OUR CITY THOUGHTS

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS3EI6ag2Os)

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7oo8PDfbyk)

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Behind the scenes: Whats your Our City Thoughts experience like?

Check out a behind the scenes clip with Diogo Duarte Ribeiro founder of @FineRewards - and look out for his full video next month! 

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Whereby.us is about getting people together to brainstorm small and readily implementable ideas that work toward solving the larger challenges of our community. The organization was inspired by a Knight Foundation event called IdeaJam. At the event people were encouraged to write notes about what they care about in the community and post them on a board. Then they were grouped together based on those interests and given the task of creating small scale projects that work towards overcoming challenges. The major goal of the event was to get people talking about how to better their community.

After the event there was great interest for follow up on the ideas brainstormed, Chris Sopher saw this as an opportunity to create a platform to help people organize and see their projects to fruition.

Chris is inspired by the workings and complexities of cities. He sees a movement in Miami, and around the nation in general, trending towards people moving from suburban, rural and ex-urban communities back into the city centers. “[This is] really interesting to me because it holds the opportunity for so many awesome things to happen, and it is presenting us with so many challenging problems to solve that I can’t help but be fascinated by them.”

read the rest

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Its official - the first Our City Thoughts video of the year with the inspiring Dave Lawrence Jr. During his tenure as publisher of The Miami Herald, the paper won five Pulitzer Prizes. Now he is a global advocate for children and education.  What he says in the video about Miami, America, and Technology is more poignant than ever. #RedefineMiami

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OCT talks with Tony Lima

Tony Lima is Executive Director of SAVE Dade, Miami-Dade County’s largest LGBT advocacy group. Tony oversees initiatives and programs meant to promote, protect and defend equality for members of Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Before assuming his current position with SAVE Dade, he was a longtime member of the organization's Board of Directors.

Our City Thoughts: Why do you do what you do? What led you into your path?

Tony Lima: As SAVE Dade’s Executive Director, I’ve been blessed with incredible fortune and privilege. And there’s nothing more important I can think of to put it towards than to help shape this world into a place where everyone has that same shot at success.

It’s the American dream, isn’t it? So in my position at SAVE Dade, I have the power to shape our community into one where everyone looks out for each other, and all of us have the same opportunities to grow and experience the things that give us fulfillment. And the only way we can change the world is to do it one city at a time, neighborhood by neighborhood. That’s what I’m trying to do here in Miami-Dade County.

OCT: Describe an innovation happening in the city most people don’t know about.

TL: I want to put a spotlight on the innovative work that the amazing people at organizations like the Aqua Foundation, the Alliance for GLBTQ Youth, and many other partner groups are doing to address the problem of LGBT youth homelessness in our community.

These organizations, with the help of Miami Beach’s very own State Representative David Richardson, have secured funds to provide crucial services to homeless LGBT youth. Did you know that upwards of one third of homeless youth are LGBT? LGBT people are estimated to make up something like five percent of the general population.

That means LGBT youths make up a disproportionate share of the homeless youth population. These are kids with dreams and ambitions, just like you and me, but they’ve been tossed out onto our streets for one reason or another, and they have nowhere to turn for a helping hand to lift them up and give them an opportunity.

OCT: Which major challenges do you think our city will face in the next year?

TL: Next year we have the opportunity to truly transform the lives of all people in Miami, including the LGBT community. It is the decisions at the local level that most impact the people of Miami. We tend to think that leaders with a national reach make the decisions that affect us the most, but that really isn’t the case. What affects us on a day-to-day basis are the decisions made at the municipal level by our local leaders.

What the Congress decides about how much you pay in federal taxes every year might eventually affect your finances, or it might not. But what the city commission decides about the stop sign in front of your house will most certainly affect your commute every single day. The same applies to issues that SAVE gets involved in, like to whom cities must offer opportunities for municipal jobs.

If we don’t vote next year, we’ll miss out on a huge opportunity to get involved in the decisions that affect us on a daily basis. We need local leaders who will make these types of decisions in the interests of all of us, including the LGBT members of our community, in order to achieve the best possible results.

OCT: What are your most important goals in the next six months/year?

TL: I am going to ensure that ALL people in Miami-Dade County are afforded the same human rights. Currently, the County’s Human Rights Ordinance does not include protections on the basis of gender identity and expression. It’s alarming to me that in this day and age, people can lose their homes and jobs, or be denied these just because of who they are. Social justice is one of my personal passions, and I am very fortunate that I have the opportunity to be a vocal advocate for the LGBT community, especially the transgender arm of our community.

OCT: What wisdom would you share with your younger self?

TL: Learn to listen. Especially when dealing with difficult people.

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Most recently, Tony was Vice President of the Miami Science Museum, directing the marketing, communications and sales efforts. He also directed marketing and communications efforts for the capital campaign and construction of the museum’s new building, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science at Museum Park. In 2012, Tony completed the Miami Foundation Fellows program and was also named a Top Latino Leader by Latino Leaders Magazine, a national business publication. In 2013, he was named “Top 20 Under 40” by Brickell Magazine.  To learn more about the work he now does visit SaveDade. 

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Melissa Medina-Schnur, is a creative and driven business professional who can be best described as dynamic and inspired. As President of the Medina foundation, Melissa defined the foundation’s mission as funding local initiatives that focus on mentoring children and empowering families by enhancing education and quality of life.

Melissa is the Vice President of Strategic Engagement of the Technology Foundation of the Americas (TFA), established in 2012. TFA’s mission is to serve as the catalyst for establishing Miami as the technology hub of the Americas in order to propel innovation and investment in South Florida and Latin America.  

What do you love the most about this Miami?

Melissa Medina-Schnur: Wow! That is such a difficult question because I love Miami for so many reasons, but if I have to pick one it would be the fact that Miami is a cultural melting pot. I love all of the diversity in Miami because it means a blend of traditions, lifestyles and ideas. It's exciting to live in Miami and for me, it's home.

What are your most important goals in the next six months/year?

MMS: My most important goals in the next 6 months are to get even more involved with some of my favorite non-profit organizations, such as Roots of Hope. Another extremely important goal I have is to make sure that the inaugural tech conference eMerge Americas, being held exactly 6 months from now, will not only be an amazing event for Miami, but more importantly, that it will help transform and energize the entire technology industry in Miami.

Why do you do what you do?  What led you into your path?

MMS: I've worked in finance, real estate and now in philanthropy and technology. I continue to do what I do now because in both of my roles in the Medina Family Foundation and the Technology Foundation of the Americas, I have the opportunity to truly  give back and hopefully make some kind of impact in my community. I also continue to do what I do for my 4 children. I want to instill in them what my parents instilled in my brother and me - that giving back, community service and helping to improve the lives of others is an essential part of life. I am trying my best to be that kind of role model for them.

Describe an innovation advancement happening in the city most people don’t know about?

MMS: There is so much in innovation advancements happening in our city that it is hard to keep up. This is a good thing! We have Venture Hive, Endeavor, Lab Miami, Refresh Miami, Pipeline, etc. You also have organizations like the Knight Foundation truly supporting and advancing innovation and entrepreneurship in Miami. And of course, an innovation advancement that will be happening soon in Miami is eMerge Americas, which will showcase the hottest start-ups, cutting-edge innovations and the latest trends in technology. This conference will shine a light on Miami and it's innovation.

What’s the most gratifying aspect of what you do? And the most grating?

MMS: The most gratifying aspect of what I do is knowing that through the Medina Family Foundation and through the Technology Foundation of the Americas we are making a positive impact in our community. The fact that I work with such an amazing role model who is also my father, Manny Medina, also makes me extremely happy. The most grating part of what I do is that it is time-consuming. I am also a mom of 4 children ages six and under. They are all blessings that require a lot of nurturing. Balancing my personal and work life can become difficult at times, but trust me, I am not complaining. I feel extremely blessed - I am just tired sometimes.

Which major challenges do you think our city will face in the next year?

MMS: One major challenge facing our city is breaking the stereotypical mind-set many people have in Miami. We have a "brick and mortar" mentality in this city, we love to invest in Real Estate. I am not saying not to invest in Real Estate, but I am saying that it is time that Miami focus more of their time, energy and money in the tech industry. Miami has a huge opportunity right now that must be seized. We are in the midst of a perfect storm in making Miami a truly technological and innovative city, but this will not happen unless we all create, support and believe in this movement.

What wisdom would you share with your younger self?

MMS: Words of wisdom to my younger self...

1. Time flies, it really does - seize the moment.

2. Be as productive as possible.

3. Be grateful - appreciate all that life has offered you.

4. Travel more - it opens your eyes to the world.

5. Stay healthy.

6. Don't be afraid to fail.

7. Follow your instincts - always.

8.   Laugh a lot.

9. Read more.

10. Sleep!

SPECIAL NOTE:

In May 2014, TFA will host eMerge Americas, a large-scale technology conference focused on the
key trends driving growth in the Latin American IT market. Check out TFA's website for more info: tfamericas.org

Write about awesome people creating an awesome future, contact us to be an OCT contributor:[email protected] 

Visit our facebook twitter and  youtube and follow us on Tumblr! 

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Dylan Terry, founder of Ready-to-Grow Gardens is a New College of Florida Alumnus. He’s always been interested in nature and food, but his passion really took root when he attended college and revitalized the NCF campus garden.

Working with faculty and managing student peers, Dylan brought the once dilapidated garden back to life. After graduation he interned at the Knight foundation, where he was exposed to the evolving food movement happening in Miami. From then he was hooked. A couple years later after working as a graphic designer he had a revelation - he didn’t want to spend the majority of his day inside looking at computer screens. His life had many turns in the arts and design, but aligned the best in horticulture.

Ready-to-Grow was founded on Dylan’s vision to integrate love of plants with love of people and cities.

OCT: What is an opportunity we have in Miami?

Dylan Terry: I think there are a lot of things that Miami has going for it. There’s a lot of problems, but there are a lot of good things. It’s an incredibly rich culture, the weather is very unique and enjoyable for most of the year, and it’s always going to be home for me, since I’ve lived here all my life.

I think Miami can evolve in a lot of cool ways and I think there is a growing consciousness towards new ideas and new ways of living.

People are putting their minds to it and making positive things happen.

Our City Thoughts: What are your most important goals for the next year?

DT: One of the main missions we have is to figure out how to be very functional and productive while also creating really beautiful landscapes. We have done it with community gardens setting up individual plots, and on the sides of office’s between the sidewalk and even on the walls of buildings. It’s all edible landscaping.

We also want to focus on creating more projects in public spaces and gardens for the community - making people more aware while sharing information on what’s the best way to get the culture moving. We’re always trying to be better at what we do and be better gardeners, as well as helping people.

OCT: What community issues keep you up at night?

DT: People not having access to healthy food keeps me up. Either they can’t afford it, or they don’t know how to grow it, or have no one helping them to do so.

I think urban agriculture is a huge part of the solution. I want it to be easier for people to use vacant lots to grow food if they’re not being used for anything.

By having a system where it’s easy for people to come and say “hey, nobody is using this land. Can I use it for a while and I’ll pay the water bill?” It’s a dream I have in terms of it being easier for people to get healthy food.

OCT: Describe your ideal city?

DT: The big thing I focus on is the integration of nature and landscape. I want more park spaces, more community gardens and more natural areas. Spaces that bring people outside, besides the beach. I think that the way cities are traditionally constructed isolate us from our history of being hunter gatherers or even farmers.

Having parks where we’re able to go and gather food would connect us to where we came from. There are ways to do it, it’s not easy but possible.

Dylan is also a columnist for Edible South Florida giving advice on gardening and growing. Check out Ready-to-Grow Gardens to learn more about the way to create your green space, learn more about edible gardens, and healthy living.

-- Josh Fay

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Felecia Hatcher's energy invigorated us with a simple but transformative thought. #OurCityThoughts To leave the world better than we found. Here is a preview to her colorful interview.  Join us Dec 6 for the Our City Thoughts official launch during Art Basel at the LAB Miami

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NPs that Make the Cube Turn:

Natalia Martinez & The Awesome Foundation

The Awesome Foundation is an organization that seeks to empower the community on the local scale. But despite its smaller budget, it still manages a wide impact.

The Awesome Foundation’s Miami branch is composed of 10 Miamians who donate one hundred dollars a month to those trying to make this city a more vibrant and enjoyable place to live. And they do it while minimizing the hierarchy that sometimes bogs down small scale community investors.

The Dean and Founder of the Miami chapter of AF is Natalia Martinez. She was born in Cuba and grew up living in cities around the world, with Miami being a big part of life before going to college. After living in Boston and New York for several years, she found herself coming back to Miami because of work and family.

“I didn’t want to feel like I was on an extended vacation, I wanted to feel like I was a civically engaged person.” She had heard about the Boston chapter of AF and began organizing a group of people to form the local board before she moved to Miami.

Natalia values simplicity and clarity in her nonprofit work. To keep clear lines of communication between the Foundation and contributors, she intentionally kept

the application simple. Not only that, but the Miami version of the AF website is the first in the country to have applications in Spanish and Creole.

“We want the people [in all the communities of Miami] to feel that if they have an idea that someone [will be] respectful and want them included.”

AF Miami also personally responds to the applicants, even if they are not chosen to receive the $1,000 grant, giving them feedback, advice and encouragement to keep applying. “Some people think, ‘the application is so easy so I’ll apply, but who’s going to take it seriously?’ and then they’re like ‘oh wait, these people had a conversation with me so I have to take this seriously.’ And then... ‘oh wait, they took me seriously enough to give me money.” This seemingly simple act of recognizing someone’s ideas and effort has been the turning point in several of the grantees lives.

One of Natalia’s favorite award recipients is the StreetWaves summer surf camp. The Streetwaves team had a problem:  a shocking percentage of Miami’s inner-city kids have never been to Miami beach. With the help of the AF, the kids able to explore a whole new aspect of the city they live in, and enjoyably experience learning to surf.

Another AF recipient was for an art project called Framing It Up! When we live in a place for a long time it’s easy to take it for granted. The Framing It Up! project put up decorative frames around Miami Beach in the hopes of inspiring people to take a better look at their surroundings. The idea being that the world we live in is beautiful, but if we don’t take a good look we might miss it.

“If I have an idea then my immediate thought is, ‘why not - I don’t see why I wouldn’t try.” A major goal of AF Miami is to increase people’s confidence in their power to get things done.  Part of Natalia’s hopes for the AF is to help Miami succeed in being able to reach its potential. She wants Miami to be a place where people are capable of doing great things they imagine.

-- Joshua Fay 

And with you and the Awesome Foundation’s help, it’s going to be. Apply now with your idea to make an Awesome Miami!

Pitch us a story or join the conversation with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

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OCT Talks to: Brett Hudson

by Josh Fay

Brett Hudson has always been interested in finding the most effective way to solve large-scale problems. Raised in Phoenix, AZ, he graduated from Stanford University and has a background in economic development and public policy. He is currently the Director of Business Development at The LAB Miami. The LAB is a collaborative campus of entrepreneurs of all different types, from tech developers, to artists, musicians and even traditional fields in architecture or law.

Our City Thoughts: Why do you live in Miami?

Brett Hudson: I think there is tremendous potential for opportunity here. Everybody you talk to can feel the vibe of this city changing. Most people still view it as a tourist-driven city, or just as “Miami Beach,” without an understanding of what  Miami really is about and without seeing all of the amazing things happening here. Ultimately Miami will become whatever the creative class defines it as. Here, you actually have the opportunity to redefine what this city looks like and what it will become. This can be an example for the rest of America.

OCT: What major challenges do you think Miami will face in the next couple of years?

BH: I think Miami has the potential to be a great example for the rest of America, even for the rest of the world. How do we communicate that effectively? How do we get all the things that are happening, whether it’s the conferences, collaborative spaces or the entrepreneurial networks, to focus on ways to work together and leverage each other’s assets on a large scale? You see so many different initiatives popping up, so much money pouring in. How do we get them to focus on the bigger challenges? I think all the puzzle pieces are here… they just haven’t been put together appropriately yet.

OCT: What wisdom would you share with your younger self?

BH: I think as a Millennial, you always want things to happen fast. We’ve grown up thinking that way; you want to skip ahead of the process because you think you already have the solution in hand. The reality of the situation is that you have to build your way up. A lot of the challenge I experienced was not that I wasn’t on the right track, but rather I didn’t understand how the innovative process worked.  I’ve learned that if you’re attempting something innovative and new, you will inevitably fail. But that means you have to try again learn from those failures and iterate. To me, failure ultimately begets success if you have the fortitude to see your idea though. In the end it’s about building towards the solution, not just immediately creating the solution. That, to me, is entrepreneurship.

OCT: What is the most gratifying aspect of what you do at LAB Miami

BH: I think when we see small success amongst the entrepreneurs and individuals that work here. Or when people get connected to the community through here, and they say they’ve never seen anything like this, that they’re happy it exists. Those things make me happy because it shows that we’re having an impact.

OCT: Describe your ideal city. What are the qualities that are most important to you?

BH: I think that you need a public sector, private sector and a social sector that are aligned in a common vision. With a common vision, it becomes easy to know how to plug in, whatever you want to do, whether you’re a creative, entrepreneur, innovator or anything else. Ideally, cities should provide the opportunity for people to become stakeholders and engage with their community. When these stakeholders can align around common interests, it opens gateways of participation, expands opportunity,  expands growth and expands the ability for people to enact ideas. My ideal city is one that enables people to participate in whatever way or capacity they care about contributing.  I believe Miami has those qualities.

SPECIAL NOTE:

The LAB Miami is hosting a Makerfaire on Nov 16th to showcase the DIY community in Miami. It’s an event where makers of all paths can come and share what they love. Check out their Facebook. 

Write about awesome people creating an awesome future, contact us to be an OCT contributor:[email protected] 

Visit our facebook twitter and  youtube and follow us on Tumblr! 

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OCT Talks to: Franki Coletto

Interview by J.F. Maldonado

Frankie Coletto founded PassTheNotes, a Miami-based education-technology company that offers cloud solutions for publishers, educators, and students. PassTheNotes was a top finalist in The Miami Herald’s 2011 Business Plan Challenge, and was named the “Top Global Emerging Venture” at the Americas Venture Capital Conference.  Coletto was born in New York, has lived in Miami since the age of 8 and is a graduate of Florida International University. He has quietly built a successful start-up about to take the next big step.

OurCityThoughts: When was the last time you were proud of Miami?

FC: I’m proud of Miami every day. Especially with what is going on in technology. For the first time groups are coming together, like the LAB Miami and Refresh Miami, and people are working and collaborating towards a common goal of making Miami a prosperous tech community. It is exciting to see what comes out of it.

OCT: What is your view of the tech scene in Miami?

FC: I feel that Miami’s tech scene is up and coming. There is a new wave of young tech [enthusiasts] with great ideas and outsiders are paying attention to what is coming out of Miami. They are attracted to the dynamics of the city’s culture. People are beginning to become more organized and centralized, which is allowing for tech companies to collaborate and create tech with a “Miami” flavor. People in Miami are starting to establish themselves as “Miami Tech” and it is exciting to be a part of that.

OCT: What piece of advice would you give to those starting out in tech and entrepreneurship in Miami?

FC: First, you have to love what you’re doing everyday. That has to be the drive that gets you through the difficult times and helps you celebrate the good times.  Second, when it comes to tech I feel that you have to tap into your local community and the networks of people that are down here. They say that the people you hang around with the most influence the person you will become. If you’re hanging out with tech people and successful entrepreneurs that are building exciting companies, you’ll be able to learn and gain the knowledge that will help you become better.

OCT: What has been the most gratifying aspect of what you’ve been able to do in Miami?

FC: While we still have a lot to do, it has to be coming full circle to where we are right now. I’m originally from New York, but was basically raised in Miami all my life. To be able to be homegrown, go through my education, and grow our company with a strong team here has to be the most satisfying part.

OCT: What do you love most about Miami?

FC: It has to be the dynamic of the culture. It is so widespread with so many people coming from so many places. It is almost like a booming New York City where you have every type of culture and Miami has its own flavor.  

Of course,  having the beach at your disposal after a long workweek is not a bad thing.

OCT: What major challenges do you think Miami will face in the coming years?

FC:  I feel that Miami has been going through some growing pains and is close to stabilizing as a community. As groups like The Lab Miami bring organizations together and Refresh Miami holds meetups, we are creating an organized environment where the city can grow, and people can communicate more freely and change from the fragmented environment of Miami we have now.

OCT: What sacrifices have you made to make your start-up successful?

FC: We dedicated countless hours to improve our skills from both a tech and business standpoint. I remember when we started out; my co-founders and I had maxed all our resources and still had to pay expenses such as hosting. It was either pay hosting or go offline. So, like any other founder would do, I sold my car and used to the money to cover our bills. If I had to share all the stories about challenges we overcame over the years it would be its own lean startup book. To conclude we did anything it took, and continue to, to make sure we hit our milestones as we scale up.

Write about awesome people creating an awesome future, contact us to be an OCT contributor:[email protected] 

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A note from one of our followers:

Tessa, as she is known by her friends and family sent us a note after seeing what we have been up to here at Our City Thoughts. We hope you don't mind us sharing it with you - as it speaks to the heart of what we are trying to accomplish with Our CIty Thoughts. 

p.s. We're grateful when you send us notes, please keep on doing it!

Our City Thoughts is a wonderful, innovative nonprofit founded by a former colleague of mine whom I am so immensely proud of.  I had the privilege of working with Binsen when we worked together at the nonprofit organization City Year Miami in its inaugural year.

What I appreciate so much about Our City Thoughts is that it celebrates the wonderful innovation and talent that is growing and thriving in my hometown.  As a Miami native, I was able to learn and grow in a city that was immensely diverse and full of creative people.  I went to a fine arts magnet schools where I met some of the most talented people I know.  Many of those people have done incredible things ranging from dancing and singing on Broadway to working on social and political issues in various capacities.  I am so proud of the talent my hometown has produced.

In my own career, having experienced the diversity of my hometown has opened many doors for me.  I graduated from the Miami public school system and attended the University of Florida, an excellent public institution (GO GATORS!!!).  I have been privileged to work with Binsen and many other wonderful people at CityYear Miami.  During CityYear’s inaugural year, I had the opportunity to help address some of the poverty and race-related education issues facing Miami’s youth.  I then went on to attend law school at yet another great public institution, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (GO TARHEELS!).  In law school, I wrote and researched extensively about modern day racial segregation and how it has negatively impacted equality in (racially and ethnically diverse) cities like Miami and other cities.  And because of my interest in creating more diverse, thriving communities where all people can enjoy the best that cities like Miami have to offer, I worked as a summer law clerk at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York City.    

Currently, I am mostly another “young millennial” working to figure out how to put my interest in social justice and poverty issues to good use.  I am on the board of directors of a nonprofit in Durham, North Carolina that works to rehabilitate adults with severe and persistent mental illness.  I have continued to volunteer and work with my local community through my church.  I am meeting other young Haitian-Americans in North Carolina (I am first generation Haitian-American...GO HAITI!) to share the Haitian culture that I could more readily enjoy in Miami.  I am trying to keep up my Spanish (learned partly...you guessed it...from growing up in Miami), as well as my French and Haitian Creole (learned from my Haitian family).  

My new home is in Raleigh, North Carolina.  But I am so proud that Binsen and many other wonderful people I met in Miami are still there, trying to make sure that everyone knows how great it is and that its cultural richness should be enjoyed by everyone.  Our City Thoughts is a wonderful way to do just that.  So...I would like to conclude by saying, GO OUR CITY THOUGHTS!  But even more importantly...

GO MIAMI!

Sincerely (and with peace, love, and plenty of Miami swag),

B. Tessa Hale

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OCT Talks to: Marta Viciedo

by Josh Fay and Jose Leon

Marta Viciedo wants to SMASH your ideas on how to get around Miami. Marta is the Chair of TrAC, the Transit Action Committee, which is working to better Miami’s transit experience. Her movement is both constructive and destructive, building awareness for an integrated urban experience while challenging pre-existing notions about transit in Miami. With her background in urban planning and a love for the city she calls home, she is working to make Miami a physically more connected place.

OurCityThoughts: Why do you live in Miami?

Marta Viciedo: Miami has a huge amount of potential, and to be honest every once in a while I grapple with that a little bit. Maybe some other cities might be easier, but Miami has a ton of potential, we have the bones for a fantastic city. I do see a lot of movement in that direction. I see a lot of people coalescing around issues that are long-term, forward thinking, and about making this city better across the board not from a corporate and financial standpoint alone, but from a more equitable holistic standpoint.

OCT: How has living in Miami impacted who you are today?

MV: I think that being here has given me a particular patience and open mindedness to deal with the diversity of people, to build community on a very broad scale. I think here I have the opportunity to think in a very innovative manner. In some ways it’s rigid, but in others it’s a relatively blank canvas. There is a lot of room for opportunity, especially on the urban side. That’s affected me a lot particularly in the last two years where I’ve really dived into this issue. I think all the time about what I could do or what can make it better or reach more people. I don’t think I’d have the same opportunity in other cities.

OCT: Do you think there is already too much infrastructure around cars that it might not be easy to change?

MV: I don’t generally think in terms of whether it’ll be easy or not, because that conversation can go around in circles. So I think about what it’ll take, and I think about the little things and some of the bigger things. I think we need to make a TON of pedestrian crosswalks like the one in Wynwood (that’s very colorful) throughout the city, as a huge initiative. Better bus stops that are protected and covered from the sun, and cooler to look at. The streets like Kendall Drive or 8th Street, we need to make them so that they aren’t three lanes wide, but two lanes with a dedicated bus lane. We also need to make public transportation more visible. It’s not even in most peoples’ sights.

OCT: Briefly describe your ideal city.

MV: We need connectivity, first and foremost, the ability to connect across an entire city in a way that’s easy. It doesn’t need a longer Metrorail, it just needs better access and better communication and better connectivity. The folks in Brickell don’t talk to the folks in Little Havana, even though they’re three blocks away from each other. People in Overtown have their own insular group that doesn’t really talk to anybody. While it’s really cool to have those different identities, but when those identities start to hold you back you have a serious issue. If we had connectivity at the community level I think people would be more engaged.

She is the creator of Purple Line, a pop up transit station whose existence and exposure helped get TrAc’s message out. She currently runs an organization called Urban Impact Labs that works with people who are looking to do collaborative projects within the community.

Write about awesome people creating an awesome future, contact us to be an OCT contributor: [email protected] 

Visit our facebook twitter and  youtube and follow us on Tumblr! 

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OCT Talks to: Chantelle Morales

By Josue Maldonado & Josh Fay

Chantelle Morales is the founder of Tokyo Love Bots, a tech and hip hop inspired dance crew. Morales is a Florida International University (FIU) alum. A Miamian with Taiwanese and Puerto Rican parents. And an avid moon walker!

In college she enrolled in dance classes, but never found a hip-hop class that would teach her the style with the edge she was looking for. Since she could not find one, she created one - Morales began organizing workshops for hip-hop dancers.

Dancers of all skills showed up to teach and to learn from one another. From the “Summer Lovin’ Intensive” workshops to a community moved by music, her passion for dance is bringing over 60 people per class and the numbers keep growing.

OCT: How did you begin to organize your workshops?

CM: I’ve always been into creating my own shows and choreography, but I was never allowed by my parents. When I looked for hip-hop classes in Miami I found only commercial style, and I wanted the original style. I figured I couldn’t be the only one and so I used social media to see if anyone else would be interested in learning.

At the beginning it was just a few people who wanted to get together and practice and express themselves. We would listen to music at the session, and begin to groove with each other. Sometimes I would see people listening to a song and trying out moves, I’d tell them, “Hey nice work, try and make a routine by the end of the week.” Trying to motivate them. As we got more confident we would teach each other moves such as breakdancing, popping and locking.

Eventually we started to perform at FIU and began to compete. From there the interest began to grow and then we started to hold workshops for students. Then almost overnight we started to have more and more people wanting to learn the dances we were performing, so we opened up to the public.

OCT: What is your opinion of the dance community in Miami?

CM: I feel that it is segregated. Especially between “real” Hip-Hop and “commercial” Hip-Hop. The Hip-Hop that you see throughout Miami is more commercial, such as dances you see in music videos and in performances from the Miami Heat dancers.

I’m not into wearing little booty shorts and shaking my thing all the time, I enjoy the other aspects of the culture. It’s really different, but now that I’ve started these workshops I’ve found a lot of other people who feel the same way as I do and now we are growing.

OCT: If you could make Miami your ideal city what would you change?

CM: I wouldn’t change much. I appreciate the Latin culture that Miami offers. From the dance to the food it all adds to the exoticness and beauty of the city. However, I would like to see people be a bit more open-minded towards art and culture.

Also, I want to see more community-based efforts like my workshops and what you guys at OCT are doing. In Taiwan there are street performers everywhere. They aren’t really performers though, they are just people coming together to enjoy dancing. It’s be great to see that more in Miami.

OCT: Finally, when was the last time you were proud of Miami?

CM: As cliché as this may sound it would have to be when the Miami Heat won the championships. Restaurants were booming, bars and clubs were packed because everybody wanted to celebrate. It brought a lot of the city together to cheer on the team.

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OCT Talks to: Jonathan Sauceda

By: Joshua Fay

Jonathan Sauceda is an avid bike enthusiast who’s been riding “seriously” for the past 10 years. He is a student at New World World School of the arts, works at a bike shop and hangs out frequently at the bike co-op across from The Corner. Jonathan’s the force behind the Miami bicycle tournament known as !Cañones Sueltos! (Loose Cannons!) which is an “anything goes” style race/scavenger hunt.

OurCityThoughts: What challenges do you see Miami facing in the near future?

Jonathan Sauceda: Public transportation is one of Miami’s biggest problems... When I was in Chicago this past summer, I saw bike lanes everywhere and a lot of commuters. Like when it’s six o’clock, everyone would get out of work and there’s just lines of bikers.

It’s also pretty dangerous out here, in Miami, for bikers. The hit and run laws in Florida are horrible.

OCT: What is one thing that you think would make Miami closer to your ideal city?

JS: I think if we could get decobikes in downtown it would be great for the city. It would allow people to not have to be caged in their cars while they move through downtown. When you’re on a bike it’s much easier to say “what’s up” to someone, and you see all kinds of different destinations. When I pass by places that look cool, I’m like “oh, I gotta come back here later.” If something isn’t established it’s harder for people to try new things out, so having the decobikes easily available helps people get into the biking community.

OCT: What do you love about Miami?

JS: Because it’s so beautiful out here! It’s not so crammed with buildings like some big cities, and the weather lets you ride your bike year round. You can have a kind of islander lifestyle... There’s lots of potential too, since we haven’t fully developed. We’re still figuring out what we are, so there’s room to start something new.

OCT: Why do you set up the !Cañones Sueltos! every month?

JS: People get into things for the wrong reasons sometimes, you have to do it because you love it and because you’re trying to build friendships with people. I’m just organizing the race because I go to (art) school, so I know how to make flyers and bring people together, and its fun. At the end of the day it’s stressful to organize, but it’s worth it.

You can find out how to join the Loose Cannons! race and other bicycle related stuff at PACELINE Urban Racing

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"I've played for the Miami Heat my whole career under Pat Riley, Mr.GQ himself. So when I pick out my outfits before a game, I'm already feeling confident. And some of that swagger stays with me when I take the court."

- Dwyane Wade