UGLY TALK: MIAMI FOUNDERS & FUNDERS
Miami’s startup glow-up isn’t all sunshine. Behind every big win is a founder who’s faced the fire—and an investor who’s seen it all. In this two-part edition of Ugly Talk, we dive deep into what it really takes to build and support innovative companies in Miami. We start with the founders—exploring what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s still misunderstood about launching in this city. Then we turn the mic to the investors to reveal the red flags, the green lights, and what truly builds long-term conviction in a Miami deal.
🧠 What You’ll Learn
Real Solutions for Miami Founders: Understand the “Miami effect” on early-stage traction and team building.
Overlooked Challenges: Explore the unique hurdles of operating in the Miami market.
Raw Founder Stories: Hear missteps, pivots, and unexpected wins straight from the trenches.
Investor Insights: Learn what makes Miami startups stand out—and what causes investors to hold back.
Building Relationships: Discover how local investors assess trust, potential, and community in a deal.
🎤 Who’s on the Panel
Panelists:
Ron Tarro - President of New World Angels
Ron is a tech exec, investor, and advisor for select clients. He is a big fan of founders, emerging technology companies, and investors who are changing the world through their work. Ron's background is in information technologies and telecommunications services, network technology, information security, cloud services, and enterprise software systems.
Nathaniel Vasel - Partner at Las Olas Venture Capital
Nate is a Partner at Las Olas Venture Capital (LOVC), where he leads early-stage investments in B2B software, with a focus on vertical AI workflow tools and supply chain technology. He serves as a Board Director at Letterhead, EcoMap, and Leasecake, and as a Board Observer at OneRail, Mosaic, Leverage, and Otto.
Net Kohen - CEO of Linkme
Net Kohen is the CEO and co-founder of Linkme, a Miami-based link-in-bio and social networking platform. Recently valued at over $100 million, Linkme serves millions of users across more than 180 countries.
Bruce Pinchbeck - Cofounder & Head of Marketing
Bruce Pinchbeck is the co-founder and Head of Marketing at Letterhead, a venture-backed email platform helping businesses and publishers grow and monetize their audiences through smarter newsletters. A longtime Miami entrepreneur, Bruce also co-founded The New Tropic, one of the city’s most recognizable media brands. His work has been featured by Oprah, Good Morning America, and The New York Times, and he's known for blending strategic thinking with creative execution to build brands that stick.
Special Speaker:
Carlos Garcia - Economic Development Strategist
Carlos Garcia is an experienced professional in governmental affairs, economic development, public relations, and community engagement. He currently serves as an Economic Development Strategist at the Miami Downtown Development Authority, where he leads initiatives to attract investment, grow businesses, and drive job creation.
Carlos has supported major infrastructure and public outreach projects for the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Power & Light, and has led communications efforts with Infinite Source Communications Group and The Valerin Group. His past roles also include advancing small business initiatives and managing public records at Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
He holds a Bachelor’s in Supervision and Management from Miami-Dade College, a Master’s in Management, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethical Leadership from St. Thomas University.
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👥 Who Else Is Going
Founders building or scaling in Miami
Entrepreneurs preparing for pre-seed to Series A fundraising
Angels, VCs, and community leaders plugged into the Miami startup scene
Startup-curious locals eager to get inside the game
🎯 Why You Should Attend
Unfiltered Insights: Hear directly from Miami’s founders and funders about the real challenges of launching and scaling.
Actionable Advice: Walk away with tactical tips to refine your pitch, fundraising strategy, and growth plans.
Insider Perspective: Get a clear view of the patterns, pitfalls, and power moves shaping Miami’s startup ecosystem.
Powerful Networking: Connect with key players actively building and investing in the Miami scene.
👔 Miami Venture Capital Community Partners:
Las Olas Venture Capital (LOVC) is a Miami-based early-stage venture capital firm that leads rounds in B2B software companies with initial investments of $1–3 million while working closely with portfolio founders.
New World Angel Groups is a group of Florida business leaders providing funding, knowledge, and guidance to entrepreneurs building early-stage companies.
🤝 Co-Hosted By
Miami Downtown Development Authority (MDDA) – Enhancing downtown Miami’s economic vitality through strategic initiatives.
The Hub at Office Logic - .Our goal is to bring together the existing ecosystem and provide a convenient one-stop shop for founders and entrepreneurs in our community. This will contribute to the growth of our city as a whole.
GREY Journal – Media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs.
🤝 Brand Partners
Synder- Accounting Automation Software for SME and Mid-Size up
PageCloud - Create 🎨 and launch 🚀 websites, popups, and banners that engage your audience, convert more users, and stand out from the crowd.
Tenable - As the trailblazer of exposure management, there is no cybersecurity leader more equipped to isolate and eradicate the exposures that pose the greatest threat to your business value, reputation and trust.
🎥 Event Vibes
Get a taste of past Ugly Talk energy:
⭐ About Ugly Talk
Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough “aha!” moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.
With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we’ve built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.