ARTS IN MIAMI

CHRIS ADAMO is a founding partner of Flamingo Capital, a venture capital syndicate in Miami focusing on Web3, an active angel investor/advisor in 70+ tech startups, and the managing partner of the Arkive Art Fund. Prior, he spent nine years growing 1800Flowers.com into a billion-dollar business. He is a community builder across the arts and nonprofit sectors, and – as per The New York Times, a “Pied Piper” of the #MiamiTech community as the co-founder of The #miamitech Happy Hour and The New Tropic. He has an MBA and B.A. from Binghamton University and lives in Miami with his wife, Randi Wolfson, and two sons, Rhyder and Booker.

OCTAVIA YEARWOOD is a native New Yorker who has found success as an award-winning conceptual artist, producer, and life coach. Over the last 15 years, she has produced and curated for The Institute of Contemporary Art, HistoryMiami Museum, The Bass Museum, the city of Miami Beach, Soho House, AppleTV, and OUTtv. She's made her mark in various art mediums in film, art curation, and book publishing. Named “Best Author in Miami” by Miami New Times, she also was recognized as an Emerging Arts Leader by Americans for the Arts and among the 40 under 40 Black Leaders by Legacy Magazine. Yearwood was the recipient of an Ellie award from Oolite Arts and was named Knights Arts Champion by Knight Foundation. Her debut docuseries The Tranz Form was recently picked up by Apple TV and OUTtv. Her book, How The Hell Did You Do That?! (The New O Publishing) is in 50 Miami Dade College libraries, and her publishing house’s recent release, Gracias Madre, by emerging author Tara Benmeleh, is available at the Pérez Art Museum Miami. Yearwood's passion is empowering others to win, no matter what that looks like to them. She is known for creating opportunities for self-actualization and for others to matter in the community. Her motto: Create dope things while elevating unheard voices.

Multidisciplinary artist STUART SHELDON is best known for collage and text paintings exploring literature, and installations invoking social justice. A Miami native, his 2018 gun-sense billboard “How Was School Today?” was part of “the largest creative collaboration in U.S. history” and earned him an Ellies Creator Award from Oolite Arts, which honor “the backbone of Miami’s visual arts community.” He co-hosts the Swan Dive podcast, which features guests from across the world who have pivoted in life to chase their dream. Sheldon lives in a remote seaside village in Costa Rica with his wife and two teenage sons. He surfs every day.