Key West Marine Hardware is a family business through and through. Business owner Nick Formico says his grandfather opened the store in the 1960s and then raised Formico’s mother and uncle in the business, as well as himself. “I grew up in the store. I used to work here every […]
Success Stories
Florida SBDC at FIU helps this founder start up so Front Page Retail can help emerging food & beverage brands stand out
Daniel Quinones worked for 10 years in the consumer goods and packaging industry for companies like Nabisco and Coca Cola. And while working with them during the pandemic, he realized he has always had a love for emerging brands. The small independent companies that had fabulous products, but they didn’t […]
The pandemic delivers a powerful punch, but with Florida SBDC at FIU’s help, Old Town Fitness comes back stronger
Step into Old Town Fitness in Key West, and it is like stepping back into the ‘60s. Think about the type of gym Rocky Balboa would want to work out of – old school, no frills, you are there to sweat. And yes, you will sweat: There’s no AC – […]
Heiga Studios finds the formula for success as a one-stop-shop for recording artists and companies
The story of Heiga Studios started in a garage, back in Malury Imbernon’s home country of Venezuela in 1998. After high school, Imbernon went to a recording school – she was the only female in her class — and after an internship at a large recording studio there she started […]
Florida SBDC at FIU helped launch 114 small businesses and secure $117 million in investments, making it the 2022 Center of the Year
The Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) at Florida International University’s College of Business (FIU Business) has been recognized as the Florida SBDC Network Center of the Year for 2022. In 2021 the FSBDC at FIU assisted 2,050 clients, providing over 20,660 consulting hours. FSBDC at FIU consultants also led the state network in access […]
Coming soon to a store near you? This chef cooked up a crunchy Japanese cheesecake snack
Have you tried freeze-dried Japanese cheesecake yet? If not, you likely will soon, if Jenifer Shwartz has anything to say about it. Freezcake is a new small business featuring a freeze-dried cheesecake snack. There are also options – New York freeze-dried cheesecake and also a keto option. Freezcake’s fournder is […]
Nail artistry and tech are the secret weapons in this winning app
As a longtime massage therapist, Aurelia Edwards had to keep her nails short for her trade but when she went to parties she used press-on nails and thought it should be easier to size her nails and buy press-on nails and nail art online. Before the pandemic, in order to […]
Meet Boxie, a Miami startup that helps restaurants seamlessly manage their online orders with technology
Lemay Sanchez remembers talking with his childhood friend, Daniel Galano, about building a business together. They lived in Cuba and weren’t even teenagers yet, but they proclaimed to each other they wanted to build something big and important when the time was right – “something that matters,” Sanchez said. Fast […]
These Turkish food entrepreneurs turn up the heat with doner kebap that’s ready to eat
If you haven’t tried a delightful Turkish doner kebap yet, you will soon, if entrepreneur Ongun Kocabas has anything to say about it. Ongun, born and raised in Turkey was always inspired by his father, a successful business owner in the food manufacturing industry. After Ongun studied economics in Turkey, […]
Nuvola’s technology helps the world’s hotels run smoothly
The last time you stayed at a hotel, you may have received a text from the property asking if you had any special requests before checking in. Want a dinner reservation or theatre tickets? They could help with that – no phone call required. Then while you were there, an […]