Limpert Tech "SullyCast" on Radio 105.7 and iHeartRadio - Miami Tech

Rick has been in Miami this week - always looking at the latest tech and for tech stories in and out of the world of sports

Rick and Sully talk Miami and a lot more...

1.  Miami as a "Tech Hub"

Miami is now the second most entrepreneurial city in the U.S., with the highest startup density in the country at 247.6 startups per 100,000 people, according to the Kauffman Index. Its privileged proximity to both New York and Silicon Valley will allow this emerging ecosystem to consolidate its position as an entrepreneurial hub with the arrival of accelerators and VC funds.

Rather than trying to be the next Silicon Valley, Miami is following the lead of emerging tech hubs like Austin and Boulder, and is focusing on its strengths.

Miami is a city of many traits. Historically recognized for the sun, beach and tourists of South Beach, it has now become much more than that. With one of the most diverse populations in the country, Miami is the strategic capital of the Americas, binding Brazil and Spanish-speaking Latin America (LatAm) to the U.S. market.

2. A New Miami Tech Scene Came About Seven Years Ago

(Much like the current Atlanta tech scene, it involves people working together...
When “some of today’s most relevant players started forming and getting together,” as The Miami Herald’s Nancy Dhalberg put it. Florida International University hosted its first Americas Venture Capital Conference (2010), Susan Amat co-founded The Launch Pad at University of Miami (2008) and soon after she started Venture Hive, Miami’s most iconic incubator.

But is was in 2012 when, inspired by Dave McClure’s Geeks on a Plane stop in the city, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation decided Miami had a great shot at becoming a startup capital. Since then, the foundation started accelerating and funding different local initiatives, bringing new players to the scene and becoming instrumental in Endeavor, Venture for America, LaunchCode, Emerge, IME, The Idea Center, The LAB and 500 Startups, among others, landing in the city.
 

3. Marlins Park Retractable Roof  - Keeps fans cool and comfortable on hot and humid days

    Three panels elevated over the playing field and ballpark canopy.
    560 foot span, track to track - just short of two football fields in length.
    338,000 square feet of roof surface areas, or 7.76 acres.
    13-minute operation time from fully closed to fully open position.
    Roof panels can be operated independently to produce micro shading effects.
    Fifth retractable roof built over a ballpark in the U.S.

The retractable roof consists of three metal decked operable panels: one upper panel and two lower panels. The East and West panels are at a lower elevation over the stands and the center panel is at the highest elevation with 200 feet clear over second base to allow for "pop-flies". The retractable roof mechanization system is supported by two horizontal concrete track beams approximately 548 feet apart and 750 feet long.

When open, the Center Panel retracts to the west main entrance plaza and the East and West panels will retract underneath the Center panel.

The challenge is to move a combined 19 million pounds within 13 minutes, traveling at a speed of 39 feet per minute.

4. Everything Points to Miami's hosting of the MLB All Star Game in a few weeks

- No city does a sports party like Miami.
Improvements being made all over the city as it hosts the 2017 MLB All Star Game
New ridesharing pickup point at Marlins Park

The game and related activities, being produced by Major League Baseball and the Miami Marlins, are expected to generate about $70 million in economic impact and attract thousands of visitors, including television and radio crews from 57 countries. The event is broadcast to 100 million homes worldwide.

The downtown authority allocated $50,000 earlier this year to help support several events. Among them is Play Ball Park, a program that provides sports and educational activities for youth baseball and softball players and their families. Held at Bayfront Park, Play Ball Park will be open July 7 through 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, as well as July 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and July 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
The Electric Run, being billed as the “Major League Baseball All Star 5K,” is also partially funded by the authority. On July 8 at 8 p.m., participants will cross the PortMiami bridge to reach Bayfront Park.

On Sunday, July 9, the authority will be a sponsor of All-Star Zumba in Bayfront Park at 9:30 a.m. and the All-Star Gala at the Pérez Art Museum Miami from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. It is also a sponsor of the Red Carpet Show and Parade on July 11 at 12:30 p.m. The parade will kick off at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel and continue to the AmericanAirlines Arena.

By July 1, the authority expects to have furnished to 18 host hotels, 15 of which are downtown, brochures to guide visitors to restaurants, shopping, museums and other attractions. They are to be placed in each guest room and at the concierge counter.

The Downtown Ambassadors will also be on the streets daily to help provide directions and answer any questions visitors may have, an authority spokesperson said.
 

5. Miami Science Barge

http://www.miamisciencebarge.org/

The Science Barge is a floating marine laboratory and public environmental education center by the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science that catalyzes the local effort to build a sustainable Miami. It was conceived and designed by Ted Caplow and Nathalie Manzano as a floating environmental innovation lab, and opened to the  public in 2016. The Science Barge became part of Frost Science a year later to continue the mission  of science education and sustainability. Located on Biscayne Bay, in Downtown Miami’s Museum Park, the barge hosts a variety of living systems and marine experiments that display cutting-edge science and engage the public with their environment.

On board there are hydroponic systems, solar panels and more. The platform is designed to be a major focal point for STEM education and sustainability initiatives in Miami by showcasing Miami’s unique ecology and providing the forum to discuss the city’s future.

The Barge has passenger capacity up to 140 people.