The Origin of Teach to Fish: Vice Mayor Kassandra Timothé’s Blueprint for Access
Teach to Fish began in 2022 with a clear problem and a workable fix. North Miami had grants, training, procurement pathways, and free technical help on the table. Too many business owners weren’t using them—not because they didn’t qualify, but because the information felt scattered and the process felt distant. Then–Councilwoman, now Vice Mayor, Kassandra Timothé set a simple aim: bring help to the people, in one room, in plain language, with people you can still reach next week.
From the start, Teach to Fish focused on the basics that move a business forward. Get the paperwork right. Make the bank account and books match. Register with the City and the CRA so you can sell to your own community. Meet lenders, lawyers, marketers, and mentors who will still pick up the phone a week later. Sessions were built to be useful on Monday morning—how to price, how to protect, how to bid, and how to keep customers coming back.
The design of the summit is intentional. It’s an initiative of the City of North Miami and the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency, working in sync with partners who know the terrain. City staff sit next to founders. Resource providers share a table with first-time applicants. You can ask a question, show a document, and leave with next steps. The measure of success is practical: vendor registrations completed, bank relationships started, applications finished, partnerships formed.
What followed was momentum. Word spread. Owners told other owners. Each year brought a wider cross-section of businesses—startups and family firms, solo creatives and contractors—looking for clarity, not hype. Now in its fourth year, Teach to Fish gathers hundreds of entrepreneurs, community leaders, industry experts, and city partners for three days of workshops, speaker sessions, networking, and one-on-one support that lasts past the event.
This year stays rooted in that mission while meeting the moment. Keynote speaker Damola Adamolekun, CEO of Red Lobster, brings a turnaround story with practical lessons on value, service, and steady execution. Strategic sessions like “Get FIFA Ready” help local firms prepare for near-term opportunity, while program tracks cover contracts, credit, legal protection, branding, and customer experience. The mix reflects the original vision: relevant, usable, and grounded in North Miami’s business community.
Teach to Fish keeps that promise. Vice Mayor Timothé’s idea—access to clear information and trusted contacts—remains the framework. People walk in with questions and leave with a plan, a contact list, and the confidence to act. That is how you turn resources into results. That is how a city helps its businesses not just survive, but thrive.
