The City of Miami was selected to participate in the MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP), an initiative led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. Miami will be part of Cohort 11, joining a group of global regions that aim to accelerate innovation-driven entrepreneurship, the City of Miami announced Tuesday.
As part of a two-year program that runs through 2026, Miami’s team will collaborate with MIT faculty and global peers to design and deploy strategies that harness the city’s unique assets while addressing its specific challenges. REAP’s approach to enhancing regional entrepreneurial ecosystems includes intensive workshops, mentoring, and action-driven projects. With the program’s help, the Miami team aims to drive significant job creation, increased investment in local startups, and the establishment of Miami as a leading global hub for innovation.
“Miami’s selection for MIT’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program underscores our city’s exceptional capacity to lead in innovation-driven economic development. This opportunity, typically reserved for entire nations or large regions, highlights Miami’s unique strengths and our commitment to fostering a world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, in a statement.
Miami’s participation will be led by Micaela Brandy Alvarez, Jason Saltzman, and Ethan James Appleby, who bring diverse experience and vision to the program. Their goal: To mobilize key stakeholders that include government, entrepreneurs, corporates, investors, and academic institutions to develop and implement a cohesive strategy for regional growth.
Brandy Alvarez, a global operations leader, has built 9 plants and deployed over a billion dollars in capital for top global CPG brands, midsize manufacturers and startups. Saltzman, founder of Relief, a startup aimed at helping people manage their debt, has also run innovation programs for high-growth startups and large organizations and served as the Vice Chair of Enterprise Growth at Florida International University and as a former FIU Foundation board member. Appleby is a design-thinking consultant, venture-backed founder, and venture investor. He has launched and scaled products that address complex challenges for startups, governments, and world-leading brands.
“I believe Miami is at a transformative moment for the city’s entrepreneurial landscape, and if it achieves its potential, it will be home to the modern-day Renaissance. MIT REAP is a key piece to connect Miami’s talent and innovation with global expertise,” Appleby said.
Other members of REAP’s Cohort 11 include Botswana; Edmonton, Canada;: Hualien County, Taiwan; Europe’s Heilbronn-Franconia region; Latin America’s Valparaíso region; and Michigan. For more information on Miami’s participation in MIT REAP or to get involved, contact [email protected].
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