MMwit Hits eMerge Americas 2016
On April 19, 2016, Modernizing Medicine Women in Innovation and Technology (MMwit) hit Miami Beach for the eMerge Americas conference. While conference founder Manny Medina and his team celebrated the third annual eMerge conference, it was the second annual WIT Summit held in conjunction with the big event.
The one-day WIT Summit is a valuable addition to South Florida’s top tech event complete with experiential programming, networking opportunities and so much more. Top professionals from different industries discussed how they are transforming the business landscape through technology and innovation. The WIT platform is designed to highlight the power of creativity, entrepreneurship and disruptive thinking. Even though the Summit was not focused exclusively on women in tech issues or female speakers, it nonetheless brought MMwit leadership to the event to learn, grow and network.
I was fortunate enough to have attended eMerge on both Monday and Tuesday, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that all of the panelists for the Life Sciences South Florida Lifee Awards were women. It wasn’t intentional, yet the reality of seeing all women on a panel at an event honoring people and organizations leading the charge in developing industries related to life sciences in South Florida was impactful, to say the least. When I asked other MMwit attendees what their takeaways were, they happily shared:
“I was inspired by Monica Lewinsky’s story of how she was compelled to turn her scandal and feelings of shame into a call for activism, focusing on bringing attention to cyber bullying through her work with the foundation “Bystander Revolution.” I was also most impressed by Pitbull’s panel talk. To be honest, I had disregarded him as a mere entertainer, and believed that I would not be able to gain valuable insight from him. But the breadth and depth of his business acumen quickly became apparent; he is able to leverage his unique understanding of South Florida’s cultural heritage into business opportunities. In his passionate talk, “Why the building’s of the future will be shaped by…you,” Mark Kushner was able to take the audience through the story of how buildings and architecture affect our emotional well-being. It was so unexpectedly powerful, that it inspired me to learn more about his business, and philosophy, and think about ways to improve my physical surroundings.”
“Learning and networking with well-established leaders within the South Florida Tech community at eMerge is always the highlight of the year. The rushing buzz of upcoming startups mixed with the presence of successful and influential mentors is one of the most rewarding experiences. I feel so empowered from being able to attend such events and cannot wait to keep watching our community flourish.”
“eMerge was a great opportunity to connect with people who are passionate about South Florida and doing great things in our community. There was a palpable feeling of excitement in the air. I especially enjoyed the WIT panel and hearing the women talk about their experience. My favorite takeaway was this: “It isn’t about work-life balance. It’s about how we integrate our lives and work.”
“I thought it was a great event! It was fun to speak with the different tech companies that were exhibiting and to learn about their really unique ideas. A highlight was when people came running up to us, super excited because we work for Modernizing Medicine. We wore Modernizing Medicine polos and the excitement when people saw our shirts was a really great feeling. I particularly enjoyed learning about the Miami Heat’s new app and also from Pitbull.”
“The Women, Innovation and Technology panel was great! The panelists gave such honest and first hand insight into the reality of the corporate world for a women vs. for a man. Their advice for accepting challenges even if you don’t feel fully ready, and figuring it out as you go, really resonated with me. The best part of the experience was being able to share it with coworkers!”
The MMwit team is looking forward to another amazing WIT Summit in 2017!