10 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2026 “I asked myself, ‘Why can’t social impact and profit be tied together?” he said. “There has to be a way to do good and make money.’” So he and Fernandez, fresh off two years teaching under-resourced students through Teach For America, put their heads together again and started LAB Miami. They partnered with RE graduates Collazo and Elisa Rodriguez-Vila ’05. On a shoestring budget, and using their own credit cards to buy supplies, they created a 700-square-foot co-working space in Wynwood. Collazo built desks and benches out of shipping pallets. LAB represents the three common letters in Laboratory and Collaboration, and originally stood for Love, Art, Business – and later Learn, Act, Build. The goal was to nurture a hive for Miami’s talented thinkers and tinkerers, put Miami on the startup map and stop the brain drain from their hometown. “We knew a lot of our Ransom Everglades classmates had left for other cities where there were more opportunities in innovative business and tech,” Fernandez said. “A co-working space was a brand new real estate concept in Miami. We had to convince developers and landlords to experiment. We had to raise capital. We had to put together website design workshops, coding classes, investment seminars, hackathons, networking events.” It was 2011. Wood Tavern, Panther Coffee and Lester’s were about the only places to get a drink. But Wynwood, an industrial area transitioning into Miami’s funkiest neighborhood, was buzzing with energy. The LAB even hosted art shows to align with the Second Saturday Art Walks. “At that time, Wynwood was the best expression of Miami’s creativity,” said Fernandez, now director of global government affairs at X AI. “It was all over its walls, and we were right in the middle of it.” Lafuente was thrilled to be on the cutting edge, leading a new wave of entrepreneurship. The LAB later expanded to a 10,000 square foot warehouse on NW 26th Street. And then one night at the Wood Tavern, while sipping a Moscow Mule, Lafuente had what he refers to as an “Aha moment.” As he did on many nights, he had dropped off leftover trays of food from the LAB at the Miami Rescue Mission. Rather than throw away the hors d’oeuvres, sandwiches and snacks ordered for events, Lafuente and Fernandez took the food to homeless shelters and churches. “In the process, I saw how food insecurity is a massive and widespread problem that affects single parents, workers laid off from their jobs, people who have no grocery stores in their neighborhoods,” Lafuente said. “I learned that one in eight Americans – 44 million people – do not know where their next meal is coming from. I also learned how 92 billion pounds of perfectly good food is wasted each year, thrown into landfills or incinerators. “Hunger relief organizations like Feeding America are saving food that is donated and diverting it to people in need, but they face hard costs to complete the social good loop, such as sorting, refrigerating and transporting.” Thus, Simple Vodka was born. About 17 meals are donated per 1-liter bottle (the size used by bars and restaurants) and 13 per 750-ml bottle (the size sold in liquor stores for $21-23). Lafuente first thought about selling table salt “but I wanted to target a ubiquitous product in an industry where we could stand out.” Simple Vodka won a platinum medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where it was praised for its smooth finish. Lafuente was named Innovator of the Year by the Tasting Alliance. “Ransom Everglades is part of my DNA.” – Danny Lafuente ’05
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