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Published: April 27 2013

Jose Sanchez, Alina Villasante, Susan Amat, Stanley Tate, Jimmy Tate, Kenny Tate, Josie Bacallao, Remedios Díaz-Oliver, Maria Elena Ibañez, Mitchell Kaplan, John Ruffin, Ricardo Arambarr. 

HOLLYWOOD, FL – Hispanic Unity's Entrepreneur Summit 2013, which was recently held at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, was a successful day-long learning and networking event which offered emerging entrepreneurs and established business owners access to an array of seasoned experts and educational resources.

Attendees included a mix of business-owners, entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 companies, economic development specialists, small business experts, educational institutions, media and corporate partners and others interested in entrepreneurship. The third annual event offered excellent networking opportunities, from the Power Networking session with marketing guru, Michelle Villalobos to workshops on Venture Capital and Social Entrepreneurship, the attendees received a variety of tips and resources to help their businesses flourish.

"Our goal was to inform, connect and inspire new and emerging business owners while encouraging attendees to learn and network within a stimulating and engaging environment and we did just that," said Josie Bacallao, President and CEO of Hispanic Unity of Florida. "The feedback from our attendees was incredibly positive and we were so pleased with the support from our illustrious speakers and moderators."

The keynote speaker was Keith Koenig, Founder and President of City Furniture, a retail furniture company of 24 showrooms in South Florida under two brands, City Furniture and Ashley Furniture HomeStores.

The day also celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit and accomplishments of business leaders during the American Dreamers Awards and Conversation presentation moderated by international correspondent, Ricardo Arambarri of the Univision Network.

Outstanding South Florida individuals who were honored for their steadfast success, business acumen and community service included:

· Mitchell Kaplan – Founder of Books & Books and Co-Founder of the Miami Book Fair International

· Maria Elena Ibañez – Founder and President of Intermark Foods / El Latino Brands, which focus on the Hispanic market in Florida and the East Coast

· John Ruffin, Jr. – Founder of J.D. Ruffin Associates, Inc. and civic and community leader involved with organizations such as NAACP, UNCF, Urban League of Broward County and many more

Stanley, Kenny & Jimmy Tate of Tate Capital, as well as founders of several national and international real estate development, general contracting, management, and finance companies
· Remedios Díaz-Oliver – Founder and President of All American Containers, Inc. and the only Florida woman to be a member of the Board of Directors of three Fortune 500 companies, simultaneously

Jimmy Tate of Tate Capital LLC and a 2013 American Dreamer Awardee stated, "It was an extraordinary event for all who attended. The Summit was well organized, beneficial and an overall positive experience. I feel personally honored to have been recognized by such an amazing organization."

The inaugural 2013 Entrepreneur Catalyst Award recognized Susan Amat, Ph.D. Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Launch Pad and Founder of Venture Hive for her innovation for start-ups and entrepreneurs.

The 2013 inaugural Entrepreneur to Watch Award recognized Alina Villasante, founder of the Peace Love World brand -- based in Miami and sold around the world -- as an entrepreneur who has rapidly excelled in her respective venture.

Entrepreneur Summit 2013 was made possible thanks to the committed support of our Sponsors: Ana G. Méndez University System; AT&T; AutoNation; BB&T; Bank of America; Baptist Health South Florida; Citrix; City Furniture; Comerica; Coventry Health Care of Florida; Fifth Third Bank; Florida Blue; Florida Community Bank; Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Hollywood CRA; JM Family Enterprises, Inc. and Southeast Toyota Distributors; J.P. Morgan Chase; MasTec, Inc.; Montero Law Center; Northwestern Mutual; Nova Southeastern University; Paymaster; SDI International; The Soldani Group; State Farm; Tate Capital LLC; Wells Fargo; WSVN Channel 7 News and Zeno Office Solutions.

Media Partners included: Ambit Advertising and Public Relations; BOLD Consulting; Ciudad Weston; Comcast; El Venezolano; Eye on South Florida; La Familia de Broward; Latin2Latin; Portada; Salud al Día; el Sentinel; Univision 23; enUSA and WSVN Channel 7 News; Weston Lifestyle.

Underwriting Sponsors included: Ambit Advertising and Public Relations; BOLD Consulting; Flowers by Malena; Minuteman Press.

Hispanic Unity was founded 31 years ago by community leaders to ease the acculturation transition for newcomers from other nations. Today this nonprofit provides assistance through 19 programs - in three languages - to Broward's diverse community. Hispanic Unity remains the county's largest agency dedicated to the immigrant population, providing them with the tools they need to build a new life. In 2012, the agency served 20,000+ clients, from toddlers to adults. The agency offers assistance in eight Broward County sites. Its mission is: Empowering Hispanics and other members of the community to become self-sufficient, civically engaged and lead productive lives.