Events & Community
Events I've attended, what I learned, and whether I'd recommend them.
- May 2025 The LAB Miami, Wynwood Refresh Miami / Maria Derchi Russo
Women in Miami Tech (WIMT)
Two WIMT events — a monthly happy hour and a co-working session — both bringing together founders, engineers, PMs, and builders from across Miami's tech scene.
Key Takeaways
- Women-only spaces generate a different quality of conversation. People say things they wouldn't in mixed settings — specific, recent, and honest.
- Asking 'what are the last three things you're proud of?' short-circuits the tendency to downplay wins. People lit up every single time.
- Experienced women in tech exist in far greater numbers than most work environments reflect. Actively building those relationships is worth doing deliberately.
- AI adoption at ground level lags well behind the hype. The barrier isn't tool access — it's clarity on where to start and how to evaluate what's actually worth it.
- Decision fatigue from the AI tool explosion is underappreciated. For people not already fluent, the noise creates analysis paralysis that stops experimentation entirely.
- The most useful communities move from shared recognition of challenges toward shared action. Venting is valid — but solutions are what compound.
Would recommend: ★★★★★ (9/10)Read full post →community women-in-tech miami-tech networking - Apr 2025 The DOCK at The LAB Miami, Wynwood DeepStation
DeepStation Vibe Coding Cohort
A four-week hands-on cohort teaching real app development with AI tools — from first commit to live product — led by practitioners at The LAB Miami.
Key Takeaways
- The gap between idea and deployed product has genuinely shrunk. The on-ramp matters more than the tools.
- Building live from week one creates accountability that accelerates learning faster than any tutorial.
- Watching a first-time GitHub user light up is as meaningful as any technical milestone.
- Practitioners who ship real things teach differently than people who only talk about shipping.
Would recommend: ★★★★★ (9/10)Read full post →community ai miami-tech vibe-coding