Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com 22 Junio 2023 Certiverse RUBEN ARTURO GARCIA CEO Over the past year, Certiverse has grown exponentially. When the company saw a market need for an end-to-end solution that included exam scheduling, delivery, and proctoring, it designed an innovative, online system to build certification exams at substantial time and cost savings. With these features, along with cutting-edge functionality leveraging artificial intelligence for multiple stages of exam development, Certiverse saw client growth of 300% over 2022 — in just the first five months of 2023. Revenue increased at a similar rate, with 100% client retention and 100% of customers upgrading to additional services and higher service subscription tiers. Many of the world's fastest-growing technology organizations have selected Certiverse, and publicly traded companies representing a market cap of $900 billion have joined the platform. Chicago Enclosures ANGELA CAULFIELD Owner & Founder Angela Caulfield is the owner and founder of Chicago Enclosures in Melrose Park. Operating out of a 10,000-square-foot building, the company makes metal enclosures for electrical construction companies such as Aldridge, Meade, and Quantum Crossings on projects for CTA, ComEd, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and others. Caulfield was born and raised in Colombia, where she graduated from dental school and practiced dentistry until she move to the United States in 2001. In the face of the Great Recession of 2008, she put aside her dream of practicing dentistry and looked for an opportunity as an entrepreneur. Following in the footsteps of her father, a plastics manufacturer in Colombia, she decided to create Chicago Enclosures. Cárdenas Marketing Network HENRY CÁRDENAS Founder & CEO Henry Cárdenas is the founder and CEO of Cárdenas Marketing Network. Over the past 35 years, he has directed and produced some of the largest live entertainment events in the United States and Latin America, making CMN an entertainment and marketing powerhouse. Throughout his career, and together with the CMN team, he has produced the highest-grossing tours in the history of Latin music with artists such as Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel, Maluma, Daddy Yankee, Anuel, and Bad Bunny. In 2012 he co-founded the Maestro Cares Foundation, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged children and communities in Latin America and the United States by providing housing, educational programming, and essential resources. CS Architectural Woodworking EDUARDO SALGADO Owner After 13 years of working for various construction companies and gaining real-world experience to pair with his MBA, Eduardo Salgado founded Built Rite Construction in 2012. In 2013, the company entered architectural woodworking as CS Architectural Woodworking. CS mixes tradition with time-saving technologies to create custom solutions in woodworking for general contractors and end users. Some of the company's work can be found in these award-winning and -nominated facilities: Esperanza Health Centers, Williams Park Fieldhouse, Jane Addams Park Fieldhouse, Navy Pier, and O'Hare International Airport Terminal 5. Salgado was born in Puerto Rico, moved to Elgin, Illinois, in 1990, graduated from Purdue University with a degree in civil engineering, and earned an MBA at Keller University. DesignBridge G ABRIEL IGNACIO DZIEKIEWICZ CEO In the last two years, DesignBridge has continued to build upon its experience and expand its portfolio, leading design and planning efforts for community development initiatives across many of Chicago's diverse communities. Most recently, the company collaborated in the Loop as part of the city's LaSalle Street Reimagined initiative, a program for the adaptive reuse and conversion of historic office buildings with high vacancy rates into vibrant residential, mixed- income redevelopments. With several projects under construction, and others expected to break ground in the coming months, DesignBridge is working to help provide or rehabilitate over 700 affordable housing units across various communities in the next year. The firm is also working on several projects for nonprofits and education. Dynamic Utility Solutions JOANN P. ORNELAS-BAUER CEO In 2016 Joann Ornelas-Bauer co-founded Dynamic Utility Solutions, an electric utility construction contracting company in Carol Stream. Dynamic's revenue grew by more than 20% over the last couple of years. Dynamic started with seven employees and six trucks and has grown to more than 110 employees with multiple disciplines and a full fleet of utility vehicles and equipment. Dynamic provides union labor services to build the poles and wires of the electric distribution system in Illinois and responds to storm restoration across the country. Dynamic has an employee base that is more than 30% diverse. Ornelas- Bauer has a goal of expanding communication and education in minority communities about apprentice programs and jobs available in the electric power industry. Elevate Cities GEORGE BURCIAGA Managing Partner In 2018 George Burciaga launched Elevate Cities, a global consulting practice designed to develop, engage, and elevate relationships with mayors and technology firms worldwide. Elevate has successfully re-envisioned the smart city space and supported the deployment of projects across the United States resulting in over $500 million in project value to residents and invaluable social impact. Elevate currently supports 50-plus mayors by helping resolve complex urban challenges. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Burciaga launched the U.S. Mayoral Roundtable in collaboration with mayors across the United States, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the African American Mayors Association, and the National League of Cities to accelerate projects for mobility, public safety, cash assistance, broadband, and remote learning. Don Churro El Moro de Letrán MARIA MOLINA CEO At 73 many entrepreneurs think about retirement. Maria Molina, the owner of Don Churro El Moro de Letran, is enjoying the expansion. Founded almost five decades ago, the company, based in the Pilsen neighborhood, has expanded churro sales to Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and San Antonio while continuing to supply products to local customers such as the White Sox. Molina's dream is to distribute Don Churro throughout the United States. Mr. Churro, as it was called sometime before her parents bought it in 1975, is still a 100% family business, now with the support of her children and, more recently, the businesswoman's grandchildren. Enriquez Produce Inc. YADIRA ENRIQUEZ GARCIA Chief Financial Officer Yadira Enriquez is the chief financial officer of Enriquez Produce, Inc., a wholesale produce distribution company named one of the 50 most powerful Hispanic businesses in Illinois in 2022. Founded in 1989, the company has over 100,000 square feet to supply the needs of its customers. Amidst the effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic, Enriquez Produce was able to realign its resources and have growth in revenues of 15% in 2021. In 2022, the company was able to maintain that growth and gain an additional 3% in revenues. Its customer base has also grown, expanding with the success of its customers in the Midwest as Latino businesses and the Latino population grow at a rapid rate. Flying Concessions ZEKE FLORES Founder & CEO Ezequiel "Zeke" Flores is the founder and CEO of Flying Concessions, which focuses on airports with food and beverage service, retail development, concessions, merchandising, and consulting. After working for Sara Lee and watching it buy small, local companies and build them into national brands, Flores had the idea to purchase city- owned property in underdeveloped neighborhoods in Chicago and invest in these communities. Then he met airport concession pioneer Sue Ling Gin, founder of Flying Food Group. She mentored Flores in the airport concession business. In 2010 they became partners in Flying Food Concessions. After Gin's death in 2014, Flores founded Flying Retail (doing business as Flying Concessions) to enhance the traveling experience and attract strong national retail brands and partners to airports.

• Cover