Events

Join us to be a part of the beginning of an exciting week of events, where you’ll meet the team who put this week together, learn more about StartUP FIU, and learn about the innovative entrepreneurial and tech ecosystem in Miami!

Student Innovation Week Kickoff

Join us this summer to learn more about the various facets of Sustainability, with an exclusive guest speaker panel, and more!

​As part of Sustainability Social, StartUP FIU is hosting a panel discussion with guest speakers, Elizabeth Wheaton and David Bray! This month's theme is environmental sustainability, providing the opportunity to explore the topic in general and dive into specific issues regarding sustainability in the forests of Mexico.

​2 TED Talk Style Presentations (15-20 min each)

​After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

​A series dedicated to exploring the full dimension of sustainability and our responsibilities as a society. With expert guest speakers fostering the conversation, we create safe spaces to understand the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

​Sustainability Social welcomes all who want to advance the conversation beyond social media to the tangible factors that truly drive sustainability.

​Any student/faculty or community member who wants to learn more about sustainability is welcome to join us, regardless of major or previous level of expertise.

​Elizabeth Wheaton has been working with the City of Miami Beach since 2008 and over the last twelve years has served in the Public Works Department, Building Department, and the Office of the Mayor and Commission. In 2016, the Environment & Sustainability Department was created, and Elizabeth was appointed as the Director. The City’s Environment & Sustainability Department focuses on climate change mitigation and adaptation through the lens of sustainability, environmental resources management and urban forestry.

​Elizabeth Wheaton will present an introduction to Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability, and walk us through her 12 year journey in working with the City of Miami Beach.

​David Bray is a professor in the Earth and Environment Department at Florida International University. He carries out research on community forest management in Mexico and Central America and pursues interests in natural resource and ecosystem management in Latin America and globally.

​David Bray will share with us the ways in which Mexico’s community forests are a market-based solution for sustainable forest management in the developing world. Able to provide the people with natural resources and ecotourism, while still conserving its beautiful biodiversity and climate change fighting properties for future generations.

​StartUP FIU is a university-wide initiative that fosters and develops entrepreneurship and innovation to help our students, researchers, and community connect, contribute to, and thrive in today’s fast-changing world. We create and run programs based on two foundational beliefs: that the skills and principles of entrepreneurship are essential to navigate and harness the opportunities of our disruptive age, and that universities can play a unique role in unlocking opportunity and unleashing the potential to shape a better, more inclusive, and more innovative tomorrow.

Sustainability Social

Join us every Wednesday at 11:30 am at StartUP FIU or via Zoom!

 is a group dedicated to creating an open learning environment where people can share new topics, ideas, and knowledge, or ask for certain areas of expertise that are not yet available in schools/universities/online. 

Any student, researcher, or explorer, who wants to challenge their thinking is welcome to join us, regardless of the major or previous level of expertise.

Every Monday we post 3-5 articles that may be the target of discussion in this week's meeting. You can find the articles in our link tree here:

StartUP FIU: The 3rd Floor of the MARC Building at FIU's MMC Campus

https://fiu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIocOqrrj0qHtXbBFd_Nx070SbCZ15ol3rZ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

StartUP FIU is a university-wide innovation hub that fosters and develops entrepreneurship and innovation to help our students, researchers, and community connect, contribute to, and thrive in today’s fast-changing world. We create and run programs based on two foundational beliefs: that the skills and principles of entrepreneurship are essential to navigate and harness the opportunities of our disruptive age, and that universities can play a unique role in unlocking opportunity and unleashing potential to shape a better, more inclusive, and more innovative future.

Hacker Nation

Join us this Thursday, July 8th at 5:30 PM EST along with Saif Ishoof, VP of 

 community on Clubhouse. Join in on a tech startup 101 conversation and discussing all things Miami Tech Wave! Make sure to look for Saif via Clubhouse at 

Miami Tech Wave

As part of Sustainability Social, StartUP FIU is hosting a panel discussion with guest speakers! This month's theme is economic sustainability, providing the opportunity to explore the topic in general and dive into more specific issues.

A series dedicated to exploring the full dimension of sustainability and our responsibilities as a society. With expert guest speakers fostering the conversation, we create safe spaces to understand the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Sustainability Social welcomes all who want to advance the conversation beyond social media to the tangible factors that truly drive sustainability.

Any student/faculty or community member who wants to learn more about sustainability is welcome to join us, regardless of major or previous level of expertise.

Pallab Mozumder is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth & Environment (joint appointment with the Dept. of Economics) at Florida International University (FIU). He is interested in a diverse set of environmental and natural resource management issues (e.g. valuation of environmental goods and services, sustainable development, managing ecological vulnerability, water and coastal resources management). His current research focuses on understanding human dimensions of environmental changes and mitigation of natural hazards.  

Dr. Mozumder’s research focuses on environmental and natural resource economics, coastal resource management and interdisciplinary approaches in addressing complex environmental issues. He is interested in understanding the human dimensions of environmental changes and mitigation of natural hazards and disasters. Understanding human behavior in the face of environmental changes and prudent decision-making in managing natural resources are recurrent themes of his research.

StartUP FIU is a university-wide initiative that fosters and develops entrepreneurship and innovation to help our students, researchers, and community connect, contribute to, and thrive in today’s fast-changing world. We create and run programs based on two foundational beliefs: that the skills and principles of entrepreneurship are essential to navigate and harness the opportunities of our disruptive age, and that universities can play a unique role in unlocking opportunity and unleashing the potential to shape a better, more inclusive, and more innovative tomorrow.

Sutainability Social: Economic Sustainability

Join us every Tuesday for Student Hustlers: a student-led, virtual roundtable meant for student entrepreneurs to share their struggles, success stories, and lessons learned. 

It is designed to be a safe space to ask questions, discuss lessons learned, network, share experiences, and encourage each other on the unpredictable journey of being an entrepreneur. 💙💛

We invite students from every stage of the entrepreneurship journey, from individuals currently in the idea stage to those already earning revenue. 

We encourage any student to join regardless of their major or previous expertise! If you are a student, entrepreneur or inventor looking to network, challenge your thinking, or just getting involved with the community this event is for you. 💫

Student Hustlers

Welcome to our Student Innovation Week Kickoff, Join us August 30th from 2:00pm - 3:00pm!

This event will mark the start of the second ever Student Innovation Week at StartUP FIU!

Join us to be a part of the beginning of an exciting week of events, where you’ll meet the team who put this week together, learn more about StartUP FIU, and learn about the innovative entrepreneurial and tech ecosystem in Miami, with exciting guests from various organizations throughout Miami, including Refresh Miami, The LAB Miami, Launch Pad, and The Shrimp Society!

We invite students from all majors! If you are from Business or Computer Engineering all the way to Biology. Students who wish to learn more about different paths and explore how the entrepreneurial mindsets of others have helped pave innovative ways to success.

As a student, you will have the option of joining us in-person at the StartUP FIU Space (3rd floor of the MARC building) or Virtually through Zoom.

Student Innovation Week is a week-long series of events, hosted by StartUP FIU, celebrating student entrepreneurship and innovation within the FIU and the greater Miami community.

⭐️ Imagine Rush week, but for student entrepreneurship and innovation! ⭐️

SIW is scheduled from August 30th to September 3rd, 2021, filled with an amazing lineup of fun events and workshops using the many resources and learnings StartUP FIU has to offer!

Student Innovation Week Kickoff!

Join us to learn about crypto, how it’s changing, and its future in Miami!

The world of Cryptocurrencies is changing quickly, new coins appear faster than we can keep up and now cities and countries are trying to adopt these new coins. Join us for a presentation about Cryptocurrencies, how they work, where they are heading and the future of crypto in Miami with an industry expert.

Gianni D’Alerta has been working in technology, branding, and marketing for more than 20 years, beginning his career during the first dot com boom at one of Miami’s first ISPs. Gianni’s insatiable curiosity drew him to the blockchain industry in 2013 where he was an early supporter of Ethereum. Most recently, D’Alerta worked alongside Ethereum’s founder Anthony Di Iorio at Decentral/Jaxx as the Director of Marketing, leading the organization’s global branding initiatives. Earlier in his career, D’Alerta was an early employee of gaming hardware company Alienware – which was later acquired by Dell – where he led design initiatives and created the iconic identity seen by millions today.

SIW - The Future Of Crypto In Miami

Join us for a chat with inspiring women entrepreneurs and their path through this male-dominated industry!

Real Talks are virtual conversations where experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders share their lessons learned, what they wish they’d known when they started, and their collective wisdom with the next generation of students.

This Real Talk event will host a panel that focuses on the inspiring stories about Miami’s own female entrepreneurs and their journey to succeed in this fast-paced, male dominated industry.

Anna is the founder of English for IT, where she helps tech teams communicate better across cultures, rebuild and fortify the bridge between the development teams and the clients and offer worldwide coverage. She is also the author of 3 specialized online courses: English For Tech (Level 1 and 2), English For IT Communication, the author of the English For Tech coursebook, and the coursebook on effective communication in tech. Coming fall 2021.

Olivia Ramos is the founder and CEO of Deepblocks, artificial intelligence software, unlocking the development potential of any property. Singularity University graduate, a participant in the DARPA Innovation House, holds a master’s degree in Architecture from Columbia University and a second master's degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Miami.

Della Heiman’s desire to make healthy food affordable and accessible to all was the catalyst for della bowls. She moved to Miami in 2014 to open the first store; The Wynwood Yard, Miami’s first culinary incubator and community hub, which was open until 2019. In 2019, she partnered with Joe Furst, one of the driving forces behind Wynwood’s revitalization, to bring the Yard concept to Downtown Doral. The Doral Yard, an expansion of the original Yard. Previously, Della worked in the fields of political communications, textile manufacturing, and venture capital in the U.S., the Middle East and Asia. She holds a BA in History and Spanish Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

SIW - Real Talk: Women Entrepreneurs

Join and a panel of young entrepreneurs from The Shrimp Society on Tuesday, August 31st, at 11:00 a.m.(EST)!

As part of Student Innovation Week, StartUP FIU is hosting an SIW Special Edition of Student Hustlers on Tuesday, August 31st, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (EST). Join us on Zoom as we discuss entrepreneurship and the hustle involved in starting a business as a college student with some members of The Shrimp Society!

We invite students from all majors, from Business to Computer Engineering or from Biology to the Arts. Students who wish to learn more about different paths and explore how the entrepreneurial mindsets of others have helped pave innovative ways to success.

Student Hustlers at StartUP FIU is a group dedicated to creating an open learning environment where people can share new topics, ideas, and knowledge, or ask for certain areas of expertise that are not yet available in schools/universities/online.

The Shrimp Society is Miami's Tech, Entrepreneur, and Creative community. They are a community of early-stage entrepreneurs, founders, and startup operators in South Florida. The Shrimp covers the stories, news, and original insights across the #MiamiTech community.

⭐️ Imagine Rush week, but for student entrepreneurship and innovation!⭐️

SIW is scheduled from August 30th - September 3rd 2021, filled with an amazing lineup of fun virtual/ in person events and workshops using the many resources and learnings StartUP FIU has to offer!

SIW - Student Hustlers at StartUP FIU: Special Edition

Join us and StartUP FIU’s Emily Gresham & Bob Hacker as we discuss the importance of design thinking!

In today's fast paced world users are constantly bombarded with someone's new idea or invention. Everyday thousands of products and services are brought to market. But how do we ensure that as entrepreneurs what we bring to the table actually benefits our customers?

Join us for a conversation with StartUP FIU’s founders, Emily Gresham and Robert Hacker as they explain that every startup should use design thinking as a tool to put humans back in the center of their design!

Emily Gresham, AVP of Research & Economic Development and Co-Founder of StartUP FIU

Overseeing its Innovation and Economic Development unit, Emily leads efforts to stimulate economic development in the region by translating FIU’s strengths in research and scholarship into technology transfer, commercialization and entrepreneurship activities. An energetic, dynamic consensus builder with over 14 years of experience leading and supporting teams at prominent institutions in Miami, Emily is uniquely well informed about the economic, health, and social needs of Miami’s diverse communities and well connected to leaders in these sectors. A proven fundraiser, Emily has raised over $100 million during her career at the University of Miami, The Miami Foundation and FIU. The architect of FIU’s current strategic plan, Emily sees StartUP FIU as a platform to solve the community’s most pressing challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship.

Robert Hacker, Co-Founder and Director of StartUP FIU

Robert Hacker is the Co-founder and Director of StartUP FIU, where he focuses on commercializing faculty research in emerging technologies and curriculum innovation. He is a professor in the Honors College at FIU and he previously taught at MIT Sloan. He teaches courses in social entrepreneurship, mental frameworks in decision making and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He previously was the COO/CFO of One Laptop per Child, an international social venture started at the MIT Media Lab. He also built a billion dollar publicly-traded company in Indonesia. He is the author of two books on entrepreneurship.

SIW: Design Thinking

Hear what it's like to be a college student entrepreneur or innovator with experience in the social impact sphere!

Student Spotlight is a mini-series part of Student Innovation Week hosted by StartUP FIU. Through a series of Pecha Kucha** talks, students from our community get to share their experiences as entrepreneurs and innovators in their field! From social entrepreneurship to the unconventional student path, we will hear from our very own FIU panthers as well as students from our neighboring Miami based universities.

This edition, “Social Entrepreneurs”, will be joined by two student founders who will share their journey and what it's like to build social impact projects and compete in the national Hult Prize Competition!

**Pecha Kucha is a storytelling format where a presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds of commentary each.

SIW - Student Spotlight: Panthers in Social Impact

Student Innovation Week: Hacker Nation Special Edition

Join us on Wednesday, Sept 1st, at 11:30 a.m.(EST) to hear StartUP FIU’s Bob Hacker and participate in an engaging discussion with the rest of the Hacker Nation Community!

As part of Student Innovation Week, StartUP FIU is hosting a Special Edition of Hacker Nation on Wednesday, Sept 1st, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EST). Join us on Zoom as we discuss some various interesting topics!

This event is open to all FIU students regardless of major or previous experience!

StartUP FIU believes that any student should be able to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation from our offerings regardless of major or career path, and have designed all our events to welcome all students that wish to join our amazing StartUP FIU community! :)

Any student, researcher, or explorer, who wants to challenge their thinking is welcome to join us, regardless of the major or previous level of expertise. Anyone and everyone are welcome to attend this special edition event, as it will serve as an introduction to the Hacker Nation Community and the elaborate discussion that takes place weekly during these meetings.

Hacker Nation at StartUP FIU is a group dedicated to creating an open learning environment where people can share new topics, ideas, and knowledge, or ask for certain areas of expertise that are not yet available in schools/universities/online.

SIW - Hacker Nation: Special Edition

Real Talks is a mini-series part of Student Innovation Week hosted by StartUP FIU. Real Talks are virtual conversations where experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders share their lessons learned, what they wish they’d known when they started, and their collective wisdom with the next generation of students.

We invite students from all majors! If you are from Business, Hospitality or Computer Engineering all the way to Biology. Students who wish to learn more about different paths and explore how the entrepreneurial mindsets of others have helped pave innovative ways to success.

SIW - Real Talk: The Salty Donut

Join us to learn about the world of esports and game design!

We want to offer a fun and engaging time during the beginning of our Fall Semester for all FIU Students, that is why we are hosting a Real Talk focusing on Game Design and Development! Come enjoy a fun event highlighting the experiences of our guest speakers, Pedro M. Guerra and Daniel Montaner, and to learn more about the future of the gaming industry!

IT professional at FIU, and Director of GWG Studios. Game Development community organizer, and South Florida gamedev/gaming advocate.

Subject of talk: "So you want to be a game developer? - A small introduction for how to get started in game design and development.

Daniel has been involved in the Esports/Gaming industry since 2000 as a professional gamer until 2012. During his time as a professional gamer, he won multiple Major Championships, voted Esports Player of the Year 2005, North American Counter-Strike Player of the Decade, franchise player for DirecTV's Championship Gaming Series, and more. He has been a manager/consultant in the Esports/Gaming scene since 2015 working with organizations such as FaZe Clan, Florida International University, Miami Dade Community College, and more. Additionally, Daniel is a licensed Realtor in the State of Florida and was a top producing banker in his local market at BankUnited for over 2 years. More information on his gaming career 

We invite students of all majors, from Business to Computer Engineering or from Biology to the Arts. Students who wish to learn more about different paths and explore how the entrepreneurial mindsets of others have helped pave innovative ways to success.

Zoom Link: Register to this event through 

SIW - Esports and Game Design

Come enjoy a fun night of virtual gaming hosted by StartUP FIU and UPE!

We want to offer a fun and engaging time during our intense Student Innovation Week and the beginning of the semester for all FIU Students! That is why we are hosting an event in collaboration with UPE, this night will have a multitude of different multiplayer games and plenty of opportunities to meet new people, learn a little bit about StartUP FIU and UPE, and overall just have fun!

We invite students from all majors! If you are from Business or Computer Engineering all the way to Biology. This event is open to all students with an interest in gaming or wanting to learn more! We want to create a fun and safe space for everyone to enjoy their favorite video games while learning more about this amazing community :)

Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) is the largest student organization for technology at Florida International University (FIU). Their mission is to provide students with the opportunities to develop technically and professionally. To do so, they aim to build a community where any student, no matter the major or skill level, can learn and develop with technology. Students in our organization are eligible to join any of their various programs, workshops and events!

SIW - Gaming Night x UPE

As part of Sustainability Social, StartUP FIU is hosting a panel discussion with guest speakers! This edition is focusing on Sustainable Consumption, , providing the opportunity to explore the topic in general and dive into more specific issues.

- Upcycle Project is a multidisciplinary platform focused on creating circular solutions that transform waste into valuable raw materials to build a more resourceful world. Its main purpose lies in educating, inspiring, and helping companies find ingenious ways to reduce waste by applying creativity, circularity, and innovation to achieve their sustainability goals. Through partnerships, exhibitions, workshops, competitions and events, Upcycle Project aims to raise awareness in specific communities, making audiences experience sustainability in a close, exciting and fashion-forward context. Because you don’t have to stop doing what you do best to have a positive footprint in the world, let us help you re-think your impact.

 - As Founder of Upcycle Project, Gabriella has made it her goal to raise awareness about the waste the fashion industry creates. She's done this through hands-on workshops, student mentorship programs, inspiring discussions, TEDx Talks as well as disruptive events and products that result in creative circular solutions. As a conscious observer, she believes the future of fashion will evolve through textile waste management, innovation, sustainable sourcing, and ethical production.

SIW - Sustainability Social: Sustainable Consumption

Join us on Thursday September 2nd from 4:00pm-5:00pm (EST) To hear about what it's like to be a food entrepreneur or innovator as a college

As part of Student Innovation Week, StartUP FIU is hosting Student Spotlights on Thursday September 2nd from 4:00pm-5:00pm (EST). Join us and a panel of FIU graduate and undergraduate students on Zoom as we discuss what it is like to be a food entrepreneur and how these students started their business in the food industry.

For our “Becoming a Food Entrepreneur” Student Spotlight, three students will be sharing their journey on what it’s like to create new paths for themselves as student innovators and young professionals in the food industry.

We invite students from all majors! If you are from Business, Hospitality, or Computer Engineering all the way to Biology. Students who wish to learn more about different paths and explore how the entrepreneurial mindsets of others have helped pave innovative ways to success.

SIW - Student Spotlight: Becoming a Food Entrepreneur

A conversation on the change of the food industry with Maria Laureano from Hult Prize.

Do you ever wonder how you can change the world?

In a near future, the concept of entrepreneurship will inherently be social. Join us as we discuss the impact that sustainable businesses are having around the world. Furthermore, learn about 

, how to lead a generation to change the world, and what it takes to win $1 million!

All students who wish to learn more about different paths and explore how the entrepreneurial mindsets apply to responsible businesses.

Maria Alejandra Laureano is a 23 year old entrepreneurship enthusiast born in the Dominican Republic in 1997. She graduated from law school at Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) in Santo Domingo in 2018. Laureano has developed a career in eradicating poverty specializing through courses including ‘’Seminar for Antipovery Issues on Developing Countries” by Zhejiang University in 2017.

Nowadays, she is collaborating with Progresando con Solidaridad, a government institution in the Dominican Republic, creating Ecommerce platforms to commercialize local artisans goods. Also she is the Regional Manager of the Americas Region at Hult Prize, the most impactful social entrepreneurship movement in the world, leading and organizing more than 500 programs in the region and leading efforts to grow the movement and impact more university student lives.

For more than a decade, the Hult Prize Foundation has been transforming how young people envision their own possibilities as impact leaders of change in the world around them. Originally founded as a one-million dollar prize startup program, the organization today is the worldwide leader in impact education and has trained and graduated more than two-million alumni across 121 countries.

SIW - Innovation Around the World with Hult Prize

Ben is the co-owner and creative director of award winning bars the Sylvester and Beaker & Gray as well as co-founder of Unfiltered. He is a native Miamian who began working in bars in 2009 when he decided to follow his hear and leave the world of investment banking. Since the he has been selected twice as one of the Top 10 Bartenders in Miami by the Miami New Times and nominated for Best Bartender in the city by Eater. Potts was formerly director of training and bar education for Blackbird Ordinary, Purdy Lounge and The Bar in Coral Gables.

In 2014, Potts partnered with longtime friend Chef Brian Nasajon to create Beaker & Gray, Wynwood's go to spot for cocktails and modern cuisine. Beaker has been recognized as one of the best restaurant bars in Miami as well as a 4 time winner of The Art of Tiki cocktail competition at Sobe Food and Wine Festival. In 2019, Potts opened The Sylvester, a cocktail bar ode to old Florida. The Sylvester won Spirited Miami Best Cocktail Menu 2019 and is consistently recognized as one of the most innovative bar programs in Miami.

Gui Jaroschy was born and raised in Austin, Texas where a love of food, drink, and hospitality was instilled at an early age. He is co-founder of Unfiltered, a full service consulting and brand development company based in Miami, FL. Gui was named one of Food and Wine Magazine's 10 best new mixologists in 2015, Starchefs Rising Star Mixologist in 2016, and Spirited Miami's Bartender of the Year 2018. He was also featured as one of Miami New Times most interesting people of 2017.

As Director of Bars for Bar Lab, Broken Shaker was twice a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Bar Program, named Best amERICAN hOTEL bAR 2015 and 2017 at the Tales of the cocktail Spirited Awards and made the Drinks International lis of 50 Best Bars in the world 2014-2017. The Anderson Bar was named one of Esquire Magazine's Best Bars in American 2017. Over the course of his career, Gui has designed menus or collaborated on products with Williams Sonoma, British Airways, The Smithsonian Museum and The James Beard Foundation

SIW - Real Talk: Finding Your Passion In Hospitality 

Join us for StartUP FIU’s second Pitch Day for Student Innovation Week: showcasing our amazing student entrepreneurs!

​​Pitch Day for Student Innovation Week is an FIU-based showcase of student entrepreneurs where selected teams will have the chance to pitch their startups/ startup ideas to a panel of judges.

Teams that are selected to pitch during our event will have 3 minutes to present their startup ideas to a panel of judges followed by 3 minutes of Q&A. This is an amazing moment for teams to show off their amazing talent, meet like-minded individuals from FIU and the greater Miami community, and gain incredible experience in pitching!

Pitch Day is open for all FIU students, regardless of major or class standing!

​As a student, you will have the option of joining us in-person at the StartUP FIU Space (3rd floor of the MARC building) or Virtually through Zoom.

! Application deadline is Sunday, August 22nd at 11:59 pm.

After submitting your application, you can expect to receive a response from the StartUP FIU team with final decisions or further inquiries by Tuesday, August 24th.

Feel free to also join us in person as an audience member by registering to our event! The pitch competition will also be live streamed on our Instagram!

This competition is open to startups at ALL stages, and all applicants will be judged on an equal playing field regardless of their stage in the entrepreneurship journey (this means that you are not being judged on the current success of your startup, but on your insight to the problem you're addressing). :)

The StartUP FIU team is looking for students that are thoughtful, creative, driven, and simply excited about the journey that comes with being a student entrepreneur, whether they just have an idea they'd love to work on, or are already more established entrepreneurs that have launched their business.

SIW - Pitch Day

Join StartUP FIU for this fun event where everyone has the opportunity to share their talents through poetry, stories, dialogues, music, photography, sculptures, paintings or any form of art! All levels are welcome!

If you would like to support others, and not perform or display your art, that's okay too!

 To share / display your art at the event you must fill out this 

Starting at 4:00 p.m. the StartUP FIU space will be transformed into an art gala, showcasing students paintings, sculptures, pictures, etc. Fell free to stop by to walk through the exhibit and talk with the artists about their pieces.

Starting at 5:00 p.m. the mic will be opened up to students who wish to share poetry, song, music, stories, etc. You will be able to sit around the space an listen in as students share their pieces. This portion of the event will also be live streamed on StartUP FIU's instagram.

This event is open to all FIU students, faculty, and staff regardless of major or previous experience!

We want to give everyone in our FIU community a chance to showcase their talents :)

Apply here to showcase your talent / art!

Add yourself to the line-up by registering 

This event is In Person and the open mic will be live streamed through Instagram:

Join us in-person at the StartUP FIU Space, 3rd floor of the MARC building.

SIW - Talent Showcase

Dive into how your brain works and what triggers you, either positively or negatively, when you make the effort to be more innovative. Different settings, images, sounds, and experiences, influences you in different ways. Get to understand how your emotional brain works, and explore your unique flow profile--the conditions that make you feel your best and perform at your best when it comes to innovation. This new knowledge will be leveraged in a group activity where you will take on a creative task to come up with an impactful, feasible, and creative idea to improve your life or the world.

Red Bull Basement empowers student innovators in all areas of study to kickstart their ideas using technology to drive positive change. The aim is to connect and inspire all students to constructively challenge the status quo and make positive impacts, now and for the future. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur or an inventor to join – everyone is invited to the brainstorm.

​Open to all FIU students seeking to become more innovative regardless of their major, year, or level of expertise.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021, from 6 PM-8 PM. 

​11200 SW 8th Street, MARC Building 3rd Floor, Miami, FL 33174​

​StartUP FIU is a university-wide innovation hub that fosters and develops entrepreneurship and innovation to help our students, researchers, and community connect, contribute to, and thrive in today’s fast-changing world. We create and run programs based on two foundational beliefs: that the skills and principles of entrepreneurship are essential to navigate and harness the opportunities of our disruptive age, and that universities can play a unique role in unlocking opportunity and unleashing the potential to shape a better, more inclusive, and more innovative future.

Maria Angelica Subido, Campus Director - 

Gustavo Grande - Director, Venture Ready Programs - 

To Innovate is Human with Dido Balla
Rapid Innovation Studio

 is a 7-week learning experience designed to stimulate your creativity, critical thinking, and tolerance for ambiguity. Participants were able to 

 while learning human-centered design, customer discovery, and most importantly, how to innovate. On Thursday, December 2, students will present their ideas and prototypes and receive feedback from a panel of judges. 

Anyone interested to learn more about innovation and entrepreneurship through the lens of fellow students that are working towards the development of their ideas.

 5:30 pm-7:30 pm on Thursday, December 2, 2021

11200 SW 8th Street, MARC Building 3rd Floor, Miami, FL 33174

Contact Gustavo Grande, Director of Venture Ready Programs - 

​Join us for Rapid Innovation Studio’s Demo Day!

StartUP FIU introduces its newest roundtable: Student Idea Circle! 💡🌟

Student Idea Circle is a biweekly roundtable connecting FIU student entrepreneurs and innovators, focused on helping others out to take each startup to the next level!

Each session you’ll get the opportunity to ask for a request related to your startup/ startup idea or personal development, and fulfill someone else’s request by providing feedback, resources, or connections.

Register here to start becoming a part of this amazing community of entrepreneurs and innovators! 🙌🏼

​Open to all FIU students seeking to become more innovative regardless of their major, year, or level of experience. 

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM on Mondays, starting January 24th, 2022

​11200 SW 8th Street, MARC Building 3rd Floor, Miami, FL 33174

​StartUP FIU is a university-wide innovation hub that fosters and develops entrepreneurship and innovation to help our students, researchers, and community connect, contribute to, and thrive in today’s fast-changing world. We create and run programs based on two foundational beliefs: that the skills and principles of entrepreneurship are essential to navigate and harness the opportunities of our disruptive age, and that universities can play a unique role in unlocking opportunity and unleashing potential to shape a better, more inclusive, and more innovative future.

Lara Garcia - StartUP FIU Student Leader - 

Student Idea Circle

​Join us on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, 3:30 - 4:30pm!

StartUP FIU is back again with the Hult Prize On Campus Program!

Come and join us at our info session and learn more about the Hult Prize campus program and this year’s call to action, “Getting the World Back to Work.” Build a business that will employ at least 2,000 people by 2024 while creating a positive impact on the world

The Hult Prize is the world’s largest student competition for social entrepreneurs aiming to solve our world's most pertinent issues through scalable and sustainable solutions. The winner of the Hult Prize Global Finals receives $1 million in seed funding for their venture.

​Open to all FIU students no matter the year, age, or major, seeking to create an impactful idea surrounding this year’s Hult Prize Call to Action. 

Hult Prize Meetup & Info Session

​Join us on Thursday, January 27th, 2022, 3:30 - 4:30pm!

​Join us every Friday from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM at StartUP FIU!

Come and join us in our weekly meetups that offer content and workshops that will supplement your Hult Prize pitch and meet other students who will be competing with you in this competition! This year’s Hult Prize Call to Action is “Getting the World Back to Work”. We want YOU to build a business that will employ at least 2,000 people by 2024 while creating a positive impact on the world.

Gustavo Grande - Director, Venture Ready Programs and Student Entrepreneurship - 

Hult Prize Meetups

​Each session you’ll get the opportunity to ask for a request related to your startup/ startup idea or personal development, and fulfill someone else’s request by providing feedback, resources, or connections.

​Register here to start becoming a part of this amazing community of entrepreneurs and innovators! 🙌🏼

​​Open to all FIU students seeking to become more innovative regardless of their major, year, or level of experience. 

​3:30 PM - 4:30 PM on Mondays, starting January 24th, 2022

​​11200 SW 8th Street, MARC Building 3rd Floor, Miami, FL 33174

​​StartUP FIU is a university-wide innovation hub that fosters and develops entrepreneurship and innovation to help our students, researchers, and community connect, contribute to, and thrive in today’s fast-changing world. We create and run programs based on two foundational beliefs: that the skills and principles of entrepreneurship are essential to navigate and harness the opportunities of our disruptive age, and that universities can play a unique role in unlocking opportunity and unleashing potential to shape a better, more inclusive, and more innovative future.

​Lara Garcia - StartUP FIU Student Leader - 

​Gustavo Grande - Director, Venture Ready Programs - 

​Join us on Wednesday, February 16 from 12:30 - 2:30 PM to kickstart our first session of UPstarter Innovation Series

StartUP FIU introduces UPstarter Innovation Series! 

UPstarter Innovation Series teaches students the tools and skills about the essentials of innovation in 4 different sessions during the Spring semester. Each session is offered independently to attract a multi-disciplinary group of students. Students learn different frameworks and tactics that help them think more critically and creative.