The annual awards by Lab22c go to innovators in the new Miami tech landscape
By Kylie Wang
On a rainy Thursday night in late September, a group of the best and brightest in Miami’s burgeoning tech world crowded the interior of Bay 13 Brewery & Kitchen in Miami’s haute suburb of Coral Gables. Attendees ranged from eMerge CEO and president Melissa Medina to CEO of NovoPayment Anabel Perez, and leaders from Delta, Northeastern University, and Blackstone, among others. All were there for the Miami Moonshot Awards, a new event put on by consulting agency Lab22c, which helps Miami-based entrepreneurs and businesses grow and scale up.
“The Moonshot Awards is linked to the origin of when we launched Lab22c last year,” says founder and managing partner Saif Ishoof. “As a Miami native, I’ve been working in our innovation ecosystem for 20-plus years and I’ve seen the ups and downs of building in South Florida. I know how lonely the innovators’ journey can be. Hype cycles might come and go, but the grind endures. We created the Moonshot Awards [this year] to celebrate the unsung heroes making Godzilla moves.”
The event honors those companies, funders, founders, and institutions who are building the future of South Florida’s economy. Seven awards were up for grabs. The Moonshot Award recognizes a leader that dreams big in the world of innovation, driven by a bold vision that has led to “moonshots” within Miami’s innovation ecosystem. Olga Naumovich, head of technology for Miami at Millennium Management, was this year’s recipient for her work growing technology offerings in Miami.
The eMerge Americas Convener Award acknowledges a leader who has convened communities of diverse thoughts and ideas, fueling innovation and building relationships. Antonio Delgado, VP of innovation and technology partnerships at Miami Dade College (MDC), won this year’s award for his work creating educational opportunities and positioning MDC as a trailblazer in tech education.
The Artemis Award goes to a new and bold entrant to Miami whose presence has already made a transformational impact. Blackstone, which opened an office in Miami in 2021, was the recipient. The asset management firm has already made big moves in South Florida, recently committing $5 million in charitable investments to five colleges in Florida, including Miami Dade College and Florida International University. The money will expand LaunchPad, Blackstone’s entrepreneurial skills-building program for students, at these schools.
The Velocity Award recognizes an early-stage founder who has been able to break free of the norm while building their business via demonstrable grit, tenacity, and joy. Anabel Perez, CEO and co-founder of NovoPayment, won the award for her creative approach to financial technology and Banking as a Service platforms. NovoPayment deploys technologies so banks can offer their services more broadly, primarily in Latin America where millions of residents have no bank accounts.
The Financial Literacy Award went to Jefferson Noël, an author and professor at Florida Memorial University, for his work in ensuring that the Miami community has the tools it needs to excel. As part of the award, Noël received a $5,000 check from Trade-Station to fund his work. His organization Barbershop Speaks uses a novel digital outreach platform to educate and inspire minority students to become more involved in their financial future.
The Miami Dreamer Award went to founding partner and Managing Director Jeff Ransdell of Fuel Venture Capital for his relentless belief in Miami and his willingness to share the Miami story to audiences across the globe. Ransdell’s group has helped fund 27 startups, many Miami-based, since 2017, including NovoPayment.
The Social Impact Award recognizes a nonprofit leader who has improved the lives of people in Miami through innovative programming and practices. Chelsea Wilkerson, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, was the recipient, owing to her encouragement of female entrepreneurship and commitment to STEM education.
