Francisco Gonzalez is Executive Director of the Economic Club of Miami. He is the author of three books on entrepreneurship and the American Dream, host of the Agents of Innovation podcast, and founder of Fearless Journeys. He has taught economics courses in several South Florida prisons and served as a visiting professor at the Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala.

 

In a city defined by reinvention, Miami’s rapid ascent as a global center for finance, technology, and investment has been nothing short of remarkable. As talent and capital continue to flow into South Florida from across the United States and around the world, a new question has emerged—how to bring together the individuals shaping this transformation. Inspired by long-standing economic institutions in cities such as New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, the Economic Club of Miami was born from that need. While Miami has long been Florida’s most globally connected city and a natural gateway to the Americas, 2020 marked a turning point, accelerating its evolution into a serious destination for capital, investment, and long-term growth.

 

As the city’s influence expanded, so did the need for a central platform capable of convening leaders across industries—not simply for conversation, but for alignment, connection, and the exchange of ideas shaping Miami’s economic future. That vision came together through the leadership of Founding Chairman Jon Hartley and founding board members Jeb Bush, Jr., Jeremy Schwarz, and Lourdes Castillo, who set out to create a platform reflecting both the ambition and the diversity of Miami itself. The Club gained early national attention in November 2022 with a landmark event featuring Citadel founder Ken Griffin and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, marking a defining moment in its early trajectory. Shortly thereafter, the organization entered a new phase of growth under the direction of its Executive Director, further strengthening its positioning within Miami’s evolving economic landscape.

 

 

At the time, the Club counted just 35 members. Today, it is approaching 400 active members. In just five years, the Economic Club of Miami has established itself as a central convening point within the city’s economic ecosystem—bringing together leaders across finance, technology, real estate, policy, and beyond, both locally and internationally. While a significant portion of its members come from finance, private equity, venture capital, and technology, the strength of the Club lies in its diversity. Its community also includes leaders in law, healthcare, hospitality, government, media, and communications—reflecting the multidimensional growth defining Miami today. What distinguishes the Economic Club of Miami is not only who is in the room, but what happens when they gather.

 

The Club has hosted a remarkable range of speakers, including some of the most influential figures in business and investment—Ken Griffin, Peter Thiel, Michael Saylor, and Joe Lonsdale—as well as four governors of the Federal Reserve Board and leading voices in public policy. Its reach extends well beyond the United States, with speakers and participants representing Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Canada, and Mexico, further reinforcing Miami’s position as a global gateway for capital and ideas. At its core, the Economic Club of Miami is guided by a clear mission: to convene influential voices around the ideas shaping the city’s economic future, with the broader ambition of contributing to Miami’s emergence as a global financial capital where opportunity, access, and long-term growth converge.

 

 

For members, the experience extends beyond formal programming into a broader ecosystem of access and relationships. In addition to curated events throughout the year, the Club brings its members together through a series of high-level gatherings across South Florida, placing them at the center of the region’s most dynamic conversations. For those seeking a more elevated level of engagement, Elite Membership offers access to private, curated dinners—intimate settings where conversations deepen, relationships strengthen, and strategic ideas are exchanged with greater proximity.

 

 

Miami’s rise over the past decades reflects a broader shift in global patterns of talent and capital. It is a city built not only by those born into it, but by those who choose it—individuals arriving from across the world and, increasingly, from across the United States, drawn by opportunity, ambition, and the ability to build. The Economic Club of Miami reflects that spirit, bringing together those who are not only part of this evolution, but actively shaping what comes next. As Miami continues to establish itself on the global stage, the importance of convening the right people, at the right time, around the right ideas has never been more critical. And in many ways, this is only the beginning.

 

As part of this partnership, and sharing a common vision, Exclusive Luxury Magazine and the Economic Club of Miami aim to highlight the individuals, ideas, and conversations shaping Miami’s emergence as a global capital hub.