Lilliana Vazquez to MC Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Alegria Ball

PHILADELPHIA - Feb. 4, 2020 - PRLog -- The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GPHCC) will welcome the region's business leaders to celebrate the organization's 30th anniversary at its annual fundraiser, Alegrίa Ball on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at The Union League of Philadelphia. The signature event is one of the most anticipated in the region's Hispanic Community, attracting over 300 business leaders to support GPHCC's mission of building wealth in the Hispanic community by developing, promoting and advocating for Hispanic businesses in the Greater Philadelphia region. Comcast NBCUniversal is the presenting sponsor of this year's gala, which will feature E! News personality Lilliana Vazquez as MC and a duet performance by the Pennsylvania Ballet to kick off the festivities.

A highlight of the event is the annual presentation of the Excelencia Hispanic Business Awards. The 2020 recipients are Hispanic Professional of the Year Angel Corella, Artistic Director of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Hispanic Business of the Year LUHV Food, a family-owned vegan food manufacturer, and Corporate Initiative of the Year is Visit Philadelphia's "Filadelfia - You Gotta Feel It" Marketing Campaign, a marketing initiative developed to welcome Latinx visitors to the region.

Equally important, the funds raised at the gala will help GPHCC deliver on its 2020 Latino Small Business Agenda including advocating for a welcoming business environment, helping businesses adopt best practices through entrepreneur education, such as the Accelerate Latinx program launched in 2019, and providing Latino entrepreneurs with access to the capital, resources and experts that will make a difference in their success.

"While Hispanics experience the highest poverty rate in Philadelphia, our community is also the most entrepreneurial, starting businesses at three times the general population rate," said Jennifer Rodriguez, President and CEO of the GPHCC. "If Hispanic businesses were to grow modestly, by only one or two employees, we would be adding thousands of jobs in the communities that need it most. It costs our economy when Hispanic businesses do not scale up and GPHCC is committed to change that."

"Comcast believes in empowering communities, including in Philadelphia, through local investments, inclusive programs and diverse partnerships," said Karen Dougherty Buchholz, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation. "We are proud of our longtime support of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and its work to fuel the economic development of Latino businesses and the advancement of Latino professionals."

For more information about how to participate in the event, please call (215) 845-5456,  email jsuarez@philahispanicchamber.org, or visit http://bit.ly/Alegria2020.