An entertainment business incubator called REC Miami plans to open at this Little River location early next year.
With the upcoming launch of REC Miami in Little River, local creative professionals will have resources and opportunities in their own backyard to help them pursue their entertainment business dreams.
The people behind REC Philly, a similar entertainment incubator in Philadelphia, secured a $2 million investment from rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to open a location in Miami in early 2023 which he envisions as a “one stop shop” for creatives. entrepreneurs
REC Philly founders Will Toms and Dave Silver decided to build their Miami outpost at 285 NW 71st St. in the Little River neighborhood due to the community’s proximity to art hubs such as Wynwood and the Design District.
At 13,000 square feet, Silver said REC Miami will be 20 percent larger than the flagship Philadelphia location, where members have access to recording, photography and dance studios and event spaces to use for their businesses .
Programming, such as panels and fireside chats, will also provide REC Miami members with networking opportunities and insights to become entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry. Toms plans to make these events events at the REC Miami.
“There are a lot of people who have these talents, but it’s really fear that stops them from pursuing it,” he said. “Once they have some confidence to do that, it’s the inability to connect with what they need to be successful. There’s access to that information to help you understand the business and be able to tap into like-minded people to our ecosystem.”
Content producer Matthew Henry never imagined working as a self-employed music creator. However, her networking experience through REC Philly allowed her to quit her full-time job as an accountant at the investment firm Vanguard and follow her passion. Now 31, Henry’s work ranges from touring with musicians and creating video content to managing a nine-person TikTok team.
“It’s kind of unbelievable,” Henry said. “I feel like I wouldn’t be here today without the opportunities I had from them. Someone took me to a REC meeting one day. It was a group of creatives in a warehouse in North Philly without heat. It felt like there were a lot of people trying to do interesting creative things and help each other grow.”
When Lynzie Riebling of REVOLT MEDIA & TV, a media company owned by Combs, sat on a panel at REC Philly, she was impressed by the company’s concept and workflow. Riebling connected Toms with Combs Enterprises president Tarik Brook. After Toms and Silver planned and brainstormed with the folks on Combs’ team, the idea for REC Miami was born.
“They do a lot of similar grounding by bringing together the best professionals in the industry to make music and write and be creative,” Silver said of Diddy’s team. “One of the reasons why they made our association was to have a central location [in Miami] to bring together young creators to create inspiring pieces of art.”
Miami residents interested in learning more about REC Miami can go to joinrec.com/miami to learn more about a virtual town hall session on October 13. Details on how creative professionals can participate will be shared when the Little River site opens.
