Prospera hosted its signature Hispanic Heritage Month event, presented by FPL, at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables. Stakeholders of the nonprofit, economic development organization came together at the 2023 Prospera Success Stories: Synergy for Progress to raise funds for the mission, celebrate successful local small business owners who have received Prospera’s assistance, and showcase collaborations that have strengthened the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

These successful entrepreneurs, whose stories illustrate synergy for progress, were recognized:

• Miguel Guerra & Carlos Lopez, co-owners of Gamma Diagnostic Lab
• Edgardo & Mercedes Manosalva, co-owners of Kazumi Garden
• Sara Agudelo, owner of Purple Orchid
• Margueritte Ramos, owner of ShadeFLA

“Florida Power & Light Company works with the communities it serves to make Florida an even better place to live, work and raise a family. That includes supporting organizations like Prospera, which provides resources that entrepreneurs need to succeed. We’re proud to be a returning sponsor, advancing Prospera’s mission,” FPL Director of External Affairs for Miami-Dade County Armando Fernandez says.

The program, led by Prospera South Florida Vice President Myrna Sonora, highlighted the impact of Prospera’s services on small businesses and local entrepreneurship for funders, volunteers, partners, and other local leaders. It included remarks from Miami-Dade County District 5 Commissioner Eileen Higgins, Miami-Dade County Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer Francesca de Quesada Covey, and a conversation about local small business procurement needs between Prospera President & CEO Augusto Sanabria and Prospera funders and partners Loreen Chant, CEO of The Health Foundation of South Florida, and Radhy Miranda, program manager of economic practice for The Rockefeller Foundation.

“Strengthening and rebuilding our economy requires collaboration across all sectors of South Florida and a commitment to a community that leaves no one behind. It’s important for local government, businesses, and community organizations to work together in a coordinated effort,” says Sonora.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.