1 HERImpact bringing back Entrepreneurship Summit for female entrepreneurs
On August 4-6, the Ford Motor Company Fund is hosting a free HI-HERImpact Virtual Entrepreneurship Summit designed to help aspiring women entrepreneurs. The three-day Summit will offer attendees with valuable sessions from notable speakers on topics like how to access capital for entrepreneurial growth, how to define and measure impact, and more. Top Ford executives will also discuss the company’s COVID-19 response and diversity/inclusion efforts.
“We are thrilled to take our upcoming Entrepreneurship Summit virtual, allowing for women entrepreneurs from across the nation to tune in and learn,” said Yisel Cabrera, Ford Motor Company Fund Community Relations Manager. “Now more than ever, it’s important we invest in and support women-owned businesses as we look toward economic recovery.”
The event is a part of the overall HI-HERImpact initiative – a joint venture between Ford Motor Company Fund and 1863 Ventures to help power women-led businesses that are positively impacting their communities. HI-HERImpact will hold its second Miami Pitch Competition this October; chosen South Floridian women social entrepreneurs will compete in the ‘Shark Tank’-style competition to win funding.
Earlier this year, HERImpact named the Miami area winners from the first competition. They were Patricia Buendia of Lifetime Omics – 1st Place winner; Alexandra Ivanovitch of Equality Lab – 2nd Place; and Vanessa Pierre of EcoRenew Solutions – 3rd Place. Read more about the winners here. To kick off the Pitch Competition last fall, HERImpact held a daylong summit at Miami Dade College.
More information about the next Pitch Competition will be shared at the Summit. Attendees can register for the event for free here.
2 Why women are needed in cybersecurity plus where South Florida ranks for tech talent
A new report from the nation’s largest cybersecurity nonprofit says the industry needs to be hiring more women. According to (ISC)2’s Cybersecurity Workforce Study, women not only become interested in the cybersecurity field earlier than their male counterparts, but also intend to stay in the field longer.
Of the more than 3,200 respondents, 30% were women, up from 24% in 2018. Of those in the industry, 63% planned to get in the field since their college days, compared to 54% of men. Roughly 69% of women younger than 45 years old had a significant interest in the industry; 75% of women 25 to 34 years old had a significant interest.
According to the Cybersecurity Workforce study, there is a global shortage of roughly 4 million cybersecurity professionals. Florida and the nation as a whole are experiencing a shortage in tech talent in all areas of technology.
Speaking of tech talent, new numbers out show there is work to do here in the Sunshine State. According to the 2020 CBRE 2020 Tech Talent Report, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area ranked No. 37 out of 50 U.S. metro areas, with 66,990 tech jobs making up 2.5% of the workforce. Tampa ranked 29th and Orlando, 33rd. Over the last 5 years, South Florida’s jobs grew by a 28.1% rate, slightly faster than Tampa or Orlando. Hat tip to Florida Venture Sourcing newsletter for the rundown on these numbers.
3 REEF Technology partners with NY startup on ‘nano warehouses’
Miami-based REEF Technology, a SoftBank-backed parking operator and logistics company, and, a New York City-based logistics startup, have teamed up to bring Bond’s last-mile delivery “nano warehouses” to REEF parking lots.
Bond has developed trailers, outfitted with refrigeration and shelving, that park in REEF’s parking lots. The pandemic lockdowns have created a huge spike in e-commerce volume for quick-delivery options.
So far, Bond has two locations in REEF lots in New York and is also operating in Philadelphia, Business Insider reported.
Through the partnership, Bond plans to expand to REEF lots in Miami, Washington DC, and San Francisco later this year. Bond can reportedly set up distribution in two days and it can easily be moved to another in-demand location. Reef owns 4,500 lots in the U.S.
4 Arteza adds SoulCycle co-founder to board
Miami-based Arteza, the arts and crafts supplies e-commerce company, announced that it has added the co-founder of SoulCycle to its Board of Directors as an independent director,
Julie Rice brings to Arteza proven success in leading powerful brands and a passion for building creative experiences and inspirational communities, Arteza CEO Brenda Freeman said. In addition to co-founding the renowned spin club, she has served as Partner for WeWork and most recently co-founded LifeShop, a company that invests in and advises entrepreneurs and develops wellness business concepts.
5 GoPuff expands further into South Florida
Digital delivery service GoPuff has expanded into Wynwood, its fourth location in South Florida, the South Florida Business Journal reported. Service is also available in Fort Lauderdale, Miami Gardens and North Miami.
The Philadelphia-based company offers delivery for food, alcohol, personal items, cleaning products and more. Panther Coffee Roasters and Vegan Schmegan Bakery are the latest local vendors to be added to the platform. Businesses that want their products listed on GoPuff can contact the company at [email protected]. GoPuff is available in more than 500 cities nationwide.
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