“It was a teacher named Hope, ironically, who gave me hope,” chuckled Armando Christian Peréz (aka Pitbull). His demeanor was warm, engaging, and fully present with host Manny Medina and his daughter, Melissa, Founder of the eMerge Americas Conference, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this April 18th and 19th in Miami, FL.
The event saw a strong turnout overall, with most booths having regular visitors and the two smaller stages, “Texpert” and “Launchpad,” having packed and attentive crowds for the majority of their scheduled panel discussions. Several robots, including a dog, entertained guests from all over the world who came to connect about the future of the tech space. The themes of healthcare and A.I. were robust throughout the venue and agenda, with climate resilience and biotech also having some airtime. Of course, the main stage for Pitbull’s Keynote was noticeably the most alive and anticipated segment.
The laser focus on A.I. was noted by a host in a previous mainstage panel, who turned our attention to corporate venture capital and promised the attendees that he would not be talking about A.I. Pitbull also brought it up in a light-hearted manner, joking that “There are two types of A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Armando Intelligence.” The audience fell in love with him just a little more in that moment, and so did I.
It was my first time seeing Pitbull live. As a young ballerina from New York trained by the Miami City Ballet, I desperately wanted more hip-hop in my life growing up. Pitbull’s performance energy always reminded me of my own. After moving out to Los Angeles at age 24, I revved up my hip-hop dance training. But it wasn’t until my late twenties that I decided to write my first rap song and released my first album under the name “Baby J.” As I’m gearing up to release my second album, I’ve written a hit song for Pitbull, hoping to inspire him to make yet another global anthem for …well…hope for the kids, especially the young girls.
My rapping came as a surprise to a lot of people. I am an entrepreneur and educator first. As you can imagine, I felt immense delight as I heard him speak about the SLAM Academy educational model (Sports, Leadership, Arts, and Management). Now operating 14 public charter schools serving over 8,000 students tuition-free, Pitbull boasts on the eMerge stage, “SLAM is now graduating at 100%. And since it’s a public charter school, 97% of kids are the ones who need it the most.”
SLAM is in its 10th year, just like eMerge. The role of radical collaboration and professional partnership in their mutual success was immediately apparent in the way Armando and Melissa embraced on stage.
According to Pitbull, they have been working side-by-side to elevate tech and increase access to tech skills, tech stack, and capital development opportunities for communities that need them most. A brief conversation with some folks on the eMerge team echoed the conference’s focus on access and inclusion. It makes sense, given Miami’s proximity to Latin America and the infusion of immigrants. There is a bubble of talent that is just waiting to be sparked. This reservoir of young leaders can be immediately tapped to ignite the innovative potential of the entire planet, especially with over 70 countries flocking to Miami to participate.
From the front row, listening to Pitbull talk about this “Spark” for Humanity, which he credits back to Tupac, I couldn’t help but get the jitters—in a good way!
At the very exact moment in time that I’m being inspired by Pitbull’s command, “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t,” across the country in Los Angeles, my company “Mother Earth,” also in its 10th year, is preparing to ‘spark’ the first ever Earth SCHOOL program for 680 students at Moffett Lennox Elementary School. Can you guess what one of our core values is? It’s H.O.P.E., an acronym for Health Outcomes of Positive Experience – a research-based lens for healthy development and the cornerstone of our work.
The Earth SCHOOL is about fostering ecological literacy and stewardship among the next generation. Our approach, like Pitbull’s emphasis on using A.I. beneficially, is about teaching students to harness resources without depleting them. The program includes innovative projects like the “Spark P.O.D.,” a solarium greenhouse demonstrating energy-efficient food growth and completely circular waste management systems.
By incorporating a holistic health and nature-based curriculum like Earth SCHOOL, SLAM Academy would be able to offer students enhanced preparation for careers in horticulture, biotech, and other climate resilience fields. The Earth SCHOOL curriculum also incorporates motor skills, concentration, autonomy, resilience, empathy, and compassion among students. The best part is that it’s based on four sports seasons and fits right into the SLAM ethos. The units are:
- NFL2FIT – Nutrition, Fitness, Listening Skills
- MLB2FIT – Mindfulness, Loving Behaviors, Body Empowerment
- N.H.L2FIT. – Neighborhood Diversity, Health Check-Ins, Learning Styles
- (W)NBA2FIT – Wellness, Neighborhood Revitalization, Business, Advocacy
- R.A.P. Party – Realizing and Accessing Our Potential
Where does Earth SCHOOL meet A.I.? Pitbull’s take on A.I. is that “you utilize it, don’t let it use you.” The same could be said for a regenerative Earth S.M.A.R.T.™ economy. We have to teach young stewards of conservation and biotech how to utilize circularity to create and redistribute natural resources efficiently, not in a way that dries up our soil, uses up our fossil fuel reserves, and siphons our mental energy.
It was incredibly promising to see that Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava joined eMerge Americas to discuss the recent designation of Miami as a Climate-Ready Tech Hub. I also don’t think it was any coincidence that in my Uber ride from the airport to my hotel, there was a perfectly timed announcement of the Miami-Dade School District prioritizing climate literacy, honoring their partnership with organizations such as The Cleo Institute, Dream In Green, The Everglades Foundation, and more.
My former visits to Miami have revealed that long-standing locals share Pitbull’s commitment to empowering youth through music, art, and earth awareness. Fabian Martinez of cultural center Esquina de Abuela has worked with multiple elementary schools to create large murals and showcased a garden made from upcycled toilets as planters. The Greenhaven Project empowers communities to live a healthy, sustainable life through locally grown food.
So what if we were able to unite Miami and Los Angeles, coast to coast, for a Brand New Beginning for America? For the Americas? To eMerge the Americas as global leaders of our Earth’s S.M.A.R.T.™ Future?
All it takes is one spark…and maybe one Dale!
Jenny Carrington is a dancer, writer, philosopher, and yogi. After successfully walking across the United States from Delaware to California (over 3,000 miles), she now focuses on social activism.
