All about the Miami Tech Pod

Cesar was born and raised in Miami. He is a government affairs and communications consultant for tech companies at Converge Government Affairs. His clients include some of the world’s most innovative tech companies such as Zillow, REEF, Nuro, Revel, EA, Lilium, Vivid Seats, etc.
Prior to joining Converge, Cesar managed Uber’s government affairs work before state and local government in Florida for three years and was instrumental in the passage of statewide ridesharing regulations. His advocacy at Uber also extended to autonomous vehicle legislation, negotiating a multi-million dollar settlement with Miami-Dade County, and leading strategy for contract negotiations with a half-dozen Florida airports. Shortly after, Cesar transitioned to a role on Uber’s Public Policy team for Central America and the Caribbean, where he represented the company’s interest before the national governments of seven countries.

Maria Derchi Russo is the VP of Platform & Community at Florida Funders, a hybrid venture capital fund and angel network investing in early stage startups with a goal of transforming Florida from the Sunshine State to the Startup State. Florida Funders has been ranked the most active venture capital fund in Florida by CB Insights for the last two years.

Maria Derchi Russo is also the Executive Director of Refresh Miami, a non-profit which has served as the hub of the Miami Tech community since 2006. She is also the founder of Women in Miami Tech (WIMT), a group dedicated to supporting and advancing women in technology in South Florida.

Maria spent the first ten years of her career running marketing programs for startups including Travelzoo and ParkJockey (now REEF Technology).

Will Weinraub is a serial entrepreneur and currently CEO and Co-Founder of OnChain Studios, the makers for the NFT gaming platform Cryptoys. Before OnChain Studios, Will founded Miami-based startup LiveNinja which was acquired in 2017.

Will also invests in startups through Flamingo Capital and runs The Local Leaders Collective, an organization that helps founders overcome challenges through peer support. On the personal side, Will is obsessed with Miami sports (the Heat and Dolphins in particular), has three kids (Victoria, Kevin, and Tyler) and an Australian Shepherd (Ace). He also has a strong affinity towards really good southern bbq and thinks the best flavor combination in the world is chocolate and peanut butter.

Native Miamian, Founder of Refresh Miami, Director of The Launch Pad at the University of Miami.
Brian is the Director of The Launch Pad at the University of Miami. At The Launch Pad, Brian teaches, mentors, and supports the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Brian has been supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Miami since 2004.

Brian is a serial entrepreneur, most recently co-founding JPegMorgan, Deal Flow Miami, VCDB, FLStartups, and this podcast.