Upon graduating from Florida International University with a bachelorās degree in finance in 2014, Del Rio accepted a job offer from J.P. Morgan Chase in Jacksonville as a mortgage-banking underwriter. Although working in the corporate world was going well, she knew deep down she was not pursuing her passion. āDuring my time at Chase, there wasnāt really a day that would go by without me thinking about my creative side,ā she explains. āEven though I was learning about working at a huge institution like Chase and learning about structure, mortgages, it honestly did not fulfill me at all. At all.ā
After a little more than two years at the bank, Del Rio did what so many millennials ā who are struggling to find work in the first place ā fear most: She quit the job she had worked so hard to land. Her āepiphanyā came as she was running one day and suddenly began thinking about her friend Rebecca Vazquezās business, Maheli Heli Swimwear. She had a gut feeling she needed to inform the community about the complexities of Vasquez's lucrative business. āI have always enjoyed watching interviews. However, all of the interviews I would watch were always with Fortune 500 CEOs or people who are known internationally, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Mark Cuban ā all of these ācrazyā people,ā Del Rio says. āSo, when I thought about Rebecca and her story, I was like, Wow, that is superinspiring. At her age, she has already gone through business obstacles and has already experienced certain situations that people can learn a lot from."
Del Rio believes there has not been enough of a spotlight on the hundreds of millennials who have started businesses. Thatās why, without an inch of film or TV experience, she took the risk to create Made in Dade.
In the weeks prior to video production, she partnered with camera director Rodrigo Torres and her boyfriend, Daniel Baez, and later contracted video editors Michael Mechoso, Santiago Gonzalo, and the Lucky Twins Productions. Once her crew was assembled, she realized the companies they would feature in the series had to fit a certain criteria, because startups seem to come and go faster than an ice cube on a Miami sidewalk in August. Therefore, Del Rio focused on only the ādoersā: millennials who in a little more than two years have turned their unique dreams into a profitable reality.

Ana Del Rio (center) with Brandon Parr and Curt Chavoustie of watch company Parr & Co.
Courtesy of Made in Dade
In addition to interviewing young business owners in the pilot season of Made in Dade, Del Rio also seeks to emphasize the bigger picture: Miamiās young adults are making a mark both culturally and economically. āWhat I want to also do is highlight that not only is [Miami] beautiful, but thereās this culture thatās evolving here of young people who just want to make an impact and do things.ā
Furthermore, she hopes the series catches the eye of people who wouldnāt usually come to Miami to invest in the startup field. āThey focus on real estate and tourism, but thereās more than that," she says. "I want to highlight this community. This is what weāre doing, what weāre about, and weāll see how it goes.ā
Right now, Made in Dade is strictly a video series on YouTube. However, as any businessperson who has ever worked in finance would do, Del Rio is already thinking about the big picture. āEventually, I would like to see the series go to other platforms, like Hulu, Netflix, or even a local news channel. Thereās a lot of things that I want to do, and I just want to go for it.ā
Made in Dade's first three episodes are available on YouTube. For more information, follow the series on Facebook or Instagram.