Forward Thinkers Show

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show, host Coral Miniel interviews Ace Gaddi, Head of Growth at Series.so , an AI social networking platform redefining warm introductions. We dive into: Ace’s journey from Arkansas to New York and breaking into the startup scene The importance of networking, personal branding, and building warm introductions Cultural representation in tech and the rise of wo...

In this episode of The Forward Thinkers Show, Coral sits down with Amy Austin Renshaw, Founder and CEO of Code/Art, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing female representation in tech through creative coding. Code/Art introduces girls in grades 3-12 to coding through art-based lessons, coding clubs, and competitions. Amy shares her journey from MIT sloan to tech education leader and discusses how ea...

How can thinking beyond specialization fuel creativity and success? On this episode of the Forward Thinker Show, Rose De Sicilia —an FIU graduate with a BS in Computer Science—shares how her diverse experiences at Apple, Microsoft, startups, and research in AI and data analysis have shaped her unique career path. 💡 Here’s what you’ll learn: How interdisciplinary thinking can drive innovation in t...

In this episode, we feature Isabella Vieira Estrada, a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur, who’s reshaping mentorship with her initiative, Coffee Chats with Isa . From Puerto Rico to Miami, Isabella navigated academic and cultural challenges before landing internships at Tesla, Google, and Boeing. Now a rotational engineer at Boston Dynamics, she shares how mentorship helped her break barriers a...

This episode takes a deep dive into the art of building software and thriving in hackathons with Leon Kipkoech, Founder and President of the FNU Tech Club. Leon, a serial hackathon winner with over 15 competitions under his belt, is an award-winning engineer, researcher at MIT, and mentor. He shares his inspiring journey from Nairobi, Kenya, to becoming a prominent figure in Miami’s tech scene. In...

In this episode, we explore how accelerators are shaping the future of entrepreneurship by fostering interconnected ecosystems. Our guest, Lina Enriquez, originally from the Dominican Republic, shares insights on the "five-factor model" and how it supports tough tech founders. Lina graduated from Florida International University (FIU) in data analytics, blending her interests in human decision-mak...

In this episode of the Forward Thinker Show, Coral sits down with Olbin Gill, a mechanical engineering student, former president and advisor of FIU's Eco Engineering Club, regional winner of the NIFTY competition, and current Founder of Mango , a tech startup that empowers Florida's small farmers. Recognized as one of South Florida's innovators under 25, Olbin shares his inspiring journey from Hon...

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show , host Coral welcomes D. Colin Rocker, the "First-Gen Professional," a father, career-focused content creator, and advocate with a dedicated audience of over 380,000. Colin has collaborated with top-tier brands like Glassdoor, L'Oréal, Microsoft, and Google, and has been featured in Business Insider for his incredible journey from tech to consulting and...

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show, Coral sits down with Valeria, also known as Val.java , a software engineer and rising tech influencer with over 27,000 followers. Together, they dive deep into Valeria’s journey from Peru to New York, overcoming the challenges women face in the male-dominated tech industry. Val shares practical advice on how women can break stereotypes, find their commu...

In just two years, Robert Velasquez made an incredible transition from studying biology to landing internships at tech giants like Google, Netflix, and Zillow. In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show , Robert shares how he navigated this career switch, found his place in tech, and became a community leader at Init. If you’re wondering how to break into the tech industry, especially with a non-...

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show’ we sit down with Aidan Ouckama, a computer science student and content creator, to explore the real impact of authentic personal branding in today’s tech industry. Aiden opens up about how being true to himself on platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn not only helped him land internships at companies like DoorDash and Datadog but also made him stand out in...

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show, we chat with Smyvens Estime, a Solutions Architect at AWS and former Amazon intern, about his inspiring journey from Haiti to the tech world. Discover how teaching computer science, even as a high school student, sharpened his engineering skills and prepared him for a career at one of the world’s leading tech companies. Tune in for insights on how teach...

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show, we talk with Roberto Martinez, the co-founder and CPO of GammaSwap, who was born in the Dominican Republic. Before GammaSwap, he worked for Meta and participated in a program at Two Sigma. Starting from humble beginnings at a hackathon, he transformed his project into a fintech startup. GammaSwap is a perpetual options protocol on Ethereum. It facilitat...

In the Forward Thinkers show episode, a student leader at Startup FIU and incoming Microsoft intern, Fernando Asanza, shares his journey from a small town in Ecuador to the forefront of US technology and entrepreneurship. Starting with a spark from a YouTube video that ignited his passion for computer science, Fernando not only shares how to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and its far-reaching be...

Join us in this episode as Robert Hacker, the co-founder and director of Startup FIU, as well as an Honors College professor, imparts invaluable insights for Gen Z entrepreneurs aiming to excel in today's dynamic business landscape. Born in Syracuse New York, he has a rich background that includes scaling a 40-million-dollar company to a billion-dollar company and serving as the CFO and COO of One...

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In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show, we delve into the essence of community building within the tech industry, featuring Cesar Vill-Garcia. Cesar is the co-founder of INIT, a Miami-based edtech nonprofit, aimed to empower underserved communities in technology. He worked at JPMorgan, Microsoft, and currently, American Express. Cesar Vill-Garcia, born in Lima, Peru, had a substantial impact...

In this episode of The Forward Thinkers Show we delve into the world of web development with our special guest, Gabriel Pedrosa. Born in Miami to Venezuelan parents, Gabriel has made an impactful journey from Miami to Silicon Valley. A two-times intern at Meta and Director of technology at INIT Fiu, Gabriel shares his journey into the field of web development, his experiences at Meta, and the less...

In this women's history month special episode of 'The Forward Thinker Show', we welcome our special guest, Naween Pham, an Advisor at the Association of Information Systems, and a Business Analytics student. Naween shares her journey from Vietnam to the US, her passion for numbers and data, and her experience working as a data analyst at Assurant. She has used her skills to secure first place in f...

In this episode of the Forward Thinker Show, we delve into the world of software pitching with Ishel Zain, a five-time pitch competition winner, president of the Association of Information Systems at FIU, and now selected for the NASA Innovation Corps. Ishel shares her inspiring journey from Pakistan to the U.S., her unexpected transition from a science major to business, and the invaluable lesson...

In this women’s history month special episode of "The Forward Thinker Show", we host Carol Powers, the Vice President of the Cuban Heritage Society and Director of Social Media for INIT fiu who shares her transformative journey from a Physics major to a Computer Science enthusiast. Listen in as she talks about overcoming imposter syndrome, the importance of saying 'yes' to opportunities, and the u...

We're continuing our Women's History Month special series with an insightful episode. In this episode of "The Forward Thinker Show", we delve into the captivating world of cybersecurity with Danay Rumbaut, the president of women in cybersecurity and recipient of the 2023 Wicys student chapter Leadership Award. In today's world, cybersecurity is crucial, whether you're trying to protect your softwa...

In this empowering episode of The Forward Thinker Show, we celebrate Women's History Month by spotlighting Mareline Ramirez, a beacon of inspiration in the tech world. Mareline, an MLH Top 50 Hacker and former director of Tech Together Miami Florida's largest hackathon for women and underpresented individuals, shares her remarkable pivot from aspiring healthcare professional to tech prodigy. Raise...

In this episode of The Forward Thinker Show, we explore the art of selling software with Jose Osorio, a former baseball player turned tech enthusiast and sales intern at UKG, an HR Software company. Jose shares his transition from the baseball field to the world of B2B sales, and his experience in founding Consistent 360. We delve into the lessons he learned from sports and his strategies for sell...

In this episode, we sit down with Sebastian Nunez, a first-generation immigrant who has carved a path for himself in the tech industry. Born in the Dominican Republic. Sebastian shares his unique journey , from learning English to leveraging his engineering skills at major companies. Sebastian is a successful tech professional, formerly with JP Morgan and currently interning at UKG, is also a Goog...