The moon was caught slippin’ — or would that be sliding? — outside the Adrienne Arsht Center. 🌝 | Want to see your own picture in this space? Tag either #thenewtropic or @thenewtropic to be featured in our Instagram of the Day. (📸: @char_superstarr)
💡 They say capitalism breeds innovation, which might be why Miami-Dade’s top elected officials have been looking to rebrand the 305 — which already has its own assortment of problems to deal with, from stark income equality and climate change to substandard public transportation — as a new top-tier tech hub.
It only makes sense then that the brightest of minds would be attracted to the Sunshine State. We’re talking about creative, ingenious folks who’re standing at the ready to solve the world’s problems through cunning, grit, plus a whole lot of cash and coding. Y’know, people like *checks notes* YouTube star Jake Paul.
The 24-year-old influencer recently relocated from LA to Miami to focus on his transformation from an extremely online rascal into the “biggest prize fighter in the world.” And when he’s not training or throwing maskless yacht soirees, Miami New Times reports he’s already making himself at home among the Magic City glitterati by pouring his money into a startup. The project, Anti Fund, will reportedly finance “internet culture” and empower the next generation of influencers. 🙃
Obnoxious online personalities or not, there’s a lot to be wary of concerning local officials’ designs on turning Miami-Dade into Silicon Valley Southeast. A recent Twitter thread by 305 native, entrepreneur, and ex-Facebook and Google employee Michael Sayman put things pretty succinctly: “I’m surprised how little time the Silicon Valley folks have spent reaching out to actual people from Miami (outside of mayor Francis) when it comes to learning about the city.” Enough said.
In other news…
⚾️ Speaking of Miami’s increasingly venture capitalist sheen, the Miami Marlins’ home is now known as loanDepot Park. The venue formerly known as Marlins Park joins the FTX Arena as the latest local sports institution to be renamed after less-than-obvious picks in a multi-million dollar deal; its namesake is a financial services company originally based in Southern California. It’s not all bewildering developments though: The Marlins are hosting frontline healthcare workers free of charge during today’s opening day game, a practice that’ll continue for the duration of the 2021 season. (WPTV / MLB.com)
📢 Attention Miami creatives: You have until Friday night at 11:59 p.m. to apply for Locust Projects’ Wavemaker Incubator Grant. If you need assistance assembling your application, office hours are open today between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for 15-minute sessions to help you put your best artistic foot forward. (Locust Projects via Instagram)
✏️ O, Miami Poetry Festival’s 2021 edition kicks off today. The annual celebration of the written word’s infinite creative possibilities runs through April 30; you can learn more about this year’s itinerary by checking out its website or the following Instagram page. You’ll also be hearing much more about it within this newsletter very soon — be sure to keep your eyes peeled. 👀 (O, Miami via Instagram)
