IDB and MDC Selected Eighteen Startups from Latin America, the Caribbean and South Florida to Participate in Demand Solutions Miami
Miami, Aug. 21, 2017 – Miami Dade College (MDC) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will host Demand Solutions Miami on Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. Eighteen startups in design, fashion, gastronomy, music and multimedia have been selected to participate in a one-of-a-kind conference that will highlight innovation and entrepreneurship.
The event will convene some of the world’s most creative minds to discuss, inspire, and share innovative solutions to tackle development challenges, specifically through the creative and cultural industries.
This year’s selection includes 13 startups from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as 5 from South Florida. A founder from each of the companies will travel to Miami to participate in Demand Solutions Startups Competition, where they will present their projects to the audience and a panel of judges to compete for prizes. The founders also will take part in two days of activities with innovators, mentors, entrepreneurs and investors. A jury selected the participants from a pool of more than 300 applicants from 27 countries who responded to an open call.
Though it is the fifth time IDB has organized startup competitions, for the first time, most CEOs participating are women, reflecting a rising number of female entrepreneurs and IDB’s effort to encourage applications from women founders.
The selected startups from Latin America and the Caribbean and their representatives are:
- ASOCIACIÓN A.I.R.E., Alejandro González Gil, Peru/Venezuela
- COUPLE SIX, Ariana Green, Barbados
- DINNEER, Raphael Da Silva Jara Schroder Rosa, Brazil
- ECOPLASO, Bárbara Estefanía Arteaga Ballesteros, Mexico
- ELEMENTS ME, David Ahedo Zúñiga, Mexico
- ENTERRENO, Felipe Bengoa Trucco, Chile
- HILO SAGRADO, Diana Emilia Torres Montañez, Colombia
- INKSPIRED, Galo Andrés Vargas Cabanilla, Ecuador
- LIVRE – SOLUÇÕES EM MOBILIDADE, Julio Oliveto Alves, Brazil
- MACHINA WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY, Linda Paola Lobato Franco, Mexico
- MAEFLORESTA, Erika Dioleybi Acero Sánchez, Colombia
- STORYMAX, Samira Almeida Pinto Tangi, Brazil
- XINTIBA, Arantxa Nieto Manzano, Mexico
Considered by Fortune Magazine as the number two U.S. city for startups, Miami is the strategic catalyst to position Latin America and the Caribbean as the creativity hub and to connect thriving innovation ecosystems.
The selected startups from South Florida and their representatives are:
- ALPHA TECH BLOCKS, Mariluz Kernan
- CARIBU, Maxeme Tuchman
- FIRST CONTACT 3D, Emiliano Ramiro Sosa
- LANUGO INC, Carla Marie Curiel Daneri
- LEAN ORB, Anastasia Viktorovna Montoya
A startup from Haiti will be invited to present its works and participate in the mentoring sessions:
- ANACAONA COMMUNITY, Laure Botinelli
Other partners of the event include Santander Universities, Creative Business Cup, Latam Startups, and the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC Miami).
Those interested in creative entrepreneurship and innovation are welcome to attend Demand Solutions Miami at no cost. Registration is required.
To register and for more information, please visit http://www.mdc.edu/demandsolutions/.
IDB Media Contact: Silvia Dangond at silviad@iadb.org
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region.
About Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College is the nation’s largest, campus-based institution of higher education with an enrollment of more than 165,000 students. It is also the nation’s top producer of Associate in Arts and Science degrees and awards more degrees to minorities than any other college or university in the country. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways including several baccalaureate degrees in education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film, engineering, and others. In fact, its academic and workforce training programs are national models of excellence. MDC is also renowned for its rich cultural programming. It is home of the Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival, the MDC Live! Performing Arts Series, the National Historic Landmark Miami Freedom Tower, a sculpture park and a large art gallery and theater system. MDC has admitted more than 2,000,000 students and counting, since it opened its doors in 1960.