Small Business Stories and Nonprofit Supporters Highlighted During 30th Anniversary Virtual Event

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Economic development, nonprofit organization Prospera celebrated its annual signature Hispanic Heritage Month event virtually due to safety precautions. From Sept 21 through Sept 24, a new segment of the 2021 Prospera Journeys to Success was shown daily on Facebook.

The event, which is part of the nonprofit's 30^th anniversary celebration, showcased stories of the following 18 Hispanic small business owners who have received services from Prospera:

• Noelia Gonzalez, Sunset Sweets by Nono, West Coast of Florida
• Jonathan Villafana & Ana Bello, Furniture Brothers, Central Florida
• Carlos Lopez & Miguel Guerra, GAMMA Diagnostic Lab, South Florida
• Alexander Hakim, A Barber's Bar & Café, North Carolina
• Diego Burbano & Cafay Chang, Total Control Solutions, West Coast of Florida
• Claudia Lopez, Pappu Natural Products, South Florida
• Adrian Santiago, MetalStallic, Central Florida
• Uziel & Damaris Ortega, Ortega Custom Cabinets, West Coast of Florida
• Marisol Starr, Starr.Fit, Central Florida
• Edgardo Manosalva, Kazumi Gardens, South Florida
• Agustin Gil, Joe Mama's Pizza & Grill, North Carolina
• John Camacho, Suncoast Chiropractic & Rehab, West Coast of Florida
• Samantha Senf & Jesus Araujo, Samantha's Walls, Central Florida
• Victor Solarte, Zulia Market Discount, South Florida
• Damaris Mafut, Fit Life Pediatrics, South Florida
• Ketty Miles, CimentArt, West Coast of Florida
• Cecilia Carrion, CC & P Business Essentials, North Carolina
• Paola Bornacelli, CFS Coffee, Central Florida

Past clients honored as successful clients by Prospera in recent years of the annual event also participated in the virtual event series, sharing updates of their business development since their stories were shared:

• Tony Selvaggio, E-smart Recycling, West Coast of Florida
• Margueritte Ramos, ShadeFLA, South Florida
• Jeannette Coronado, JIRACOR, Central Florida
• Juan Carlos Libreros, Pezco Aquafarming, West Coast of Florida
• Denisse Lamas, Hispanic Family Counseling, Central Florida
• Angel Benitez, Burbowl, South Florida

The 2021 Prospera Journeys to Success was presented by Duke Energy, Florida Power & Light Company, and OUC - The Reliable One. The program was focused on Prospera's mission to help start, sustain, and grow Hispanic-owned businesses to achieve community prosperity. The event is available for viewing online on Facebook and at tinyurl.com/Prospera30Celebration.  

"Duke Energy Florida was proud to sponsor Prospera's 2021 Journeys to Success," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "For 30 years, Prospera has empowered Hispanic entrepreneurs through training, support and resources. Small and locally owned businesses improve the lives of our Duke Energy employees and our customers—and support the vitality of our communities."

"We congratulate Prospera on its 30^th anniversary and celebrate its achievements in helping Hispanic-owned small businesses grow and succeed in South Florida," said Florida Power & Light Company Senior Director of External Affairs for Miami-Dade County Irene White. "At FPL, we work together with the communities we serve to make Florida an even better place to raise a family and do business, and move our state forward."

"OUC congratulates Prospera for 30 years of making a positive difference in Central Florida's Hispanic business community. We support Prospera's mission to help Hispanic entrepreneurs achieve success and recognize the vital role this organization plays in strengthening our local economy, the neighborhoods we live in, and the area's overall quality of life," said OUC Vice President of Customer Experience & Sales Luz Aviles.

During the series, donors, volunteers, and executive leaders from Prospera's service areas in Florida and North Carolina were also featured. Prospera maximized the four-day program to share messages and conversations about collaboration, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and economic development trends with some key leaders, community partners, and annual funders from the Greater Tampa Bay area, Central Florida, South Florida, and North Carolina, where the organization's offices are currently located.

The 2021 Prospera Journeys to Success was also made possible by these event sponsors:

• Prosperity Sponsors: Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Truist, and Wells Fargo
• Hosts: AdventHealth, AT&T, Bank United, Florida Blue, Heart of Florida United Way, Orlando Health, Orlando Magic, TECO and Visit Tampa Bay
• Champions: Amerant, First Horizon-Iberia Bank, Florida International University, Hill Ward Henderson, Kings Service Solutions, Plaza del Sol, Suncoast Credit Union, Telemundo 51, and The Trentham Santiago Group
• Leaders: TD Bank, University of Central Florida, Univision 23, West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Work Magic, and Zaza Cuban Comfort Food.
• Additional Collaboration and Supporter Sponsors

Prospera is an economic development, nonprofit organization that since 1991 has specialized in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs who want to establish, sustain, or grow their businesses. In the last five years, Prospera has facilitated over $60 million in loans, trained over 20,000 entrepreneurs, and helped consulting clients create or retain over 16,000 jobs. It has offices in Florida's central, south, and west coast regions, and in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.prosperausa.org.

Media Contact: Maria Yabrudy, 407-412-3303, [email protected]  

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SOURCE Prospera