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News, highlights, and events throughout the Americas
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Blockchain.com Takes 22,000 SF In Miami's Wynwood For US HQ
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In a sign of Miami’s ascension as a crypto capital, Blockchain.com, title sponsor of eMerge Americas, has finalized plans to relocate its U.S. headquarters to the Magic City. The cryptocurrency exchange platform signed a 10-year lease for 22,000 square feet at the Cube Wynwd, the property’s owners, Tricera Capital and LNDMRK Development, announced. The deal also includes naming rights for the property, which will now be known as the Blockchain.com Building. In June 2021, Blockchain.com said it was relocating its national headquarters from New York to Miami with plans to hire 100 employees.
- Source: Commercial Observer
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Wells Fargo Gives Miami Foundation $20M Grant For Minority Small Business Owners
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The Miami Foundation said Friday it accepted a $20 million donation from Wells Fargo to assist Miami-area minority small business owners with buying assets to help stabilize their companies. The grant, spread over three years, is the largest the 55-year-old foundation has ever received. The money is coming from profits Wells Fargo gleaned from administering the federal Paycheck Protection Program, the emergency pandemic assistance effort. The banking company put those profits in a $400 million Open For Business program, and is working with groups nationally like the Miami Foundation to support entrepreneurs affected by COVID-19.
- Source: Miami Herald
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Duolingo Challenges Miami Mayor Francis Suarez To Learn Haitian Creole
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On Tuesday, Duolingo asked Miami Mayor Francis Suarez to put his money (or, rather, their money) where his mouth is. The popular language-learning app challenged Suarez — who reminds folks at every possible turn that his unofficial motto is "How can I help?" — to a bet. "Hi Mayor @FrancisSuarez! You asked 'how can I help?,'" the app's Twitter account tweeted Tuesday morning. "Well... if you can keep a Haitian Creole learning streak for 30 days, we'll donate $30,000 to @HaitiansInTech. Deal?" Twenty-five minutes later, Suarez replied "DEAL!!!" adding that the "Haitian community is a very important part of our City and we will continue supporting all Miamians by bringing tech education to everyone in the Magic City!"
-Source: Miami New Times
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Peruvian Startup Leasy To Provide Auto Loans To LatAm Ride-Hailing Drivers
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Leasy, a startup that offers automobile financing to ride-hailing drivers in Latin America via a subscription model, has secured $2 million in equity and $15 million in debt. Italian-born Gregorio Gilardini and Alejandro Garay, who hails from Spain, met in Peru several years ago and discovered they both had an interest in using technology to make a social impact and help people escape “the poverty trap.” They founded Leasy in 2018 with the mission to help people who would like to earn incomes as ride-hailing drivers be able to afford cars, thus earning a steady income. Leasy claims that it offers loans that are “built around the needs” of a ride-hailing driver at competitive prices that match rental market prices. It also requires a down payment of 5%, compared to the 20% to 30% required by most banks.
- Source: TechCrunch
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FIU, City Of Miami To Propel Women Of Color To Entrepreneurial Success
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FIU and the city of Miami have partnered to help businesswomen of color get the attention of venture capitalists. Led by alumna Kenasha Paul ’10, an attorney and founder of the Black Professionals Network, the new initiative aims to fix a problem that threatens the success of the Miami Tech movement: Women of color attract disproportionately less investment money than their white and male counterparts. The Venture Miami Opportunity Program, run out of FIU's Office of Engagement and supported with a $150,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase, in January recruited its first cohort of business owners. Participants meet with financial and other advisers within the university and the community to fine-tune their businesses and build strategic growth plans in preparation for a catalytic infusion of capital. The goal: having at least 50% of participants ready to pitch their companies to investors during Miami Tech Month in April.
- Source: FIU Magazine
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Picsart Moves HQ To Miami Beach As Part of Global Expansion
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Another Silicon Valley tech firm is making the move to South Florida. Picsart, an all-in-one photo and video editing app with more than 100 million active monthly users, announced it opened a new corporate headquarters in Miami Beach. The company, previously based in San Francisco, said the East Coast is a more convenient hub for its 1,000-plus global workforce. The corporate relocation and expansion come on the heels of Picsart's $130 million series C capital raise led by the SoftBank Vision Fund. At the time, the company reported the funding pushed its valuation beyond the $1 billion mark. Picsart has raised $195 million in venture capital since its founding in 2011, with investors that include Menlo Park, California-based firms Tribe Capital and Sequoia Capital.
-Source: South Florida Business Journal
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2022 Annual Global Startup Showcase
February 28th| eMerge Americas + Algorand
eMerge Americas will select 100 startups to participate in a robust multi-week program, which will culminate in a grand finale pitch competition. This competition will take place April 18-19, 2022, at the eMerge Americas global tech conference in front of leading venture capitalists, corporate enterprises, government officials, global media outlets and judges. Participants will have a chance to win over $400,000 in investments. Deadline to apply is February 28, 2022.
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Miami Film Festival
March 4th-13th| Miami Dade College
Miami Film Festival is a world-class platform for International and Ibero-American films. Presenting its 39th edition from March 4-13, 2022, the Festival showcases the work of the world’s best emerging and established filmmakers to the diverse cosmopolitan community of Miami. Cash awards totaling more than $100,000 are given in competition categories. Use promo code MFFRIENDS to receive a discount on your ticket.
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Crypto & Real Estate Summit
March 10th-11th| Propy
Join us at Propy's first-ever Crypto and Real Estate Summit in Miami on March 10-11. Hear from investors, thought leaders, and commercial real estate professionals on how crypto is disrupting the real estate and mortgage ecosystems. Use promo code MelissaMedina to receive a discount on your ticket.
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Code/Art Fest 2022
March 12th| Code/Art
Code/Art Fest is an annual gathering intended to celebrate the achievements of young female coders and to increase awareness of opportunities in computing fields. This one-of-a-kind conference is for students, parents, educators, artists, and anyone interested in the intersection of tech & art.
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#MiamiTech Women's History Month Happy Hour
March 16th| eMerge Americas + Silicon Valley Bank
Join us as we merge with Chris Adamo & Natalia Martinez-Kalinina's "Miami Tech Happy Hour" for a night of networking, music, pizza & drinks to celebrate Women's History Month! It will include a very special program featuring female Miami ecosystem leaders, including Silicon Valley Bank's Julia Figueiredo, TheVentureCity's Francesca de Quesada Covey, YWCA's Kerry-Ann Royes, GET Cities' Victoria Santamarina, and The Underline's Meg Daly.
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eMerge Americas 2022
April 18th-19th| eMerge Americas
Anchoring Miami Tech Month 2022, eMerge Americas is excited to be back in person! We're transforming Miami into a global tech hub and looking forward to having YOU join us. Hear from world-class thought leaders and industry experts including 23-time Grand Slam Champion & Entrepreneur Serena Williams, Seven Seven Six & Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian, Investor & star of ABC's Shark Tank Kevin O'Leary, Blockchain.com Cofounder & CEO Peter Smith, and Okcoin CEO Hong Fang.
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eMerge Americas 2222 Ponce de Leon Blvd Miami FL
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