In a recent announcement, Mecklenburg County together with the City of Charlotte bestowed the 2025 Crowns of Enterprise Awards to seven distinguished local businesses for their excellence in fostering diversity and inclusion, and driving economic growth within the region. This year's recognition marks the 14th annual celebration of such entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. According to Mecklenburg County's official press release, the awardees were selected based on their robust business strategies and commitment to bolstering the local economy.
Velez Strategies, a bilingual consulting firm established in 2022 by Lissette Velez, received the Certified Minority Business Enterprise of the Year. The firm is credited with having to empower over 5,000 businesses through strategic planning and business coaching among other services. "Velez Strategies specializes in strategic planning, business coaching, community engagement and operational support," cites Mecklenburg County's release. Another honoree, Lane Architecture, led by founder Barbara Lane since 2013, earned the Certified Woman Business Enterprise of the Year for their impactful work in the public sector's architectural domain.
The honors extended to Carolina Transportation Engineers & Associates (Carolina TEA), which claimed the Certified Small Business Enterprise of the Year. Carolina TEA has been notable for its multidisciplinary engineering solutions and its role in enhancing regional infrastructure since its inception in August 2016. Genesis Construction was another company to be spotlighted, clinching the Prime Contractor of the Year for its leadership and endeavors in nurturing a diverse workforce within the construction industry. Founder Jefferson Ovalle has been a driving force behind these diversity initiatives, fostering inclusion and equity on multiple levels of business operations.
The Charlotte Ledger, a locally owned news outlet helmed by Tony Mecia and Christina Bolling, was appointed Media Personality/Media Outlet of the Year for its dedicated community engagement and coverage supporting minority, women, and small business communities. "The mission of the Charlotte Ledger is to deliver smart and essential news to Charlotte, one email at a time," the press release highlighted their outreach efforts. On the front of advocacy, Prospera North Carolina took home the Diversity Advocate of the Year award for their specialized support to Hispanic entrepreneurs, significantly growing their presence and effect in the state with over 1,000 program beneficiaries annually since their North Carolina inception in 2017, as per Mecklenburg County.
A newer business, Savvi Consulting, founded by LaShana M. Wiggs in 2022, was recognized as the Rising Star. The consulting firm is praised for its person-centric approach to change management and its exemplary customer service ethos. "Savvi Consulting helps leaders to enhance performance, customer service and levels of employee engagement," was the acclaim outlined in the source article, according to Mecklenburg County.
