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Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has consistently emphasized the importance of building an inclusive economy — one where small businesses, especially those owned by minorities and immigrants, are given the tools and opportunities to thrive. A key pillar of her administration’s strategy is ensuring that access to information and resources is equitable and multilingual.
As part of this vision, the County’s small business initiative, Strive305, has taken bold steps to break language barriers and broaden its reach to Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs. This year, Strive305 partnered with the U.S. Hispanic Women’s Chamber of Commerce to produce business development content in Spanish, helping ensure that all communities have access to the same high-quality entrepreneurial resources.
At the forefront of this effort is Yamilet Rivas, a passionate advocate for small business owners and a current Strive305 Ambassador. Since her appointment, Rivas has been instrumental in the program’s outreach, especially within the Hispanic community. She manages the Strive305 incubator office at The HUB @ Office Logic, a collaborative workspace dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs through mentorship, workshops, and networking.
In addition to managing the HUB, Rivas co-hosts the weekly Strive305 + Community Newspapers Spanish Podcast alongside Jennifer Matute a Strive305 Ambassador & Public Relations Director for the Chamber. The podcast covers a wide range of topics, from accessing capital to marketing strategies, and features interviews with successful local entrepreneurs who share insights and lessons learned. Rivas has also been a frequent contributor to Spanish-language Strive305 columns in local newspapers, further amplifying the initiative’s message across traditional media.
This grassroots and media-driven effort has already seen remarkable success. Most recently, Comercio TV, often referred to as the Spanish-language version of CNBC, announced that it will begin broadcasting the Strive305 Spanish Show on cable television and live-streaming it via the internet. This development significantly boosts the initiative’s visibility and ensures that thousands more entrepreneurs across Miami-Dade can access critical business knowledge in their native language.
The results have been measurable. Since the beginning of the year, traffic to Strive305Hub.com has increased by more than 400%, driven by the rising demand for small business support and the initiative’s ongoing shoulder to shoulder outreach efforts and search engine optimization efforts. More importantly, this growth represents real impact — more small businesses are being served, more entrepreneurs are receiving guidance, and more opportunities are being created at the local level.
Mayor Levine Cava’s vision has always been about more than economic statistics; it’s about building a community where opportunity is not dictated by ZIP code, language, or the size of one’s business. Miami-Dade’s economic development strategy is no longer just focused on attracting large corporations — it’s equally about rolling out the red carpet for small business owners who form the backbone of the local economy.
Creating an economy that works for everyone is a bold and complex challenge. But with dedicated ambassadors like Yamilet Rivas leading the way and partnerships that put inclusion at the center, that vision is steadily becoming reality. The Strive305 movement is not just growing — it’s transforming Miami-Dade into a national model for equitable economic development.
