North Miami Partners with Lightship Foundation to Launch Inclusion Focused Nomi Tech Program
The City of North Miami has announced the launch of Nomi Tech, an inclusion focused initiative intended to promote economic development in the region by supporting technology driven startups. North Miami is home to a population with over 62,000 residents, 60% of whom identify as Black.
Candice Matthews Brackeen, founder and CEO of Lightship Foundation
The program will include entrepreneur education programming through Lightship Bootcamp, a multi-day immersive series of workshops facilitated by Lightship Foundation, a national leader in providing resources and support to minority led tech startups throughout typically under-supported US regions including the Midwest and the South. Lightship will work with the City of North Miami to bridge the gap between minority led high-growth startups and meaningful opportunities through talent development and specialized programming. Lightship will provide guidance, support and the network necessary to achieve sustainable businesses in the North Miami ecosystem.
“As a Council, we gave our then City manager, Theresa Therilus, a directive to bring technology to our city. Through her hard work and leadership, we now have NOMI Tech. The formation of NoMI Tech has allowed for a partnership with the Lightship Foundation. The Lightship Foundation’s investment in our North Miami community will help create a competitive advantage for our residents that want to stay in the community they grew up in. The NOMI Tech program will provide them with the needed training to develop new skills for higher paying jobs in the technology industry. Keeping our talents at home while investing in their future is how you invest in your community”, stated North Miami Vice Mayor Mary Estime-Irvin.
North Miami Vice Mayor Mary Estime-Irvin
The Nomi Tech initiative is an ambitious plan to quickly launch the City to the competitive forefront of the greater Miami tech ecosystem. Nomi Tech promises to create a sustainable workforce by capitalizing on the region’s emerging strength as a national tech hub. The City expects this program to provide faster employment growth in “advanced industry” jobs, with the potential to generate higher incomes for small businesses and entrepreneurs located in the City of North Miami.
“As Miami is increasingly recognized as a strong force in the global tech driven economy, it’s important that ecosystems like North Miami that are largely represented by founders of color have the opportunity to capitalize, as well.” says Candice Matthews Brackeen, founder and CEO of Lightship Foundation. “We are honored to have been chosen by North Miami to join them in leading this effort and look forward to the progress our partnership will promote.”
North Miami’s Economic Development Director, John Lorfils
North Miami’s Economic Development Director, John Lorfils, commented, I’m glad to see this partnership come to fruition as North Miami positions itself in the technology industry. Making North Miami a premier destination for underrepresented founders to start and grow their business is a major priority. This partnership between Lightship Capital and the City of North Miami is not only going to provide a home for minority led startups but also the programming and resources needed for them to excel”.
More information at www.northmiamitech.com
MORE ON THE CITY OF NORTH MIAMI
The City of North Miami is the sixth-largest city in Miami-Dade County and is centrally located between Miami International Airport, the Port of Miami and Fort Lauderdale Airport. The city provides access to the beaches and a wide array of tourist attractions that include the award-winning Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Oleta River State Park, which is the largest urban park in the State of Florida. North Miami is also adjacent to Biscayne Bay and is home to the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University and Florida’s largest indoor attraction, Dezerland Park Miami.
MORE ON LIGHTSHIP FOUNDATION
Lightship Foundation is an impact-driven organization serving remarkable tech entrepreneurs & ecosystems across the United States. We leverage corporate partnerships, specialized programming and capital investments to drive growth within the minority innovation economy. Lightship provides founders the resources and direction their businesses need to scale.