To most people, April is a month of spring showers and beautiful blooming flowers… But in Miami, things are a little bit different. With the rise of tech companies and startups crashing into the city as fast as our beach waves, the tech scene has been hungry to make a mark. In true Miami style, it decided to combine its love for events and tech and make April Miami Tech Month.
There was something for everyone, from Web3 talks, to Miami NFT Week, to the Bitcoin Miami conference, and every networking session that happened in between. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that in-person gatherings are back and here to stay.
With the Ironhack Miami Campus being at the center of it all, we couldn’t resist taking part in all the tech festivities! During Miami Tech Month we partnered with the eMerge Americas Conference to host a Web3 Hackathon and showcased Ironhack at the conference with a booth.
Why eMerge Americas?
eMerge Americas Conference is a premier tech conference that’s transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas. They partner with the entire tech and entrepreneurial ecosystem, from government to higher-ed, startups to investors, corporate enterprises and media to connect talent, capital and entrepreneurs.
The team at Ironhack loved how our values of bridging the gap between talent, technology, and community aligned, so we knew that attending this tech conference would be a game-changing experience. To give you a glimpse of how we set our mark at the conference, here are the top 5 highlights of Ironhack at eMerge Americas 2022.
A Fireside Chat Predicting the Future of Learning and Education
On the first day of the conference our co-founder/co-CEO, Ariel Quinones and VP of People/ General Counsel, Karina DuQuesne discussed their big predictions for the future of learning and education. During the 30 minute chat, over 50 people gathered around the Launchpad Stage to have a peek into the future of ed-tech. Check out the 5 predictions:
Prediction 1: Thanks to Al, every learner will have the equivalent of a "personal" tutor for free.
Prediction 2: Emotional Intelligence and "Soft skills" will become the most important skill of the 2030s.
Prediction 3: We will dramatically transform learner incentives. We will go from "Learn to Learn" to "Learn to Earn" (i.e. learn to get a job) to "Learn while you Earn."
Prediction 4: The blockchain will play a key role in alternative credentials.
Prediction 5: We will see the rise of a true Edtech Giant: the first education company to reach $100B in valuation.
The Launch of the eMerge Americas x Ironhack Diversity in Tech Scholarship
Announced exclusively at eMerge Americas, it was exciting to share that we’re giving away $200K in scholarships to help you and anyone you know launch a new career in tech. The eMerge Americas x Ironhack Diversity in Tech Fund was born to provide scholarships to underrepresented communities to increase diversity in tech. We couldn’t be more proud to partner with eMerge Americas in this cause! It’s important to create a world where everyone has equal access to the tech sector and an opportunity to build a fulfilling career. Especially since Miami is such a diverse city.
We highly encourage you to learn more and apply. Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis and are evaluated based on application requirements.
Ironhack Creates Buzz with an Epic Booth
One of the biggest projects behind attending the conference was designing a booth that represented what Ironhack stands for: education, technology, community, and passion. After a couple ideation sessions and some help from design experts, the Ironhack booth showcased a wall-sized screen with videos, branded merchandise, a photobooth, a meeting area, and fun tech trivia.
Seeing all of our hard work and vision come to life was a breathtaking accomplishment. Throughout the 2 days of the conference our booth was filled with attendees excited to learn and collaborate with Ironhack.
eMerge Americas x Ironhack Hackathon winners were announced
Prior to the conference we collaborated on the eMerge Americas x Ironhack Hackathon powered by Blockchain.com. This was the official hackathon of the eMerge Americas Conference. The theme of the Hackathhon was Deploying Web3 Tech for Social Impact. Teams had 12 hours to build a Web3 project that addressed a social/community challenge.
On the last day of the conference the winning team was announced on the main stage in front of hundreds of people. The winners were Team Green Crate who created a decentralized platform that subsidizes groceries for families in need. This amazing web3 project for social good earned them $10,000! We’re so proud of them!
All hands on deck with the Ironhack Team
If there’s one thing that we learned about planning and attending this conference, it’s that there’s nothing like the support we give each other as a team. From the local Miami Campus team that coordinated everything, to admissions who shared their knowledge with booth attendees, global members who were flown to the US to assist us, alumni who shared their experiences on social media, and last but not least how our co-founder/co-CEO, Ariel and VP of People/ General Counsel, Karina gave an amazing presentation; every contribution and action made this event a success.
But the fun doesn’t end there… This type of collaboration and support is what we share with our students everyday!
Final Thoughts
Miami Tech Month and eMerge Americas has brought us a whirlwind of positive emotions! We couldn’t be more grateful to be part of such an amazing event and booming tech hub. A big thank you to eMerge Americas for collaborating on so many great projects with us.
Also, a huge shout out to everyone who participated in the Hackathon and came to meet us at our conference booth. We can’t wait to see what next year’s Miami Tech Month brings. Now on to the next Ironhack events! Keep your eyes peeled for invites…
And if you’re ready to start your career in tech and be part of the Ironhack community, don’t hesitate to apply.
See you in class!
