Today we’d like to introduce you to Carola Reina. They and their team shared their story with us below:
The name Miami Emprendedores was born in a coffee with my husband in 2014 in our country, Venezuela; thinking about what else we could do when we moved to Miami.
We moved in August 2015. I did a lot of things before waking up one day and deciding to dedicate my body and soul to this project. When you emigrate, the most valuable thing you leave behind is not the material: the house, the car, or your belongings. The most valuable thing you lose is your Network. Those people you grew up with, who know you and refer you.
When we arrived in this country we would have liked to have had a “Miami Entrepreneurs” to turn to and contribute. A Miami Entrepreneurs to which you BELONG. Our idea was to create a physical co-working, a place where entrepreneurs could meet and interact in person. The conditions of the premises were risky and the cost of error was very costly. We couldn’t afford it…
And then? I proposed to my husband to create Miami Emprendedores in Digital. He is a lawyer by profession, he does not have social networks, he looked at me out of the corner of his eye and answered:
– “If you see it, DO IT!”
In February 2018, I grabbed my car and decided to go out and meet people. The people who would lead me to advance this project.
“A Network that connects Hispanic entrepreneurs in the world”.
Talking about Miami Emprendedores is about a great connection opportunity for those Hispanics who arrive in the USA. Also, for those businesses that want to find professional Hispanics together in one place and also make themselves known.
Carola Reina, founder of this company, tells us: “Our goal as an organization is to connect ideas and initiatives in a plural business ecosystem that facilitates the development of different types of projects and build a network that promotes mutually advantageous exchanges.”
What does Miami Emprendedores offer?
In Miami Emprendedores we take care of the “soft landing” of Hispanics who come to this city in search of new relationships, opportunities, and professional contacts that may support them on the way to develop their businesses in the USA.
“This is very valuable when you arrive as an immigrant to a new country, they help you to shorten that path in the search for connections that usually take a long time to create”, says the Digital Business specialist. Among other services, Miami Emprendedores offers:
-Advice on the development process of your business: Training, Legal and Administrative Advice, Financing, and Investment Possibilities, among others.
-A network to connect with other entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium businesses.
-Relevant alliances to grow your business.
– A digital space where you can promote your business and attract new Customers.
The Entrepreneurial Directory: The Google of Entrepreneurs
After building an audience for months, in 2020 Miami Emprendedores launched its flagship product: the Entrepreneurial Directory (Directorio Emprendedor), being the first Hispanic business reference in Miami. This platform allows visibility to business owners and their initiatives. (www.directorio-emprendedor.com).
The Entrepreneurial Directory is a platform that connects ideas, talents, and ventures, with all those who wish to see them in a friendly online look and feel.
It currently has more than 250 members that can be found through 35 categories to explore in different business segments, from food and beverages, training, entertainment, consulting, branding, health, well-being, and insurance, to foundations and institutions, among others.
Users will be able to easily find businesses and services by area of interest or location and share reviews about them. “With Vision and Action, the limit does not exist”.
This Team has been touring the city of Miami for more than 5 years to bring new contacts to all those who need them. The Network is distinguished by the personality of its Brand, a Brand that is becoming more and more consolidated every day because it inspires confidence and positively communicates the entrepreneur’s work.
It currently has a willing consulting team that is built under the umbrella of an unprecedented Community willing to help all Hispanic entrepreneurs in Miami and beyond in all areas to boost the growth of their business.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Smooth, nothing!
There have been several stages of the process that I could identify as difficult.
The first: To Start!. I had the idea, but I didn’t know how to create a community. Audiences are born from patterns that are created and precede the community. The first reference is yourself when we talk about networks and the digital environment. Showing myself, and opening my life to the public, was the first challenge.
The second challenge was creating a team. The team of a community cannot be a simple profile that you search on LinkedIn, they must be people who feel related to the values and mission of that community. But they also have the skills and talent to advance.
Finally, I must mention that it has been a challenge to cross the Hispanic thread and make ourselves uncomfortable to make ourselves known outside of the Hispanic environment. We know that our community can be of interest to many American companies that are looking for this perfect profile of the “Hispanic Entrepreneur and Professional”, so we have decided to take a step forward and participate much more in activities that generate these necessary synergies.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have more than 22 years in the telecommunications industry, mobile applications, and the development of digital solutions, I am a specialist in the New Digital Economy, Electronic Commerce E-Business, a Digital Marketing Expert (Harvard Business School), and a graduate of the Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program in one of the most recognized Business Schools in the USA, Wharton Business School.
I am an end connector for high-performance multicultural teams, I enhance the positive attributes of people, creating productive connections. Along the road, I have had the opportunity to assume different roles, in different cities around the world (Caracas, Madrid, Panama, and Miami), and in my experience I have learned the importance of Networking and the power of relationships. That is why I created this fantastic network of entrepreneurs that has grown and now also offers consulting services led by part of our own members (More than 250 members so far).
My idea was not based on a product or simply limited this network to services, I decided to create a very defined audience: Hispanic entrepreneurs in the USA. My purpose is to promote, support, and advise a community of entrepreneurs so that, with their great ideas, they can add value to society and be part of a network that connects interests.
This is how Miami Emprendedores was born, my most recent project, with which I seek to encourage others in this adventure to independence in this Country.
“We understand that starting a business is not an easy task. We have done it and we know the barriers. Entering our network means having access to the experiences of hundreds of visionaries who have successfully implemented their ideas and who are able to promote yours”. “I know the journey, Let me show you and help you make your landing softer than you imagine”
Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
We have had several mentors. Companies and educational programs have given us their knowledge to reinforce our mission. Educating yourself is essential when you arrive in a new country.
We have built our own network, but we have drawn on others that already exist. Networking is the basis of our business. Our community is our product, so we always recommend that you not only stick to one network but belong to as many as possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://miamiemprendedores.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miamiemprendedores/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/65363558/admin/feed/posts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@miamiemprendedores1690
- Other: https://directorio-emprendedor.com/
