Raul Moas: To lead Knight effort to help start-ups grow and scale

Though Raul Moas doesn’t begin his position as the Knight Foundation’s Miami program director until March 1, he’s already taking cues from the community to see how Knight can best help Miami grow as an entrepreneurial hub. 

The Miami native says the brain drain is all but cured, and the loud, hungry immigrant spirit sets the region apart from other markets across the country. Mr. Moas says Miami’s immigrant history is more than just a talking point, but an asset that drives growth. “You left your family, your life that you knew and your comfort to search for something bigger and more fruitful,” Mr. Moas said. “You can’t buy, replicate or inspire that hunger.” 

The key to Knight’s high impact in Miami, he says, is not prescribing its own models for success, but supporting existing efforts in the community to magnify the outcome. “We look at what’s already happening on the ground and see if we can accelerate the growth to deepen the impact,” he said. 

Miami Today reporter Gabi Maspons interviewed Mr. Moas at Pipeline, a co-working space in Coral Gables. The interview, recorded by Jahmoukie Dayle, can be found Friday at http://bit.ly/2uNHy0Q.

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