eMerge Americas

There are events… and then there are ecosystems that genuinely move the needle for entrepreneurs, innovators, and the future of business. At Consulting IQ, we are proud to once again participate as sponsors of eMerge Americas, especially through the SMB Growth Lab and Acceleration Program, spaces intentionally designed to empower the true backbone of our economy: small and medium-sized businesses. A heartfelt THANK YOU and congratulations to Melissa Medina, leadership and vision, and the entire eMerge Americas team for building something with real purpose and impact year after year. Special kudos to Emily Varela and Claudia Basso for their program execution and relentless commitment to creating meaningful connections between founders, business owners, innovators, and the broader ecosystem. The energy, the quality of the conversations, and the sense of community throughout the event were simply exceptional. At Consulting IQ, this partnership goes far beyond sponsorship. It reflects a shared purpose: To help business owners unleash their full potential, thrive in an increasingly complex world, and close the knowledge gap that too often limits growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability. Every conversation with an SMB owner reinforces why this matters. Because when you empower entrepreneurs with the right knowledge, tools, and confidence to make better decisions, you are not only helping individual companies grow, you are strengthening communities, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the economy itself. From Miami to the world and beyond, thank you, eMerge Americas, for continuing to build a platform with purpose. #eMergeAmericas #ConsultingIQ #SMBs #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessGrowth #FutureReady #Leadership #SmallBusiness #MiamiTech

There are events… and then there are ecosystems that genuinely move the needle for entrepreneurs, innovators, and the future of business. At Consulting IQ, we are proud to once again participate as sponsors of eMerge Americas, especially through the SMB Growth Lab and Acceleration Program, spaces intentionally designed to empower the true backbone of our economy: small and medium-sized businesses. A heartfelt THANK YOU and congratulations to Melissa Medina, leadership and vision, and the entire eMerge Americas team for building something with real purpose and impact year after year. Special kudos to Emily Varela and Claudia Basso for their program execution and relentless commitment to creating meaningful connections between founders, business owners, innovators, and the broader ecosystem. The energy, the quality of the conversations, and the sense of community throughout the event were simply exceptional. At Consulting IQ, this partnership goes far beyond sponsorship. It reflects a shared purpose: To help business owners unleash their full potential, thrive in an increasingly complex world, and close the knowledge gap that too often limits growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability. Every conversation with an SMB owner reinforces why this matters. Because when you empower entrepreneurs with the right knowledge, tools, and confidence to make better decisions, you are not only helping individual companies grow, you are strengthening communities, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the economy itself. From Miami to the world and beyond, thank you, eMerge Americas, for continuing to build a platform with purpose. #eMergeAmericas #ConsultingIQ #SMBs #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessGrowth #FutureReady #Leadership #SmallBusiness #MiamiTech

Gracias por estos momentos especiales vividos en eMerge Americas !!!

VALIDATION: MIAMI IS THE FASTEST GROWING AMERICAN STARTUP ECOSYSTEM Miami just became the fastest-growing startup ecosystem in the top 25, anywhere on Earth. StartupBlink's 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Index dropped this week. Three numbers that matter: 🏆 #22 globally (up 6 spots from 2025, up 8 from 2024) 📈 41.8% growth rate. 3rd fastest in the top 100, behind only Riyadh and Taipei followed by Singapore 🇺🇸 #9 in US metros And it isn't just Miami. Tampa jumped 13 spots to #82. Orlando moved up to #91. Three Florida cities in the global top 100, all rising. The capital backs it up. South Florida raised $4.13 billion in VC in 2025, and another $1.15 billion in Q1 2026 alone. Medtech is leading the charge. San Francisco still leads the world. New York is still #2. But the velocity is here. Riyadh, Taipei, Miami, Singapore. That is the new map. Also - my first avatar AI Video with Google Flash. Let me know what you think! Florida Forever. eMerge Americas AMBITION ACCELERATED SelectFlorida 🚀

The ARK Investment Management LLC Big Ideas Summit at spARK Labs by ARK Invest in St. Petersburg is a full house today, and another great sign of how the region’s ecosystem has matured and evolved. Cathie Wood is known worldwide for seeing the ideas, technologies and convergence of sectors that change the future, and that she calls St. Petersburg home and is deeply invested in this community says volumes. Our team especially enjoyed the panel discussion on public-private partnerships featuring defense innovation leader Brad Chedister, Tyler Johnson of eMerge Americas, Taylor Johnston of USF Institute of Applied Engineering, Inc., Michael Anderson of Seagate Space and Bryon Kroger of Rise8. Defense tech is a uniquely significant sector for the region and the partnerships that unite government, industry and academic R&D assets is one of the competitive advantages of the ecosystem. “We’re in it together,” Johnston said. We’re proud to be a partner in this journey. #floridahightech #arkinvest #bigideassummit #innovation #floridainnovation #sparklabs #stpetersburg