Two Time Don Quijote Awards Nominee Marjorie Durante Honored

Sophias Art Photography is proud to announce that for the second straight year, Marjorie Durante has been nominated for the very prestigious Don Quijote Awards for Small Business of the Year younger than 5 Years!

The Don Quijote Awards

The Don Quijote Awards were created by these organizations to recognize and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals who have shown character of great

strength, courage, conviction and determination, just as the beloved character of Spanish literature.

The Don Quijote Awards are bestowed upon business and professional men and women whose efforts have translated into success, at a ceremony that has become the premier event of Central Florida´s Hispanic community.

The first Don Quijote Awards were presented in 1998, under the categories of Professional of the Year, Small Business of the Year Less Than 3 Years, Small Business of the Year More Than 3 Years, and Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, Inc. (HBIF) and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando (HCCMO) are proud to present the 19th Annual Don Quijote Awards.

 

 Today, honorees receive awards in one of six categories:

• >Hispanic Business of the Year: Five Years or Less
• >Business of the Year: More Than Five Years
• >Professional of the Year
• >The Excellence Award
• >The Hispanic Community Champion Award
• >The Lifetime Achievement Award

To date, 95 individuals or businesses have been honored with the prestigious Don Quijote Award.

 About HBIF

The Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, Inc. (HBIF) is the leading Hispanic nonprofit economic development organization in Florida. Since 1991, HBIF has specialized in providing bilingual business development to Hispanic entrepreneurs trying to establish or expand their business.

 HBIF specializes in four areas of service: educational assistance, one-on-one technical assistance, entrepreneurial grants, and loan facilitation. For more information on HBIF, visit hbifflorida.org or call 407-428-5872.

About HCCMO

 The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando (HCCMO)  is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership and support to the economic development of the Hispanic business community of Metro Orlando.  Since 1993, HCCMO has strengthened the Central Florida Business Community by providing quality programs through our business model of networking, business development and exposure and recognition.The chamber’s emphasis is on return of investment and value-added propositions for its more than 1,700 members and 40 trustees.

For more information about the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, please visit hccmo.org or call 407-428-5870.

 The Story of the Lladro Statuette

In 1953, Juan, José, and Vicente Lladró made their first creations inspired by an experimental vocation in their home in Almássera (Valencia), Spain.  By 1955, they were making sculptures in which a clear influence of the trends of the XVIII century could be observed.  These pieces evoked the works of former porcelain artists such as Meissen, Sèrves, and Capodimonte.

In 1958, the Lladró brothers decided to dedicate themselves exclusively to their own works and transferred their small company to a warehouse in the neighboring town of Tavernes Blanques.

The brothers introduced innovations not only in the design and style of the figurines but also in the firing techniques, reducing the three-layer firing to a one-layer process. One-firing is an innovative method which creates the crystalline finish and the pastel tonalities typical of Lladró works.

In 1998, the first Don Quijote committee selected the exquisite figurine of Don Quijote as the official award for this premier event.  The Don Quijote Lladró figurine symbolizes the elegance, uniqueness, passion, and dedication of the outstanding individuals that have the honor of being recognized with this splendid award.