“Our vision is for the SoftBank Operator School to become a training ground for the next generation of talent to become leaders in the most successful technology startups in South Florida and Latin America. We know these regions have talent. Now it’s time they get the training.”
– Marcelo Claure, CEO of SoftBank Group International
SoftBank Group International partners with FIU Online
During the Fall 2022 term, FIU Online partnered with SoftBank Group International, Miami Dade College and the University of Miami to create the Softbank Operator School (SOS), providing for-credit graduate and undergraduate courses in startup management. The goal of this semester-long program was to support the growth of a next-generation tech community in South Florida and Latin America. The program was offered as a hybrid opportunity with an online streaming component for distance learners.
Through weekly masterclasses, SOS brought 24 SoftBank portfolio executives to speak to students about the fundamentals of tech startups including Go-To-Market Strategies, Making Data-Driven Decisions, Building for Scale with AI and Building in Miami.
Speakers included SoftBank Group International CEO Marcelo Claure, WeWork Latin America CEO Claudia Woods, Rappi Co-founder and President Sebastian Mejia, AllHere Founder and CEO Joanna Smith, Lumu Founder and CEO Ricardo Villadiego, and QuikNode, Inc. Co-founder and CTO Auston Busen.
In addition to the speaker series, SOS included workshops and hands-on projects that gave students an opportunity to solve real world challenges in startup development and management. Participants also had access to office hours with the SoftBank team, and information about career opportunities inside SoftBank Group’s portfolio companies.
SOS Impact
Hundreds of students took part in the Softbank Operator School program both in person and virtually. It was a life changing opportunity for learners to gain the skills required to be successful in South Florida’s growing technology ecosystem.
Post-event access to all content from the SoftBank Group Operator School has been made available for free via 30+ hours of videos from world-class entrepreneurs and business leaders.
To learn more about the Softbank Operator School program’s partnership with FIU and future opportunities, visit https://softbankmasterclass.fiu.edu/.