Miami’s tech scene just got a major upgrade. Today, eMerge Americas announced its acquisition of Miami AI Hub, a community of over 4,000 people dedicated to building AI literacy and community through accessible education, events, and partnerships. Miami AI Hub founder Burhan Sebin will join eMerge as its first-ever chief AI officer, a newly created role focused on building partnerships, shaping policy, and launching programs that make South Florida a global AI magnet.
“eMerge has always been more than a two-day conference. This acquisition doubles down on our commitment to build Miami into a global AI hub, creating jobs, attracting capital, and inspiring the next generation of technologists. By acquiring Miami AI Hub and bringing Burhan in-house, we’re supercharging our ability to deliver cutting-edge AI content, not just in March, but every month of the year,” Melissa Medina, co-founder and CEO of eMerge Americas, told Refresh Miami.
The move reflects both the increasing importance of artificial intelligence in shaping business and culture and Miami’s ambition to be at the center of it. In his new role, Sebin [pictured above] will be fully hands-on at the Miami AI School, a new eMerge Americas flagship program launching later this year that will turn founders, operators, and creatives into AI-native leaders through three fast-track phases, each ending in real demos and solid portfolio pieces.
In addition to the Miami AI School, eMerge Americas will also be expanding its AI programming at its flagship conference when it returns in April 2026. Attendees can expect a larger eMerge AI Pavilion, showcasing cutting-edge startups, research, and applications, interactive demo zones where attendees can experience applied AI in real-time, and a curated track of world-class AI content, panels, and workshops.
As for Miami AI Hub, the community will stay intact but will now have a broader reach with eMerge Americas’ resources.
“Joining eMerge Americas is an incredible opportunity to scale our efforts and put South Florida on the map as a leader in the global AI ecosystem. Together we’ll build bridges across sectors and borders to drive responsible AI innovation from Miami,” Sebin said in a statement.


Nancy Dahlberg contributed to this report.
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