Since its inception in 2023, Miami Tech Works has rapidly established itself as a key player in transforming South Florida into a thriving tech hub.
A critical partner in this initiative is Lineout Media, a local digital marketing agency that has been integral from the start, contributing significantly to the mission of enhancing the tech talent pipeline in the region.
Zachary Pinder, founder and CEO of Lineout Media, emphasizes the uniqueness of this collaboration.
“At Lineout Media, I’ve worked with over 200 clients over the past 11 years, and I’ve never had a client like Miami Tech Works.
It’s such an incredibly unique needle that we’re threading here.
We’re not just selling a product.
With Miami Tech Works, we’re trying to get emotional investment and buy-in from people in the community to ultimately invest in the resources around them,” he stated.
Backed by a generous $10 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge, Miami Tech Works has made strides in fostering collaborations with startups, enterprises, educational institutions, and the wider tech community over the past two years.
Their mission is straightforward yet ambitious: to bridge the gap between the demands of tech employers and the emerging talent network in South Florida.
Pinder notes the distinctiveness of their efforts, saying, “We were able to take part in building the value proposition of what Miami Tech Works is in the community, what role they play, their mission, and the ask of the community as a whole.”
Through their efforts in data gathering, brand development, and digital marketing strategy, Lineout Media has played a crucial role in shaping the identity of Miami Tech Works.
Their collaboration has resulted in the recruitment of over 50 companies into the Miami Tech Talent Coalition, the completion of more than 250 internships across South Florida, and the successful hiring of more than 300 local tech professionals.
Highlighting the effectiveness of this initiative is Naomi Lioy, an account coordinator at Lineout Media and a former participant in the BrainStation program sponsored by Miami Tech Works.
Her journey into tech illustrates the impact of Miami Tech Works in empowering local talent.
“I worked as an admin in real estate for over 10 years, and I found myself doing the marketing and design work in that atmosphere, which I really enjoyed.
That’s when I started to explore UX design,” Lioy recounted.
It was a friend from Miami Tech Works who introduced her to the BrainStation program, leading to a pivotal career change.
“I left work for three months, and did BrainStation’s UX Design program.
It ended up being really good for me.”
During her intensive three-month training at BrainStation, Lioy, along with her classmates, immersed themselves in the principles of UX design, learning programs such as Figma and exploring design processes.
Their commitment was rewarded when they won their cohort’s hackathon competition, partnering with Kaseya to develop an operations dashboard.
Lioy observed that many participants in BrainStation were established professionals looking to pivot into new fields.
“BrainStation allowed them to do that, giving students the confidence to try a new field, explore, build, and learn,” she explained.
She also emphasized how programs like BrainStation ignite a sense of ambition in individuals who may feel stagnant after years in the same role.
“After doing the same thing for so many years, you feel stagnant.
Sometimes, you might feel like you can’t go back to school or there’s no time for it when you reach a certain age.
But programs like BrainStation and Miami Tech Works give you that boost to feel like you’re capable of reaching those goals,” Lioy added.
The arrival of Lioy at Lineout Media represents a full-circle moment for Pinder and his team.
They set out to hire individuals who have been through the Miami Tech Works program and found a wealth of high-quality applications.
“Hiring Naomi was a full-circle moment for us.
We wanted to see what it looked like to hire someone from Miami Tech Works, and what we found was that we were getting much higher quality applications,” Pinder remarked.
He emphasized that the integration of Miami Tech Works resources into their hiring process yielded excellent results.
“We had a lot of really great candidates,” he noted.
However, the journey is far from over.
In an era marked by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and a growing demand for skilled technical professionals, the need for tech talent is becoming increasingly critical.
Pinder reflects on the positive developments instigated by Miami Tech Works and the Miami Tech Talent Coalition.
“There’s much more confidence about hiring local talent from Miami,” he said with optimism.
For employers looking to engage with the Miami Tech Talent Coalition, their involvement can significantly shape the future of the tech industry in Miami.
Creating a thriving and sustainable tech talent ecosystem is crucial for enhancing Miami’s status as an innovative hub and a desirable location for both businesses and professionals in the tech sector.
Interested employers are encouraged to join the Coalition and specify a work group of interest.
Additionally, there will be an in-person general meeting scheduled for September, and further details will be announced soon.
Stay connected with the coalition’s progress by signing up for their newsletter, visiting their website, and following Miami Tech Works on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.
image source from：refreshmiami
