Technology
Miami discovers a Black-owned tech hub
Miami has a latest addition to its tech ecosystem: Source.
Downtown Miami welcomed a latest addition to its tech ecosystem on February 15 with the grand opening of The Source, a Black-owned tech center, in line with .
The project was led by Miami Gardens native Ted Lucas, founding father of Slip-N-Slide Records, and his business partner Hilmon Sorey, an experienced enterprise capitalist who has invested in over 100 firms, including Uber and Lyft.
“If you look like me, I want to see you help my community,” Lucas said. “For me it’s very important.”
The source is meant support local tech talent and support students, start-ups and small businesses through accelerators, workshops and networking opportunities.
Lucas recognized Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s efforts to draw tech founders to Miami and partnered with him through the COVID-19 pandemic to explore how Black residents could actively take part in the growing tech scene.
“Having a space like this is important because there are so many different organizations working on different aspects of the tech ecosystem,” said Stefan Owens, chief growth and investment officer at The Source. Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III, who attended the grand opening, expressed confidence in The Source’s commitment to supporting startup founders and empowering others.
Through a partnership between Lucas’ Tech Knowledge and Florida Memorial University, The Source supports tech boot camps by training local residents for future tech careers. “We’ve invested $500,000 in startups over the last two years and we’re just getting started,” Lucas said.
Desiray Malcolm, a single mother of two from Miami Gardens who worked in a warehouse, attended a technology boot camp at Florida Memorial University. She later became an Account Manager at Kaseya.
“They say this is the beginning of the Source, but I feel like we’ve already started,” Malcolm said.