EDISON, NJ, July 5, 2023–The NJ Business Im- migration Coalition honored first-generation business leaders at the 10th Annual New Jersey Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards last week for their contributions to business, innovation, and non-profit work and for supporting the state’s economic growth.
The winners of the Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year Award are Alex Martinez and Paula Guevara, owners of Paradise Flowers Distribution in South River, NJ.
The Albert Einstein Award for Innovation winner is Chao Yan, founder, and CEO of Princeton NuEnergy, a Bordentown-based innovative clean-tech company spun out from Princeton University in 2019 and focused on the direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles and consumer electronics.
The David Sarnoff Award for Advocacy and Community Engagement was awarded to Jaime Lucero of Harrison, NJ, a native of Mexico, for his role as a “Servant Leader,” addressing the needs of the less fortunate and creatively and purposefully acting to create institutions that help meet those needs through Fuerza
Migrante, a binational movement of key migrant organizations from throughout the US that empowers the Mexican community abroad through education.
Columbia native Diana Mejia, founder of the Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center in Madison, NJ, was awarded the Josephine Ho Award for Non- profit Entrepreneurship. Self-funded from her personal retirement account 22 years ago, Wind of the Spirit is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, organizing, and mobilizing for just immigration reform.
“We celebrate NJ immigrant entrepreneurs who founded businesses in New Jersey, are creating jobs, and are fueling the local economy,” said Katherine Kish, Awards Chair, NJ Business Immigration Coalition. “These first-generation immigrant business leaders have made a positive impact on their communities, and we honor their contributions to the state.”
About the NJ Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards
The Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards are named for great, historic New Jersey immigrant entrepreneurs. The many nominees represent small mom-and-pop businesses as well as large corporations, ranging from high-tech firms to professional service providers, from manufacturing operations to restaurant and financial institutions. Combined, they employ hundreds of people and do billions in sales.
