Prospera Celebrates Excellence in Hispanic-Owned Businesses

Empowering stories from entrepreneurs that Dream, Build, and Prosper in Florida's West Coast

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prospera hosted its annual signature event, presented by Duke Energy, at TPepin's Hospitality Centre. Stakeholders of the nonprofit economic development organization gathered at the 2024 Prospera Success Stories: Dream. Build. Prosper. event to raise funds for its mission, celebrate successful local small business owners who have benefited from Prospera's services, and highlight partnerships that strengthen the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

"Duke Energy Florida is a proud supporter of Prospera. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and working to achieve our shared goal of improving the economic vitality of the people, businesses and communities we serve," said Duke Energy Florida Vice President of Government and Community Relations Sharon Arroyo.

The following successful entrepreneurs, whose journeys exemplify dreaming, building, and prospering, were recognized:

• Julio & Modesto Samamed, co-owners of Samamed Home Improvements
• Adriana Martinez, owner of Honka Auto Repairs
• Karina Sloan, owner of Early Childhood Learning Center
• Jose Godoy & Mayra Umanzor, co-owners of JGoody Cafe Bakery

The program, led by Prospera West Coast of Florida Regional Vice President Fabian Yepez, highlighted the impact of Prospera's services on small businesses and local entrepreneurship for funders, volunteers, partners, and community leaders. The event included a spotlight on local government partners who play a key role in successful service delivery, emphasizing Prospera's commitment to collaborative growth and regional economic empowerment.

In addition to Presenting Sponsor Duke Energy, the event was carried out with the following sponsors' support:

• Hosts: Bank of America, TECO, Visit Tampa Bay, and Wells Fargo
• Champions: CITY Furniture, GTE Financial, Hill Ward Henderson, JPMorgan Chase, NUC Nursing Destination School, Regions, Suncoast Credit Union, TD Bank, and Truist
• Event Donors: City of Clearwater, Tampa Bay Chamber, and Work Magic

Prospera is an economic development, nonprofit organization that has specialized since 1991 in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs who want to start, sustain, and grow their business. In the last five years alone, Prospera facilitated over $70 million in loans for small business clients, trained 17,300 entrepreneurs, and helped consulting clients create or retain more than 16,000 jobs. Prospera currently serves Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. For more information, visit www.prosperausa.org.

Media Contact: Fabian Yepez, (813) 230-0059, [email protected]

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SOURCE Prospera