Miami's Building the Talent that Fuels Our Innovation Ecosystem
Miami’s Building the Talent that Fuels Our Innovation Ecosystem  On Jan. 22 The Beacon Council partnered with Bank of America to host an Access Breakfast panel discussion on Miami’s growing innovation ecosystem and the efforts to build the talent necessary to keep the momentum going. The panel discussion, hosted by moderator – Matt Haggman, Miami Program Director of the Knight Foundation, provided more than 75 attendees with a conversation about the resources needed to continue to build innovation in Miami. Haggman, who is a One Community One Goal Co-Chair, mentioned how in the past five years, Miami has been rated a top area for innovation. Panelist included: Johanna Mikkola – Wyncode, Emma Mufraggi – LaunchCode Miami, Janelle Alexander – PowerMoves Miami, Naureen Rizvi – Venture for America – Miami and Xavier Gonzalez – eMerge Americas. Highlights included how diversity is Miami’s competitive asset and how training to become a coding professional can be nontraditional. The Beacon Council Chair Ernie Diaz, Regional President for TD Bank in Florida, described the council’s mission and goals, Gene Schaefer, Miami Market President at Bank of America, provided welcoming remarks and The Beacon Council President & CEO Larry K. Williams closed the event with remarks about Miami’s global mindset and how talent drives the decision process for companies looking to relocate. The event is part of the One Community One Goal initiative to grow and retain our community’s young professionals and entrepreneurs. |
Germany-based Hammocks Designer Opens in Miami Invests $1 million The Beacon Council is pleased to announce that LA SIESTA, a Germany-based company that specializes in the development, marketing and distribution of high-end hammocks and hammock chairs from South America, established a 10,000 square-foot location in Miami, investing $1 million and adding eight direct jobs within three years. “Miami is the perfect place to set up a new business model,” Maximilian Grisar, Chief Executive Officer of LA SIESTA, said. “There is great demand for our hammocks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean Islands.” “Miami is the ideal central location to further penetrate those markets and create new markets in Florida and the U.S.,” The Beacon Council President Larry K. Williams said. “And the company is providing new jobs with salaries that are above the county average.” With offices in Spain and Germany, LA SIESTA has been distributing hammocks for 25 years in Europe. The company also offers a unique line of hammocks and suspended chairs for children and babies recommended by the German Federal Association for the Promotion of Posture and Physical Exercise (BAG – Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Haltungs- und Bewegungsförderung). |
Miami-Dade’s Year-End Employment Surpasses Pre-Recession Levels Miami-Dade County added 16,300 payroll jobs from December 2014 to December 2015 peaking in October/November with 79,500 jobs and surpassing pre-recession levels, according to statistics released Friday. “There was a positive trend in payroll job growth throughout the year and we expect it to continue in 2016,” The Beacon Council President & CEO Larry K. Williams said. “Higher-paying industry sectors such as financial activities are leading the way with fast-paced job growth.” |
A Talent Development Network Success Story The following is an unsolicited email from Pablo Gonzalez, Director of Sustainability at OHL. I write you all to let you know that I used this service for the first time while searching for a business development intern for my company, OHL Arellano, and it was a very easy process that led to us having the option of interviewing over 12 qualified candidates. I couldn’t have imagined having such a rich pool to choose from, and it was a much better pool of talent than what personal referrals produced during a month long search prior. Our local educators have done a great job of putting this together and preparing our future generations to succeed so now it is our turn to put them to work. I encourage all of you to use the TDN to fill your needs within your organization. Go tohttp://home.tdnmiami.com/employers/ and follow the simple directions whenever you have an opening, and you’ll be doing your part in ensuring a prosperous future for Miami’s next generation. If you have any further questions about it, feel free to reach out to me for any more anecdotal advice, or the program director, Steven Rojas (srojas@fiu.edu ), to help you get the most out of the TDN. As always, I hope you keep OHL Arellano in mind for any future construction needs. Have a great day, PABLO GONZALEZ, LEED AP, BPI, Florida Class 1 Rater Director of Sustainability  |
FOR BEACON COUNCIL INVESTORS Economic Roundtable Preview 2016 On Feb.17, The Beacon Council is providing Investors with a special opportunity to learn more about what key economic indicators mean for business, and to network with other Investors. The event to be held at The Beacon Council at 8:30 a.m. will include panelist: Dr. Tony Villamil, Principal, The Washington Economics Group; Dr. Jaap Donath, Senior Vice President, Research and Strategic Planning at The Beacon Council and Tony Graziano, Senior Managing Director, Miami, Integra Realty Resources. In addition, Investors will soon receive an Economic Update, snapshots of Miami-Dade County’s employment, real estate and trade trends that include data and background. We welcome questions, comments and feedback about the update during the preview event. |
2016 Beacon Awards: Nomination Process Opens with New Category The 14th Annual Beacon Awards nomination process has begun including a new social responsibility category. The Beacon Awards to be held May 4 are bestowed annually to Miami-Dade County businesses who have led the way in creating new jobs and investment, as well as providing the leadership to grow their industry. The most prestigious honor of the evening, the Jay Malina Distinguished Award, will be given to an individual whose leadership and notable contributions have helped grow the local economy. Jorge Perez received the Award in 2015. Awards categories include: Education, Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility (NEW), plus Target Industry Awards: Aviation, Banking & Finance, Creative Design, Hospitality & Tourism, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Technology, and Trade & Logistics. |
Register today for SUP-X Startup Expo SUP-X: The Startup Expo is a two-day international startup conference and expo that will be held at the Broward Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale on Feb. 16-17. The event is expected to draw 1500+ startup and early-stage entrepreneurs, angel and VC investors and related service providers from throughout North America. Discounted tickets available Email SUP-X at info@sup-x.org |
Application Deadline for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program extended until Feb. 17 Miami Dade College is still accepting applications for the 10,000 Small Businesses Program, specifically Cohort 8 scheduled to begin May 26, 2016, at the Wolfson Campus. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) is a classroom-based practical business education program that gives entrepreneurs several benefits including valuable skills for growing their businesses, the opportunity to access financial capital and powerful networking opportunities at no cost to participants. RSVP for informational webinars running until Feb. 10. |
Military Miami-Dade sponsored renaming ceremony of Bernard C. Webber  Members of the Miami Coast Guard are looking forward to seeing the new film The Finest Hours as an homage to their own ship named the Bernard C. Webber, USCG District 7 fast response cutter. Military Miami-Dade, a program of The Beacon Council, attended and were proud sponsors of the renaming commissioning ceremonies of The Bernard C. Webber on April 16, 2012. |
GIS Website Features Available Properties The Beacon Council and Miami-Dade County websitewww.miamidadesites.com features available vacant industrial and commercial properties. It is based on user-defined criteria for Miami-Dade County utilizing geographically based demographic and business information. It also enables commercial real estate brokers to register and highlight available parcels. Listings are provided at no cost and reach a targeted audience including Site Selectors/Consultants, Real Estate Developers, and businesses pursuing new opportunities in Miami-Dade County. Listings are featured regularly in this newsletter. For more information, contact Jennifer R. Hernandez, Director of Economic Development at The Beacon Council. Featured listing of the week: 
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Publication Date:
Monday, January 25, 2016
Publication Date Long:
Jan. 25-Feb. 1, 2016 NEWSLETTER
Left Side:
| The Beacon Council Building Parking Garage is Open for Business We are pleased to report that our building’s parking garage at 80 SW 8th Street reopened last week. The entrance is now located only on 8th Street.
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| Did you know? The number of startups in South Florida registered on AngelList, a platform for startups and investors, shot up 46 percent in the past year, to more than 1,600 companies. |
| The Beacon Council in the News Daniella Levine Cava marks first year as commissioner Congrats, Dr. Frenk |
Conversations about the Local Economy with The Beacon Council featured on The Pete De La Torre Business Hour ‘The Pete De La Torre Business Hour” heard each morning Monday through Friday from 8 to 9 a.m. will air the next Economic Development interview with The Beacon Council on Monday, Feb. 1. Tune in for the live show live onwww.Petebizradio.com and on iHeartRadio. |
| UPCOMING EVENTS |
Getting Your Financial House in Order Panel Discussion Friday, Jan. 29 @The Beacon Council
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The State of Pharma and its Future in South Florida |
Beacon Council Investors Event |
Key Ceremony |
Bottom Side:
Our Mission:
As Miami-Dade County’s official economic development partnership, The Beacon Council is charged with bringing new, job-generating investments to the community, while assisting existing businesses in their efforts to expand. By doing this, The Beacon Council facilitates the creation of quality jobs for each and every resident of Miami-Dade County. The Beacon Council is an accredited economic development organization.
Will you join us? Call Member-Investors at (305) 579-1326
(305) 579-1326
(305) 579-1326
Source: Old Beacon Site
