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Category: Business
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In the current technology-driven world, the role of a Chief Information Officer (CIO) has never been more important. This is particularly true for the City of Miami Beach as we strive to be efficient, sustainable, and innovative. A determined, resourceful, and successful CIO can impact whether Miami Beach is a thriving, modern community versus a struggling community trying to keep pace. Miami Beach is fortunate to have, Frank Quintana, a passionate, inventive, and creative leader at the forefront of information technology.
Frank joined the City of Miami Beach in August 2014 and served as Division Director of IT Operations for five years prior to being promoted to CIO. Frank is responsible for driving innovation, strategic planning and overseeing the design, release, and maintenance of all technology services and systems. With more than 23 years of diverse senior level IT experience, in the private and public sector, including small and large corporations, professional sports (Miami Dolphins), and entertainment (Hard Rock Stadium), Frank is keenly prepared to manage and oversee the 55 member IT team.
As technology increasingly becomes a crucial part of our daily lives, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, which forced us to adapt to a new normal, virtual technology is now front and center, connecting teams and stakeholders, advancing operations, and enhancing productivity. Accordingly, the role of the CIO is more integral to the effectiveness, strategy, and responsiveness of municipal government.
A testament to Frank’s leadership and ability to keep Miami Beach dynamic and modern, the IT Department received the Florida Local Government Information System Association (FLGISA) 2022 Innovative Leadership in Management of Information Technology Award for creating an original platform open-data resource tool for the community. The tool allows the General Obligation Bond (G.O. Bond) Program to transparently provide an interactive public website, www.GOMBlnfo.com, that reports all stages and elements of 57 “quality of life” projects in real time. The tool is transforming how Miami Beach illustrates project progress and engages with members of the community.
Creating new tools is only one facet of how IT elevates how the City of Miami Beach delivers for the community. Communicating and promoting the City of Miami Beach as a best in class destination to do business, live, work and play is also an important deliverable. To do so, the IT Department partners with departments to share the benefits of Miami Beach, including partnering with the Economic Development Department at eMerge Americas 2023, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center from April 20-21, 2023. The teams debuted a Make A Bold Move exhibition booth and worked to attract technology and fintech companies and entrepreneurs to open, move and/or relocate to Miami Beach and the IT Department shared analytic data explaining, in real time, the cleanliness of the city and other quality of life matters.
Driving a successful IT Department is challenging and Frank and his team are prepared and ready – leveraging resources, exploring new opportunities and tools, and embedding a customer focus in every element of their service delivery.
For more information on the IT Department, please visit: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/information-technology/
Small Business Development Division – Internal Services Department presents “A Conversation with the Director” Wednesday, April 19, 2023 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Miami-Dade Business Navigator Lenders Roundtable & Access to Capital
April 4, 2023
Why do some businesses easily obtain loans while others don’t? The answer starts with you, the business owner. Learn how to make your business loan-worthy & receive key insights from a panel of access to capital providers & learn the steps to creating a bankable business.
Click here to register for this free event.
Accounting Made Easy for You (An Introduction to Accounting)
April 18, 2023
The workshop will cover in greater detail the basic accounting documents that every micro-business will need to operate effectively with the use of simple examples and a case study. Participants will learn about the basic financial documents that all small businesses should use and its importance. The workshop will focus on documents such as:
An Income StatementA Cash Flow Statement
A Balance Sheet
A Profit & Loss Statement
The Economic Development Department team attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, underscoring the City’s commitment to fostering a supportive, innovative environment for local businesses. SXSW offers valuable insights into the latest trends in business and entrepreneurship, health and med-tech, and tech industry and enterprise, empowering the City to promote Miami Beach as a business destination and help businesses stay competitive in the global market.
Participation in the conference provided unparalleled access to industry developments, networking opportunities with the tech community, venture capitalist and financial services professionals, knowledge sharing through workshops and panels, and talent attraction by showcasing Miami Beach’s thriving business community. By incorporating insights from SXSW, the department can create a prosperous, forward-thinking economy that benefits all Miami Beach residents and entrepreneurs, while enhancing the city’s ability to attract new and emerging startups, support local businesses, and drive economic growth and innovation.
On February 28th, the City of Miami Beach partnered with eMerge Americas to host a vibrant and inspiring Black History Month event, “eMerge Americas Celebrate: A DEI Series Event.” Held at Grown, a new Miami Beach restaurant owned by Shannon Allen, the event showcased the city’s commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth within the tech industry, by giving special focus on supporting Black entrepreneurs. Diverse business owners, tech enthusiasts, and investors gathered to network, share ideas, and collaborate on future ventures.
Moderated by Miami Beach Assistant City Manager and Director for the Economic Development Department, Rickelle Williams emphasized the significance of collaboration, sharing, “the partnership between the City of Miami Beach and eMerge Americas is crucial to creating a thriving and inclusive tech ecosystem. By supporting Black entrepreneurs, encouraging their voices, and addressing their issues, we are safeguard the health and vitality of the city’s diverse ecosystem. “
The event highlighted the importance of inclusion and diversity in the tech industry and served as an essential platform for business owners and entrepreneurs to connect, learn, and start and grow their businesses in the City of Miami Beach. The event featured an esteemed panel of experts, including Samella Watson, founder of BLCK (Block), Chandler Malone, CEO of Bootup, and Kimberly Marshall, a renowned angel investor. Samella Watson shared her journey as a successful entrepreneur and the challenges she overcame in the blockchain space. Chandler Malone shed light on how his company empowers underrepresented founders to launch and scale their startups. Finally, Kimberly Marshall offered valuable advice on securing funding and navigating the investment landscape for minority-owned businesses. Together, these panelists demonstrated the breadth of talent and innovation within the Black entrepreneurial community, inspiring attendees to pursue their own dreams in the tech industry.
For more information about upcoming eMerge America events, please visit here.
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In honor of Earth Month, learn about how the Miami Beach Convention Center is investing in our venue and planet with the latest sustainability efforts. Earth Month takes place during April every year to raise environmental awareness and create consciousness around the issues that affect mother nature.
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. The event was organized by Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin. He was inspired to action after witnessing the damage caused by an oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. Nelson realized that there was a need for everyone to become more environmentally aware and active in preserving our planet. He hoped that Earth Day would be a way to educate people about the importance of environmental protection.
The theme for Earth Day, Earth Week and Earth Month 2023 is , “Invest in Our Planet.” The focus is on engaging governments, institutions, businesses and the community to do their part because everyone is accountable. The theme calls on people around the world to recognize our collective responsibility to protect and preserve the planet and help accelerate the transition to an equitable, prosperous green economy for all.
The Miami Beach Convention Center and Campus is Miami Beach’s re-imagined centerpiece for meetings, conventions, exhibitions, and tradeshows. The newly $640-million-dollar renovated 1.4 million square feet venue includes a 60,000 square-foot Grand Ballroom with a 18,000 square-foot pre-function space, approximately 500,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 99,000 square-foot Grand Lobby, 84 breakout rooms, approximately 800 roof deck parking spaces and 9 acres of public green space with curated public art. Famed Fentress Architects and Architectonica collaborated to create a state-of-the-art sustainable design and eco-conscious operational procedures. Recycled materials are embedded throughout the building, with more than 20 percent of materials sourced locally in South Florida. Ninety six percent of construction waste was recycled, diverting more than 38,000 tons of waste recycling for this Silver LEED-certified facility.
In March 2023, the Convention Center team launched an Herb & Vegetable Garden, in partnership with Compost for Life Miami. The program takes leftover organics from the venue’s conventions and events and converts the waste into compost. This compost is then used in the herb and vegetable garden, creating a sustainable food system that reduces waste and provides real garden-to table dining. The goal is to create a calm environment for the culinarians and convention center team to tend, nurture and educate the community on gardening and sustainable practices. The vegetables currently planted include carrots, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and peppers, and the foliage is used for table garnishes and decorations. Moreover, solar powered lights illuminate the wooden fence surrounding the garden, which is made from recycled wood pallets from food shipments.
“We’re thrilled to bring this garden to life at Rum Room and Venu (and Convention Center Campus) to not only have access to fresh vegetables for our dishes, but to also extend our sustainability program at the convention center into these two new spaces in an exciting way,” said Danny Medina, Regional Vice President, Sodexo Live! – Miami Beach Convention Center food and beverage management.
The Convention Center is continuously working on how to make the venue more accountable. To that end, the team is working on building a robust sustainability plan that meets, supports and encourages meeting planners and show organizers expectations, including, rainwater harvesting, and solar tube installations.
Earth Day is held on Saturday, April 22, 2023, and Earth Week is held from Sunday, April 16 to Saturday, April 22, 2023.
For more information, including a free Earth Day 2023 Business Sustainability Toolkit – please visit https://www.earthday.org/
For more information, please visit http://www.miamibeachconvention.com/sustainability
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Women’s History Month, which dates back to the first Women’s Day in 1909, is one of the many moments in the year when the City of Miami Beach celebrates and highlights the contributions of women to our community and beyond.
The 2023 Women’s History Month theme, designated by the National Women’s History Alliance, is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” – honoring women who have devoted their lives and talents to making a difference.
This month we celebrate chef Samantha Cruz, the first chef of, the soon to be launched, Rum Room and Venu, located in the Miami Beach Convention Center campus in Collins Canal Park. Chef Cruz is a culinary dynamo and is bringing her innovative and creative style of cooking to Miami Beach Civic Center.
There is an old saying that “women make good cooks, but men make better chefs.” Setting aside this statement is false, it does give us a snapshot of how the culinary community has looked at the role of men and women in professional kitchens. With over 147,434 chefs currently employed in the United States, 25.2% women and 74.8% men, there is room for growth.
Sadly, women have had to fight for equality in the kitchen. However, equality is finding a seat at the dining table and making a meaningful positive impact. Inspiring female chefs and restaurateurs are showing the world they are capable of thriving and driving creativity in the culinary community. They have been tenacious and are now prospering and exerting influence within a male dominated industry.
Chef Samantha Cruz’ twelve (12) years of experience in fine dining and sports entertainment hospitality is rooted in her determination and resolve to do the unexpected with local produce and multi-cultural flair. A South Florida native, raised in Allapattah by a single mother, Chef Cruz is the eldest of nine siblings and was introduced to cooking by making lunches and dinners for her family. Raised on family recipes that reflect her American, Cuban, Peruvian, Dominican Republic and St. Croix heritage, Chef Cruz’ distinctive flavors are unique and familiar to South Floridian palates.
Chef Cruz’ professional career started after high school, as a restaurant food runner. Thereafter, her curiosity and ambition progressed from front and back of house to working as an Executive Sous Chef at hospitality powerhouses 50 Eggs Hospitality Group (Swine, Yardbird, and Kong River House), Grove Bay Hospitality Group (Big Easy and Glass and Vine), and as Chef de Cuisine at PLANTA in Coconut Grove.
Chef Cruz is passionate about food preservation, specifically the concept of preserving and pickling food naturally. Learned in her grandparents’ kitchen, preservation drives her old-world rustic style gastronomy. “We are using local and regional grown ingredients to make special food to delight residents, visitors and tourists,” says Cruz. “The Rum Room and Venue signature dishes range from the best version of everyday comfort food to the eccentric and extraordinary.”
Upscale menus, inspired by traditional Miami dishes and South Florida’s Caribbean roots, are inspired by the Rum Room, a 60-seat restaurant with tropical, 1920s Florida decor. Rum Room cuisine will incorporate Spanish features, like beans and sofritos, a nod to the Spaniards passing through Miami Beach in the early 20th century. Mixing Haitian, Latin, and Central American influences, Chef Cruz and her kitchen team are creating one-of-a-kind experiences – with authentic dishes such as “media noche” sandwiches made from sweet plantain dough, pan con bistec, croquetas, and tamales.
The Venu, formerly the 1916-built Miami Beach Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse, will give Chef Cruz opportunities to customize imaginative food and beverage menus for small gatherings, business meetings, weddings, bar mitzvahs, and more.
“Everything feels natural to me in the kitchen,” shares Chef Cruz. “I love cooking, making people happy, and being a role-model to the next generation of female chefs.”
The Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) is located at 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Rum Room is on the northeast corner of the MBCC Campus Center, where Washington Avenue meets Dade Boulevard. Venu is located in the 1916-built former Miami Beach Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse at 2100 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Rum Room will be open for lunch and dinner and launch a Sunday brunch in early 2023.
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Simona Quispe, owner of Celmas Dry Cleaners, has been working in Miami Beach since the 80’s. A Bolivia native, Simona moved to South Florida and found her first job working at a dry cleaner located at Collins Avenue and 27th Street. With little or no experience in the dry cleaner industry, Simona found her passion and worked to develop her operational and management skills on the job. After a few years, Simona’s boss approached her with the news that he was moving abroad and offered her an opportunity to take over the dry cleaner. The self-described risktaker and proud and determined immigrant, jumped at the proposal, borrowed the money to buy the business and didn’t look back.
Celmas Dry Cleaners, currently located on 4111 Sheridan Avenue, has been serving the community for over 25 years. Offering several services including, but not limited to, professional dry cleaning and laundry, tailoring and alterations, and accessory and shoe repair. With a unique and creative vision and mission Celmas consciously strives for excellence, quality customer service, and delivering value to the community.
Celmas Dry Cleaner, like many, did not escape the negative impact of the global pandemic. Fortunately, Simona found relief via the City of Miami Beach Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus Emergency Small Business Reimbursement Grant Program, an initiative designed to assist businesses affected by the pandemic. Thankfully, Celmas Dry Cleaners remained open as an essential business although sales dropped significantly. The grant enabled Simona to cover a portion of her rent and upgrade to more efficient equipment.
In addition, as a participant in the Miami Beach program, Simona received business assistance from Prospera, a non-for-profit organization focused on providing capacity building support for businesses seeking to survive and thrive by learning how to focus and prioritize their goals and operations. With customized one-on-one assistance from a Prospera business consultant, Simona discovered the importance of having a digital marketing strategy to promote her business online and attract new clients while also engaging existing patrons. Simona attended the Spanish-language webinars, presented by the City of Miami Beach and Prospera on Business Continuity, helping develop business resiliency strategies that will allow her to be better prepared for future unforeseeable surprises.
Prospera worked with Simona to navigate and identify services such as educational training sessions, business advanced consulting, and access to capital. The strategy is strengthening Celmas Dry Cleaners’ ability to grow, prosper and contribute to Miami Beach’s small business ecosystem.
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Simona Quispe, owner of Celmas Dry Cleaners, has been working in Miami Beach since the 80’s. A Bolivia native, Simona moved to South Florida and found her first job working at a dry cleaner located at Collins Avenue and 27th Street. With little or no experience in the dry cleaner industry, Simona found her passion and worked to develop her operational and management skills on the job. After a few years, Simona’s boss approached her with the news that he was moving abroad and offered her an opportunity to take over the dry cleaner. The self-described risktaker and proud and determined immigrant, jumped at the proposal, borrowed the money to buy the business and didn’t look back.
Celmas Dry Cleaners, currently located on 4111 Sheridan Avenue, has been serving the community for over 25 years. Offering several services including, but not limited to, professional dry cleaning and laundry, tailoring and alterations, and accessory and shoe repair. With a unique and creative vision and mission Celmas consciously strives for excellence, quality customer service, and delivering value to the community.
Celmas Dry Cleaner, like many, did not escape the negative impact of the global pandemic. Fortunately, Simona found relief via the City of Miami Beach Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus Emergency Small Business Reimbursement Grant Program, an initiative designed to assist businesses affected by the pandemic. Thankfully, Celmas Dry Cleaners remained open as an essential business although sales dropped significantly. The grant enabled Simona to cover a portion of her rent and upgrade to more efficient equipment.
In addition, as a participant in the Miami Beach program, Simona received business assistance from Prospera, a non-for-profit organization focused on providing capacity building support for businesses seeking to survive and thrive by learning how to focus and prioritize their goals and operations. With customized one-on-one assistance from a Prospera business consultant, Simona discovered the importance of having a digital marketing strategy to promote her business online and attract new clients while also engaging existing patrons. Simona attended the Spanish-language webinars, presented by the City of Miami Beach and Prospera on Business Continuity, helping develop business resiliency strategies that will allow her to be better prepared for future unforeseeable surprises.
Prospera worked with Simona to navigate and identify services such as educational training sessions, business advanced consulting, and access to capital. The strategy is strengthening Celmas Dry Cleaners’ ability to grow, prosper and contribute to Miami Beach’s small business ecosystem.
Romina Orozco-Encio has been linked to Miami Beach for over 30 years and is the current business owner of Abbott Florist on Normandy Isle. Abbott Florist started in 1990 when Romina and her family came to Miami Beach from Argentina where her father had previously owned and operated a flower shop. Naturally, his first inclination was to open one of his own in the United States. After some time, the business was then handed down to Romina where she continued to operate it as a family-owned business.
As with any business that has been open for an extended period, Abbott Florist has endured and survived tremendous hardship. Abbott Florist has survived the recession post-dot com bubble, the 2008 Great Recession, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. As with many other businesses, Abbott Florist was closed for 5 months during the pandemic and times were looking grim. Unable to generate any sales, they were beginning to have trouble making the rent for the shop and were also unable to purchase any additional inventory since flower suppliers were also closed across the world.
But, as with any times of hardship in life, there are opportunities to give back. At the height of the pandemic, Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson, hosted food drives for the residents of Miami Beach that were struggling to make ends. At those food drives, came the opportunity. Romina had been walking by the food drives and had inquired on how she would be able to assist with the effort. She was told that there was a flower supplier that was looking to get rid of their inventory. Romina contacted the supplier and was able to secure those flowers and used them to provide decorations for the long lines and people at the food drive. Such was the impact felt by the community that 2 years later, people still show up to Romina’s store and thank her for decorating the line with flowers and giving them at least a moment of happiness during those dark times. By giving back to the community, people still go and buy from her shop which in turn helps her business.
During this time of recovery, Romina was able to find assistance with the help of the City of Miami Beach and from Prospera. The City of Miami Beach Economic Development Department offered Miami Beach businesses a Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus or CDBG-CV grant that was designed to assist small businesses that had to shut down or were impacted due to the pandemic. Romina was able to apply for this grant and was awarded $20,000 of CDBG-CV funds that were used to catch up with rent and to purchase additional inventory now that her business was back up and running.
Through the Miami Beach Business Academy, Romina also received technical assistance help from Prospera free-of-charge. Prospera is a not-for-profit organization focused on providing technical assistance to underserved entrepreneurs so they can better achieve their business goals. Romina attended one of the monthly webinars on capacity building, and in-person training sessions held over 4 days by Prospera focused on teaching entrepreneurs how to apply technology to their businesses, the fundamentals of technology, digital marketing, and cyber security. By attending the training sessions, Romina also had the opportunity to network with other businesses, community partners, banks, and won a laptop computer for her business.
Through the assistance of community partners such as the City of Miami Beach and Prospera and Romina’s entrepreneurial fortitude, Abbott Florist remains open for the community of Miami Beach, providing joy and flowers for the foreseeable future.
