About RA+DI
The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator is a creative entrepreneurial laboratory based at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus. RA+DI’s mission is to bridge the gap between creative practitioners and entrepreneurial success while promoting innovation within the FIU community. Our core program offers one to two-year fellowships to students in the disciplines that compose the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) providing a supportive ecosystem to turn their ideas into viable products, services, and businesses within a socially conscious, co-creative, mentorship, and mindset focused environment.
The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator
was founded in 2017 with a grant from
The Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation.
Become a Ratcliffe Fellow:
Podcast

The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator at Florida International University presents “Tech Conversations”, talks with experts innovating at the intersection of technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
Hosted by Director, Dr. Jacek J. Kolasiński, producer Maggie Salas-Amaro and guest co-host Neil Ramsay.
Vision
The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator at FIU seeks to bridge the gap between talent and entrepreneurship success while promoting innovative art + design within the community.
Mission
The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator is dedicated to push the boundaries of innovation and creativity and inspire the next generation of future entrepreneurs actively participating to the exponential growth of South Florida’s creative economy.
News + Events
Fellowship Program
The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator and its accomplished mentors provide guidance and lend their expertise to this creative ecosystem while contributing mentorship support to its member community. Participating mentors will be announced closer to the start of the program (early August).
- Taina Nikki Adam
- Chelsea Julia Abella
- Yery Lorena Alvarez
- Ilan Aronovski
- Gabriela Baluja
- Lauren Rosa Chmelnicky
- Kianna Coley
- John Dominic Colon
- Noah Farid
- Mariantonia Gutierrez
- Jeronimo Mura
- Jagoda Nowak
- Ana Oceguera
- Maribel Ornelas
- Tyler Oviedo
- Elena Tugusheva
- Diego Waisman
- Alexander Zastera
- Raphael Alegbeleye
- Dalia Berlin
- Leon Gomez
- Gabriel Homem Andrade
- Predrag Kovačević
- Jerchovia Moxey
- Zoe Nikirk
- Jeannie Ordonez
- Valentina Palm
- Sara Pezeshk
- Martina Potlach
- Valeria Rios
- Claudette Goico
- Dhani Shanti
- Kali-Ray Skinner
- Sofia Soriano de Figueiredo
- Jose Veliz Aragon
- Alberto Guevara
- Bernardo Dalla
- Diana Vazquez
- Karen Garcia
- Leslie Villegas
- Maisha Richardson
- Mara Stegaru
- Michelle Wade
- Milan Gibson
- Monica Lebro
- Paulina Reynaldo
- Silvana Soriano
- Sophia Cabral
- Stephanie Valdes
- Warner Chisholm
- Alex Rovira
- Alfred Cardenas
- Andrea Leon-Moreno
- Arina Plyanskaya
- Bemelyn Puchols
- Brett Serfozo
- Catalina Dugand
- Celeste Fastabend
- Marco Ordonez
- Neil Mayorga Garcia
- Sarah Oeschger
- Sarah Sassen
- Sofia Rock
- Sonia Gonzalez-Park
- Zaria Dennis
- Alexandra del Canto
- Karla Kantorivich
- Carrington Ware
- Chris Friday
- Daniela Fernandez
- Denis Rovinskiy
- Fortunee Cohen
- Iman Kiffin
- Latricia Russell
- Michael Fernandez
- Gianna DiBartolomeo
- Quincy Chery
- Laura David
- Catalina Muñoz
- Victoria Carballo
- Hector Brignone
- Victoria Yunta
- Daniel Tabet
Faculty

Jacek J. Kolasiński MFA, Ph.D.
Program Director / Associate Professor. Areas of expertise: art and history, emerging digital technologies, 3D design and rapid prototyping, 3D printing and scanning, public art and social practice, exhibition curation, video installation, multi-channel projection and multimedia environments, cross-cultural visual communication, curriculum development and academic administration.

Neil Ramsay MS
Research Associate in the Department of Art + Art History. Areas of expertise: creative economics, strategic design, venture partnerships, integration of artistic-thinking in business contexts, developing alternate solutions to social and commercial challenges, functionally tinkering with nonlinear processes in problem-solving, business management constructs applied to institutional hierarchies.

Dimitry Saïd Chamy MFA
Faculty/Research Associate. Areas of expertise: design branding and corporate, product & experiential design, graphic design, content and exhibition curation, 3D modeling and visualization, presentation and motion graphics, writing for business / persuasion, small business coaching and development, UI/UX, interactive and web development, surface & pattern design.

Maggie Salas-Amaro MS
Podcast Producer / Social Media Coordinator. Maggie Salas-Amaro is an award-winning producer and media executive. During her media career, she has worked for some of the world’s most successful brands including Viacom, The Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal, FOX, Hola! TV and Univision. Currently, she produces and co-hosts the podcast “Tech Conversations “created by the Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator at Florida International University. Salas-Amaro currently leads Canela Kids part of Canela Media the first AVOD for Hispanics in the US and Latin America. In 2023, she was recognized by the Worldwide Women’s Audiovisual Association (WAWA), as an honorary member for her 30 years of career in media.

Octavio J. Visiedo MS
Faculty/Research Associate. Mr. Octavio J. Visiedo is a lifelong educator and had the honor of being the first Cuban American Superintendent of Schools in the history of Miami Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS). Mr. Visiedo was also the first MDCPS graduate to lead the 4th largest school district in the nation from 1990 to 1996.

Max Levine ESQ
Courtesy Research Associate. Mr. Max Levine is an attorney, investor, and entrepreneur in South Florida. He earned his Juris Doctorate cum laude from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and his LL.M. in taxation from the NYU School of Law Graduate Tax Program.
The Ratcliffe Foundation
The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator was founded in 2017 with generous and continuous support from The Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation whose vision continues to guide our programs and provides funding for key faculty, equipment, and our fellowship stipends.
Contact Us
To contact RA+DI or receive more information please send us a message using the form below or email us at radi@fiu.edu and we will get back to you at our earliest convenience.