4 things to know in #MiamiTech: News about 500 Startups Growth Program, MDC's cybersecurity degree & more

 
1 Opportunity knocks: Deadline is Monday for Miami Growth Program

Applications for 500 Startups’ Miami Growth Program,   a multi-phased approach to help startups reach the next level of scalable and repeatable growth,  close on Monday, Aug 24.
Richard MacDonald, who I wrote about in February, is the instructor. The first phase of the program includes two fully remote Sales Acceleration Method workshops, while the second and third phase include guided coaching, best practices and end with a digital demo day, said Miguel Cruz Miami manager of 500 Startups.
How does the program work? Startups that apply and are accepted into Phase 1 are not guaranteed to participate in Phases 2 and 3. Top performing startups from each phase are invited to continue on through the program based on specific criteria. Learn more about the selection process here.
Who is this program for? The Growth Program is for founders of tech enabled startups that have already launched but have not yet found product market fit.
How much does it cost? Participation is free. There are no program fees and no equity is taken no matter what phase a startup completes.
Learn more and apply here.

2 Applications open for MDC’s new bachelor’s in cybersecurity

Miami Dade College’s School of Engineering and Technology (EnTec) is now accepting applications for its Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity program, which will be offered starting Spring 2021. Interested students should complete pre-requisite courses in the fall to be admitted to the program in the spring.    
Graduates can expect to obtain positions as Security System Administrators, Information Security Analyst, Vulnerability Analyst, Cyber Security Incident Response Specialist, and Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst. Although it was already a hot field, the global shift to online learning and remote work due to the pandemic has triggered an even larger need for cybersecurity professionals.  According to Salary.com, the salary range for information security and cybersecurity specialists in Florida typically falls between $115,630 to $145,710. 
“This will be the most affordable bachelor’s degree in South Florida that provides all the necessary skills to land a high-paying job in cybersecurity,” said Antonio Delgado, EnTec’s dean.
For more information: visit www.mdc.edu/cybersecuritybs/.
MDC’s Cybersecurity Center of the Americas, which opened two years ago at the Wolfson Campus, allows students to pursue several pathways, beginning with a College Credit Certificate in Network Security, which progresses to an Associate in Science in Cybersecurity, and culminates with the recently developed Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. 
In addition, EnTec was recently awarded three grants from the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation worth more than $500,000 to strengthen MDC’s cybersecurity programs, Delgado said,  EnTec will offer summer training programs for Miami-Dade County Public Schools high school students interested in exploring the field of cybersecurity.

3 Florida Funders closes first fund

Florida Funders announced it has closed its first fund, with investments in 35 tech-enabled startups. The fund was recently being recognized by CB Insights as the most active in the state and by Pitchbook as the most active in the Southeast.
So far in 2020, the $18 million fund’s investments have included: health-tech company Peerfit, Professional Credentials Exchange, Vugo, a ridesharing adtech startup, collaborative software developer Vizetto, and a follow-on for on-demand home-services app Homee. Existing portfolio companies based in South Florida include SimpleNight, ClassWallet, Secberus, Aerosens, Cast Ai, Vupulse and Raw Shorts.
In May, Florida Funders’ Managing Partner Tom Wallace told Refresh Miami that the partners plan to raise a second fund soon. The organization has a unique hybrid model. In addition to the fund, Florida Funders has nearly 1,500 investors on its crowdfunding platform. Once a company passes its rigorous due diligence, the fund typically puts in the first $500K and goes to the crowd to round out a million-dollar investment, Wallace told Refresh.

4 Co-working company eyes Wynwood

WeWork may be closing its original Miami Beach location, but other co-working spaces are still showing interest in the Miami area, which has the most spaces per capita in the country..
Spring Place, a co-working company with locations in Beverly Hills and Manhattan’s SoHo, is moving into the vacant 34,214-square-foot two-story building at 2143 NW First Ave., in Wynwood, according to a Miami Herald report. Construction could begin in September on the space that is planned to include office space on two floors, a restaurant and a rooftop terrace.
Spring Place will join WeWork, Spaces at Wynwood Cube and The LAB Miami, the city’s original entrepreneurial co-working space, in the artsy neighborhood. And it’s not alone in its interest despite a pandemic: Nexus and Location Ventures are also opening spaces in Coral Gables, the Miami Herald said.
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Nancy Dahlberg