We are so inspired by the businesses in our community because of how many of them are committed to helping to make the world better than it is today. Check out some great businesses below and how they are helping others.

Maca Baigorria | Founder and Mentor at Avocademy

I’m really proud to say that my business truly has a massive social impact. One of the most important things I considered when designing my platform was accessibility. I wanted to make sure anyone, anywhere, with a realistic budget and a willingness to learn a new skill, would find that when they came to Avocademy. There is a growing demand for UX/UI designers in this increasingly social world, which will continue to grow in our new post-COVID lives. My business helps people at a nationwide level get in on the action. Read more>>

DeNorris | Video Creator of Black History & Culture You Won’t Find Anywhere Else

As an African American, most of our culture, history, and heritage is denied to us. I remember being in school and my world history book was 300+ pages, but only 5 pages was about Africa. The only thing we were shown about our history in books and movies was slavery. This subconsciously impacted our community in a negative way. Then when you watch tv in the 90s, all the images you saw of Africa was extremely negative (violence, disease, people living in huts, etc.). This made many people within the black community to not want to be associated with Africa or wanted to visit Africa to make a connection with their heritage. And it also created a gap between African Americans and African immigrants living in America. I started “Travel and Truth” to showcase Africa and the Diaspora’s history, culture, and to show the side of Africa that the media rarely portrays. In my videos and social media post, I visit a lot of the ruins of African Kingdoms and Empires that were omitted by history books. Read more>>

Alejandro Barriga | CEO & Founder of Books For You

Alejandro Barriga, creator and founder of my non-profit organization, Books For You. I am a young leader who works hard for my community; we collect used or new books and notebooks from communities around Florida. The collected books are distributed to communities or organizations in need of literature. Books for You has been working for ten months, so far, we have collected more than 12,000 thousand books and donated more than 9,000 books. Books for You donated more than 9,000 books in 9 cities in South Florida such as Miami Fl, Homestead Fl, Florida City Fl, Pahokee Fl, Indiantown Fl, La Belle Fl, Okeechobee Fl, Ruskin Fl, Immokalee Fl, and internationally like Haiti, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Venezuela. We still are active finding new communities to reach out to and donate to. We continue to contact other organizations in other states and countries to which, through our non-profit organization, we can send our donation of books. Read more>>

Carolina Veira | Community Leader, Financial Strategist & DEI Advocate

At IMC Health, I lead the Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Impact initiatives and department. I have made it my priority to ensure that we work towards becoming Miami’s purpose-led healthcare organization where we can create opportunities for our staff to do community work and give back, while also developing programs, services, and initiatives where we can help the most vulnerable members of society, particularly the populations that have been negatively impacted by the current pandemic. In 2020, we partnered with various organizations (P&G, PepsiCo, The Hispanic Star, Beam Suntory, Modelo, etc.) to bring help to the communities in need which included healthcare and frontline workers at major Miami Hospitals as well as farmworker families in Redland. In partnership with The Hispanic Star, we also created webinars about Census and voting, Mental Health, Mindful eating, and conversations about leadership, inclusion and empathy with various professionals and entrepreneurs who lead with purpose and passion. Read more>>

Steve Lewis | Owner & Creator of Gideon’s Bakehouse

I love this question because this is something I ask myself daily. Service to others is a sponsoring thought in how I grow. It’s a tiered answer. First, it starts with an obsession over creating an experience that builds lasting memories, and Gideon’s attempts to do that with the dessert, the atmosphere, and the personal connections. I hope those three things inspire people to be imaginative, but it is also there to give comfort when required. That is what a community business should always offer. Second, what can I offer my internal community? We are currently a team of over 100 people. How do I, as a single owner business, help to build their life experience? The goal is to create a real sense of internal family that can look out for each other at work and beyond employment. As I look to grow my business, I search for ways that open doors for my team. That can range from giving our bakers a day to release their own off-menu creations as a limited edition dessert or create new leadership positions to develop skills. Finally, I think about my commitment to the small business community. Read more>>