Scale Up Miami Cohort 15 just kicked off — and we are ready. 🔥
In partnership with @mayoreileenhiggins and her Elevate Small Businesses initiative, we are welcoming 40 incredible business owners from the City of Miami into our community.
Together, these entrepreneurs represent:
💰 $16M+ in combined annual revenue
👥 180+ jobs supported in our community
🏗️ Entrepreneurs from across industries — construction, real estate, design, education, tech, crafts, consulting, and more.
For the next 12 weeks, we'll be working side by side with these business owners to help them grow, scale, and continue making an impact in Miami. 💛
Welcome, Cohort 15! 🙌
Every year, @emergeamericas brings together Miami's builders – startups, investors, tech companies, and a glimpse of what comes next. 🌎
This year, our founders were right in the middle of it – competing in the Global Startup Accelerator, advancing in the SMB Growth Lab, and forming connections that go well beyond the conference floor.
Proud to call this ecosystem home.
Our students are pitching at @eMergeAmericas ’ Startup Showcase. Diana Trilleras, founder of HealBites, created an AI-powered nutrition platform that delivers personalized meal plans. And engineering students Yandel Polanco, Darikson Valenzuela, and Bill Dejardins are presenting Nexus Horizon, a warehouse robotics solution they built in MDC labs to help small businesses run more efficiently.
Both ventures started in the @ideacentermdc ’s Launch Lab, and now they’re going to market. @eMergeAmericas is giving them a platform to share their businesses with potential investors, connect with other founders, and introduce their products to the broader startup ecosystem.
The conversations that matter most don't start with an agenda — they start over breakfast. ☀️
The Idea Center's Mentorship Program kicked off last week with 45 mentors and mentees in the room — experienced entrepreneurs investing their time in the ones just getting started. Real stories shared, real trust built.
This is what it looks like when mentorship becomes community. 🤝
70+ entrepreneurs in Miami are turning ideas into real businesses through the Build Up Program at Miami Dade College.💡
Participants go through a startup bootcamp, get paired with mentors to launch their ventures, and collaborate with MDC students on projects that help move their businesses forward. The program is led by @ideacentermdc and taking place at the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center in Liberty City and at our Homestead Campus.
Build Up is part of a global initiative led by entrepreneurship scholar Michael Morris at @notredame ’s Urban Poverty and Business Initiative, which has supported 3,000+ entrepreneurs worldwide.
The program is creating economic opportunity for small business owners while giving our students real-world experience working directly with entrepreneurs.
A few years ago, @vivianolo came to Miami Dade College with an idea and a goal—to grow her agency. What she gained was more than tools to scale, she found a community.
Through MDC’s Scale Up program, Vivian didn’t just learn how to level up, she did it. She franchised her agency, partnered with other founders she met through Scale Up like @dharmacreativ , trained 300+ women entrepreneurs through her nonprofit, and came full circle by returning to mentor the next generation of founders at @ideacentermdc .
Yesterday at the @miamifreedomtower , she joined fellow alumni for the Scale Up Reunion, bringing together 14 cohorts and nearly a decade of entrepreneurial growth. With the support of @tdbank_us and @mayoreileenhiggins , Scale Up has helped 450+ small businesses grow, create jobs, and make a real impact right here in our city. Today, that community of founders continues to collaborate and grow across Miami.
Meet Fernanda, an MDC student interested in building a career in business and finance. She joined our recent networking hour with @blackstone , where students met directly with professionals from Blackstone’s Miami office.
Students connected with industry leaders, including Chris Striano, Chief Operating Officer of Global Finance, and asked questions about careers in finance, tech, and startups.
From learning what employers look for to understanding how to stand out and build strong professional networks, experiences like this help students explore real career opportunities right here in Miami.
Blackstone has been partnering with MDC for 3+ years now through the Blackstone LaunchPad. Most recently, together with @jpmorganchase , they’re supporting our Miami StartUp Ecosystem Internship Program. So far they’ve co-funded 60+ full-time paid internships with local small businesses and startups. And, we're just getting started.
Now it’s your turn. Summer internship opportunities are open for @mdcollege students. Apply, get paid, and gain real‑world experience with Miami startups. 👉 Link in bio to learn more and apply.
Open spaces. Big ideas. ✨
The Idea Center’s spots at Homestead, West, and Wolfson are ready for MDC students who want to study, cowork, or tackle group projects. With flexible seating and a vibe made for getting things done, these spaces are here for all the work and ideas you’re ready to dive into.
Swing by and make it happen!
Building, refining, and pitching – Launch Lab puts student startups in motion. 🚀
Student founders moved from early prototypes to pitch-ready ideas, stepping onto the stage at a live Pitch Night in partnership with @emergeamericas . Top teams were fast-tracked into the eMerge Americas Startup Accelerator + Showcase, with first place also receiving $5,000, made possible through our partnership with @wearenacce .
More than a competition, Launch Lab shows what’s possible when student ideas are met with meaningful support and real connections, right here at Miami Dade College. ✨
🎓 Last night we wrapped up Scale Up Miami Cohort 11 at @mdcwest with a powerful pitch competition and graduation ceremony.
Thanks to the continued investment of @tdbank_us , this cohort brought together 35 small business owners from all over Miami Dade County.
🎉 Congratulations to our pitch competition winners!
Check them out below:
@larnellvickers@monikvivas@marianatorrellas@irenerealestatemiami
👏 We’re proud of every participant and excited to see what’s next for these entrepreneurs.
🚀 This week the #eMergeAmericas Startup Accelerator Roadshow stopped at the @MDCollege Idea Center!
Five founders pitched their startups, and two winners were selected to be fast-tracked to the 2026 Global Startup Showcase. 🎉
Huge congratulations to the first-place winner, Nexus Horizon 🥇and second-place winner, Healbites.🥈
#FloridaTech #MiamiTech #Innovation #globaltech #PitchCompetition #highered
Miami’s entrepreneurs showed up to level up.
More than 100 small business owners joined us for the Small Business AI Jam — a nationwide effort by @openai with support from @doordash to bring practical, hands-on AI training to Main Street businesses.
Miami business owners built real AI tools side-by-side with ChatGPT mentors — solutions they can use immediately to save time, streamline operations, and grow. This is accessible innovation in action. 💡
We’re proud that @mdcollege served as a regional convener alongside @miami_chamber and @fsbdcatfiu to bring this to Miami.
Huge thank-you to OpenAI, DoorDash, and @score_mentors for investing in the entrepreneurs who power our local economy. 🙌
Miami is building — and we’re just getting started. 🚀
