Who's who at Tech & Invest Miami 2024 Conference
Who's who at Tech & Invest Miami 2024 Conference
Calcalist and Bank Leumi will be hosting Tech & Invest – the first tech and investment conference in Miami on November 13-15th, bringing together local investors and prominent Israeli entrepreneurs with a focus on the hottest startups. Miami is experiencing a remarkable resurgence as many tech entrepreneurs move their operations there from New York, Silicon Valley and around the world.
Most people think that the U.S. tech industry is confined to the reaches of Silicon Valley and New York, but a new frontier has steadily been drawing a community of business people, tech entrepreneurs, and visionaries: Miami. Companies are betting big on the Sunshine State’s business center and relocating their operations from traditional tech hubs both in the U.S. and globally.
As part of a series of conferences promoting Israeli tech and business worldwide, Calcalist will spotlight Miami as a new business and tech hub. The city has been establishing itself over the past decade as a major tech and financial center in the U.S. and globally. On November 13-15th, Calcalist, in collaboration with Bank Leumi, will host Tech & Invest - the first tech and investment conference in the rapidly growing center of the U.S. Southeast.
During the conference, participants will explore Miami’s strengths as a rising investment and tech hub, highlighting the city’s core strengths and its prominent sectors within its evolving ecosystem, with a focus on promising, innovative startups. Events bringing together local investors and Israeli entrepreneurs will examine how Miami could serve as an attractive alternative to hubs like San Francisco and New York and how the city is likely to develop in the coming years. Additionally, participants will discuss how technology and innovation manifest across various fields in Miami, from national defense, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence to real estate, energy, and climate challenges.
The conference will kick off on Wednesday, November 13th, with a reception at HaSalon, a restaurant by Israeli chef Eyal Shani on Miami Beach’s famous South Beach promenade, surrounded by colorful Art Deco hotels, which the city is famous for. The plenary sessions will take place the following day at Faena Forum’s conference hall and will be opened by Bank Leumi CEO Hanan Friedman, G City Founder and CEO Chaim Katzman, and Calcalist Founder and Publisher Yoel Esteron.
“The war and Israel’s economic challenges only emphasize the critical need to promote Israeli business in international markets. Calcalist is contributing to this national effort through our international conferences,” Esteron said ahead of the event.
Friedman noted that, “this generation of tech entrepreneurs repeatedly proves it can surpass early predictions and exceed expectations - not only in their service on the battlefield but also across all economic sectors. I believe this extraordinary generation will continue to bring unprecedented growth and prosperity to Israel after the war. Our role is to create optimal conditions for them so that Israel continues to lead global tech entrepreneurship.”
The October 7th attacks and Israel’s ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon impact everything from the daily life of all Israelis to international relations, the economy, and tech partnerships with global allies. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, and now Vice Chairman at Blackstone, will discuss how democracies can collaborate to leverage economic partnerships for global stability. As Vice Chairman for Strategy and Client Relations, Nides oversees a range of strategic initiatives and special projects at Blackstone - the world’s largest alternative investment firm - focusing on maintaining senior client relations worldwide. Nides served as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel from 2021 to 2023 and previously spent over a decade at Morgan Stanley in various roles, including COO and Vice Chairman. During the conference, Nides will speak in a one-on-one session on the main stage with Yifat Oron, CEO of Blackstone Israel.
Following the discussion, Ruby Chen, father of Israeli-American Itay Chen, who was murdered on October 7th and whose body continues to be held by Hamas in Gaza, will join Nides and Oron. Chen represents the families of American hostages in talks with the U.S. government and advocates for economic sanctions against terrorist organizations. Sgt. Itay Chen was a 19-year-old soldier who served in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 75th battalion. He was initially believed to have been abducted alive from Nahal Oz on October 7th, but in March 2024, Israel’s Chief Military Rabbi declared him deceased based on evidence reviewed by the IDF. His father, a venture capitalist and director at high-tech firms, emigrated from the U.S. to Israel around 30 years ago and met with U.S. President Joe Biden after Itay’s death was confirmed.
Retired Maj. General Amir Eshel, former Commander of the Israeli Air Force and Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, will discuss the technological revolution in the Israeli Air Force and the evolution of defense industries. After retiring from the IDF, Eshel served on the board of directors at BIRD Aerosystems, a global provider of air defense technologies and solutions, as Chairman of Intel Tech, and as head of the Planning Directorate in the Israeli General Staff he led initiatives to increase Israel’s defense exports and procure medical equipment. He also led R&D efforts with Israel’s defense industries.
In a session titled “Transforming Miami into a Global Tech Hub,” Keith Rabois, Managing Director at Khosla Ventures, will discuss the journey of top-tier investors from garage-stage startups to managing large-scale investments in tech giants. Rabois has held senior roles at major tech companies, including PayPal, LinkedIn, and Block, and is consistently ranked among the world’s top investors thanks to his significant investments in successful startups, including DoorDash, Affirm, and Faire.
Khosla Ventures, a private venture capital firm founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, believes in Miami’s growing tech scene and actively seeks to engage in it. The firm manages $3.1 billion across three funds which invest in startups spanning various sectors, such as AI, climate, sustainability, fintech, digital health, and pioneering technologies.
New opportunities await
In another discussion on the new era in Miami, Howard Lerman, Founder and CEO at Roam and Co-Founder of Yext; Melissa Medina, Co-Founder, CEO & President at eMerge Americas; Gary Fatakhov COO & Co-Founder at Siemplify; and Zohar Dayan SVP of Product at Vimeo, formerly Co-Founder at Wibbitz, will discuss the new opportunities Miami offers to businesspeople and entrepreneurs.
Lerman started his journey as a serial entrepreneur as a college student when he co-founded JustATip.com which made him a key player in the tech world. Following the sale of that company, he founded other successful ventures, including Intwine, which ultimately merged into Yext, a digital platform allowing brands to manage and update their business information across online channels. Lerman stepped down as CEO of Yext in 2022 and currently serves as chairman and founder of several companies, including Confide and Roam, which focuses on remote work solutions.
Medina aims to promote South Florida as a global tech hub. With over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, investor, community leader, and philanthropist, she is a recognized tech leader in South Florida.
High-tech entrepreneur Ilan Twig, Co-founder and CTO of Navan (formerly TripActions), will participate in a panel entitled, “Navigating Israel's Tech Economy Through Turbulent Waters: Leadership and Innovation in the Face of Disruption.” Navan provides an AI-based system for planning and booking business travel, with Twig leading the company’s development and engineering teams. Before founding Navan, he co-founded StreamOnce, a multimedia platform acquired by Jive Software, and held key positions at leading tech companies like HP and RockMelt. Additional panel participants will include Nili Shalev, CEO at the Israel Export Institute; Rinat Zilberstein, VP at AT&T Global and GM at its Israel R&D Center; and Bruce Taragin, Managing Director at Blumberg Capital.
The influx of investors, financial entities, and tech companies to Miami has increased interest in the city’s real estate, from offices to luxury residences. With positive migration, Miami is establishing itself as a hub of culture, art, music, high fashion, and gourmet dining. A panel will be devoted to the subject, entitled, “Real Estate Reimagined: Innovation, Investment, and the Future Landscape of the East Coast” featuring Russell Galbut, Managing Director of Crescent Heights and Chairman of GFO Investments; Zvi Gordon, CEO at Gazit Horizons; Liat Shuv, Head of Corporate Banking at Bank Leumi; Shlomo Khoudari, Managing Partner at Elion Partners; Melissa Rose, Senior Managing Director at global real estate company JLL Capital Markets, and moderated by Anat Katz, Israel’s Economic Attaché to North America.
JLL provides commercial real estate services, including consulting, asset management, and investment. The company integrates advanced technology and analytics to improve processes and decision-making. Rose specializes in securing financing for commercial properties in the U.S. Over the last two decades, she has closed deals worth more than $5 billion. Previously, she worked at leading real estate firms such as Ackman-Ziff and Maxwelle Real Estate. Rose is also active in the real estate industry, as a member of the Urban Land Institute and serves on the advisory board for real estate development at the University of Miami Law School.
The AI revolution and its economic and legal implications will be another topic discussed at the conference. Peter Yared, founder and CEO of InCountry, specializes in data residency regulation solutions, determining where personal data must be stored and processed according to each country’s laws. Yared, who founded InCountry in 2017 in response to the growing importance of data control, will speak on the impact of AI tools on the media in the era of fake news. InCountry helps multinational companies comply with local data protection regulations in various countries, with a special focus on regions like China, Saudi Arabia, and India. The company's success is evident as many Fortune 100 companies choose it to store sensitive data.
Jeremy Suard, the Co-Founder and CEO of Israeli company Exodigo who moved to Miami this year, will explain the military and civilian applications enabled by Exodigo’s groundbreaking technology for mapping underground spaces. Suard will detail the transition from applications in real estate to military uses, particularly for mapping terror tunnels in Gaza and Lebanon.
Another representative of pioneering Israeli entrepreneurship is Ben Alfi, Co-Founder and CEO of agritech company Bluewhite, who will discuss how AI and autonomous driving technologies are revolutionizing agriculture. Bluewhite’s solutions combine sensor technology, AI algorithms, and a user-friendly interface to help farmers optimize work in the fields and produce more with fewer resources.
Other conference participants will include Dina Ben-Tal Ganancia, CEO of El Al; Kevin Cochrane, CMO of Vultr; Dr. Oshrat Fono-Yativ, Deputy Director of Beilinson Hospital; Yaki Noyman, CEO of Doral; Gideon Argov, Founder & General Partner at New Era Capital; Dotan Weiner, Head of Real Estate at TS Group; Eyal Bino, Founding Partner at 97212 Ventures; Aya Peterburg, Co-Founder at SCapital VC; Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, Consul General of Israel in Miami; Nicole Priel, Partner at Ibex Fund; and Peter Paltchik, two-time Olympic Medalist and CEO of the Paltchik Foundation.
Networking events
After the morning discussions at the conference plenary, closed sessions will be held for invited guests only, including a discussion led by global energy company Doral on resilience, growth, and renewable energy, with a focus on technologies, initiatives, and innovative solutions in the renewable energy sector.
Another exclusive networking event for investors, high-tech industry executives, and visionary entrepreneurs will be held in the afternoon in the conference hall, in collaboration with Miami_Israel Collective, which connects Miami’s high-tech scene with the Israeli ecosystem, and the Yazamiyot, which promotes female entrepreneurs in Israel and globally.
Alongside these meetings and plenary discussions, a video interview studio will operate, where journalists from Calcalist and CTech will speak with executives, investors, and startup founders about collaborations between Israeli entrepreneurs and investors in Miami, the resilience of Israeli innovation, transforming industries through artificial intelligence, linking global technology to the financial heart of Florida, and more.
The third day of the conference, Friday, November 15, will be dedicated to exploring Miami’s key investment hubs and will include a tour with Israeli real estate company G City in Brickell - Miami's prime business district. Another exclusive networking event and breakfast will take place at Novela Cafe Social's co-working space in the Wynwood neighborhood, in partnership with Miami_Israel Collective, where top executives and entrepreneurs from Miami’s high-tech community will meet conference participants.
As with all Calcalist international conferences, the Tech & Invest conference in Miami will feature a cadre of promising Israeli startups selected by Calcalist. During the conference, these entrepreneurs will meet with potential international investors and clients, and in the second half of the conference, they will showcase their startups on stage in a special demo day featuring some of the most compelling Israeli companies of the moment.
The demo day will be opened by Maya Eisen Zafrir, CEO of LeumiTech, and among the selected entrepreneurs presenting on stage will be Yuval Golan, Founder and CEO of Waltz; Maya Shaposhnik Cadena, CEO of Vetted Pet Health; Ori Dangur, CEO of Spinframe; Dov Fettman, CFO of Tevel Aerobotics Technologies; Orly Shoavi, Co-Founder and CEO of ClarityQ; Avinoam Barak, Co-Founder and CEO of Carteav Technologies; Gaby Diamant, Founder and CEO of Bridgewise; Ofer Klein, Co-Founder and CEO of Reco; Idan Cohen, CEO of Pick A Pier; Benjamin Segal, CEO of Matia; Tal Kollender, Co-Founder and CEO of GYTPOL; Omri Weinberg, Co-Founder and CRO of DoControl; and Shani Bibi, Co-Founder and CEO of CODAsign.ai.
Florida: 36,000 tech companies and impressive venture capital growth
Florida, the third-largest state in the U.S. with a population of 22.5 million, has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years. Its strategic location and business-friendly environment have attracted a substantial flow of businesses, investment, and talent. According to SelectFlorida, Florida’s economy is robust, with a $1.4 trillion GDP, surpassing that of many countries worldwide.
Florida's thriving business sector includes 2.8 million businesses employing over 10.9 million people, with a low unemployment rate of 2.7%. Its international trade and investments are also significant, with over $190 billion in international trade and $100 billion in foreign direct investment stocks. The state’s tourism industry is a key economic driver, attracting nearly 140 million visitors annually, including 15 million international tourists.
In the last decade, Florida’s tech sector has emerged as a central force behind its economic growth. The state's research and development expenditures exceed $11.3 billion, and venture capital investments in 2022 reached $9.7 billion. With over 600,000 employees in 36,344 high-tech companies, Florida ranks as the third-largest tech exporter in the U.S. The state saw the highest growth in venture capital deal volume from 2021 to 2022, with $9.7 billion invested across 601 deals in 2022. This surge in venture capital funding supports startups across various sectors, including crypto, space, sports, gaming, cybersecurity, medtech, proptech, and more.
Florida’s favorable business climate has drawn major financial institutions to the state, such as Citadel, the $51 billion hedge fund, which moved its headquarters to Miami in 2022, and Ark Investment, an asset management firm with over $80 billion, which relocated from New York to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2021. One critical reason for the relocation of financial institutions to Florida, and Miami in particular, is the state's low corporate income tax rate of 5.5%, with many small businesses exempt. Florida also has no personal income tax, making it a more tax-friendly state compared to many other states in the U.S. and globally.
