Our Why

Imagining the Miami of 2040 – and helping our community build it.

This is a pivotal moment for Miami. We have never been positioned so strongly for success as we are today. But we also face daunting and ongoing challenges – from sea-level rise, to income inequality, to a much-needed economic reinvention that’s just getting started.

We are a platform of ideas, gatherings, and solutions to tackle our biggest challenges and create a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable economic future.

Here's how we aim to do it:

Elevate the best ideas and solutions: We showcase and research the ideas, people, and companies shaping our future here and elsewhere
Convene the community: We bring together leaders, stakeholders, and the community at large around our most pressing issues
Research and measure: We dive deep into important trends and measure our community’s progress on key issues

It’s an effort that takes the long view. Moving beyond election and news cycles to imagine the Miami we want in 2040 - when the child today in Miami will be readying to enter the workforce.

Our belief is that our greatest challenges present our biggest opportunities. That a more innovative, inclusive and sustainable future can only be built together - with you. And to stay ahead of new challenges and opportunities, a new model for how we envision and build that future is needed.

Join in. Let’s shape our economic future, together.

Our Focus

We believe Miami’s economic future hinges on doing three things well:

Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Continue driving entrepreneurship and innovation in order to create well-paying jobs and further diversifying the economy;
Talent and Inclusion: Dramatically increase economic inclusion and spur social mobility through talent development;
Sustainability and Net-Zero: Turn the challenge of climate change into a generational business opportunity by being a leader in the global transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

The Beacon Council Foundation

The Beacon Council Foundation is a Florida-based 501(c)3 nonprofit created exclusively for charitable and educational purposes dedicated to the growth and prosperity of Miami-Dade County. The Miami-Dade Beacon Council is the sole member of the Foundation and has oversight and control over the Foundation’s fiscal and programmatic activities.

Since 1986, The Beacon Council Foundation has been the catalyst for Miami’s transformation into a global business hub. Our unwavering belief remains simple yet powerful: when a community unites, its potential knows no bounds.

Opportunity Miami is an initiative of the Foundation – it stands on the shoulders of One Community One Goal, the initiative founded in the 1990s by civic leader Jay Malina and re-launched in 2012 by The Beacon Council, that focused on identifying the key economic issues and proposing steps to address them.

Miami-Dade Beacon Council

Opportunity Miami is powered by Miami-Dade Beacon Council, a public-private partnership that is the official economic development organization for Miami-Dade County.