 3 – 6: Iterate On Your Idea Alongside Thousands of Others
  • End of Week 6: Demo Day

During demo day, participants present their projects including their progress and struggles. 32 participants are picked to compete for a cash prize. Last season, Season 3, Buildspace awarded a total of $100,000 to four builders. A musician, a film maker, a game developer, and a farmer each received $25,000 as support in continuing to build their projects.

Elea Vogli, who is writing an album, Esther Joy, who is creating eco chamber DAO to make community gardening easier, Chaos Town, which is a local documentary series based in Portland, and Hussain, who is creating Split Horizons, a game about a girl exploring imaginary environments and finding a way to go beyond them.

Season 3 graduated 450 people from the program. Their demos are available on the Buildspace website.

Nights & Weekends culminates with events held in both San Francisco and Dubai where participants can finally meet in person, network and showcase their projects.

Buildspace claims that its programs are suitable for anyone who wants to learn new skills and build something cool, regardless of their background or experience level. The company says that its mission is to help people be able to work full-time on their dream creations sustainably. Therefore, Buildspace’s programs are free for users and Buildspace is profitable off of their sponsorship and partnership model.

“I started Buildspace because I wanted to build the school that I wish I had,” stated Farza Majeed, Founder of Buildspace. “When I was going to university, it was very strange for someone to be working on their own ideas and pursue the path of not getting a job. I want to make that a path that is more default.”

Founder Farza Majeed was raised in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He founded Buildspace, originally named ZipHomeschool, in December 2019.  ZipHomeschool aimed to build software to help parents homeschool their kids. The company then pivoted to a learning platform for users to explore their career options, mainly in web3 and Artificial Intelligence. Now, Buildspace is primarily focusing on their Nights & Weekends program, as well as a new school in San Francisco, with the first three-month cohort starting in July.

Majeed and the team are looking to grow Buildspace with campuses internationally, making it accessible to people around the world regardless of their visa. Buildspace has a hub in San Francisco, is expanding to Dubai and India and is eventually planning to build a very large campus.

Majeed has advice for people who have an idea but are not sure where to start.

“Don’t overcomplicate it, just get something out there that you are kind of embarrassed by,” he stated. “It’s ok to be embarrassed by it. Show other people, because there are not many people in the world who go from idea to showing other people their idea. If you’re already doing that, you are in the minority. Just get something out there, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Very few people understand this, you don’t need a thought together business, it doesn’t even need to make sense, it just needs to make you feel some joy.”

Applications are now open for Season 4 of the Buildspace Nights & Weekends program. The program begins on August 5th.

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30
May, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Fuel Venture Capital Announces The Launch of $300 Million Flagship Fund II

Read Time 3 Minutes

Fuel Venture Capital announced the launch of their $300 million Flagship Fund II bringing the Miami-based firm’s four funds to $700 Million. 

Fuel Venture Capital Flagship II, LP is built upon the success of Flagship Fund I following a refined investment thesis and well-defined proprietary model of Phased Investing.

Fuel Venture Capital is committed to propelling groundbreaking ideas into world-changing companies and democratizing access to the creative economy to shape the future of society. A core team leads the firm’s “founder focused, investor driven” approach with more than 80 years of combined experience in investment banking, wealth management, executive leadership, and entrepreneurship. The fund boasts a portfolio of 33 companies based around the globe across numerous sectors, bringing positive impact to virtually all corners of our modern economy.

Institutional investors will be able to participate in Fuel Venture Capital Flagship Fund II, which is aiming to raise $300 million and will target disruptive technology companies that transform how
businesses and consumers transact, consume, work and enjoy their life journey. The fund is primed to invest in seven warehouse companies, all previously backed by Fuel Venture Capital funds, which include Betr, RecargaPay, Soundtrack Your Brand, Curve, CookUnity, AEXLAB and Novopayment. Fuel will continue to find additional disruptive global, tech-driven companies to construct a portfolio across multiple geographic locations, sectors and financing stages.

“This fund will make it easier and more efficient than ever before to access the private markets,” said Maggie Vo, Managing General Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Fuel Venture Capital. “It’s our goal at Fuel VC to democratize the process of investing in private market transactions and this will make it possible.”

Fuel Venture Capital has been one of the most aggressive venture capital firms in Florida since launching in 2017. Fuel identifies innovative founders changing the world, propelling groundbreaking ideas into world-changing companies, and democratizing access to the creative economy to shape the future of society. The firm is a leading early-stage investor in technology and digital companies.  With a portfolio of over 33 companies in technology companies across a broad spectrum of areas including FinTech, Marketplace, Enterprise SaaS, Entertainment Tech, Food & Consumer Goods Tech, Sports Tech, Space Tech and more, Fuel is where institutional investors go to diversify their venture capital portfolio.

Its most recent success story is Terran Orbital, the aerospace, and defense company that is the global leader in small satellites. Terran Orbital was recently listed on the NYSE as $LLAP with a $1.8 billion valuation. Fuel’s most recent deployment made headlines with Jake Paul’s microbetting app Betr which raised a $50 million Series A. In addition, Fuel Venture Capital is a lead investor in Taxfyle, which closed its $20 Million Series B last year. Fuel Venture Capital also invested in cloud-based supply chain platform Tradeshift, smart city infrastructure platform Ubicquia, and construction technology company Eyrus, among others.

“We believe that our latest fund will be a game-changer in the private markets space, offering investors a new level of accessibility, liquidity and transparency,” said Jeff Ransdell, Founding Partner and Managing Director of Fuel Venture Capital. “The diversification of our fund is what sets us apart.”

To learn more about Fuel Venture Capital, visit https://fuelventurecapital.com/

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30
May, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

IBM to grant $5M to schools to boost cybersecurity & AI skills

Read Time 4 Minutes

In response to the growing threat of ransomware attacks against schools around the world, IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced it will provide in-kind grants valued at $5 million to help address cybersecurity resiliency in schools. The deadline to apply is June 23, 2023.

Since its creation in 2021, the IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants program has expanded globally, and this year will also include enhanced offerings from IBM SkillsBuild on topics including AI and cybersecurity.

Ransomware is unfolding faster than ever, with attackers managing to cut down the time required to deploy ransomware attacks from over two months to just under four days between 2019 and 2021, according to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2023. In fact, the share of cybersecurity incidents observed in the education sector more than doubled in 2022 compared to the year prior, experiencing the largest increase year over year than any other industry.

“Time and time again attackers go after the education sector, yet many of these institutions remain constrained in their security resources,” said Andy Piazza, Global Head of Threat Intelligence, IBM Security X-Force. “To date, this program has helped more than 350,000 students across schools in the US and abroad, with IBM Service Corps helping them recover from ransomware attacks, strengthen their security posture against future attacks, and prevent further disruption.”

Applications for schools are now open globally. Grants valued at $500,000 each ($5 million in total) will be awarded to six school districts in the US with an additional four around the world. Volunteers, through IBM Service Corps, will use their professional skills to help schools establish programs to address cybersecurity resiliency. Hear more from Andy here.

Each selected school will receive:

  • incident response plans and ransomware playbooks,
  • programs to help address the need for updating operating systems,
  • strategic communication plans to use in response to cyber incidents, and
  • training and digital credentials through IBM SkillsBuild on topics including AI and cybersecurity, and additional benefits such as enhanced access to IBM mentors, teacher training and toolkits, and customized learning pathways.

“The global skills gap across cybersecurity and AI is a growing challenge that demands immediate attention,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM Chief Impact Officer. “To address this challenge, IBM awards Education Security Preparedness Grants to drive impact with schools worldwide. This year, we’re excited to expand the program to bring the benefits of IBM SkillsBuild training on topics like AI and cybersecurity for students and teachers.”

Robert Losinski, Manager of Information Security at Denver Public Schools, stated that “With IBM’s assistance, we improved our cybersecurity incident response plan and used it to better prepare us for handling incidents in the future.” He continued , “Attackers are targeting schools because many do not have mature security frameworks to effectively defend against ransomware and other cybercrime. Getting professional assistance in expanding your cybersecurity program will really help you identify the most critical areas to protect.”

Since its inception in 2021, IBM has received hundreds of applications for this award-winning program from school districts seeking to strengthen their security postures in response to the growing threats in the education space. Past recipients of the IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants have encouraged other schools to apply.

The 2022 and 2021 Grantees included:

  • Brevard Public Schools in Viera, FL
  • City of Dublin Educational Training Board in Ireland
  • Cupertino Union School District in Sunnyvale, CA
  • Denver Public Schools in Denver, CO
  • East China School District in East China, MI
  • Goffstown School District in Goffstown, NH
  • KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools in Atlanta, GA
  • Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in United Arab Emirates
  • Newburgh Enlarged City School District in Newburgh, NY
  • Newhall School District in Valencia, CA
  • Poughkeepsie City School District in Poughkeepsie, NY
  • Prince William Country Public Schools in Manassas, VA
  • Rossville Cons. School District in Rossville, IN
  • Sheldon Independent School District in Houston, TX

Awards were allocated based on cybersecurity needs, experiences, community resources, and potential risks.

K-12 public schools and educational institutions/organizations that are interested in applying for IBM’s education cybersecurity grant can apply via IBM.com here: https://www.ibm.com/impact/initiatives/security.

For more information about IBM’s cybersecurity grants for schools, visit: https://www.ibm.com/impact/initiatives/security.

For more information about IBM Security X-Force’s services and capabilities, visit: https://www.ibm.com/security/xforce.

The 2023 grant cycle is now open. Apply by June 23, 2023 to receive one of ten available grants.

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22
May, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Ft. Lauderdale-based CloudHesive, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Partner, acquires Eplexity

Read Time 3 Minutes

CloudHesive, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Consulting Partner, announced the acquisition of fellow Premier Partner Eplexity, with additional investment from Strattam Capital. 

The combination creates one of the top “pure play” AWS partners in the United States and Latin America, with deep Amazon Connect and application modernization expertise underpinning a focus on helping customers get the most from their cloud investments.

Eplexity is one of the fastest-growing Amazon Web Services Partners with expertise in managed services, large-scale legacy to cloud migrations, and automation through DevOps pipeline implementation and management. Their CXOS Cloud Management Services Platform is built to AWS best practice standards utilizing DevOps tools and practices. CXOS enables customers to provide faster cloud adoption through proven, secure, cost-effective, and optimized migration methodologies, which increase performance and reliability.

The combined company will serve over 500 clients across a diversified set of industries, including oil and gas, logistics, travel and hospitality, healthcare, high-tech, and the public sector.

This milestone will drive growth and elevate the service quality of the combined company’s growing customer list. “The acquisition of Eplexity brings together two AWS Premier Consulting Partner ecosystem leaders to deliver a pure-play solution of scale to the market,” said Jim Walker, CEO, CloudHesive.

“The Eplexity team’s proven success in the small to mid-size market, combined with CloudHesive’s strength at enterprise scale, gives us unmatched capabilities delivering products, services, and solutions to help customers achieve their AWS goals.”

This investment represents the second acquisition for CloudHesive. In 2022, CloudHesive acquired Dextr Cloud, the industry’s most powerful customer service and performance contact center, as a service solution developed on the AWS service eco-system. This was rebranded ConnectPath CX Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) platform, powered by Amazon Connect. The acquisition of Eplexity is critical to help CloudHesive grow its Contact Center, AI/ML, Big data, and application optimization practices. This acquisition will increase CloudHesive’s footprint in the United States to include an office in Denver, Colorado, and add additional Amazon Web Service Partner Programs and Competencies to its portfolio.

CloudHesive is an Amazon Premier Partner and an Amazon Managed Services Partner founded in 2014 by veterans in the cloud technology space. We help our customers adapt and transform their organizations by leveraging the power of the public cloud ecosystem through consulting, and next-generation managed services with a focus on Operational Excellence, Security, Reliability, and Application Optimization. We service global customers and have headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and offices in Norfolk, Virginia, Santiago, Chile, Bogota, Colombia and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“Joining forces with CloudHesive allows us to merge their cutting-edge technologies and service solutions with our Managed and Application Modernization Services,” said John Clendennen, CEO of Eplexity. “This powerful combination will provide unique, customized solutions for customers looking to modernize or transition to AWS environments.”

Strattam Capital first invested in CloudHesive in 2021 to enable CloudHesive to accelerate its pace of innovation while continuing to provide best-in-class services to its high-profile customer base. In addition, the investment provided CloudHesive with the resources to expand its operations and sales team, supporting customers in both the public sector and commercial space, and to pursue rapid geographic expansion.

Click here to learn more about CloudHesive. 

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22
May, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

Getting to know Boca Raton-based ModMed’s new CTO Venkatesh Jayaraman

Read Time 5 Minutes

Boca Raton-based practice technology leader ModMed® appointed Venkatesh Jayaraman (VJ) as the company’s Chief Technology Officer.

Jayaraman leads the strategic direction and technical leadership for the product engineering organization, including cloud operations.

With over 25 years of technology and software development experience, Jayaraman brings an extensive record of success in technical leadership, cross-functional product development and software architecture. He has a proven record of building business agility using Lean-Agile practices while managing large-scale enterprise organizations across multiple geographies.

ModMed is transforming healthcare by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, their all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial, and operational software solutions. ModMed’s staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry, and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

“VJ’s background and experience will deliver tremendous value to our organization, as he embodies ModMed’s cultural values around aligning passion with purpose,” said Daniel Cane, ModMed Cofounder and CEO. “We have welcomed him to our team as we work together to transform how healthcare information is created, consumed and utilized to increase practice efficiency and improve patient outcomes.”

Jayaraman most recently served on the executive leadership team at Vertex Inc., where he led the cloud/SaaS transformation of the product engineering organization, including cloud operations using agile methodology, modern DevOps and site reliability engineering principles. Prior to Vertex, he was in various leadership roles at Citrix Systems and Motorola, where he built and scaled agility across a globally distributed engineering team to achieve software engineering excellence. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from India’s National Institute of Technology.

 

GETTING TO KNOW VJ:

1. What are you looking forward to most in your new role with ModMed?
Using cutting edge technology to transform how healthcare information is created, consumed and utilized to increase practice efficiency and improve patient outcomes. Really looking forward to the opportunity to create simple workflow solutions for complex problems with valuable, meaningful impact. ModMed’s product portfolio does align passion with purpose where we can impact the lives of practice providers and patients in a big way by creating excellent software that delights them.

2. What do you love most about the healthtech industry?
The healthcare industry has always been full of untapped opportunities for technology innovation and workflow optimizations. COVID just exposed some of these opportunities in many ways. Healthcare is unique with respect to regulatory and interoperability demands. Coupled with the fact that healthcare software is only expected to benefit from the overall growth in US healthcare spend makes it a very exciting ground for making a positive impact.

3. What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the healthtech industry?
Keep an open mind in terms of connecting their passion, skills, knowledge and experience for the various innovation opportunities that present using technologies like cloud, ML / AI, big data etc.

4. Any insight into what’s next for ModMed?
ModMed has had a phenomenal journey so far. From the initial momentum that we have gained, we are very well poised for creating our own flywheel effect to accelerate faster and faster, and gain even more momentum while building this organization for scale and growth. I am very excited by what’s to come and truly honored to be part of defining this journey.

5. From the 90s to now, what has been the biggest change you have seen in our local tech markets?
There have been quite a lot of changes in the local tech markets in the last 2-3 decades that have followed the industry trend largely. The tech industry itself has evolved from the PC computing, hardware & communications related innovations to more software based innovations with the advent of internet and cloud. Back in the 90s, we had quite a few tech companies like Siemens, IBM, Motorola etc. and they all have evolved with this changing landscape. With the advancements in cloud computing, even concepts as esoteric as Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence have become so accessible to the engineering community that they can be easily harnessed for the next generation of innovations. The core to this evolution is “business agility” and the companies that do that with the right talent and leadership thrive in the face of this changing landscape. Also, the promotion of STEM education in local schools and colleges has really propelled this pace of innovation and South Florida is on a path to excellence in making its mark in the tech industry.

6. All in on AI? What’s your thoughts on the future of generative AI in healthcare? 
Generative AI can be applied in various use cases to generate virtually any kind of content. The technology is becoming more accessible to users of all kinds thanks to cutting-edge generative AI interfaces like ChatGPT, Dall-E and Bard that can be tuned for different applications. With generative AI technology, doctors, hospitals, clinics and beyond may be able to streamline patient care and improve health outcomes with significant advantages like personalized healthcare for patients, predictive maintenance of medical devices and supporting administrative tasks to improve efficiency. Despite their promise, the new generative AI tools open a can of worms regarding accuracy, trustworthiness, bias, hallucination and plagiarism — ethical issues that likely will take years to sort out. None of the issues are particularly new to AI though. Just like any other technology, I am confident and cautiously optimistic that the generative AI would mature to bring the bigger benefits that we all aspire for.

7. No matter our role or level, we are always learning. What’s one thing – either industry-related or not – you learned in the last month?
I am a big believer of being a continuous learner while pivoting and adapting to changing landscape of needs. The mantra should be to plan the work and work the plan but be flexible and realistic to adapt for best outcomes. One of the books that I have been reading of late is Limitless by Jim Kwik. In this book, he overturns the conventional ideas of intelligence, achievement and perceived limitations with a compelling and practical handbook for change. It is based on the concept of all of us having boundless capabilities and what we make of them has everything to do with mindset and application.

8. Outside of work, do you play any sports or have any hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Yes, I play tennis, volleyball, chess etc. whenever time permits. Also, I like to read different books and spend time with my family. Love to explore and  experience the world through various travels to create a wholesome life!

9. What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?
I used to play cricket early on in my career and I received a trophy from the cricketing legend Clive Lloyd for my performance in the finals of a tournament that was played in the Central Broward Cricket Stadium in Lauderhill. Another fun fact is that I had to find a way to overcome acrophobia (thanks to the constant nudge from my daughter) to do ziplining with my family in Costa Rica recently.

 

Learn more about ModMed’s leadership team here. 

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