Project looks for tech startups in Coral Gables

Anyone who knows me, knows about my passion for entrepreneurs. I grew up in Russia in the 70's, we didn't have any true entrepreneurs at the time, so now I am endlessly fascinated by people who have ideas, take chances, who create things and get things done. 

I am also obsessed with a question why Miami and more specifically Coral Gables where I live, doesn't seem to produce technology startup companies in a way Silicon Valley in California does. All in all, we have many techies in the area and many great support organizations, such as Miami BarCamp, Refresh Miami, University of Miami's LauchPad

In the recent Forbes survey of  America's Top 25 Towns To Live Well, Coral Gables was ranked number nine over all and the third for its number of small businesses per capita. But survey also noted that "Coral Gables has a low share of young and educated workers, suggesting that Miami grads don't stick around into their mid-20s through 30s."

I worked in tech PR for a number of years, in a Coral Gables agency, The Pen Group. And although I left PR about five years ago when I discovered that I could earn my living as an artist, I never lost my interest in tech.

Little did I know that this year my desire to make Coral Gables a hub for innovation, will get an unexpected boost from Silicon Valley.

About a year ago I came across a blog by Sramana Mitra  a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, an M.I.T alumni and Forbes columnist. I spent hours poring over her interviews of successful entrepreneurs, most of whom bootstrapped their companies form an idea to million and a few to billion dollars in revenues.

Sramana, who launched three startups of her own, for the last fifteen years interviewed startup founders on their strategies and ways to avoid common mistakes. 

From that she published book series called Entrepreneur Journeys, which I always recommend to every startup company I ever come across.

Criticizing repeatedly Obama's administration for its lack of serious support for entrepreneurs, Sramana finally came up with her own way to help. This year, she took on a personal challenge to create one million entrepreneurs worldwide with $1 million in revenue each (project 1M1M ) and called for help from volunteers.

I promptly volunteered, dreaming about $1 million-dollar-in-revenue startups springing up all over Coral Gables, growing rapidly, developing into South Florida startup ecosystem, creating jobs, generating tax dollars, giving venture capitalists new companies to invest in,
keeping young techies happy and home not looking elsewhere for greener pastures.

Since February 1st, 2010, Sramana's 1M1M movement gained over 200 volunteers worldwide. To my delight, Leena Heiman, of Ave Phoenix.us, who is also in Coral Gables, found Sramana's blog on her own and also joined in enthusiastically.

Sramana plans to support 1M1M entrepreneurs with her online strategy roundtables where any startup can pitch their
idea every Thursday and get Silicon Valley-style feedback.

We also look for tech startups in Coral Gables that are on their way to reach $1 million revenues. We will consider interviewing them on Sramana's blog read by tech community worldwide. Please send us contacts of any startups that fit the profile.

Think about it, if Sramana Mitra, without any assistance, other than for enthusiastic volunteers, could launch a global initiate in support of entrepreneurship, think what we can do in Coral Gables if we all pitch in?

Please post your comments bellow and let us know what you think. We will answer all your questions. Thank you.

Let's make Coral Gables known for entrepreneurial innovation worldwide!

Irina Patterson
1M/1M Project

http://bit.ly/cGiRbs
786-301-2456