Miami, Feb. 9, 2022 – The Idea Center at Miami Dade College (MDC), the College’s groundbreaking hub of innovation, has named Alejandro D. González, a business professional with nearly a decade of experience launching and scaling social ventures in the U.S. and Latin America, its new executive director.
“We are excited to bring Alejandro onboard to lead The Idea Center as Miami grows into an international tech hub,” said Maryam Laguna Borrego, MDC’s Vice President for External Affairs & Strategy and Chief of Staff. “His extensive experience working with entrepreneurs and developing successful business ventures is an incredible resource for our students, local business and the community at large.”
Under González’s leadership, The Idea Center will launch a series of new programs and initiatives in the coming months. These will center around investing in MDC students by launching experiential learning labs, providing access to internships and mentorship opportunities, and deploying start-ups capital for student-led ventures, innovating with faculty to embed the entrepreneurial mindset into course curriculum across various disciplines; and partnering with Miami’s tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem to provide a diverse and equitable talent pipeline with the right mindset to help their businesses grow.
“This pivotal moment in the evolution of Miami’s entrepreneurial and tech ecosystem calls on us to reimagine what The Idea Center will offer our students, faculty and the community at large,” González said. “We will deliver on President Pumariega’s goals of accelerating academic excellence and innovation and fueling the talent needs of a global economy. Together with our world-class faculty, we will transform The Idea Center at Miami Dade College into the leader in entrepreneurship and innovation education among colleges in the nation.”
González has worked in organizations with a strong focus on community building and social impact. He led business development and partnerships for WhereBy.Us, a network of media outlets with presence in Miami, Seattle, Portland, Orlando and Pittsburgh, growing topline revenue by 30 percent through new partnerships with corporate, nonprofit and government entities. He also led government relations at United Way of Broward County.
He also developed entrepreneurship and educational programs for dozens of independent Cuban social entrepreneurs seeking to prototype and launch independent ventures on the island, including Cuba’s first independent digital media outlet.
González has served as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Miami’s School of Communication and a Research Fellow at the University of Missouri’s Reynolds Journalism Institute. In both capacities, he worked with students on developing revenue generating projects to create sustainable business models for digital media outlets. He holds an M.A. in International Development and Public Policy from The University of Chicago and a B.S. in International Politics from Georgetown University.
About The Idea Center at Miami Dade College
The Idea Center @ MDC is the college’s groundbreaking hub of innovation, the place where students from all disciplines can gather, collaborate and take advantage of resources and training to develop their entrepreneurial ideas. Through cutting-edge entrepreneurship education, professional development and experiential learning, students and community members can acquire the tools needed to identify challenges and develop solutions. For more information, visit www.theideacenter.co.