{"id":714301,"date":"2026-04-20T00:48:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T00:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/714301\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T00:48:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T00:48:34","slug":"miami-heat-taps-fiu-students-to-harness-the-best-of-ai-and-tech-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/714301\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami HEAT taps FIU students to harness the best of AI and tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0David Drucker<\/a> \/ FIU News<\/p>\n

When Franklin Filho walked into the Miami HEAT\u2019s offices at Kaseya Center for what he thought would be a three week internship, he felt the pressure immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my first internship,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI kept thinking, What can I do to prove myself?\u201d<\/p>\n

Three weeks turned into a second internship. That led to a full-time offer. Today, Filho is a junior software engineer at the Miami HEAT and 601 Analytics \u2014 the HEAT\u2019s data and analytics arm \u2014 working across front-end and back-end systems and mentoring two interns on a new internal tool to be deployed soon.<\/p>\n

Filho\u2019s rapid rise is not an outlier, but a reflection of how a growing collaboration between FIU and one of professional sports\u2019 most forward-thinking teams is reshaping how talent is developed and deployed.<\/p>\n

\"FranklinFranklin Filho<\/p>\n

Building talent as fast as technology moves\u00a0<\/p>\n

Slow and steady no longer cuts it in the age of artificial intelligence. Organizations looking to scale products need talent that can contribute immediately, adapt quickly, and think beyond traditional playbooks.<\/p>\n

For the Miami HEAT, that need has become important as its data analytics team expands its reach. In 2025 alone, the group served five leagues, 16 teams, and 23 venues\u2014far beyond its origins as an internal HEAT operation.<\/p>\n

The HEAT found a solution close to home: FIU and its partnership with the\u00a0Break Through Tech Sprinternship<\/a>\u2122<\/a>\u00a0program, a no-interview, paid, micro-internship model where students are placed in teams and matched with employers to complete challenging projects.<\/p>\n

\"sprinternFrom left to right:\u00a0Senior Product Manager for\u00a0Business Applications & Strategy Garrett Roberts discusses\u00a0Customer Relationship Management (CRM)\u00a0tactics\u00a0with\u00a0senior computer science major Nicole Sanchez and junior computer science major Emely Barcenas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the short duration of the internship, students need to hit the ground running on Day 1 of Sprinternship. At FIU, we prepare them by providing seven weeks of intensive technical and professional training so they\u2019re ready to make an immediate impact,\u201d says Nimmi Arunachalam, Director of FIU\u2019s Sprinternship Program.<\/p>\n

For the HEAT, the model aligned perfectly with how the team already works.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an ambitious product roadmap,\u201d says Edson Crevecoeur, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Data Analytics at the Miami HEAT and Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of 601 Analytics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you pair strong students with real business needs, the results speak for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

A business within a business\u00a0<\/p>\n

601 Analytics began in 2019 as an internal effort to make sense of the growing volumes of data flowing through HEAT operations, from ticket scans to merchandise purchases.<\/p>\n

A few years in, the HEAT realized they had built something other organizations needed, too. Today, their analytics team serves roughly 20% of the NBA, along with the league\u2019s central offices. The team is focused not on \u201cMoneyball\u201d-style player analytics, but on business operations: ticketing, sales, sponsorships, guest experience, marketing and finance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe industry runs on data-driven insights now, and AI has exponentially accelerated what\u2019s possible,\u201d Crevecoeur says. \u201cTo keep pace, we need a pipeline of talent that\u2019s ready to leverage these tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tech\u00a0talent rising in Miami\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just a few miles west, FIU\u2019s College of Engineering and Computing was strengthening its programs in computer science, data science and artificial intelligence \u2014 preparing students for exactly this kind of work.<\/p>\n

The connection between FIU and 601 Analytics didn\u2019t start with a formal pitch. It began in 2023 when Enio Maiale, Senior Director of Software Engineering for the HEAT, attended FIU\u2019s Knight Foundation School of Computing & Information Sciences for a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this point in the AI era, I needed an update,\u201d he says. \u201cI wanted to make better decisions with these technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EnioEnio Maiale <\/p>\n

A chance conversation with Arunachalam about FIU\u2019s commitment to an innovative experiential learning model was the spark that impressed Maiale.<\/p>\n

Having seen firsthand the skills FIU students brought to the table, he began advocating internally for the university as a talent source. The Sprinternship model, fast-paced and production-oriented, mirrored the team\u2019s own development lifecycle.<\/p>\n

That pipeline has delivered talent from unexpected places.<\/p>\n

From classroom to production<\/p>\n

Just a few years ago, Gabriela Rodriguez \u201925 would never have imagined where\u00a0she\u2019d\u00a0be today.<\/p>\n

She was neither a computer science major nor a basketball fan; she was a math major working in healthcare. But one summer program with Break Through Tech at FIU got her hooked on computing and changed her career permanently. She switched her major to computer science and seized a chance to participate in a Miami HEAT Sprinternship cohort.<\/p>\n

Working alongside teammates, Rodriguez helped build predictive models using transaction data from the HEAT\u2019s online store, analyzing which targeted promotions were most likely to resonate with specific customers.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/From left to right: Rodriguez, HEAT Director of Product Management Rodrigo Barros and Filho review a program in 601 Analytics\u2019 offices at the Kaseya Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsing the data, we had to figure out what would be the best coupon to give to a specific customer based on their previous purchases. It was a big challenge for three weeks,\u201d Rodriguez says.<\/p>\n

She was brought back to finish the work in a nine-week internship. Rodriguez\u2019s cohort developed two models, and through rigorous testing, they identified a superior performer.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the HEAT discovered something too: an emerging talent on their team. When Rodriguez graduated from FIU, she was offered a full-time job.<\/p>\n

A shared\u00a0standard\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Miami HEAT are famously defined by a culture that elevates hard work, professionalism and a team-first mentality.<\/p>\n

FIU is guided by a similar spirit, notes Matthew Jafarian, Executive Vice President of Business Strategy for the Miami HEAT and Co-founder of 601 Analytics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe culture between FIU and 601 Analytics is incredibly aligned,\u201d Jafarian says. \u201cCuriosity, hunger, growth: those qualities show up in every FIU student we\u2019ve worked with.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the university, it\u2019s all about giving students maximum return-on-investment on their FIU experiences, says Mark Weiss, vice dean of the College of Engineering & Computing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus on opportunities and outcomes is a significant reason why FIU consistently ranks No. 1 for social mobility,\u201d Weiss says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe focus on pairing strong academics with real-world programming and mentorship through collaborators like Break Through Tech, the Miami HEAT and 601 Analytics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the effort has translated into tangible results: eight FIU students brought on as interns since last summer; two hired full-time; and a growing pipeline of AI-ready talent ready to help the organization scale.<\/p>\n

Among the new employees: Rodriguez, the former math major who accepted the HEAT\u2019s employment offer and is now working at the cutting edge of business, technology and sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, all you need is a foot in the door,\u201d Rodriguez says.<\/p>\n

PICTURED AT TOP OF POST: Gabriela Rodriguez landed a full-time role at the Miami HEAT\u2019s 601 Analytics after completing an intensive three-week Sprinternship through FIU.<\/p>\n

This article was produced by FIU News <\/a>and reposted here with permission. <\/p>\n

EAD MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:<\/p>\n

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