In this episode of On the Fritz, I sit down with Tony Jimenez, a Cuban-American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Managing Partner at Medina Ventures. Tony shares his incredible journey from organizing a historic 1.2 million-person concert in Cuba to building a successful plant-based CPG company, and ultimately transitioning into deep tech venture capital. We dive deep into the "unsexy" side of AI infrastructure, the looming energy crisis of data centers, and the global race for quantum supremacy. Tony also discusses his role in shaping Miami's booming tech ecosystem through eMerge Americas and the Gold Coast Accelerator. Whether you're a startup founder, a tech enthusiast, or an investor looking to understand the future of AI and quantum computing, this episode is packed with invaluable insights. Topics Covered: • Tony's early philanthropy work in Cuba and organizing the historic 2009 Peace Without Borders concert. • The pivot that saved his plant-based startup, JOI (Just One Ingredient). • Why Medina Ventures focuses on the "unsexy" side of AI infrastructure. • The massive energy demands of AI and the end of Moore's Law. • The global arms race for quantum supremacy and its implications for national security. • Building Miami's tech ecosystem with eMerge Americas and the Gold Coast Accelerator. Subscribe to On the Fritz for more conversations with top founders and investors. Follow Fritz Spencer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eafritzspencer/ Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onthefritzshow/ Follow Fritz Spencer on X (Twitter ): https://x.com/EAFritzSpencer Connect with Fritz Spencer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fritzspencer Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4yiWFxUMaba32EltvQPQmd Learn more about Medina Ventures: https://www.medinavc.com/ Learn more about eMerge Americas: https://www.emergeamericas.org/ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Who is Tony Jimenez? 01:02 Growing up in Miami & Grappling with Cuban-American Identity 02:30 Founding Roots of Hope & Early Philanthropy in Cuba 06:40 Organizing the Historic 2009 Peace Without Borders Concert in Havana 16:40 Transitioning from Government Work to Tech Entrepreneurship 19:00 The Origin Story of JOI (Just One Ingredient ) & Human-Centered Design 25:16 The Pivot That Saved JOI: From Hardware to CPG 28:06 Surviving and Thriving During the COVID-19 Pandemic 30:47 Medina Ventures: Investing in Deep Tech, AI, & Quantum Computing 31:49 The "Unsexy" Side of AI: Infrastructure & Energy Challenges 35:25 The Global Arms Race for Quantum Supremacy 38:39 National Security Threats & Post-Quantum Encryption 41:04 The History of Miami's Tech Infrastructure (NAP of the Americas) 47:40 Building Miami's Tech Ecosystem with eMerge Americas 51:28 The Gold Coast Accelerator & Supporting Florida Founders 52:31 Closing Thoughts & Outro