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We turned to Refresh when we needed to fill a crucial role on our Product team. We found the ideal candidate (who was living in NYC) through the Refresh newsletter promoting our job post. There’s no doubt that Refresh has built the strongest tech community in South Florida! —Linda Koritkoski, Classic Motors
Meet our Team Brian Breslin, Founder and Chairman: In 2006, Brian Breslin saw untapped potential in South Florida’s fledgling startup ecosystem and quickly realized there lacked a support system for the tech and startup community. From this idea, Refresh Miami was founded. Its mission—to educate, inspire, connect and grow South Florida’s tech and startup ecosystem. Over a decade later, Refresh Miami now unites over 10,000 entrepreneurs, developers, designers, investors, and tech lovers right here in our own backyard.
of the South Florida technology and startup community through his efforts co-organizing Refresh Miami. Peter’s day job is at the University of Miami working for Academic Technologies developing and implementing tools/ services that improve teaching and learning through the use of technology.
Brian founded Refresh Miami in 2006 after identifying a lack of technology and entrepreneurial resources available in South Florida. Brian has been involved in a number of local startups, as well as local charities. He is the founder of Infinimedia, Inc., a software consulting firm focused on logistics solutions. Brian is co-founder of SimCase, an educational gaming company focused on higher-ed.
In his nights and weekends, he builds the infrastructure for InvestReady, the most advanced crowdfunding compliance solution on the market with close to $1B in verified collective capital amongst its members. Peter has his Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Florida International University, with a focus on biosignal processing and VLSI, Undergraduate in Computer Engineering and a Minor in Mathematics.
Brian has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Virginia in 2004, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is also a Miami native.
Josh Martinez, Events Assistant: Josh joined the Refresh Miami team in 2008 while pursuing a degree in Computer Science at Florida International University. He is CTO for On The Map Marketing, an internet marketing and web/mobile development company, as well as for Local Staffing, a job search aggregation platform and SaaS company.
Maria Derchi Russo, Executive Director: A long-time member of the organization, Maria formally joined Refresh Miami as its Executive Director in November 2015. Prior to joining Refresh, Maria had a long career in Marketing—running her own consulting practice, leading Marketing for recent Miami unicorn ParkJockey (now REEF Technology), and spearheading various Marketing programs for online travel site Travelzoo. In addition to her work at Refresh Miami, Maria serves as Campus Director for TheVentureCity and is the founder of Women in Miami Tech (WIMT), a group dedicated to supporting and advancing women in technology in South Florida. Maria has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She’s also a proud Miami native.
Mollie Cole, Project Manager: The newest member of the team and only non-Miami native, Mollie joined Refresh Miami in June 2019. While originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she found her passion for working with startups through internships in the Israeli & Chilean tech ecosystems. When she’s not working on marketing and program development projects for Refresh, she enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and exploring Miami. Mollie is a senior at the University of Miami pursuing degrees in Economics and Judaic Studies.
Peter Martinez, Director and Board Member: Peter Martinez is a senior software engineer, community organizer, and serial entrepreneur. Over the last eight years, Peter has been an integral part
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