Pioneers at MDC

During these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that those who need it the most have access to their basic needs and feel welcomed in their communities. Listen to our conversation with Valencia Gunder, Co-director of The Smile Trust, a non-profit organization that fights homelessness and tackles food insecurity in Florida and beyond. Valencia shares how she got started on her journey as a social entrepreneur, what makes a successful leader, and the importance of keeping connected with other organizations in the community.

In honor of Black History Month we sat down with Gregory Johnson, Program Director of Code for Miami and Advocate for Civic Innovation at Microsoft TechSpark Miami, to discuss the impact that Civic Innovation can have in our community. Gregory’s passion is centered around Public Interest Technology which he considers to be work that helps solve government issues and build better cities. 

In this episode we chatted with Alfredo Salas, Vice Chair of the Miami Dade College Foundation and proud member of the MDC Alumni Hall of Fame, on why mentoring is important for professional and personal development. Al Salas’ experience in the food service business starts at age 14, when Salas got a job working in a Burger King restaurant. His dedication and customer service caught the eye of Jim McLamore, founding father of Burger King, during one of his field visits. Mentored by Jim, Al became the youngest mini area manager for the chain at only 18 years of age.

As the Miami metropolitan area keeps growing, traffic is becoming more unbearable than it already is. How can we reduce our dependence on cars and think of more eco-friendly ways to get around the city? In this episode, David Winterstein from Velocia, Christine Johnson from the Miami Dade Beacon Council, and Sebastian Gomez Puerto from SunVessel, discuss how we can incentivize the use of public transportation and alternative mobility solutions in order to reduce traffic and pollution issues. 

Tony Garcia is the Principal of Street Plans Collaborative and coauthor of the globally acclaimed series Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action, Long-Term Change. He shares how Tactical Urbanism can help us create better public spaces, and shape and reimagine our beautiful Miami. 

We sat down for a mindful conversation with Suzanne Jewell, Chief Innovation Officer and Facilitator/Coach for The Mindful Entrepreneur. Suzanne shares how training our attention and focusing in our conscious awareness shifts our human experience and entrepreneurial journey.   

Lauren Harper, Founding Director at Social Venture Partners, shares the purpose behind Social Venture Partners and the importance of their role in supporting changemaking social entrepreneurs in Miami.

On this episode of Pioneers at MDC, Leticia Pollock of Panther Coffee and Pilar Guzman-Zavala of Half-moon Empanadas sat down with us to chat about the importance of having the right mindset, taking risks and staying true to one's values as you start your own venture. 

Turning Data into Action - David Smith, TheVentureCity’s Growth Data Scientist shares his experience working with Big Data. In this episode, Smith discusses the importance of correctly analyzing your data to make data-driven decisions.

Chad Bernstein, CEO & Co-Founder of Guitars Over Guns (GOGO) and professional musician discusses human rights in the context of music education. In this episode, Bernstein highlights how GOGO uses music to reach disenfranchised youth. 

Author Maria Carla Chicuen of Achieving the College Dream: You Don't Need to Be Rich to Attend a Top School shares the story of her academic journey and offers great tips on how to navigate through the complicated college admission application process. 

Civic Engagement and Innovation with Steven Levine, Co-founder of Meteorite Social Impact Advisors, who shares his experience leading the #VoteTogether campaign and the TurboVote challenge.

Finding your Voice — The Power of Confidence where best-selling author Heather Monahan talks on the importance of developing confidence and self-esteem and how it translates to success in respective careers.

Closing the Gender Gap in Technology a conversation with Johanna Mikkola, Co-founder of Wyncode Academy. Johanna shares insights about the importance of diversity in building a strong technology ecosystem.

The Idea Center Executive Director Romi Bhatia describes the genesis of its Pioneers @MDC monthly speaker series and the launch of its podcast to give a voice to the Miami community.!