Building the Tech Ecosystem in South Florida: Insights from eMerge Americas 2025

On March 27, 2025, eMerge Americas hosted a panel discussion on the Main Stage to address the tech ecosystem in South Florida. Titled “From Campus to Capital: Fueling Florida’s Rise as Global Tech Powerhouse”, the session included Jaret Davis, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig specializing in technology and tech innovation South Florida, Manny Medina, founder of eMerge Americas, a successful entrepreneur and FAU alum dedicated to fostering tech ecosystems, and Adam Hasner, the eighth president of Florida Atlantic University, who brings legislative and business experience to advance FAU tech programs and research.

Together, they explored the critical role of universities in building the tech ecosystem in South Florida, focusing on tech talent South Florida, tech transfer in Florida, and global connectivity South Florida. The panel highlighted FAU’s growth as an R1 research institution, strategies for university-industry collaboration, and South Florida’s inclusive environment as a draw for global tech talent South Florida.

Their insights offered actionable solutions for leveraging education, research, and tech innovation South Florida to position South Florida as a global tech powerhouse, emphasizing FAU’s role in driving economic growth in 2025 and beyond.

Jaret Davis on the Role of Universities in Tech Ecosystems

Jaret Davis, the moderator, opened the panel by emphasizing the importance of universities in the tech ecosystem in South Florida.

Highlighting Educational Impact

“When Manny founded eMerge, there were so many reasons he did so. But one of the reasons was to bring the various components of a top-notch ecosystem together. A top education institution is part of that. We have Palo Alto, Stanford can take a little bit of credit for that. We have UT’s influence on Austin, MIT, Harvard on Boston. A top education institution, churning out talent, tech transfer, is absolutely critical. Today we have one of our own lead educational institutions that happens to be Manny Medina‘s alma mater, Florida Atlantic University, and their new president, the eighth president of FAU, Adam Hasner”.

Adam Hasner on FAU’s Vision for Innovation

Adam Hasner, president of FAU, shared his background and vision for advancing the tech ecosystem.

Personal Journey and FAU’s Growth

“I was here 10 years ago when Ray Kurzweil was on the stage and never realized that I would have the opportunity to sit with the visionary of Emerge. I did have the benefit and the honor of serving in the Florida Legislature from 2002 to 2010. And I’m from Boca Raton. I grew up in Palm Beach County and I was a champion at the time for Florida Atlantic University and being the one who helped secure the funding for our College of Medicine, for our engineering school, for our simulation center. And then even after, also for our ocean energy program right up the street in Broward County where we’re harnessing the Gulf Stream for energy. After serving in the legislature, I served on the College of Business Advisory Board for our dean. It was through all those experiences that I realized I still had a passion for public service. Being selected the eighth president of Florida Atlantic University, now I get to come back and help to create our vision for the future. And this is a really exciting time for Florida Atlantic University. As one of our most famous alum understands this, we are now joining five other Florida state universities as an R1 research institution. And that’s something that a lot of people would have never thought about Florida Atlantic historically.”

FAU’s Role in Tech Innovation

“There’s eight state or eight universities in Florida that are R1 research institutions. It is critically important, like you talked about with Stanford and University of Texas, but we now have this ecosystem of higher education to create the talent, to create the innovation and partner with industry that ultimately creates what we have down here. Unfortunately, it took a global pandemic for everyone to realize what you already knew and what many of us in this room already knew is that South Florida is an ideal place for innovation and for technology and for the capital investments. Right now, I think this is that next phase of when universities and higher education can partner with industry to create that next level of success and that next level of innovation.”

Manny Medina on FAU’s Impact and Ecosystem Building

Manny Medina, founder of Emerge Americas, discussed FAU’s role in his journey and the broader tech ecosystem in S. Florida.

FAU’s Transformational Influence

“I owe being here today to two institutions, in this order. First, to Miami Dade College. I’ve said this a million times, basically. And second, to Florida Atlantic University. My life changed at one point. It wasn’t, thank God to my mother, that she still gives me a hard time. I ended up going to Miami Dade College. That changed my life, and I ended up going to FAU, and that reaffirmed everything that I’ve learned in Miami Dade College. And so, FAU, for me, was fundamental, basically. I had matured. I basically, FAU was a small school at the time, and it was very camaraderie. I lived on campus. I literally lived on the down, in the dorms. The professors became friends, literally friends. And so, it wasn’t just about the education, and that’s really what happens in every institution. The education is important. To learn how to do things, technically, is important, but it’s even more important to learn how to learn. And if I want to summarize what FAU taught me, it’s to learn how to learn, right? And it was an amazing environment. I have dear friends that are still friends of mine to today, and FAU, those three years there, were transformational in my life.”

Universities as Ecosystem Foundations

“When we founded eMerge, the first thing that we do, because I always kind of like to copy success, basically, and this is what the Chinese do, so I do admire that from them. Not many think like that. Basically, we looked at every ecosystem that is successful, besides Silicon Valley, because everybody talks about Silicon Valley. Or New York, Boston. I mean, we went to Amsterdam, basically. Barcelona. I mean, there’s so many ecosystems that are successful, and it really all starts with a foundational education system that is next to none. That is the foundation. You gotta produce the talent, and then you also gotta produce the research, because the innovation really starts here, but it’s also there. So, the first calls that we made were to our dear universities to say, hey, and obviously, they all joined in. So, it is a fundamental part where everything stems from. Of course, then you need to have the folks to employ, people to finance, you’ve got the whole ecosystem. Well, the ecosystem starts with the education, basically, and this is why we are so proud, Adam, to have you leading FAU today.”

Adam Hasner on FAU’s Programs and Tech Transfer

Adam Hasner, president of FAU, discussed FAU’s programs and vision for tech transfer ,

Training Students for High-Demand Jobs

“First and foremost, you have to look at the Florida State University system, which is ranked number one by US News and World Report, and it’s because we’re focused on the right things. We’re focused on producing degrees in those high-demand job areas. And so, when you look at Florida Atlantic and how we’re aligning where we are today and where we wanna go, it is in those areas of engineering and science and math. And so, in our booth today, you saw our College of Engineering, which is the fastest-rising engineering program in the entire country. Look at the type of things that we’re doing in research at one of our campuses in Jupiter, Florida, just a little north of West Palm Beach, in the Life Sciences, where we have an honors college that focuses on STEM education and provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to do research alongside graduates and alongside some of the top researchers in the country and in the world. Our campus houses a Scripps Research Institute, Max Planck Florida Institute, it’s the only Max Planck Institute in North America, and then the very own Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. And so, when you look at what we’re doing in Life Sciences there as well, discovery, innovation, tech transfer, those are the types of things. And it’s all because of the vision that public policy makers in Florida have had to say, this is the direction we need to go in, and the state universities are all based, are all judged, I should say, on key metrics. And some of those key metrics include, are you graduating with a job? Are you also graduating with what types of degrees? And so we’re focused on making sure that we’re attracting those types of students to our universities and then producing them for what Manny talked about, that talent pipeline that is so critical to the jobs that are being created in our region and throughout our state, whether it’s in engineering, whether it’s in aerospace, other forms of innovation, life sciences, et cetera. So that’s really what our vision is in Florida, at Florida Atlantic University, is to make sure that we are turning out those students prepared for those careers of the future. ”

Vision for Tech Transfer

“The three legs of the stool, of being in the academia side, the government side, and the industry side, but to now be able to work with industry as they start to realize that Florida, and South Florida specifically, is a perfect destination for them to come to. Historically, that wasn’t always the case. And so now, the opportunity that we have in attracting these types of companies to come here, they know that there is talent. They know that there is tech. They know that there is capital. This is the perfect place, and academia, whether it’s Florida International University, whether it’s Florida Atlantic University, we have the ability to now partner with and collaborate with industry. And I know we’re doing it through our accelerators and our incubators on our campuses, and other universities are as well. But now that Florida has really been able to get past the perception that this is only a place that you come to to enjoy or come to to reward a life well lived, this is now a place where people are coming to start businesses. This is a place where people are coming to be able to create new ideas and innovations, and that’s what makes it so exciting for universities to be able to partner with these companies and be at the center of that universe of research and talent creation and innovation.”

Hasner’s insights show FAU’s role in the tech ecosystem. Furthermore, it focuses on talent and tech transfer in Florida. Thus, it supports innovation.

Manny Medina on South Florida’s Global Nexus

Manny Medina, founder of Emerge Americas, discussed South Florida’s international role in the tech ecosystem

Leveraging South Florida’s Acceptance

“One of the greatest assets that we have, it’s a little bit underestimated that we’re very accepting as a community. I had the real privilege of having done a significant amount of business in Silicon Valley. We actually built a number of data centers in Santa Clara, in San Jose. We literally, believe it or not, built the data center where Facebook was founded. It’s in the book, in the movie itself. So, basically, so I got to know Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is great, but let me tell you something. It is extremely difficult for you to break through if you’re a certain ethnic, and this is, I’m saying, people don’t like it when I say this, it’s really tough in Silicon Valley. And basically, it just, it’s a cliquish community. It’s very difficult to break in. In Miami, people don’t care. They really don’t care how bad your accent is. They really don’t care where you’re coming from. They, you are very accepting. And for those entrepreneurs that are out there, you know, coming from all over the world, having been, having experienced the difficulty of breaking into Silicon Valley, it is night and day breaking here. So, I think the one thing, and they go out of here as ambassadors. They go out of here saying, I cannot believe how well I was treated. So, the point that I’m making is, our acceptance, our open community, the fact that we are the way that we are is one of our greatest assets, and we should continue to exploit that in the good sense of the word.”

Medina’s insights highlight South Florida’s global appeal. Additionally, its acceptance strengthens the tech ecosystem. Consequently, this attracts international talent.

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Conclusion: Strategies for Tech Ecosystem Growth

The eMerge Americas panel on March 27, 2025, provided strategies for the tech ecosystem in South Florida. Jaret Davis emphasized universities’ role, Adam Hasner showcased FAU’s programs and tech transfer in Florida, and Manny Medina highlighted FAU’s impact and South Florida’s global nexus. The discussion addressed talent, innovation, and international connectivity, offering solutions for tech growth in 2025. Initiatives like eMerge Americas exemplify this commitment, fueling Florida’s rise as a global tech powerhouse.

Miami Local is thrilled to bring you key insights from this outstanding panel discussion