aīre ventures Launches to Support Inclusive, Diverse and EquitableInnovation Ecosystems In “The Magic City” and Beyond
Leigh-Ann Buchanan and team to depart from Venture Cafe network to lead aīre ventures, based on the lessons learned and successes achieved in Miami over the past five years.
MIAMI, FL (February 1, 2021) - Formally departing from the Venture Cafe Network, aīre ventures, led by Leigh-Ann Buchanan as President, is transitioning its focus to provide advisory and technical support to leaders and communities that desire to build technology, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems in South Florida and nationwide that are diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible for all.
As experienced practitioners, Buchanan and her team will bring to the table what many emerging markets across the country are seeking: assistance to develop ecosystem strategies that are outcome-oriented and inclusive; support to create actionable plans to bridge gaps in access to capital, opportunities and resources for founders; as well as data driven frameworks for accountability at an ecosystem level that measure both diversity and equity KPIs and founder experiences. The organization will also scale new and existing ventures that align with this mission, including Talent Scout, Opportunity Connect, Passport and Nyah Project.
Leigh-Ann Buchanan, President of aīre ventures explained,
“Now more than ever, we recognize the critical role ecosystems play in bridging access gaps in opportunity, economic mobility and capital in its many forms. We are eager to continue to serve the South Florida community by working collaboratively with local leadership and stakeholders to devise inclusive and equitable solutions to these systemic challenges.”
The exponential growth of Venture Cafe Miami under the leadership of the talented team at aīre ventures demonstrates their proven track record of impact. Originally established in 2016 as a platform for innovation community engagement, the organization rapidly expanded beyond connecting founders, investors and startup meetup groups to serving more than 54,000 innovators, facilitating 3400 hours of entrepreneurial support, and establishing 1000 partnerships over a five year period. These efforts served a diverse demographic of over 70% people of colour and 49% women.
“We’re sad to see Leigh-Ann go. We’re so proud of the work she and the team has accomplished over the last 5 years or so. Overall, we see a growing, exciting community in Miami and wish the team at aīre ventures nothing but the best,”
said Zara Crichton, President of CIC Venture Cafe Global Institute.
Buchanan explains the impetus behind the organization's expanded national focus:
“Innovation hubs that are REDI—racially equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible for all —don’t just appear out of thin air. They require intentional design and the right combination of partnerships, programs and community derived priorities. We are eager to put our learnings to work alongside other leaders and ecosystem builders to cultivate similar impact in other cities.”
aīre ventures is currently collaborating with local leaders to convene a series of town halls and community listening sessions focused on identifying strategic priorities for the tech and innovation community in Miami. Adding to its list of projects, aīre ventures will soon launch in collaboration with other builders, a scorecard survey as part of a multi-month ecosystem equity and inclusion assessment that will play an essential role in creating open source data and inform upcoming insight reports.
To learn more about aīre ventures, please visit www.aireventures.org.
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Media Contact: David Barkoe, Carve Communications for aīre ventures, 917-359-7222, david@carvecomms.com
