It’s been over 115 days since Miami Mayor Francis Saurez’s famous “How Can I Help” tweet and the #MiamiTech traction has not slowed down. If you’re keeping up with our news here at Refresh Miami, you’ll see a growing number of companies have ramped up hiring and supporting talent in the ecosystem. Just last week Jon Oringer, billionaire investor and Shutterstock founder, shared with our team the announcement of their most recent hire at Pareto Holdings, a firm he founded with Edward Lando, an angel investor in over 300 companies, to build and launch world-changing tech startups. “We’re thrilled to be adding Nadav (Ben-Chanoch) to our team as chief of staff,” Oringer said. “A Miami local, he has deep ties to and a passion for the Miami community, while his impressive background as a founder, an operator, and a merger and acquisition lawyer enables him to understand and connect with all players within the emerging Miami tech ecosystem.”
Ben-Chanoch (pictured above) joins the team following a career as a corporate associate running private equity merger and acquisition deals at Kirkland & Ellis, a New York-based firm. He later transitioned to the startup world as co-founder of Rowgatta, a digital rowing machine tech product, and studio. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted Rowgatta and they closed doors in 2020. He later moved back to Miami.
For many, the position of Chief of Staff is associated with politics. Today, many early-stage startups and venture capital firms are hiring a chief of staff to manage special projects, triage priorities, and act as executives’ mains sounding board. I caught up with Nadav and the Pareto Holdings team to learn more about his story and what the team is building here in Miami.
What are you most excited about in your new role?
There are two things I’m particularly excited about. The first is working with Jon and Ed. Their success is well-documented, but what many people might not realize about them is how incredibly grounded they are and how deeply they care about supporting other entrepreneurs. Working with them has already been an amazing learning experience for me, and we are just getting started. Stay tuned for some very cool projects on the horizon. I’m also looking forward to establishing Pareto as a brand name in South Florida. Having personally experienced the trials and tribulations of startup life, I’m passionate about helping others turn their vision into reality. Being able to do this here in sunny Miami is a dream come true for me. A big part of my job is finding operators who can successfully build businesses, so if you know someone who would make a great founder, send ‘em my way!
What’s in focus for the Pareto Holdings team this year? What kind of companies are on your radar? What industries are you excited about?
We are focused on launching world-changing technology companies, and we have our sights set on several industries, including healthcare, education, and financial services, among others. We have several ideas in the works and are seeking operators to help us execute. To all Refresh Miami readers, I say this: If you’ve ever dreamed of being an entrepreneur and think you have what it takes, I urge you to reach out to me. Whether you have an interest in a specific industry, an idea you’re passionate about, or just want to be a part of an awesome founding team, let’s talk about it.
What are some of your favorite things to do in SoFlo?
Finding awesome people to lead our Pareto companies, obviously. But also hanging out with family and friends, going to the beach, visiting the dog park with my Goldendoodle Rosie, scuba diving, and Saturday morning bike rides with the Miami Tech Life crew!
Share a little about your Miami/Florida story. I see you went to school at UF. Did you also grow up in Florida?
I was born in Israel but moved to Miami in 5th grade and attended Palmetto Middle and High School. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Florida with a major in chemical engineering. I was lucky enough to be there during the Tebow-Harvin / Noah-Horford days – Go Gators! After graduating, I came back to Miami to work at a small engineering firm. However, I quickly realized there wasn’t room for me to grow there and decided it was time to explore. I left my engineering job and spent the next 50 weeks traveling around the world. Once my vagabond days were over, I moved to NYC, where I spent most of the past decade, before moving back to Miami permanently in September.
What has kept you in Miami/Florida and what are you most excited about next?
I love Miami – the weather, the beach, the Heat, and the Dolphins, both those playing football and those swimming in the bay! More importantly, my parents and many of my best friends live here, and hopefully someday my kids will grow up here as well. Right now, I’m most excited about growing Pareto and turning it into a vehicle to help build the Miami tech ecosystem. Everyone’s talking about the moment Miami is having in terms of the influx of talent and capital. Our goal at Pareto is to build on this momentum and to help make Miami the dominant tech hub we believe it should be.
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