Refresh Miami

What Refresh Miami does

Refresh Miami, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit founded in 2006 by Brian Breslin and headquartered at The LAB Miami in Wynwood. It operates as the oldest and largest tech and startup community organization in South Florida, with a stated membership base of 16,000+ and a weekly newsletter reaching 16,000+ subscribers. Its mission is to educate, inspire, connect, and grow South Florida's tech and startup ecosystem.

The organization's core product surface is a WordPress-hosted platform (refreshmiami.com) that bundles daily Miami tech news across categories such as Fundraises & Exits, Startup Spotlights, Special Reports, Investor Spotlights, and Relocations & Expansions, a curated community events calendar, a tech and startup job board (jobs.refreshmiami.com) with ATS integrations via Getro, and an interactive Miami Tech Dashboard (ecosystem.refreshmiami.com) surfacing ecosystem metrics. Supporting modules include the Miami Tech Pod podcast, the Women in Miami Tech community group, the Miami Tech Talent Coalition program (in partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Good Jobs Challenge), and the Welcome to Miami Guide for newcomers. The team is six people (Founder, Executive Director, News Editor & Writer, News Lead Writer, Account Manager, and Senior Developer). The technology stack is primarily composed of WordPress plus third-party SaaS (Stripe, PayPal, Mailchimp, Cloudflare, Google reCAPTCHA, Google Analytics, PostHog, YouTube embeds, Airtable).

Revenue is generated through a tiered membership subscription model (free Subscriber, $10/month Supporter, $100/month Employer) processed via Stripe and PayPal, plus flagship Official Partner sponsorships with Cooley (Legal), EisnerAmper (Accounting), J.P. Morgan (Banking), and The LAB Miami (Home venue). The Employer tier unlocks newsletter advertising, unlimited job listings, featured company placement, and ATS career-page sync. Customer segments span tech founders and operators, hiring companies, venture investors, professional service sponsors, and broader tech-curious professionals across South Florida. The organization has not raised institutional venture capital; only a single $50,000 funding round in January 2021 is disclosed.

Name

Refresh Miami

Legal name

Refresh Miami, Inc.

Website

https://refreshmiami.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Refresh Miami is a 501c3 non-profit founded in 2006 that operates the oldest and largest tech and startup community platform in South Florida, serving 16,000+ members and newsletter subscribers through daily news, a job board, an ecosystem dashboard, events, and tiered memberships funded by individual and Employer subscriptions plus flagship Official Partner sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tech Startup Community

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Fan Membership, Subscriptions & Patronage Platforms (MPACABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creator Commerce & Affiliate Monetization Platforms (MPACAFAF), Event Monetization & Sponsorship Tech (Virtual Booth Leads, Ads, Sponsored Sessions) (THAHAOAK), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Tech community news
• Startup ecosystem platform
• Tech job listings
• Community event hosting
• Startup networking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Paid Membership Subscriptions: Recurring monthly (or annual with discount) paid memberships. Two paid tiers: Supporter at $10/month and Employer at $100/month. Pay-as-you-go with no contracts, auto-renew at term start, cancel anytime with services continuing through end of paid term.
2. Free Subscriber Tier (Freemium): Free Subscriber tier providing the Miami Tech Weekly Newsletter (16k+ subscribers) and job notifications; designed to drive engagement and conversion to paid Supporter/Employer tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Refresh Miami operates a 501c3 non-profit community platform that educates, inspires, connects, and grows South Florida's tech and startup ecosystem through daily Miami tech news, a curated events calendar, a tech and startup job board, a weekly newsletter reaching 16,000+ subscribers, and an ecosystem data dashboard. Its offerings are monetized via tiered membership subscriptions (free Subscriber, $10/month Supporter, $100/month Employer) and Official Partner sponsorships from professional services firms.

Product overview

Refresh Miami operates a platform-plus-modules architecture built around a daily Miami tech news publication, delivered through a core website that bundles several integrated offerings. The core platform consists of the Refresh Miami News (daily editorial coverage), the Miami Tech Weekly Newsletter (delivered to 16,000+ subscribers), the Events Calendar, and the Tech & Startup Job Board. Supporting modules and programs include the Miami Tech Dashboard (an interactive ecosystem data tool), the Miami Tech Pod podcast, the Tech Talent Coalition program, the Women in Miami Tech community group, the Welcome to Miami Guide for newcomers, and tiered Membership Plans (Subscriber, Supporter at $10/month, and Employer at $100/month) that unlock features such as event promotion, newsletter advertisements, and unlimited job listings. Together these products form a 501c3 non-profit community hub whose mission is to educate, inspire, connect, and grow South Florida's tech and startup ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refresh Miami Membership Plans (Subscriber, Supporter, Employer) Tiered membership subscriptions for the Refresh Miami community: Subscriber (free) includes the Miami Tech Weekly Newsletter and job notifications; Supporter at $10/month adds early access to Refresh Signature Events, the ability to promote events on the Miami Tech Community Calendar, and a 10% discount on additional newsletter advertisements; Employer at $100/month adds unlimited job listings on the Refresh Job Board, a Featured Company Listing, careers-page sync, and 1 free advertisement in the Refresh Weekly Newsletter (available after 6 months of membership).
• Tech & Startup Job Board (jobs.refreshmiami.com) Online job board featuring tech and startup job listings across Miami, with company browsing and job posting capabilities for employers; Employer-tier members get unlimited job postings, Featured Company Listings, and career-page sync integrations with Greenhouse and other ATS systems via Getro.
• Miami Tech Weekly Newsletter A weekly email newsletter delivered via Mailchimp to 16,000+ subscribers covering Miami tech and startup news, events, and job opportunities; available free to all Subscribers and includes advertising inventory for Employer-tier members.
• Miami Tech Dashboard Interactive discovery tool surfacing key metrics and data on the Miami tech and startup ecosystem, hosted at ecosystem.refreshmiami.com.
• Community Events Calendar Curated calendar of tech and startup events happening around Miami with public event submission capability, built on The Events Calendar plugin within WordPress; Supporter-tier members can promote their own events on it.
• Miami Tech Pod Podcast Companion podcast for the Refresh Miami ecosystem covering Miami tech founders, investors, and ecosystem topics, distributed at miamitechpod.com and linked from the Resources section of refreshmiami.com.
• Refresh Miami News (daily editorial) Daily Miami technology news site featuring articles across categories including Fundraises & Exits, Startup Spotlights, Special Reports, Relocations & Expansions, Investor Spotlights, AI, Fintech, ClimateTech, Medtech, and Proptech.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,000+ community members
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Cooley Law FirmflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerRefresh Miami's Official Legal Partner. Listed as a prominent Official Partner on refreshmiami.com with a dedicated intake form (typeform). Provides legal services and visibility to the Miami tech ecosystem in exchange for sponsorship prominence.
• EisnerAmperflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerRefresh Miami's Official Accounting Partner. Listed as a prominent Official Partner on refreshmiami.com with a dedicated intake form (typeform). Accounting firm sponsoring the Miami tech ecosystem in exchange for visibility among founders and operators.
• The LAB MiamiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated 'Refresh Miami's Home' venue located at 400 NW 26th St., Miami, FL 33127. The LAB Miami hosts key Refresh Miami events and the Women in Miami Tech coworking program, serving as a foundational part of Miami's tech ecosystem.
• Miami Tech Works (Miami Tech Talent Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefresh Miami is a proud partner of Miami Tech Works and its Miami Tech Talent Coalition - a collaboration of employers, academia, and community organizations creating tech pathways for residents. Funded by the U.S. Economic Development Agency's Good Jobs Challenge. Co-promotes talent initiatives including Break Through Tech Miami, Miami Dade College, FIU, Ironhack, and other training providers.
• Purple HorizonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts and presents the recurring 'South Miami Tech Tuesdays' monthly meetup series in partnership with Refresh Miami and Columbus Connects. Run by Ralph Quintero and Gianni D'Alerta at Bougainvillea's Old Florida Tavern in South Miami.
• Blue KeysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the South Miami Tech Tuesdays event series, providing Cuban small bites from partner Sergios Restaurants under the tagline 'Your Network Unlocked'.
• Lab22cminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a community partner for South Miami Tech Tuesdays, alongside Refresh Miami and Columbus Connects.
• Columbus ConnectsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner for South Miami Tech Tuesdays; brings tech and innovation expertise from CCHS Technology and Innovations Professionals.
• Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent venue and organizer partner at 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314. Hosts the recurring 'Crowded Mondays' weekly community gathering listed on the Refresh Miami calendar. Affiliated with Nova Southeastern University ([email protected]).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Built In: Built In operates city-specific tech media brands, newsletters, and job boards serving multiple U.S. tech hubs — the closest scaled analog to Refresh Miami's regional media-plus-jobs-plus-events model, and the most likely competitive threat if it enters the Miami market.
• GeekWire: GeekWire is a regional tech media, events, and community platform covering the Seattle tech ecosystem — directly comparable in scope (news + events + community + jobs) and structure, and a useful benchmark for Refresh Miami's monetization trajectory.
• Technical.ly: Technical.ly operates a multi-city tech news, events, and jobs network covering several U.S. metro tech ecosystems — comparable in editorial format and audience, though operating across multiple geographies rather than a single regional hub.
• AlleyWatch: AlleyWatch is the longest-running NYC startup and tech news media brand — directly analogous to Refresh Miami's role as a single-city community-led media platform, including founder/investor coverage and ecosystem events.
• BostInno: BostInno (part of American Inno / Digital First Media) covers Boston's tech and startup ecosystem across news, events, and jobs — a comparable single-city community media property with similar editorial scope to Refresh Miami.
• LA Tech Watch (dot.LA): dot.LA / LA Tech Watch is the Los Angeles tech ecosystem media brand covering startups, funding, and industry — a directly comparable regional tech news and community play serving a single major U.S. metro.
• Chicago Inno: Chicago Inno covers the Chicago tech and startup ecosystem through daily news, events, and a jobs board — structurally similar to Refresh Miami in being a single-city community-driven tech publication.

Broad incumbents

• TechCrunch: TechCrunch is the dominant national/international tech media brand covering startups, funding, and tech events — a broad incumbent that operates at a much larger scale and overlaps with Refresh Miami's news, event coverage, and ecosystem-convening role.
• Crunchbase: Crunchbase is the leading startup data, news, and discovery platform — overlapping with Refresh Miami's Miami Tech Dashboard and Fundraises & Exits coverage, and serving a similar founder/investor audience at a national scale.

Regional players

• eMerge Americas: eMerge Americas is a flagship Miami-based tech conference and ecosystem platform — a regional peer that operates at the intersection of events, news, and Miami tech ecosystem convening, making it a directly comparable Miami-specific stakeholder.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/refreshmiami
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeIB7gwbJZ-AvB0KNS3I6nQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/RefreshMiami
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refresh-miami-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/refreshmiami

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Refresh Miami