SFLHCC’s Hispanic Heritage Month gathering brought business leaders together while recognizing former Dominican President Leonel Fernández and six Cervantes Award recipients
The South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce brought Hispanic Heritage Month into the regional business conversation on September 18, hosting its 22nd Annual Viva Miami Hispanic Heritage Business Expo and Lunch Conference at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.
The event gathered entrepreneurs, executives, professionals and community partners for networking and discussions centered on economic opportunity and the influence of Hispanic leadership across South Florida. Former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández served as the featured guest speaker and received the chamber’s Presidential Legacy Award.
The luncheon also included the presentation of the 2026 Miguel de Cervantes Awards to Dr. Oriana Damas, Elsa Diaz, Violet Gonzalez, Ivan Herrera, Angelo Cerracchio and Dr. Carlos Mallol. Collectively, the recipients were recognized for work spanning healthcare, advocacy, philanthropy, business, construction and community service.
More than a cultural celebration, Viva Miami reflected the close relationship between Hispanic identity and South Florida’s economic development. In Miami-Dade, where Hispanic residents own businesses, lead institutions and shape industries throughout the region, Hispanic Heritage Month provides an opportunity to examine those contributions while also considering the challenges entrepreneurs continue to face.
Viva Miami Creates Connections Across South Florida’s Business Community
The business expo and lunch conference combined professional networking with public recognition. That structure allowed established companies, small-business owners, nonprofit leaders and community organizations to meet in the same setting rather than approaching Hispanic Heritage Month solely as a ceremonial observance.
SFLHCC describes Viva Miami as a gathering designed to connect business leaders, entrepreneurs, elected officials and professionals while encouraging conversations about economic opportunity. The 2026 program took place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the historic Biltmore Hotel.
For small and emerging businesses, events of this kind can provide access to relationships that are often difficult to build through advertising or digital communication alone. A conversation with a lender, corporate representative, government official or experienced entrepreneur can lead to information about financing, procurement, professional services or potential partnerships.
The presence of Fernández added an international dimension to the program. South Florida’s Hispanic business community is connected not only through shared language and cultural traditions but also through trade, investment, migration and longstanding relationships with Latin America and the Caribbean. Recognizing a former head of state placed those international ties within the context of local economic activity.
His Presidential Legacy Award was separate from the Miguel de Cervantes Awards presented to the six South Florida honorees. The program did not simply recognize professional titles; it highlighted the broader influence that leadership can have when business experience is connected with civic involvement and public service.
The gathering also continued an annual tradition that has developed alongside the chamber itself. SFLHCC says it was founded more than three decades ago and provides its members with networking events, business connections and representation through its Small Business Committee.
That role has particular relevance in Miami-Dade, where entrepreneurs frequently need to navigate high operating costs, changing regulations, financing barriers and competition within a rapidly expanding metropolitan economy. Business organizations cannot solve those pressures by themselves, but they can help owners obtain information, build professional networks and connect with institutions positioned to provide assistance.
Cervantes Awards Recognize Leadership Expressed Through Service
The 2026 Miguel de Cervantes Awards recognized Dr. Oriana Damas, Elsa Diaz, Violet Gonzalez, Ivan Herrera, Angelo Cerracchio and Dr. Carlos Mallol. Their areas of contribution included healthcare, advocacy, philanthropy, business, construction and community service, illustrating how regional leadership extends across both commercial and civic life.
Named for the influential Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, the awards are intended to recognize what SFLHCC describes as vision, voice and valor. The chamber’s award criteria emphasize leadership, service, innovation and accomplishments that create opportunities or lasting community impact.
That framework gives the awards significance beyond individual achievement. South Florida’s economy depends on people who build organizations, employ residents and deliver professional services, but community stability also depends on leaders who mentor others, participate in philanthropy and advocate for residents whose concerns may otherwise receive limited attention.
Recognizing six honorees from different professional sectors reinforced the idea that no single industry defines Hispanic success in South Florida. Healthcare leaders affect patient access and public well-being. Business and construction professionals influence employment and regional development. Advocates, philanthropists and community-service leaders help connect residents with resources while drawing attention to unmet needs.
The Cervantes Awards also placed contemporary leadership within a larger cultural tradition. Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the histories and contributions of communities with roots across Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Miami-Dade, those histories are reflected not only through music, food and the arts but also through entrepreneurship, professional achievement and public service.
The event followed the 2025 Viva Miami conference, which similarly combined a business expo, networking and the presentation of Cervantes Awards. The continuation of the program gives the chamber a recurring platform for recognizing new honorees while strengthening professional relationships across industries.
For the honorees, the awards acknowledged individual records of leadership. For attendees, the conference offered an opportunity to establish connections and hear from people working across different parts of South Florida’s economy. For the wider community, the program demonstrated how Hispanic heritage is expressed through present-day institutions and professional contributions as well as cultural history.
Viva Miami’s broader relevance rests in that connection. Hispanic Heritage Month can celebrate identity while also creating room for substantive discussions about business growth, access to opportunity and civic responsibility. By combining an expo, leadership conference and awards presentation, the September 18 gathering placed those issues within a single regional conversation.
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