Knight Foundation invests $15M in FIU, UM, Baptist Health to expand Miami’s tech talent, accelerate innovation

The three grants, part of Knight’s ongoing strategic investments to grow Miami’s tech and entrepreneurship community, will help boost computing and data sciences education at both universities and launch a health care innovation fellowship at Baptist Health.

MIAMI – Feb. 24, 2021 – Recognizing that Miami’s burgeoning technology sector will require a deep pool of computing and data sciences talent, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced today $15.3 million in commitments to two cornerstone educational institutions — Florida International University and the University of Miami — and to leading health system Baptist Health South Florida.

FIU will receive $10 million to expand what will become known as the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, the University of Miami will receive $4.3 million to grow its Institute of Data Science and Computing, while Baptist Health — the region’s largest health care provider — will receive $1 million to launch a health care innovation fellowship.

The investments bring to more than $55 million the amount Knight has committed to support Miami’s emerging tech entrepreneurship ecosystem since 2012, starting with meetups, convenings and the city’s first co-working space. The strategy expanded to investing in organizations that support high-impact entrepreneurs, attract venture investors, and ensure that Miami’s tech ecosystem is as diverse as the city itself. The latest investments mark an evolution to supporting institutional partners who can develop technical talent at scale and meet the demands of local industry.

“Miami is emerging as an international tech hub, both through the success of local startups and the recent influx of companies and investors. Demand for technical talent is rising, and we’re just at the beginning of the trajectory,” said Alberto Ibargüen, Knight president and CEO. “These investments will assure that there will be a deep pool of talent for Miami’s growing tech sector while creating opportunities for Miamians of all backgrounds.”

“FIU, UM and Baptist share one common imperative: investing in the people of Miami. And they are doing so by providing Miamians the tools to succeed in the local and global tech and innovation economy,” said Raul Moas, director of Knight’s Miami program. “When exceptional talent and accessible capital come together, entrepreneurship and innovation flourish. With these investments, Knight is betting big on Miami’s greatest asset, its people, who increasingly seek to contribute to the city as tech entrepreneurs and venture builders.”

A closer look at Knight’s investments:

Florida International University ($10M)

Knight’s investment will help increase the faculty by 64%; increase and accelerate the flow of graduates into the workforce from the university’s computer science and engineering school; and help retrofit with state-of-the-art computing equipment, 20,000 square feet of interactive research and teaching space at the newly renamed Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences. It will help the school redesign its career advising programs and curriculum to align with the future needs of Miami’s tech sector, building greater career pathways for students.

FIU is No. 1 in the nation for the number of engineering and computing degrees awarded to Latino students, and No. 6 in degrees awarded to African American students. FIU is Florida’s second-largest university and plays a key role in providing top-quality education to nearly 60,000 students, more than 80% of whom are from Greater Miami. About 21% of FIU’s computer science and engineering undergraduates are first-generation students, and 18% are female―a number that has grown 115% since 2016.

Knight’s investment, part of a more than $106 million commitment of new funding by the University to the School of Computing and Information Sciences, will be matched with $16 million in private contributions. Through this support, FIU seeks to dramatically accelerate the pace of growth and modernization of the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences.

“The Knight gift enables us to have broader shoulders to support interdisciplinary research and industry collaborations, as well as develop tech talent for South Florida and the state,” FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg said. “We look forward to working with industry to educate innovative problem solvers who are ready to lead.”

University of Miami ($4.3M)

The University of Miami will use Knight funding to expand its Institute of Data Science and Computing (IDSC) by creating six endowed faculty chair positions. These Knight Chairs, coupled with the recently launched Master’s of Science in Data Science program, will enable IDSC to better prepare students for careers in data science with critical, real world applications and experiential learning opportunities. The new faculty members will work with students to boost research that uses data to solve real-world problems and enhance the understanding of data science among the public. The Institute hosts research programs on key areas, including atmospheric, oceanic and earth sciences, biological sciences, health care and urban planning and smart cities.

Knight’s investment, together with $2 million of existing Knight endowed funds held by the University, will unlock an additional $6 million in matching funds from local philanthropists Phillip and Patricia Frost. This will bring the total endowment for these six Knight chairs at IDSC to more than $12 million.

“This investment in our Institute for Data Science and Computing demonstrates the Knight Foundation’s commitment to transformative philanthropy,” University of Miami President Julio Frenk said. “As the University of Miami embraces this turning point in the evolution of technology—catalyzing data-intensive research to solve pressing societal problems—we are grateful for the support of partners like the Knight Foundation.”

Baptist Health South Florida ($1M)

Baptist Health will launch the Knight Foundation Fellowship in Healthcare Technology Innovation, a year-long, multidisciplinary fellowship designed to bring together individuals from diverse professional backgrounds — including administration, engineering, legal and financial — to develop health care products and become familiar with the principles that guide health care innovation.

Fellows will also learn about legal and intellectual property protection, business modeling, market competition and community development. The program’s diverse teams will be composed of equal numbers of community innovators and Baptist Health employees. Baptist Health Innovations designed the curriculum and will operate the fellowship.

The $1 million Knight investment will be matched dollar-for-dollar by external contributors, thereby providing resources to sustain the fellowship for several years.

“We are delighted and grateful that the Knight Foundation shares our vision of the role Baptist Health can play in optimizing the economic vitality of our region,” Baptist Health Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer Joe Natoli said. “We are particularly excited about the collaboration that will occur among a diverse group of local fellows with health care experts and regional business leaders. This will be the first of many opportunities for entrepreneurs and startup ventures to benefit from access to, and support by, Baptist Health, its clinicians and innovation team.”

Knight’s investments in the arts in Miami

In addition to supporting Miami’s tech entrepreneurship ecosystem, Knight has invested more than $170 million in Miami artists and organizations over the past decade. The city’s emergence as a year-round arts and cultural hub is often cited as a factor in attracting business.

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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.

About Florida International University

Florida International University is Miami’s public research university, focused on student success. According to U.S. News and World Report, FIU has 26 top-50 rankings in the nation among public universities and Washington Monthly Magazine ranks FIU among the top 20 public universities contributing to the public good and No. 12 for social mobility. FIU is a top U.S. research university (R1), with more than $200 million in annual expenditures. FIU ranks 15th in the nation among public universities for patent production, which drives innovation, and is one of the institutions that helps make Florida the top state for higher education. The Next Horizon fundraising campaign is furthering FIU’s commitment to providing students Worlds Ahead opportunities. Today, FIU has two campuses and multiple centers, and supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA, with more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. The university has awarded more than 330,000 degrees to many leaders in South Florida and beyond. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.

About the University of Miami

The University of Miami is a private research university and academic health system with a distinct geographic capacity to connect institutions, individuals, and ideas across the hemisphere and around the world. The University’s vibrant and diverse academic community comprises 11 schools and colleges serving more than 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs. Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the University is building new bridges across geographic, cultural, and intellectual borders, bringing a passion for scholarly excellence, a spirit of innovation, a respect for including and elevating diverse voices, and a commitment to tackling the challenges facing our world.

About Baptist Health South Florida

Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 11 hospitals, more than 23,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Image (top) by Florida International University.

Investing in Miami’s greatest asset — its people

Knight Foundation: Miami

Miami’s Startup Community: Next Steps for Growing the Region as an Innovation Hub

Knight invests $665K in four Miami organizations to expand entrepreneurship

On February 24, 2021, Knight Foundation announced a $15.3 million investment in Florida International University, the University of Miami and Baptist Health South Florida. Knight’s support will allow the three cornerstone institutions to expand Miami tech talent and to accelerate innovation. Click here to see the press release. Knight’s Raul Moas shares more below.

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Miami is growing as a global city for tech and entrepreneurship. It’s been a long time coming, thanks to the people that power the city.

There’s really no other way to put it — The 1980s were rough for Miami. In 1980, the Mariel Boatlift saw nearly 125,000 Cuban refugees arrive on Florida’s shores over a six-month window. That same year, four white police officers were acquitted of criminal charges in the murder of Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance salesman who was beaten to death during a traffic stop, which led to days of violent unrest. The drug wars were in full swing and in 1981, Time magazine famously declared Miami as “Paradise Lost.” (If you’re looking for a deeper dive on this, I highly recommend The Year of Dangerous Days by Nicholas Griffin.)

To say that many considered Miami down for the count would be a big understatement. But, something remarkable happened during that period. Miamians decided that our city was actually very much in this fight. And they looked to Miami’s past — the Miami that had a deep appreciation for the arts — to define the city’s future.

One of the most notable manifestations of this commitment was Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 1983 installation, Surrounded Islands. Initially invited by Jan van der Marck, the first director of the Center for the Fine Arts, now Perez Art Museum, Miami, Christo and Jeanne-Claude literally (spoken in a Miami accent) wrapped 11 uninhabited islands in Biscayne Bay with millions of square feet of floating pink fabric. If that sounds wild, it’s because it is. The installation, which remained in place for two weeks, did two important things. First, it signaled to the world that there was more happening in Miami than what the headlines were indicating. Second, it jolted Miamians into seeing their city as having a place—and a future!—in the contemporary world. In the decades since, more and more Miamians have come to believe in the arts as an essential part of the city’s identity. And private, public and philanthropic capital has followed.

Now, there were critics. Lots of them. Miami is not an arts town and never will be! Why should we invest public dollars in the arts when there are more pressing social needs? That is NOT art! Nevertheless, with continued nurturing, more and more green shoots emerged, the grassroots became fuller and more dynamic, and eventually full blown institutions evolved from them. It may seem like the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Perez Art Museum, Miami, and the New World Center have been around forever. Truth is, not one of these spaces has yet celebrated their quinces (15th birthday). No other major American city has built as many arts and cultural institutions in the last two decades as Miami has. That momentum is 40 years in the making. Beyond Art Basel, which debuted in Miami in 2002, the city is alive year-round with vibrant and dynamic arts in all their modalities. Today, we can confidently say: Miami is an arts town.

Why tell this story? Because it’s the same story we see in Miami’s tech and startup community, but with a 30-year head start.

In 2012, Knight Foundation began investing its philanthropic capital in nurturing Miami’s startup community by connecting innovators, attracting investments and growing the city’s talent base. While we are not the “founders” of #MiamiTech — that distinction belongs to the entrepreneurs, investors and exceptional talent on the ground who built companies and community in the 305 way before we arrived on the scene nearly a decade ago — we saw many of the same things that Jan van der Marck, Ruth Shack and Christo and Jeanne-Claude saw in Miami back in the 1980s: an ambitious grit, genuine hustle and a desire for more.

From the start, we’ve sought to accelerate nascent, yet very much organic trends coming straight from entrepreneurs in our community. Our early investments, led by my predecessor Matt Haggman, Knight’s former Miami program director, helped connect a once fragmented ecosystem. Co-working and innovation hubs including LAB Miami and the Idea Center, and events such as Black Tech Week and eMerge Americas, created the spaces for community to come together. We’ve supported mentorship and funding organizations, including Endeavor Miami, 500 Startups, Miami Angels, Black Angels Miami and Function. And throughout, we’ve placed founders at the center of our efforts, ensuring we are creating spaces that are of, by and for entrepreneurs (h/t Local Leaders Collective and Hello Beaute). To date, Knight has invested over $40 million in building up Miami’s tech and startup community — following the market’s cues every step of the way.

As before, there were critics. Miami is not a tech town and never will be! It’s the dumbest idea in the world. There are more important things to focus on! But our startup community persisted. Venture capital flowing to the region steadily increased, growing from $1 billion in 2013 to $3.3 billion in 2019. Companies like Terremark, MAKO, Chewy and Nearpod found great success, which in turn gave rise to new companies (Cyxtera, Magic Leap and Neocis, among others), and the pipeline of growing companies continues to expand (Addigy, Blanket, Brave Health, Encompass, GovLia, Papa, REEF, SmartHop, Taxfyle, Xendoo… to name just a few.) All this to say, the grassroots of #MiamiTech are healthy, green shoots are coming up organically and, thanks to a certain mayor, more and more folks are recognizing Miami’s potential as a place to launch and grow tech ventures.

So, where to next? How do we lock in the gains of the past decade and level up to the next echelon? How do we respond to entrepreneurs’ growing demand for competitive tech talent and growing interest from Miamians to participate in the tech and innovation economy?

When introducing SoftBanks $100M funding commitment to Miami startups a few weeks back, SoftBank Group International CEO Marcelo Claure, put it this way: “We are huge believers that in order to propel a tech hub, you need talent and, the second piece, capital.” We agree. People are what drive innovation. People are what have and will continue to propel Miami forward.

That’s why Knight Foundation is making a bold bet on the people of Miami with $15.3 million in new funding to three anchor institutions that are providing companies with the talent capital needed to thrive here and Miamians the tools to succeed in the global tech economy:

Florida International University — $10M: To support the university’s school of computer science by growing the faculty and student body by nearly 70%, accelerating curriculum modernization, redesigning career pathway programs and creating 20,000 square feet of interactive research and teaching space at the newly renamed Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences. Knight’s investment is part of a $116 million commitment in new funding to the school.

University of Miami — $4.3M: To support the growth of the Institute for Data Science and Computing, an interdisciplinary center of scholarship that enables data science research, application and education through six new endowed faculty chairs. Knight’s investment unlocks $6 million in matching funds from local philanthropists Phillip and Patricia Frost, which will bring the total endowment for these six Knight chairs to more than $12 million.

Baptist Health South Florida — $1M: To support the launch of the Knight Foundation Fellowship in Healthcare Technology Innovation, a multidisciplinary, yearlong fellowship that immerses participants in the principles, skills and tactics used in developing new healthcare products and interventions. Knight’s investment is matched dollar for dollar by other contributors.

With these new investments, Knight is doubling down on Miami’s greatest asset — its people — and our commitment to their success. They build upon decades of work Miamians have put into creating a vibrant community that supports the entrepreneurs, innovators and makers who seek to build their ventures in the Magic City. These investments bring to more than $55 million the amount Knight has committed to supporting Miami’s tech entrepreneurship ecosystem since 2012. They also represent a shift, informed by our community, to supporting institutional partners who can develop talent at scale.

After spending some time in Miami recently, one Bay Area entrepreneur and investor commented: “Miami simultaneously feels like both the future and callback of what America was founded on: optimism, energy, and a can-do attitude.” He’s right. Miami is a city of choice. Here, hundreds of thousands of people are seeking their own American Dream. They’re fueled by that hustle, that drive to make things work, that belief that if you work hard your children will be in a better position in life than you are. It’s in our bones. No, we haven’t historically flexed in the tech arena (yet). And like other American cities, we must expand access to opportunity. But Miami…Miami is hungry for more in a way you can’t buy with money, Bitcoin or $GME calls.

Miami’s tech and startup community has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade — fueled by our people. And yet, this is just the beginning of our story. The grit, hustle and desire for more that has brought us to today will be what carry us forward. We can’t wait to see what the next decade holds.

#LongMiami

Image (top) by Florida International University

Knight Foundation invests $15M in FIU, UM, Baptist Health to expand Miami’s tech talent, accelerate innovation

Knight Foundation: Miami

Miami’s Startup Community: Next Steps for Growing the Region as an Innovation Hub

Knight invests $665K in four Miami organizations to expand entrepreneurship

To support CF Leads to build capacity in up to 16 Knight community foundations across the United States to assume greater community leadership and impactful grantmaking.

To continue to build staffing and convening capacity CatalyzeSV, a community engagement organization in San Jose, and expand capability through digital tools that facilitate engagement over distance and time.

The organizations are helping Miami become a more attractive place to launch and grow ventures.

MIAMI — (Jan. 21, 2021) — The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced a combined $665,000 investment in four Miami organizations that are creating more opportunities for local entrepreneurs. These investments build on Miami’s successes of attracting entrepreneurs from throughout the U.S. to relocate because of its high quality of life and reputation of being a desirable place to innovate and start a business.

The four organizations — Talent Scout, Digital Grass, Hello Beauté and Refresh Miami — aim to create pathways to strengthen connections within Miami’s rapidly growing startup community.

“Miami’s startup community continues to grow and draw the attention of entrepreneurs, investors and exceptional talent from across the world,” said Raul Moas, Knight’s Miami program director. “We’re proud to support organizations that are placing founders at the center of our ecosystem and making it easier for all Miamians to participate in our tech economy.”

A closer look at Knight’s support:

Talent Scout ($240,000): To support the growth of Talent Scout, a membership organization that connects talented individuals from diverse backgrounds with South Florida-based technology companies.

Digital Grass ($235,000): To support the organization’s launch of GROWTHerapy, a program that advances mental wellness, peer-support and sense of community for local Black entrepreneurs.

Hello Beautè ($140,000): To support the growth of Hello Beauté, an entrepreneur peer group connecting female founders of color to community, capital and commerce.

Refresh Miami ($50,000): To support the growth of Refresh Miami as a digital hub to educate and connect members of South Florida’s tech and startup ecosystem by providing collaboration tools.

“Talent Scout started as a simple newsletter connecting talent with local tech companies,” said Rebecca Danta, founder of Talent Scout. “As Miami continues to solidify its role as a global hub for tech entrepreneurship, we’re thrilled to be growing Talent Scout as well. This next phase will expand economic opportunity at a larger scale by helping bring together talented individuals with fast-growing companies.”

Since 2012, Knight has invested in Miami’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting initiatives that expand individual economic opportunities. At the core of Knight’s strategy in the city is connecting innovators, attracting investments and growing the local talent base.

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About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.

Media Contacts:

Knight Foundation
Communications Officer: Raul Garcia, [email protected] or 305.908.2694

Image (above) by @wocintechchat on Unsplash.

Miami

Miami’s Startup Community: Next Steps for Growing the Region as an Innovation Hub

Black entrepreneurship gets $2M boost as foundations and media and technology company invest in Miami-based center

To support brigades in Knight Foundation communities with training and technical assistance to develop sustainability models that can support local projects and drive impact across the entire Code for America network.

To expand the capacity of the West Side Community Land Trust to develop affordable housing and engage residents in the West End by supporting the operations and programming of the organization.

To support the expansion of community high-speed point-to-point internet access to 25% of Detroit’s North End population (about 1,000 households).

MIAMI – Jan. 13, 2021 – Kelly Jin, chief analytics officer for the City of New York and head of the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics, will join the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as vice president for community and national initiatives in February.

Jin pairs broad analytics experience in both the public and private sectors with a deep understanding of policy and strategy for federal, state and local governments. Her New York City team focuses on delivering insights for a more equitable and efficient city. Her office recently launched the NYC Recovery Data Partnership, a first-of-its-kind effort for community, non-profit, and private organizations to share data with the City to aid in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

Previously, she was a director at the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she advised the chief technology officer of the United States. She built the City of Boston’s analytics team, working alongside front-line workers to gain a deeper understanding of how to collect data to make informed decisions and recommendations.

“We welcome Kelly and look forward to working with her to create more informed, engaged and equitable communities,” said AIberto Ibargüen, Knight’s president. “She brings a razor-sharp mind bent on using technology for positive impact in American communities.”

Community and National Initiatives is Knight’s largest program area — ahead of Journalism, Arts and Learning and Impact — and includes local offices in eight communities around the country where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Knight works through community foundations in 18 other communities, and has national programs focusing on public spaces and smart cities.

“Now, more than ever, it is pivotal to support equitable recovery in communities. I am excited to join an organization with such deep local roots and a commitment to empowering communities with the information they need to shape their futures,” said Jin.

“Knight Foundation’s commitment to communities across the U.S is essential for connecting local teams to collaborate on and share innovations and working practices with neighbors. Kelly has experience with data and tech inclusive approaches, bringing operational skills to lifting this network talent,” said Megan Smith, the CEO of shift7, and former U.S. CTO. “Combining this with Knight’s broad city networks can help us all move faster locally and across communities.”

Jin speaks nationally on using data and technology to responsibly improve governments and organizations. Her teams and projects have been featured in Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Economist, New York Times, PBS NewsHour, Wired, City & State, and Governing. Jin holds a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Contact: Andrew Sherry, Vice President/Communications, Knight Foundation, [email protected], (305) 908-2677

To support phase two of the Guadalupe River Park Initiative with the development of a program that brings older people and people with disabilities into the park informing the future design and planning.

To support the City of San Jose to recruit two fellows over two years to support existing work on the governance plan for the Guadalupe River Park and to fully-participate in the Reimagining the Civic Commons project.