There’s No Perfect Time For Disruption

In 1995, the late Clayton Christensen coined the term disruptive innovation.  It explains how new markets are created by providing a different set of values that eventually and unexpectedly replace the status quo.  This form of innovation is characterized by making offerings and experiences more accessible, affordable, and thereby available to a larger population. 

Disruption holds a special rank in my book. In part because it embodies the idea that change, while constant and uncomfortable, is the greatest source of opportunity to build anew; to shed old rules, convention, power structures, and systems that no longer serve a collective vision for now and what lies ahead.

After all, disruptive innovation represents the unique set of circumstances under which we all hold power to improve the human condition in an infinite number of ways.

Disruption.

I can think of no better term to describe the events of the last year.  From the tragic, widespread loss of life and economic fallout from the global pandemic, to the renewed national spotlight on the impact of racism in our society and the radical shift in our culture of work and life in community. 

At the same time, I also recognize that five years ago, our local ecosystem experienced a drastically different and smaller form of disruptive innovation: the introduction of the Venture Café Miami. 

I believe, and hope you do as well, that the signature #ThursdayGathering helped to reshape our community in a profound way.  Week by week, it provided a special place to connect with other innovators.  Accessible by all and designed for everyone, this unique platform made it easy for us to collaborate and move out of entrenched silos.  

We convened a space for connecting across lines of difference, including racial, gender, socio-economic, ability and any form identity distinction. A forum to share, learn, engage, or play, this intentionally flat culture thrived on engineered  serendipity, belonging and authentic relationship building. 

In fact, the only limitation imposed on it was on the number of beers one could consume in a single evening. (Don't dare ask the #barcrew for a fourth!)  

We've served more than 54,000 innovators, facilitated over 3400 hours of entrepreneurial support in partnership with over 1000 organizations and presenters. What's more, these efforts served a diverse demographic of over 70% people of colour and 49% women.  

But, over everything else, what stands out the most are the moments of alchemy -- when the energy felt like pure magic.  As Pilar Guzman Zavala, Kevin Kreuger, and Corey Davis and Danny Anzueto recently shared with us in the #vcmconnects video series, this very atmosphere catalyzed an optimal environment to connect innovators to make things happen.

Yet, it's so hard to pick a favourite gathering from the 216+ we've hosted over the last five years.  My personal Top 5  includes : Capital Days Florida, Global Innovation Xchange Curaçao, Takeover Nights by The Miami Foundation, MDC MAGIC, and of course, the Overtown Connect Cohort 1 Graduation.

 Bold Moves, Inspired Action

Our team is leaving the Venture Cafe Global network and rebranding our organization as aīre ventures.  

We will provide advisory and technical support to leaders and communities that desire to build technology, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems locally and beyond that are diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible for all. We will also scale new and existing ventures that align with this mission, including Talent Scout, Opportunity Connect, Passport and Nyah Project.   

This by no means was an easy decision, nor one that we took lightly. However, 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 and the unique opportunities for disruptive innovation in this space. 

We look forward to building upon our internal team’s strengths, values, and passions, while continuing to collaborate with you in this new capacity to better serve the South Florida community and others nationwide.

Change: The Only Constant

We’re thrilled to share this new chapter with you, and thank you for all your support along the way. 

We're eager to celebrate the incredible partnerships and personal relationships we’ve built with you and so many others in the community that are the key to our collective success over the year, starting with the release of CATALYZE, our 5 year impact summary.

During the transition, we will host two open forums to answer questions from the community:

Thursday, February 4th from 6-7pm

Thursday, February 18th from 7-8pm 

Over the next month, we hope you'll participate in the upcoming community town halls focused on Unlocking Capital and Inclusive Investment (Feb. 11) and Creating a Regional Tech Advantage (Feb. 25) as well as the ecosystem scorecard. All are aimed at identifying strategic priorities for the local tech and innovation community through a lens of equity, inclusion, and access.

Last but certainly not least, save the date and join our team for a final #VCMVirtual gathering Thursday, February 25th from 7:30-8:30pm to celebrate the past 5 years.  

Space In Between

While our team is moving forward together in this new adventure and experiment in impact, we appreciate the essential role that VCM plays in the community. The Venture Cafe Global Institute (VCGI) will continue to convene the #ThursdayGathering in Miami starting in March 2021. We all appreciate your patience and understanding during the transition period.

For those who have programmatic or event partnerships with us this February, we will continue to honour our commitments. Our programming team is readily available to ensure these collaborations are a success.

Please share your questions, concerns, advice, and most importantly, any untold stories of connection with me or members of our team

 Leigh-Ann + The  aīre ventures team.