Last weekend, the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce held its annual award ceremony to celebrate Latino businesses. Named Tributo, or ‘Tribute’, the Latino Business Excellence Awards Gala was held Saturday, Aug. 13th, celebrating multiple latino businesses.

“It’s going to be an exciting day of celebration because we have had like a three-year hiatus without having a grand gala [due to COVID]. For us, it’s really one of the ways that we bring unrestricted funding for programming, which is really important, and helps us help our small businesses in different ways,” said Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce CEO Jessica Cavazos to Madison365.

Their 13th annual gala was attended by 800 people showing their support for Latino businesses across Wisconsin.

Founded in 2003, the Latino Chamber of Commerce has represented Latino businesses across Madison city and surrounding cities. They work to use advocacy and programs that impact Dane County’s economic growth, seeking to promote the interests of their members and community.

"Latinos represent every sector within our workforce," said Johnathan Delgado, a member of the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce. "We're not just your cleaners, your movers, your workhorses. We're business owners, we're managers, we're hedge fund leaders. We're in every sector of our society, and that's part of what we want to do is acknowledge that Latinos are more than just the workhorse."

The Gala’s 2022 list of awardees included:

• Youth of the Year: Alison Hernandez Araiza from El Gran Taco Gato 
• Corporate Partner: Monona State Bank 
• Community Partner: Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
• Emprendedor del Año: Hector Rivera with Rivera Construction 
• Emprendedora del Año: Kattia Jimenez with Mount Horeb Hemp 
• Incubator of the Year: Alice Good LLC Legacy Award: La Comunidad News LLC 
• Change Agent: Kim Garber with Wisconsin Procurement Institute 
• Gateway Award: Marjorie Rucket, Ethnic and Diverse Business Coalition 
• Family-Owned Business of the Year: Los Amigos

Next year will be the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce’s 20th anniversary, a landmark year that will cap off two significant advancements for the organization. The first was the awarding of $3.4 million to them by Wisconsin’s Diverse Business Assistance program, and the second being the acquisition of a new building.