South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub
13
Mar, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

OZ is Advancing Diversity and Opportunity in Tech for Hispanics

Read Time 3 Minutes

OZ, a South Florida-based digital consulting firm, announced its Chief Solutions Officer Emmanuel “Manny” Ramos has joined the Hispanic Technology Executive Council’s Board of Directors. 

HITEC is a premier global leadership organization which seeks to “create a more inclusive and diverse technology workforce.” Their mission is “to empower Hispanic technology professionals to accelerate leadership capacity through access to a network of business leaders and decision-makers at the highest levels of the global economy.”

The HITEC Foundation is dedicated to investing in the next generation of Hispanic technology professionals through scholarships, mentorship and career opportunities.  The Foundation and partners help young, bright students get the education they need to achieve their dreams. Since 2017, the Foundation’s scholarship program has awarded 163 scholarships totaling $815,000. Scholars also have access to mentorship through HITEC.

Corporate partners include companies such as Capital One, IBM, Dell Technologies, Microsoft and many other national and international brands. These organizations are committed to equity and inclusion by investing in the professional development of their current diverse talent while accessing the HITEC network and providing opportunities to the familia at large.

“I’m honored by the invitation to join the Hispanic Technology Executive Council and look forward to learning from and lifting up the next generation of Hispanic tech leaders,” Ramos says. “As Hispanic professionals, we have come so far, yet the potential is there to do so much more. It’s a transformational moment—and we should not let it pass us by.”

Born and raised in Puerto Rico where his family still resides, Ramos had the opportunity to move to the U.S. for college. Ramos took time to master the English language as he attended UMass, or the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Ramos stated, “I have been blessed with acceptance and opportunities in the US.”

When asked what he hopes to accomplish, Ramos told South Florida Tech Hub that he’s “interested in connecting with fellow Hispanic technology executives and most importantly pay it forward with the younger generation.”

Ramos is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council and an accomplished senior executive with more than 30 years of experience leading business operations, P&Ls, and professional services in a diverse range of industries. He is a Startup Mentor at the Tampa Bay Wave incubator, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Agile Leader.

As Chief Solutions Officer at OZ, he leads the Global Digital Technology Consulting practices providing thought leadership to clients, strategic direction for our practices, manages relationships with technology vendors, and partners with other departments at OZ to drive sales, recruiting, consulting, and operational efficiencies. He is responsible for the overall execution of business and technology consulting across a breadth of expertise areas including digital technology strategy & innovation, intelligent workflow automation, data analytics, AI, SAAS, and DevOps.

“Here at OZ, embracing next-gen innovation and fostering transformative collaboration are a part and parcel of our core values,” OZ Chief Executive Officer Amjad Shamim says.

“Manny embodies those values as a leader in our company every single day. I know he will be an amazing resource for the Hispanic Technology Executive Council as it does the important work of expanding opportunity and nurturing rising talent. I’m excited to see the results.”

OZ is a global digital technology consultancy and software delivery & development partner founded to enable business acceleration by leveraging modern technologies I.e., Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, Micro Services, Cloud, RPA & Intelligent Automation, Web 2.0/3.0, Azure, AWS, and many more.  To learn more about OZ, visit followoz.com

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06
Mar, 2023

By Riley Kaminer

Here’s to another 13 years of healthtech innovation for Modernizing Medicine

Read Time 3 Minutes

The US healthcare sector is rife with inefficiencies – from uneven care to overworked medical professionals to outdated digital systems. In a country that spends almost 20% of our GDP on healthcare, there remains a large opportunity to create better outcomes for patients and better working environments for providers.

For the last 13 years, Boca Raton-based Modernizing Medicine, now known as “ModMed.” has worked tirelessly to improve the tech tools that keep us healthy. They have developed a wide range of specialty-specific electronic health record (EHR) systems and solutions, practice management platforms, revenue cycle management software, and more.

And in an interview with South Florida Tech Hub, co-founder and CEO Daniel Cane said that this is just the beginning for the 3,400-person company.

“You can expect to see more growth, including coverage of more specialties throughout the US – and we will certainly become international,” Cane said of his plans for the company’s next 13 years. 

As for what accomplishment he is most proud of in Modernizing Medicine’s history thus far, Cane said that it was “creating an incredible culture and environment for all our team members.” Building a strong company culture creates lots of work and is a top down effort at ModMed, with Cane still personally meeting every new member of the team.

So is Cane ready for his next venture? Not quite yet. The entrepreneur, who previously co-founded EdTech giant Blackboard, said that he is still laser focused on tackling some of the many issues still plaguing the healthcare industry. “I’ve got a lot more work cut out for me, fixing healthcare and making sure that ModMed is incredibly successful.”

Of course, ModMed has already reached a level of success that most companies will never see. It has 3,400 employees around the world – 700 of whom are based in Modernizing Medicine’s headquarters at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, IBM’s former R&D facility.

So what advice would Cane give to budding entrepreneurs?

“100% of big companies you see today started off as a small company, so remember to dream big.” Cane also admitted that he has had more failed companies than successful ones, and that is normal. “If you’re going to fail, fail fast. You can learn a lot from those failures.” He noted that while someone might be born an innovator, entrepreneurship – building, running, and scaling businesses – requires a specific set of skills that can be taught.

As ModMed has grown over the last 13 years, so has South Florida’s tech ecosystem, noted Cane. But he urged us to recall that South Florida has had a long tradition of innovation, not least of which includes IBM’s storied past in Boca.

“South Florida is on the map as a strong entrepreneurial hub,” he asserted. This is despite any turbulence caused, for example, by the decline of crypto.

“Our biggest challenge is our geography,” said Cane, noting that South Florida is very long but not very wide, and lacks a main downtown area. “South Florida Tech Hub is essential for bringing all of our amazing companies together.”

 

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10
Jan, 2023

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Orion Innovations

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: Software development consulting company working on AI, machine learning, and blockchain technologies 

Founded: 2008

HQ: Delray Beach, FL

Employees: 10

Website: GoOrion.com

For Marc Asselin’s whole life, he wanted to be an architect. He even went to school to study architecture. But in the 80s, he stumbled upon computer programming. 

And in Asselin’s words, “I never looked back.” Since then, Asselin has been enjoying being a software developer.

In 2008, Asselin launched Orion Innovation, a consulting firm focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain technology.

And Asselin started working on the blockchain way before it was in vogue, telling South Florida Tech Hub that at first he began by building blockchain-powered tools for clients in the oil and gas and real estate investment industries.

“We’ve always tried to apply blockchain technology to real use cases,” he said, citing the example of creating blockchain-based digital versions of paper contracts.

“Web3 is interesting, but it’s going to take a while to get there,” he said of the burgeoning movement that seeks to create a more decentralized version of the internet. “There are a lot of players pushing it forward. But where it will get really interesting is when there are more business use cases – not just consumers.”

Orion typically works with B2B clients, but recently it has begun working with the public sector – specifically the Department of Defense. Asselin is excited about the prospect of helping the government leverage innovations in AI, ML, blockchain, and more. 

One interesting example: creating so-called no-knowledge proofs. Take for example getting a drink at a bar. Currently, you have to show staff your ID that contains significantly more information than just your age: your home address, your full name, et cetera. With a no-knowledge proof, staff could simply be given a yes or no to the question, “Is this person of legal drinking age?” No more info required.

Orion has also begun to develop a spin-off product called Ava. “Ultimately, Ava came out of a lot of clients asking us for help organizing and cleaning their data,” said Asselin, noting that before data can be leveraged in tools like AI, it first needs to be labeled and easily accessible. 

In November, the team launched Ava in demo form, with a view towards rolling out a minimum viable product in June 2023. The ultimate goal: saving time and effort.

Ava has a few tricks up its sleeve though. For one, the output of the data can be viewed in three dimensions, using a VR/AR device such as the Magic Leap 2.

“You can walk into your data,” asserted Asselin, drawing parallels to Jarvis from Iron Man. Conversational AI will enable users to ask Ava’s platform questions, and have it respond. “There are an endless number of use cases,” he said, noting particular usefulness in the area of cybersecurity.

“At the end of the day, this product is designed to do the work of a significant number of data scientists,” he said.

Follow along on Ava Intelligence’s journey by visiting their LinkedIn page.

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03
Jan, 2023

By Nikki Cabus

How culture and strategic decisions helped Digital Resource double in size

Read Time 4 Minutes

Digital Resource is a company where things are done just a little differently.

Being a digital marketing firm, content is certainly king, but for this company culture is the queen. The company was able to double their employee count and during the pandemic and once again be named as one of the country’s fastest growing companies.

Just months post graduation, Shay Berman, Founder & CEO, moved from Michigan to West Palm Beach, Florida. Only 22 years old and working out of his apartment, Shay took the leap and founded Digital Resource in 2014.

The company grew from just 16 employees in 2016 to 130 as they closed out the 2022 year. What you may not realize is that half of those employees began employment within the last 2 years – in the midst of the pandemic. In 2020, DR had 65 employees and has doubled in size since then.

In 2019, Nate Mendenhall, Director of Client Operations, previously described DR as “this big rocket ship. Kinda shaking and getting ready to take off.” He said that in the “next year, we’re going to be going into orbit.” I think he nailed it!

Employee count is one thing, but revenue growth is another. DR has been Inc. 5000 Ranked since 2018. In 2022 they celebrated their 5th ranking in a row! That’s pretty impressive considering the company has only been in business 8 years. Appearing on the Inc. 5000 list for over half of the company’s existence is no small feat.

  • 2022: #3917 (125% 3-Year Growth Rate) 
  • 2021: #1810 
  • 2020: #747 
  • 2019: #334 (1,400% 3-Year Growth Rate) 
  • 2018: #262 (1,855% 3-Year Growth Rate) 

Highly respected companies were honored in their early days by Inc. 5000 such as Zillow, Dell, LinkedIn, Domino’s Pizza, Yelp, and even Microsoft, yet few received the honor five times. Appearing in the Inc. 5000 list five times (even if not consecutively) gives a company bragging rights of ‘Honor Roll’ status and less than 10% of companies obtain that title. You have a better chance of seeing a unicorn. . . or you can just watch the video at the end of the article. 🦄

In 2022, Digital Resource joined the Inc. 5000’s 10% – and did it consecutively to boast!!

Digital Resource was built on search engine optimization, quickly branching into social media marketing, website development, and more before becoming a full-service marketing agency. Over the years, DR has added photography, videography, integrations, lead management, and other services to the lineup.

Additionally, upon acquiring the dental marketing agency Hi5 Practice based in Nashville back in April 2022, DR brought on remote video shoots and internal practice management services.

DR went to full-time in-office to hybrid during the pandemic with a handful of remote team members across Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, and Utah.

The company made some strategic moves that helped them propel their growth over the years, but the biggest decision to date was to prioritize company culture. The work hard – play hard mentality of the team is felt immediately upon engaging with them.

Berman says, “DR continues to invest in our team’s education and happiness. All managers enrolled in Torch leadership training. We continue to provide continuing education opportunities to all team members. And we just revamped our benefits to make the lives of our team members even better!”

Plus, the company has pretty sweet office spaces, cool networking opportunities, team outings, and internal contests such as the “Luck of the Lit” wheel.

From humble beginnings with a home-office setup to soon growing out of their small office in downtown West Palm Beach, Digital Resource now has total of 16,000 sq ft of office space between 3 spaces with 12,000 sf in West Palm Beach, Florida  and a 4,000 sq ft office space in Nashville, Tennessee. 

In October 2022, DR revealed their 2nd floor buildout during a networking event open to the local community. The buildout added 3k sq ft to our physical space, taking us to 12k sq ft total in West Palm Beach offering more desk space, additional conference rooms, games, and a multimedia studio w/ an infinity wall.

Through organic growth and a successful acquisition, the team continues to push forward and excelling beyond a milestone that even Berman didn’t expect to hit so soon. They have opened up Director level roles within the company introducing Director of Operations & Human Resources, Director of Client Operations, and Director of Creative Operations.

In November 2022, DR introduced the new Vice President of Sales, Jeff Gasparoni, who will be developing the Sales Team and expanding the firm’s reach into more verticals. They also named a Head of Partnerships to assist DR with building deeper connections with experts across various industries to further our clients’ growth.

Want to learn more about Digital Resource or the other awards they have? Yes, they have more! Click here.

 

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15
Nov, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Excess IT Hardware

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: A social enterprise that liquidates legacy computer equipment, securely destroys data, and recycles electronic waste.

Founded: 2016

HQ: West Palm Beach

Employees: 12

Website: ExcessITHardware.com

 

Worldwide, we generate around 40 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) every single year. That’s akin to throwing away 800 laptops every second. E-waste makes up 70% of our overall toxic waste.

Chris Schoeller has dealt with this e-waste firsthand. At the beginning of his career, Schoeller worked at a few startups that eventually folded. But before the dust settled, Schoeller noted one major problem these companies were left to deal with: their excess technology.

“Businesses get rid of their excess IT hardware basically every three to four years,” Schoeller told South Florida Tech Hub. “They refresh a quarter or a third of their IT assets at a time.”

That raised a question: What do they actually do with this old hardware?

Schoeller is on it. He is the founder and managing director of West Palm Beach-based Excess IT Hardware, a social enterprise that liquidates legacy computer equipment, securely destroys data, and recycles electronic waste.

Clients contact Schoeller’s team when they need to have their tech picked up. Oftentimes, Excess IT Hardware even leaves recycling bins right at their clients’ facilities. The company then picks up this tech and brings it back to their facility while keeping tabs on it through an online tracking system. For some clients, Excess IT Hardware undertakes the entire process right on site.

Excess IT Hardware then determines what they are able to sell for their clients, and what they will recycle. In many cases, Schoeller told us, their clients are able to break even or even profit by selling their old tech through Excess IT Hardware.

Schoeller explained that data security is top of mind for their clients. “We ensure that anything that goes out the door is erased, cleared, or destroyed,” he said. The company has a wide range of certifications at the local, state, and federal level to ensure that they keep up with industry-wide best practices.

Giving back to our community is a core mission of Excess IT Hardware. The company prides itself in facilitating the donation of technology to nonprofits around South Florida. In particular, Schoeller is happy to provide laptops to people who otherwise might not be able to purchase one. “It feels great to help lessen the digital divide,” Schoeller said.

Maria Benitez, Excess IT Hardware’s marketing and sales administrator, underscored the importance of this mission. “We would much rather give this excess tech to people in the community than have it in a landfill,” she said. “I’m glad that we are able to continue to give back to the community.”

This year, Excess IT Hardware has experienced 40% growth in terms of volume and revenue. Schoeller hopes to accelerate this trend even further in 2023 by creating even more value-add services for its clients. He also hopes to be able to further spread the word about the auxiliary services Excess IT Hardware already offers, such as reselling spare parts.

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22
Oct, 2022

By Nikki Cabus

New to the county and Ingram Micro already awarded the ‘Key’ to Miami-Dade

Read Time 2 Minutes

Last week, Ingram Micro was awarded the ‘key’ to Miami-Dade County for their commitment to the expansion of their Ingram Micro Cloud office in South Florida and rapid hiring of incredible tech talent.

At Ingram Micro Cloud helps resellers and partners transform their business so they get up and running with Cloud in minutes, with little to no investment, deliver bundled services, up-sell and cross sell and manage their infrastructure most efficiently. Ingram Micro Cloud offers security, business apps, cloud services, communication/collaboration and infrastructure solutions to help clients monetize and manage the entire lifecycle of cloud services, infrastructure, and IoT subscriptions, so they can simplify digital transformation with confidence, speed and agility.

“Ingram Micro is proud and honored to receive this award,” stated Greg Onoprijenko, Director of Cloud Sales, U.S. Miami is a hidden gem for tech talent in the US, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide amazing career opportunities to these skilled and ambitious business professionals.”

He proudly continued, “Furthermore, a key reason we chose Miami for business expansion was because of its diverse multiculturalism, which nicely reflects Ingram Micro’s values and aspirations.”

Greg is a recent South Florida transplant himself.

In April of 2016, Greg began his role as Director of Cloud, Canada with Ingram Micro, where he led all aspects of the cloud business for the organization in the Canadian market, including sales and marketing, vendor management, and strategy. In 2021, Greg joined CloudBlue, Ingram Micro’s cloud platform division, as its Director of Sales for North America. Onoprijenko has become an expert in the MSP/IT and cloud space.

In an interview just earlier this month, Onoprijenko shared that due to the increased demand in cloud services, Ingram Micro Cloud has experience significant growth and he is betting on South Florida. He believes this region is a best kept secret – that’s not so secret anymore.

Having just opened their Miami office in Q4 of 2021, the Ingram Micro Cloud office of South Florida has already surpassed 100+ employees and has no plans to slow down any time soon.

To learn more about Ingram Micro Cloud, visit https://ingrammicrocloud.com/

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11
Oct, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Schonfeld

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: Preeminent global investment manager that delivers superior risk-adjusted returns over the long term.

Founded: 1988

HQ: New York

Employees: 900+

Website: Schonfeld.com

 

New York-based global investment manager Schonfeld is doubling down on South Florida, with a particular focus on our region’s strong supply of talent and rapidly-growing tech ecosystem.

The company landed in Miami last year and now has around 60 South Florida-based employees.

Marc Helfman, Schonfeld’s Head of Cybersecurity, is one of the many employees that moved to South Florida to spearhead the investment manager’s growing presence in the area.

“When we decided to open an office in Wynwood, we knew that it was going to be a long-term play,” Helfman told South Florida Tech Hub. 

The company is committed to building its talent pipeline over time. Talent is at the core of everything Schonfeld does. It’s even in their tagline, “talent is our strategy.” 

To this end, Schonfeld has built relationships with local universities and colleges to provide opportunities to their students. Helfman noted that 40% of his 11-person team started with Schonfeld as interns. 

“We’ve found some really good talent by nurturing them through the internship and then hiring them six to 12 months later,” he said. “We help them grow their careers and make sure that they have a clear idea of their career path. Now we’re starting to do that in Miami.” 

Helfman added that Schonfeld also actively works to recruit and relocate talent to Miami. While the prospect of living in South Florida is tempting to many, Helfman acknowledged it can sometimes be an uphill battle due to our region’s high cost of living.

On a personal level, Helfman was enticed by South Florida’s weather and the opportunity to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle than fast-paced New York. 

“I wanted to be part of the tech movement that is happening down here,” he said. While Miami’s growing crypto scene tends to get a lot of media attention, Helfman noted that many major players in the hedge fund world are also establishing their presence in South Florida. “I felt like for my career, it would be really exciting to be part of that. I looked at this as a challenge that I hadn’t had before.”

Schonfeld is increasingly active in our local tech scene. For instance, they were the presenting sponsor of the 2022 edition of SoFlo DevCon. And Helfman sits on Miami-Dade College’s cybersecurity advisory board.

Helfman is passionate about the rapidly-changing world of cybersecurity. A tech industry veteran with 17 years of cybersecurity experience under his belt, he is a major advocate for companies to prioritize their cybersecurity initiatives. 

“Now cybersecurity is mainstream,” he said. “Even within the last five years there has been tremendous change, with major hacks being covered in the news.” 

Helfman underscored the importance of having cybersecurity conscious executives like he has at Schonfeld. “It’s critical that cybersecurity professionals are represented and supported by senior management.”

Want to learn more about Schonfeld? Check out our interview with Chief Technology Officer David Neigler from earlier this year.

09
Oct, 2022

By Nikki Cabus

2 tech companies join Boca Raton Innovation Campus including autonomous vehicles

Read Time 2 Minutes

The Boca Raton Innovation Campus, or “BRIC.” is welcoming two tech companies to it’s list of technology and life science tenants” autonomous vehicle startup, Guidant Corp., and cybersecurity firm, Arete.

Guident Corp developed patented software solutions utilizing artificial intelligence technologies for making autonomous vehicles safer and in turn increasing overall adoption. Harald Braun, Chairman and CEO of Guidant, brings decades of experience with him including formerly the President and CEO at Nokia Siemens North America and being recognized as one of America’s “Top 100 Voices of the IP Communications Industry” by Internet Telephony magazine. Additionally, Guidant’s board of directors includes a team of experts from companies such as Aviat Networks, Audi, Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen and ZipCar.

The startup will relocate from Florida Atlantic University’s Tech Runway where they won the annual Launch Competition in 2020. FAU Tech Runway® is a public-private partnership formed to incubate and accelerate early-stage technology-based companies, under the purview of FAU’s Division of Research.  The incubator/accelerator provides the most promising startups and talented entrepreneurs in South Florida with an opportunity to join a year-long program that offers competition winners “best-in-class” instruction, mentoring, networking, marketing, capital-raising assistance, co-working space, events, intern support and other vital programs.

A panel of judges, including successful entrepreneurs, technology investors, entrepreneurship professors, economic development professionals, philanthropists, and commercial bankers selected Guident Ltd. as the winner of the competition. The judges were convinced that the company creating a Remote Monitoring and Control Center in Florida for autonomous vehicles (AVs) applying artificial intelligence, and their first use-case for ‘zero-touch’ ground-based delivery of groceries and medicines, would be the right choice to create significant value in South Florida and nationwide.

The Boca Raton Innovation Campus is the home of the first IBM personal computer and research hub. It’s the largest single facility office building in the state at 1.7 million square feet, 123 acres and includes the country’s longest hallway at a length of 907 feet long. ‘CP Group, formerly Crocker Partners, acquired BRiC in 2018 with the vision of building off its innovative past and evolve the campus, through a multimillion dollar renovation project, into the premier technology and life sciences hub in the Southeast’ competing with Silicon Valley and bring more technology companies to South Florida. The campus is currently home to some big name tech and life science companies such as ModMed, Canon, Bluegreen Vacations and Baptist Health South Florida.

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03
Oct, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | Ingram Micro Cloud

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: Providing software resellers with streamlined access to top cloud services

Global HQ: Irvine, California

Employees: 1,500 worldwide; 100+ in South Florida

In South Florida since: 2021

Website: IngramMicroCloud.com

 

Ingram Micro Cloud has developed the world’s largest cloud marketplace and end-to-end commerce platform. Comprising 26 marketplaces, 210+ cloud services, 30+ marketplaces with >100,000 seats, and 33% of the world’s top telcos, Ingram Micro Cloud provides innovators with the solutions they need to build their business. While its parent company, Ingram Micro, has been around for upwards of 40 years, this cloud division has been serving customers from upwards of a decade.

Greg Onoprijenko is the Miami-based U.S. Director of Cloud Sales for Ingram Micro Cloud. In his almost three decades of experience in the technology industry, Onoprijenko has become an expert in the MSP/IT and cloud space.

Onoprijenko told South Florida Tech Hub that the business world is shifting from on-premise technology – software that companies buy and manage themselves – to cloud-based services. “This whole shift toward cloud services means that instead of buying and managing your own, you just pay a monthly fee to access other people’s technology in the cloud.”

The problem with this plethora of technologies? Managing it all can quickly become a headache. “The more and more subscriptions a company acquires, the more complex it is to manage,” he explained. “There are lots of different monthly invoices coming in with lots of different fees, and it can be a very manual and labor intensive process to manage multiple subscriptions all the same time.”

That’s where Ingram Micro Cloud comes in. Their fully automated cloud marketplace is a unique offering that makes it easy for resellers to purchase and provision all those services. These clients can view and manage all their subscriptions in a single, unified dashboard – similar to what a consumer might expect from a traditional ecommerce platform like Amazon.

“It’s a seamless experience, that makes it much easier for them, so they don’t have to go through such a labor intensive effort to manage those subscriptions for their customers,” said Onoprijenko. Some of the most popular vendors on the platform include Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, DocuSign, Dropbox, and Google Workspace.

Onoprijenko reports that Ingram Micro Cloud has experienced significant growth recently, thanks to this increased demand in cloud services. He expressed excitement about Miami being the hub for this new growth, having landed here last year from Canada to expand the company’s hub here.

“We chose Miami because it’s an untapped market with lots of tech talent,” he asserted. “I think it’s one of the best kept secrets.” Onoprijenko signaled that Miami is the fastest growing hub for Ingram Micro Cloud – a trend he expects to continue. 

“You can expect us to continue to hire great talent in the south Florida area,” he said, noting that the company just passed the 100 employee mark in South Florida. “Our business is booming right now. We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and we see nothing but growth ahead – especially as we continue to tap into the talent base down here.”

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22
Aug, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | 365 Data Centers

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: Providing colocation, cloud, and network connectivity services to leading businesses in South Florida and beyond

Founded: 2017

HQ: Norwalk, CT

Employees: 140

Website: 365DataCenters.com

The global data center colocation market size reached $46 billion in 2020, and is expected to grow to over $200 billion by 2030. Demand for cloud services is even greater: $300 billion in 2021 – ballooning to $1.6 trillion by 2030.

For more than a decade, 365 Data Centers has been arming businesses with the colocation, cloud, and network services that they need to keep their IT house in order. The company operates 12 colocation facilities in the U.S., with downtown locations that offer connectivity to major fiber routes. 365 has clients from a diverse range of industries including professional services, insurance, and medical.

In 2017, 365 Data Centers acquired Host.net, which gave the Connecticut-based company firm footing in the South Florida market. This acquisition landed the company two data centers in our region: one in Boca Raton and another in Fort Lauderdale. A significant portion of 365’s nationwide fiber network, including 350 fiber miles that connect the regional data centers to the NAP of the Americas in Miami, is also located in Southeast Florida – and has been substantially upgraded since 365 entered the market.

Ray Allieri is the Regional Vice President of 365 Data Centers, overseeing all operations in Southeast Florida, which is now one of the company’s largest markets. The New England native has been with 365 Data Centers since January. He told South Florida Tech Hub that 365 Data Centers’ focus on customer service makes the company stand apart from its competitors.

“We’re a single source for integrated network, colocation, and cloud service – one team, one contract,” said Allieri. “That is important for small customers and large customers, because it gives them one source to go to for everything that they need.”

Another unique aspect of 365 Data Centers is that it can serve very small customers, including those only needing as little as a quarter cabinet of space. “Many competitors will not look at anything less than a half a cabinet or even a full cabinet,” said Allieri. “Then we combine that with network capability that allows the customers to connect to their equipment here in our data center.”

365 Data Centers has close relationships with major cloud providers – some of whom even have their equipment in 365’s colocation facilities. “Data centers are the backbone of the cloud,” said Allieri. “Whether it’s your data center or somebody else’s, connecting everybody and being able to get to your customers quickly is very important.”

The advantage to using 365 Data Centers’ private cloud over public cloud alternatives is that customers can know exactly where their virtual machine is located. Allieri also noted that the cost structure of public cloud services can be opaque; whereas with 365’s solution, it’s clear from the get-go and often more cost effective.

Allieri is not new to South Florida – he was here previously for four years, but left in 2020. Comparing 2022 to 2020, he said that “the market has expanded dramatically.” 

“That’s exciting for us because we’ve increased investment into our facilities,” Allieri continued. “And we have lots of room to be able to grow and support the market as it grows around us.” 

He also underscored the growth of managed service providers – third-party companies that maintain IT infrastructure – as an exciting opportunity for 365. “I think we can be a very good partner to them as well.”

Learn more about simplifying your company’s IT infrastructure by contacting 365 Data Centers.

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17
Jul, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | TriNet

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: TriNet provides businesses with HR solutions including payroll, benefits, risk management and compliance — all in one place. 

Founded: 1988

HQ: San Leandro, CA

Employees: 3,622 (as of 2019)

Website: TriNet.com

 

At a time when talent acquisition and retention are the most competitive they have been for years, having a strong human resources team is key for businesses of all sizes.

That can be easier said than done. But one publicly-traded company is helping make HR processes smarter, easier, and more streamlined – and it has a major presence in South Florida.

TriNet is a professional employer organization (PEO) that provides small and medium-size businesses with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll and real-time technology. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most—growing their business.

TriNet is on a mission to power the success of small and medium-sized businesses by supporting their growth and enabling their people. The company prides itself in working together with their clients to bring long-term value. That spirit is shown clearly in the company’s core values, which include: lead with the customer, act with integrity, and make an impact.

With origins in the Silicon Valley ecosystem, TriNet now has upwards of 16,000 clients from around the world. The company also has a variety of accreditations, including PEO certification from the IRS.

When it comes to innovation, TriNet has always been at the forefront. They were the first in the PEO space to launch an app. TriNet also was the first to serve clients with a variety of different products. For instance, they have an immigration tool for employers to ensure compliance when managing foreign employees. This feature has been critical for technology companies, which increasingly work across borders.

TriNet solves a wide range of HR needs, such as leadership training, expertise on sensitive issues, talent management, and compensation guidance. They offer headache-free payroll to enable their clients to manage payroll and tax codes with one simple solution. 

TriNet helps its customers attract and retain high-level talent, providing access to top quality benefits. This enables even smaller companies to access the benefits usually reserved for the biggest organizations. 

All along the HR journey, TriNet prioritizes risk mitigation and up to date compliance. That way, its customers can rest easier knowing that their employment-related compliance concerns are addressed.

TriNet’s all in one platform makes it easy to manage all HR-related tasks through a cutting-edge user interface that works just as well on mobile as it does on desktop. Their integration center empowers clients to use TriNet’s pre-built integrations and APIs to unify their data to drive productivity and make informed decisions. And TriNet’s analytics offerings enable clients to turn their business data into analytics, generating reports with just a few clicks.

Are you interested in learning more about what TriNet can do for your business? Get in touch with their South Florida-based Senior Sales Consultant, Maria Vargas via email: Maria.Vargas@trinet.com.

11
Jul, 2022

By Nikki Cabus

Verizon’s Community Partnership Chat with Palm Beach-Based Startup Imanyco

Read Time 2 Minutes

Verizon’s Director of Local Engagement, State & Local Government Affairs, Merdochey LaFrance, sat down with Saïda Florexil, founder of Imanyco, a company that created a real-time transcription technology called Comunify that assists deaf and hard-of-hearing people during in-person group conversations. Their conversation touches on Imanyco’s participation in Verizon’s Forward for Good Accelerator.

Verizon’s Forward for Good Accelerator is part of Citizen Verizon, their business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement to help move the world forward for all. Verizon is on a mission to leave the world better than we found it by accelerating emerging solutions using 5G, MEC, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, & Extended Reality.

The current cohort’s focus is on Disability Innovation. Working with the disability community, Verizon is unlocking more than access, but advancing new technology to unlock opportunity for everyone. Verizon is working with startups who “authentically integrate people with disabilities into executive leadership roles, and have validated their solutions within the disability community” which is why Imanyco was a perfect fit for the current cohort as they work to support the deaf and hard of hearing community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26% or 61 million Americans live with with a disability. Just to be clear, that’s 1 in 4 people. Additionally, 5.9 percent of people with a disability are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing and the percentage of people living with disabilities is higher in the south.

As a deaf person herself, Saida understands what’s it’s like to not be able to fully be a part of a group conversation. Although she reads lips and body language very well, this is only helpful when communicating with a single person. Once in a group setting you can’t pay attention to multiple people, distinguish who is saying what and when, and often miss the majority of the conversation.

Comunify aims to be the most convenient live transcription app for the deaf and hard of hearing community that quickly and reliably identifies multiple speakers in a group conversation to allow each person to be better engaged and involved when others are speaking to them.

“While working with Verizon we were able to launch a testing program for our app and collect feedback from a diverse group of people. Verizon helped us to improve our product quality in terms of functionality, accessibility, and user experience and also helped us solidify a growth strategy,” said Saida. “As a company and as an entrepreneur, receiving support from a company such as Verizon opens up new opportunities.”

Check out the full conversation here to learn more about Verizon’s Forward for Good Accelerator and Communify by Imanyco.

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11
Jul, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | StevenDouglas

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: One of the nation’s leading boutique Search and Interim Resources firms, is a recognized leader in identifying and providing access to top talent for clients. Their client base is industry agnostic and ranges from start-ups and emerging middle-market to Fortune 500 companies and private equity firms. 

Founded: 1984

HQ: Fort Lauderdale

Website: StevenDouglas.com

 

Navigating today’s hiring landscape can be tricky. An all-time high number of job postings combined with increasing macroeconomic uncertainty makes the hiring process difficult for employers and employees alike.

Fort Lauderdale-based recruiting firm StevenDouglas can help. They act as trusted advisors, equipping their clients and candidates with the necessary tools for success. StevenDouglas takes a long-term perspective, focusing on forging long lasting partnerships in the industry.

Adriana Duque is Director of Client Services at StevenDouglas. In this role, she helps StevenDouglas’s tech clients fill a wide range of roles – from software engineering and UI/UX to business analytics and AI.

“The talent market is very tight right now,” she told South Florida Tech Hub. “Because of the prominence of remote working, the South Florida tech community is no longer competing just with other local organizations – but with organizations nationwide.” 

That said, Duque noted that the remote work revolution has also led to more talent and more tech companies moving to South Florida. She also expressed excitement about the influx of talent from bootcamps and graduates with tech-focused degrees. “It’s going to take a while to impact the talent market though,” she acknowledged.

Another major issue: compensation. “I believe that South Florida hasn’t caught up to the increase in salaries we see from companies from New York, for example,” she noted. 

But Duque urges firms to provide other benefits to lure top talent, such as remote working. “It’s a candidate-driven market right now,” she explained. “And when I talk to talent, they tell me that they don’t mind going into the office once or twice a week, but really they want to be primarily remote.”

As native South Floridian who has been recruiting in this market for over 20 years, Duque is passionate about helping lift up our local tech ecosystem. “South Florida Tech Hub has really been driving the mission of establishing South Florida as a top location for technology,” she asserted.

“My take is that if you build it, they will come,” Duque continued. “So we’re building it and companies are clearly starting to come.”

Duque also shared some key tips for tech employees looking for their next role. Top of the list: building a relationship with recruiters. “It’s all about timing. If you build a relationship with a recruiter and keep them posted on your job search, they’ll let you know as soon as there is a relevant opening.”

She also urges job seekers to do their homework. “It’s really important to do research. Don’t just send your resume through a website. Look into who the hiring manager is and send a message directly to them. It goes a long way.”

“Looking for a job is a full-time job,” she said. “The more effort you put into it, and the more you apply to jobs, the more likely you are to get another job.”

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25
Jun, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | PeakActivity

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: PeakActivity is a digital strategy and technology implementation company that guides progress for businesses at every point of their digital journey. 

Founded: 2012

HQ: Boynton Beach, FL

Website: PeakActivity.com

 

For many businesses, developing a digital strategy may feel like an insurmountable task. But one rapidly-growing South Florida company can help by acting as a trusted partner to help your business reach greater heights.

Meet Boynton Beach-based PeakActivity. The company has made a name for itself through its work helping businesses in South Florida and beyond take advantage of the opportunities in the ever-changing digital landscape – all while avoiding the major pitfalls.

Jeffrey Wilks is PeakActivity’s Chief Revenue Officer. Having worked for decades at the intersection of marketing and technology, Wilks has a unique insight into what exactly businesses need to level up their digital strategy.

“Our organization is about digital transformation,” Wilks told South Florida Tech Hub. “We see our job as helping companies progress on their digital journey.”

Wilks emphasized this idea of progress. “One of the reasons I like the notion of progress is that progress is positive regardless of your starting point,” he explained. “And that’s really important because we meet companies at different stages of their digital transformation every single day.”

The best way to understand the breadth and depth of PeakActivity’s business is through their four main areas of expertise.

 

  1. Modernization

PeakActivity will help implement modern technologies that drive transformative results. That includes:

  • Digital experience & eCommerce strategy 
  • Tech stack architecture, integration, and implementation 
  • Custom website, mobile application, and software development
  • Data architecture and microservices

Wilks explained that typical projects can range from helping customers with an outdated tech stack to helping improve an implementation that did not go to plan. “When we talk about modernization, it’s really about improving both the architecture and the execution of that technology stack.”

 

  1. Optimization

Optimization is most relevant for clients that have a well designed tech stack that has been implemented appropriately, but – in Wilks’ words – “for whatever reason their ecommerce environment is not performing to expectations.”

With PeakActivity’s support, businesses can increase ROI and customer engagement through continual optimization of their channels. Services include:

  • Multi-channel strategy
  • Business intelligence
  • User experience design
  • Search engine optimization
  • Conversion rate optimization
  • Email marketing

 

  1. Innovation

“We fundamentally believe that all organizations have great ideas in them,” said Wilks. “What they sometimes suffer from is the inability to get those ideas out and to act on those.” 

PeakActivity helps companies create unique customer experiences or products through innovative technologies. 

  • Go-to-market strategy
  • Innovation workshops 
  • Spatial computing
  • Machine learning

 

  1. Engineering services

“In today’s environment, it’s harder than ever to find great technical talent,” asserted Wilks. PeakActivity can help by providing experienced technical talent & leadership for hire using flexible working models.

  • Wide breadth of roles and seniority
  • Full managed services or external team integration
  • Part time, short term, or long term contracts
  • On-site, remote, or near-shore resources

For Wilks, these four strategic areas capture a wide range of the digital transformation challenges that their customers are facing. “That’s intentional on our part,” he noted. “We want to be helping clients in a variety of different ways, and clients very often have a variety of different needs.” The breadth of PeakActivity’s services mean that they’ll likely have a solution to any digital transformation problem they come across.

Learn more about PeakActivity’s offerings by visiting their website.

 

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25
Jun, 2022

By Riley Kaminer

Techstrong Group’s Alan Shimel on the state of South Florida tech

Read Time 3 Minutes

Alan Shimel, founder and CEO of the Techstrong Group, has seen his fair share of economic ups and downs in the more than three decades he’s been involved in the tech world. “I’ve been through the boom and bust cycles,” he told South Florida Tech Hub. “There’s no doubt that what we’re going through now is some sort of recession or correction. The market has changed in the last couple of months.”

How long this volatility lasts is difficult to predict, asserted Shimel. “It could be another two, three months. It could be a year or more.”

He believes that profitable companies with cash in their coffers will have no issue making it to the other side of this period of uncertainty. “You’re going to see a shakeout,” he explained. “A lot of the companies that raised money during 2021 but don’t have sound business models and business plans are going to have a hard time.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom for Shimel. “Economic downturns are also the best time to start new companies. It’s like fresh growth in the forest. And so I’m excited to see what new companies can come out of these times.”

No matter the direction in which the economy is trending, we can trust the TechStrong group’s wide range of media entities to keep us up-to-date on it all.

The Boca Raton-based omnichannel content company is empowering people and companies to come together and learn about what’s happening in the worlds of digital transformation, cybersecurity, the cloud, and DevOps.

Under the Techstrong Group’s umbrella are media brands such as DevOps.com, Security Boulevard, Container Journal, and TechstrongTV. The company also works to bring tech leaders, consultants, and vendors together to share their knowledge and learn from each other. This includes through their Techstrong Live! division, which hosts in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.

Shimel continues to be bullish about South Florida’s tech ecosystem, contending that our region has reached a critical mass of tech entrepreneurs and innovators. “It’s like a snowball rolling down a hill: once it’s of a certain size, nothing can stop it.” 

He praised the work of South Florida Tech Hub and other local organizations that have been promoting our ecosystem on national and international levels. However, he hinted at some growing pains facing our region: “The reality is that it’s not less expensive here anymore, and it’s getting more and more crowded.”

That said, Shimel highlighted the Boca Raton/Delray Beach area in particular as a bright light in South Florida’s innovation ecosystem. “We have all the things you need to build a strong community,” he said. That includes universities with top talent, ambitious entrepreneurs, a government friendly to tech, and investors with capital. Boca ticks all the boxes.

“Boca has always been very entrepreneurial, even going back to the IBM days,” underscored Shimel. And the best may be yet to come.

 

Learn more about the Techstrong Group

Business: The go-to source for unbiased information, insights and connections for IT professionals looking to excel personally and professionally

HQ: Boca Raton

Employees: More than 40

Website: TechStrongGroup.com

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