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Rise of the Rest Bus Tour is an annual five-city tour that showcases the best in entrepreneurship and innovation outside of Silicon Valley. The tour led by Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, an early stage venture fund backed by three dozen iconic entrepreneurs, investors and executives such as Eric Schmidt, Jeff Bezos, Henry Kravis, Meg Whitman, Jim Breyer, and John Doerr. Since 2014, the tour has visited 38 cities and traveled over 10,000 miles. The Rise of the Rest Seed Fund has invested in more than 115 companies across the country. This time, The Rise Of The Rest Road Trip headed to Orlando, Tampa Bay, the Space Coast, Miami, and Puerto Rico.
Miami was the 42nd city Rise of the Rest has toured since they launched in 2014. The tour kicked off in Miami on the morning of May 2nd with the Miami Leadership Breakfast at the Freedom Tower with Steve Case, AOL Co-Founder & Revolution Chairman/CEO and J.D Vance, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund Managing Partner & Hillbilly Elegy author, together with Miami’s business leaders like Francis X. Suarez Mayor of Miami, and our own Endeavor Miami Managing Director Laura Maydón, and Endeavor Entrepreneurs Johanna and Juha Mikkola, Seth Cassell and Silvina Moschini.
Many of our Endeavor Entrepreneurs participated during the bus tour, either as an official tour stop or as partners during the stops. Endeavor Entrepreneur and CEO of Boatsetter, Jaclyn Baumgarten hosted a lunch for female ecosystem leaders at one of the platform’s boats. Juha and Jo Mikkola welcomed the tour delegation to Wyncode Academy’s new office in Wynwood. Chargello provided chargers for everyone on the bus and Elma Farm powered them with some of their delicious and healthy snacks!
Endeavor Miami Board Members Melissa Medina (eMerge Americas) and Raul Moas (Knight Foundation), Managing Director Laura Maydón were part of the group that accompanied Steve Case on the bus.
Before the closing pitch competition started, Steve Case and Jean Case had a fireside chat, where Steve Case mentioned that “Miami is the most inclusive entrepreneurial community” they had seen throughout their tours. We love that our city’s diversity is being recognized!
As Endeavor Miami Mentor and CEO of eMerge Felice Gorordo likes to say, we’re a city “founded by immigrants, led by women.”