MIAMI – Sept. 17, 2015 – To provide Miami’s entrepreneurship community with more mentorship, funding and networking opportunities, the Miami-Dade Entrepreneurial Development Organization, a not-for-profit group that promotes entrepreneurship initiatives in Miami, will help expand the Venture Hive accelerator program. The expansion is supported by $210,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
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“Venture Hive expands programming for startups with Knight Foundation support” by Roberto Interiano on Knight Blog
Venture Hive is an entrepreneurial hub in downtown Miami that is home to 31 companies from 18 different countries. Its accelerator program encourages entrepreneurs to start and grow their technology businesses in Miami. The Miami Dade Entrepreneurial Development Organization administers funds for Venture Hive’s accelerator program. The program offers selected participants a $25,000 grant, a 13-week intensive mentor-driven accelerator program, and six months of free office space at Venture Hive in Miami. In addition, participants are given access to a wide network of leading business professionals, as well as mentorship and funding opportunities.
Knight Foundation’s support will allow Venture Hive to expand their mentorship offerings and funding opportunities for startups. Venture Hive will also host workshops and talks throughout the fall and spring as well as a two-day Angel Investor Summit to be held in February 2016. The next Venture Hive Accelerator Program will begin in January 2016; applications will open in October 2015.
“Venture Hive has taken a leading role in shaping Miami’s global brand as a startup hub,” said Roberto Interiano, MEDO’s executive director and a board member. “This support from Knight Foundation will leverage their network and experience to offer tailored events and additional offerings to the ever-expanding ecosystem.”
“While our programs and platform support entrepreneurs all over the world, Miami is our home where we test and validate our content and offerings,” said Susan Amat, founder and CEO of Venture Hive. “We are thrilled to be part of the Knight Foundation family and this generous support will directly benefit our vibrant community.”
“To make Miami a global hub for innovation, we must continue to invest in keeping and attracting leading talent to the city and feed its appetite for ideas,” said Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation program officer for Miami. “Venture Hive’s accelerator program has seen wide success—providing entrepreneurs from around the world with the incentives to create roots in Miami. By building on this momentum, we can make the city a magnet for top talent and ensure the continued growth of our tech startup ecosystem.”
Since its launch in 2013, Venture Hive’s accelerator program has helped establish 10 businesses and more than 50 local jobs. It has supported more than 2,600 hours of coaching and generated an investment leverage of more than 20:1 private-to-public dollar investment.
Venture Hive was founded by Susan Amat, Ph.D., a serial entrepreneur who had the goal of attracting and retaining top international startups to build on South Florida’s existing strengths, including finance, travel and hospitality, trade and logistics, creative industries, and health care. Amat was also responsible for the creation of The Launch Pad at the University of Miami, which set a standard for entrepreneurial education across the country.
Support for Venture Hive through the Miami-Dade Entrepreneurial Development Organization is part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to invest in Miami’s emerging innovators and entrepreneurs as a tool to build community, while fostering talent and expanding economic opportunity. Over the past three years, Knight has made more than 100 investments in entrepreneurship in South Florida.
To learn more about the upcoming Angel Investor Summit and Venture Hive’s accelerator program visit: miami.venturehive.com
About the Miami-Dade Entrepreneurial Development Organization
The Miami-Dade Entrepreneurial Development Organization (MEDO) promotes and administers programs that foster entrepreneurship and the tech and startup ecosystems in South Florida. We foster collaborations and engineer economic development opportunities through events, programs, and network collisions. For more information, visit MEDOMiami.org.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.
CONTACTS:
Roberto Interiano, Executive Director, MEDO, 305 915 3612, [email protected]
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]