Unitea, Shokworks and OTH Among First Companies Turning Miami’s Historic One Flagler Building Into Tech Hub

Unitea, Shokworks, and OTH are among companies who have established a tech presence that encompasses three floors of One Flagler, a historic 15-story building designed by the architect Morris Lapidus and built in 1952. (Photo: Business Wire)

MIAMI--()--A landmark building in downtown Miami is being transformed into a major tech hub. Unitea, Shokworks, and OTH are among companies who have established a tech presence that encompasses three floors of One Flagler, a historic 15-story building built in 1952.

Real-estate developer and co-owner of the One Flagler building Amir Ben-Zion has long held a vision of transforming the area into a communal, collaborative tech hub in the heart of downtown Miami.

“I’ve had my eye on the One Flagler building, with the idea of connecting smart, creative people in one place. Miami is in a unique position to reinvent its downtown, and I think we can start that with One Flagler,” said Ben-Zion. “We’ve already received up to 30 requests for office space.”

With its distinct design and excellent location in the thriving Downtown area, One Flagler has been a fixture of Miami's influential business district for more than 60 years. The building has recently undergone a spectacular renovation to revive its mid-century modern style with a fresh, contemporary twist.

“We are thrilled to see these leaders and visionaries in tech moving their operations into downtown Miami,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “We've long known that downtown had enormous potential to be a thriving hub for tech companies, and are excited to see businesses like Unitea, Shokworks, and OTH set their roots down here to begin creating a solid foundation for a prosperous and collaborative tech industry in Miami.”

Companies moving into the space include venture-backed Unitea, a mobile app loyalty platform rewarding fans of music and culture for engaging with their favorite artists; Shokworks, a custom software development venture studio; and OTH, a pre-seed influencer loyalty platform and partner company of Unitea and Shokworks.

“We are so excited to be among the first entertainment technology ventures to lay roots down in Miami. Being in such a historic building surrounded by other tech talent will undoubtedly accelerate our mission of empowering multicultural creators through data monetization and transparency,” explained Unitea CEO Ketan Rahangdale.

Unitea currently has 19 employees, 67% of whom are Latino or multicultural and projects to have 40 by the end of 2022. Unitea has traditionally sourced development and engineering talent from Venezuela and Colombia, and some of that talent has already relocated to Miami. Notable Miami based advisors and partners include Howard Goldstein of Appelrouth & Farah Co., Leslie Zigel of Chairman Media and Technology Group as well as SMGQ Law, Jeff Ransdell of Fuel Venture Capital, and Chris Murray of Rebel 11 Studios.

Shokworks will also host four employees in One Flagler, including COO Daniel Laplana.

“We’re excited to be bringing this new energy into this historic space,” said Alejandro Laplana, CEO of Shokworks. “It’s great to be the anchor point for this center of technological innovation and excellence.”

Contacts

Media Contacts:
Shokworks:
Sara Burgos
sburgos@sunwestpr.com | 469-221-1820

Unitea:
Sydney Schavietello
Sydney@Unitea.com | 303-324-2693

Release Summary

A landmark downtown Miami building is transforming into a major tech hub as Unitea, Shokworks, and OTH move into the historic One Flagler building.

Contacts

Media Contacts:
Shokworks:
Sara Burgos
sburgos@sunwestpr.com | 469-221-1820

Unitea:
Sydney Schavietello
Sydney@Unitea.com | 303-324-2693