Meet Roxette Miranda | CEO, Director, Thought Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Roxette Miranda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Roxette, what do you attribute your success to?
If there’s one word that can describe the factor behind success it’s adaptability. The ability to shift in situations quickly is something that is inherently uncomfortable for most, no one likes change; I thrive in it. Being a growth expert the one thing I’m truly passionate about is solving problems. To this day I’m faced with many problems I wish I could devote time to solving but, enjoy helping others that are working every day to do so. It’s how I ended up where I am today, wearing many hats and trying to be as involved as I can to give back to the community.

I’m born and bred Miami native from immigrant Nicaraguan parents who uprooted their lives during the war and came to NYC. Luckily for me, my parents decided to make Miami Beach their home. Growing up, I saw my dad work hard to become an entrepreneur and start his own A/C company, as a child, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I was stubborn, so when I set my mind on something, even if I was mediocre at it, I was determined to try and be the best at it. It was something that carries with me today. Throughout the years, I jumped into industries I never thought I would just because I was determined on whatever I was fixated on now. Call it ADHD, but, if I didn’t know how, I will sit there and learn till I did.

During my career, I enjoyed helping take small businesses to the next level. I joined a Medical Device company that was sold and later a SAAS/IT hardware company that was acquired. During the years at those two companies, it became apparent to me I wanted to keep growing companies and replicate this over and over. I was approached to launch a chapter for the Founder Institute, the largest global pre-seed tech accelerator. I’m still currently the Director for the Florida chapter helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their startups through the help of a network of mentors that have been supporting these endeavors for the last 3 years. I decided to start this chapter in conjunction while I was still at my corporate job at Yardi post-acquisition. I didn’t feel too passionate about the role at Yardi and found that Founder Institute was driving my passions.

During that time, I ran a ton of networking events, partnered with other organizations to do panels and workshops all around South Florida for Founder Institute, all while still talking on panels and workshops all around the US and Canada for Yardi. With that came the idea of taking a concept my partner had in NYC and launching it in Miami called Pitch Night, a monthly pitch competition for early-stage startups. It was wonderful seeing founders and investors get together and collaborate, plus all the traveling back and forth was a ride. Founder Institute and Pitch Night were purely altruistic, it was something I did to give back and help others connect in meaningful ways.

There came a point where I finally decided to take the knowledge, I built up throughout the years in the Coworking/Tech industry and the recent years building community in the Miami Tech scene to start a Coworking/event space called 305 Works. You know the saying when one door closes another one opens. It’s very true, the universe has a funny way of taking care of you when you least expect it. The dream of launching this venture with my partner fell through right before Covid, the biggest blessing in disguise. We pivoted and used 305 Works as a private arm for startup ventures. When I left Yardi, I decided to fully invest myself in 305 Works and do startup consulting, working as a Program Manager for Numa, a growth accelerator for international companies trying to launch in the US.

An opportunity for the CEO of The LAB Miami was shown to me, and load and behold, the Boss Babe of The LAB was crowned. With that came a lot of challenges, a lot of having to decide what opportunities to give up and what roles can I keep. Balancing how much I can juggle as I wanted to continue to give back. The LAB had a great reputation already, and now it was my turn to take it to the next level. The one thing I learned from all of this, ignore the critics. I won’t get into the ins and outs about the siloed South Florida Tech scene on this question but, the harsh reality is, a lot of people want to see you fail, think you’re undeserving and incapable. It comes with the territory, but with that also comes a large level of support, gratitude, and praise.

The ability to adapt and do something successfully in those moments when you feel you’re going against the tide for me is when I decide to adapt by giving back. It’s my defense mechanism it’s what makes the companies I’m a part of and myself successful. One thing is for certain, that having a team that you can start fresh with makes all the difference. I have been blessed to have found a team of determined and like-minded individuals to bring along with me on this adventure that without them, this journey to success for The LAB would not be possible. Obviously, my own personal altruistic endeavors can’t happen without a supporting partner, he’s the one who has to hear the complaints, wipe off the tears, and give me the words of encouragement.

The key takeaway from the cliff notes of the most important factor behind the success: Adapt, follow your passion, try to solve problems, ignore the haters, be grateful to those who support you, and just enjoy the ride wherever or whatever it takes you to.

cheers! Roxette Miranda

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Early I mentioned that I like to give back, it’s my defense mechanism, it’s the reason things like Founder Institute and Pitch Night were born. With The LAB, I decided I wanted to give it a new face and something I can call my own to let the community know that I still want to keep collaboration alive. Think Tank Thursdays became my baby to adapt, a way to make those who typically wouldn’t collaborate come together under one roof to do something magical. Once a month, a fully sponsored happy hour and networking event curated by the community with community partners to showcase what they do best free and turnkey. So far, we’re doing our 6th iteration and have been featured on News-Times, and other outlets as the best things to do in Miami. It’s really rewarding seeing the community come together to do something wonderful and give back. The LAB’s Think Thank Thursdays and the future of the space keeps me extremely busy along with Founder Institute. We’re launching our 5th cohort for Founder Institute and will consist of doing a lot of in-person events, in Orlando, Tampa, and South Florida for the next few months.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a big outing person. There would be a mixture of outdoor things like going to the Wildlife Zoological Refuge and Homestead farms to hang out. It’s a side of Miami most tourists don’t see along with trails in the Everglades. We have fantastic culinary experiences in Miami. I’m huge on experiential dining and on craft cocktails. I would take them to Nossa, love the speakeasy aspect of it, the lounge before, and then the omakase experience. It’s intimate and fun. If dinner requires more of a show, then definitely take them to Marion or El Tucan although Faena has a great one. There’s also a fantastic drag show at R house and Sweet Liberty. I live downtown, so I always love taking people to Lost boys because it’s a block or so away and a great place for cocktails. For the best views of the city, Sugar and for the best nighttime exclusive crowd Tea Room which is part of Sugar. For day parties, Hyde Beach pool party or SLS in Brickell. To end the week, you have to be on the water on a boat. There has to be a day on a boat and go to the sandbar or the Gable island party.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My partner, James Irvine, from the moment I met him, he’s encouraged me, he’s helped me, and supported me. There are days when you want to quit, days that are hard, and times when you’re at a crossroads, those are the days that having someone who truly cares about your success, your visions, and goals give you guidance makes all the difference. The last few years of rapid growth were thanks to a supporting partner.

My two new hires, Isabella Silverio and Juan Ricardo Leyva at The LAB. I came into a situation of animosity and challenges that any company faces when there are leadership changes. But, having these two individuals joined as the new faces of The LAB and quickly adapting along with me, are the reason the legacy continues.

Lastly, there are too many people to name but, all the mentors and partners that ever participated in all of the events, sessions, panels, competitions, etc. without their time, none of this would be possible, they are truly the reason I’m able to do any of the things I do today.

Website: www.thelabmiami.com /www.fi.co

Instagram: @thelabmiami @roxyroxstar

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxettemiranda/

Twitter: @thelabmiami

Other: https://www.meetup.com/Pitch-Night-MIA https://www.meetup.com/florida-startup-founder-101/ These are my meetup groups