Mario Cruz is an accomplished technologist, entrepreneur, inventor, and musician from Miami, FL. As a kid, I would take things apart and mostly put them back together. Then I started fixing musical instruments and building computers — and I was hooked. Today I work out of Moonlighter FabLab in Miami, creating robots, IoT devices, and interactive installations that bring technology and creativity together.

Professional Background

I serve as CTO of Watsco Ventures, helping HVAC/R entrepreneurs innovate and grow their businesses. With over 19 years of experience in technology leadership, I've held executive roles including CTO positions at Choose Digital and Grass Roots America, plus earlier positions in technology infrastructure and engineering.

Maker Faire Miami

I'm the Executive Producer of Maker Faire Miami, our flagship event designed to celebrate, educate, and inspire our local maker community. In 2019, the Moonlighter team took over production and we've never looked back. Maker Faire Miami is produced by Moonlighter FabLab, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization dedicated to empowering makers with access to the skills, tools, and opportunities to shape a better future.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

I serve as a Technical Advisor for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, designing IoT solutions for their programs. I'm proud to support the Growing Beyond Earth initiative — a partnership with NASA that engages students in real space biology research by growing plants in controlled environments and contributing data to help develop sustainable food production for future space missions.

What I Do

  • Maker Faire Miami — Executive Producer spreading the maker movement across South Florida
  • Moonlighter FabLab — Technology Director and Board Member
  • O, Miami — Board of Directors
  • Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden — Technical Advisor for IoT and Growing Beyond Earth (NASA partnership)
  • IoT & Circuit Python — Building connected devices and personal electronics projects
  • Poetry Robots — Creating machines that share poetry with the world
  • STEAM Education — Developing maker activities for K-12 instruction
  • Mentoring — Active mentor at Moonlighter, FIRST Robotics, and whenever asked
  • Hot Sauce — Making Cuban hot sauce at Barbaromojo.com
  • Music — Playing drums for my band, The Pollies

Speaking & Community

I've spoken at conferences including:

  • DockerCon
  • Jenkins User Conference
  • DevOps Days Conference
  • Sime Miami
  • Google Startup Grind

I regularly host MeetUps for Docker, DevOps, and Raspberry Pi open-source electronics, and have volunteered as a judge at the South Florida Regional FIRST Robotics Competition.

Projects & Recognition

My projects have been featured at Miami Maker Faire, Maker Faire Orlando, O Miami Poetry Festival, Frost Science Museum, and DockerCon. I was awarded a Maker of Merit Blue Ribbon for my Cymatics build at Maker Faire Orlando.

Awards

  • Maker of Merit Blue Ribbon — Maker Faire Orlando
  • CIO Impact Award for Cloud Computing
  • Techweek100 Award
  • CIO of the Year — South Florida Business Journal (2009-2010)

Connect

Moonlighter FabLab

I serve on the Board of Directors at Moonlighter FabLab, a non-profit S.T.E.A.M. learning center in Miami. Moonlighter provides access to CNC machines, laser cutters, 3D printers, and more. We mentor students and startups, and are dedicated to empowering makers through hands-on education and resources. If you're in Miami and want to start making, come check us out!

O, Miami

I serve on the Board of Directors at O, Miami, a nonprofit organization on a mission to have every single person in Miami-Dade County encounter a poem. Founded in 2011, O, Miami produces an annual poetry festival, a publishing imprint (Jai-Alai Books), educational programs like The Sunroom residency, and creative initiatives that expand access to literature. Over the years, I've built Poetry Robots and interactive installations for the festival — combining my love of making with the power of poetry to connect people.

"The best way to get started making something is to begin."