TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Wave and the Tampa Bay Latin Chamber of Commerce are working together to address the gap in Latin tech businesses.
Lobbyist for the Tampa Bay Wave and founder of the Tampa Bay Latin Chamber of Commerce, Cesar Hernandez, says this is just the first step in creating a diverse industry.
“Our goal as a Latin chamber is to make sure that our entrepreneurs are scaling and exiting and then they can replenish the eco-system with this new wealth that’s being generated and invest back into their community,” said Hernandez.
Now, thanks to $500,000 in federal funding, they’ll bring together Latin entrepreneurs looking to start their own startup.
The company, Immertec, was founded by Erik Maltais. The platform allows students to view a live 3D stream of an operating room for remote surgical training.
Maltais explained the benefit of the platform.
“If I was a physician, I would be able to learn from this and adopt this and be able to help children in my community.”
He says there have been tons of innovations that have been brought to people all over the United States.
Maltais says this achievement has been no small task. He’s a first generation American whose mother migrated to the U.S. from Peru.
“The sacrifice that my mom made coming to this country, and it feels really good that I’m taking advantage of that and that I’m doing everything I can for my family and my community.”
Maltais is an example of a Latin entrepreneur who’s made his dream come true thanks in part to the Tampa Bay Wave.
It’s a nonprofit that helps provide tech businesses with the resources they need to succeed.
“I realized that we’re stronger together, and so building a community of Latinos also striving to be the generation of entrepreneurs and innovators is a big part of my life,” said Maltais.
He also says it’s helping Latinos develop a presence when it comes to the tech industry.
If you’re a Latin entrepreneur and are looking to be part of the LatinTech Accelerator program, you can apply at tampabaywave.org.