5th Annual Teach to Fish Business Summit Returns Oct. 4-6 With Kandi Burruss, Business Leaders and Funding Opportunities

5th Annual Teach to Fish Business Summit Returns Oct. 4-6 With Kandi Burruss, Business Leaders and Funding Opportunities

September 18, 2026

North Miami Vice Mayor Kassandra Timothe, MPA, will host the 5th annual Teach to Fish North Miami Business Summit, Oct. 4-6, for three days of workshops, networking and conversations designed to help entrepreneurs tackle the real challenges of starting and growing a business.

Presented in partnership with the City of North Miami and the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (NMCRA), this year’s summit takes on the theme “Reel It In.”

The weekend begins Sunday, Oct. 4, with Vision & Vibes: The Networking Derby at NoMi Village, 12351 NW 7th Ave., North Miami. The kickoff event gives attendees a chance to meet and connect before the summit gets underway.

Programming continues Monday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Hilton Miami Aventura, 2885 NE 191st St. in Aventura.

This year’s keynote speaker is Kandi Burruss, the Grammy Award-winning songwriter, entrepreneur, producer and philanthropist whose career has expanded from music into television, Broadway, hospitality and consumer brands. Burruss will share what she has learned about building businesses, taking risks and growing a brand across industries.

Burruss joins a growing list of nationally recognized leaders who have participated in Teach to Fish. Previous featured speakers include Grammy Award-winning producer Timbaland, Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun and hip-hop pioneer and entrepreneur Doug E. Fresh.

For Timothe, reaching the summit’s fifth year was also an opportunity to rethink what attendees need most.

“After five years of Teach to Fish, we know business owners don’t just need more information. They need opportunities to actually use it,” Timothe said. “We want people working through real issues in their businesses while they are in the room. When they leave a session, they should know what their next step is and be ready to take it.”

That approach will be reflected throughout this year’s programming. Business owners, executives and subject-matter experts will lead sessions on access to capital, marketing, artificial intelligence, government contracting, business operations, staffing, financial planning, scaling, succession planning, corporate structure and other issues entrepreneurs face as their businesses grow.

The summit will also move beyond the traditional panel format with more working sessions where attendees can ask questions, work through business challenges and begin developing strategies they can use after the event.

Pitch Competition Returns for Second Year

Also returning this year is the Teach to Fish Pitch Competition, giving selected entrepreneurs the chance to present their businesses and compete for funding.

“For the North Miami CRA, Teach to Fish gives us an opportunity to see which entrepreneurs are doing the work and preparing their businesses for the next level,” said Anna-Bo Emmanuel, Esq., FRA-RA, CP3P, executive director of the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency. “The pitch competition takes that a step further. Business owners have the opportunity to put what they’ve learned into practice and compete for funding they can invest directly into their companies.”

The competition is now in its second year and complements the NMCRA’s ongoing work to support businesses within the North Miami community.

“We’re always looking for businesses that are ready to grow and determining how we can help them get there,” Emmanuel said. “Teach to Fish allows us to connect entrepreneurs with resources, strengthen their businesses and identify those who may be ready for additional opportunities.”

That philosophy has been at the heart of Teach to Fish since its beginning: give entrepreneurs more than advice. Give them access to people, information and resources they can use to build stronger businesses.

After five years, the summit continues to grow with that goal in mind.