Teach to Fish Business Summit 2025: Empowering Local Entrepreneurs
Summit Concludes with $100K in Grants
North Miami — The 2025 Teach to Fish Business Summit concluded Tuesday at Florida International University’s Kovens Conference Center. The event lasted three days and offered transformative programming, networking, and inspiration for entrepreneurs and small-business leaders across South Florida.
Presented by the City of North Miami and the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), this year’s summit featured interactive sessions on marketing and AI. It also included sessions on contract readiness, access to capital, leadership, and growth.
The event also had a live pitch competition. Additionally, there were exclusive networking opportunities that connected hundreds of business owners to new resources and partnerships.
Business & Bubbles Brunch
The summit started on Sunday, October 12. It featured the Business & Bubbles Brunch and a keynote by Dr. Amira Ogunleye. She is the Founder and CEO of Beautiful Smiles. Dr. Ogunleye is a well-known cosmetic dentist and an award-winning entrepreneur. She inspired attendees to embrace authenticity and strive for excellence in their business journey.
“Behind most success stories is a beginning that doesn’t look successful,” said Dr. Ogunleye. “Excellence isn’t a moment—it’s who you are. People buy you before they buy the product. When you genuinely care about people, success follows.”
Motion & Mastery Luncheon
The closing day featured the Motion & Mastery Luncheon, headlined by Damola Adamolekun, CEO of Red Lobster. He shared leadership lessons from guiding iconic brands through challenge and transformation.
“The pursuit of excellence is what we should all be chasing,” said Adamolekun. “It isn’t a selfish goal—when you improve yourself, you improve your community. Build fair, idea-driven cultures, communicate honestly, and celebrate the small wins on the way to big results.”
As the event’s founder and driving force, Vice Mayor Kassandra Timothe, MPA, reflected on the summit’s impact and the mission that inspired its name.
“The Teach to Fish Business Summit was more than a conference — it was a testament to what happens when access meets ambition,” said Vice Mayor Timothe.
“From our dynamic speakers to the entrepreneurs who showed up ready to learn, connect, and grow, we witnessed transformation in real time. The Teach to Fish movement is about more than a weekend of inspiration — it’s about building pathways that last a lifetime. Each year we raise the bar, and I’m already looking forward to what next year will bring as we continue to empower businesses to not just survive, but truly thrive.”
Rooted in the proverb that inspired its name — “Give someone a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach someone to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.” — the Teach to Fish Business Summit continues to evolve. It is becoming a statewide movement equipping entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and access they need to sustain success for years to come.
