Orlando, Fla. (July 13, 2022) – On April, 2022, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the 2022 Small Business Persons of the Year winners from each of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The theme this year was: “Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship,” and as it is stated on their website, it highlights the resilience, ingenuity, and creativity of these award winners. They, like millions of small businesses, have navigated challenges from the pandemic that contributed to the United States’ economic comeback. Indy Vega, the founder and CEO of CCI Group, received the Minority Business Owner of the Year for the North Region and for the entire State of Florida.
“Sometimes an accomplishment just takes your breath away, that you just can’t believe it is real,” Vega says. “I’m so proud of our team and how after years of working to build something so important – providing language access for all – we are being recognized on this level.”
Each year, the Small Business Administration opens nominations to recognize the best companies in the United States in eight different categories. First, a company must be named the best in their district, Orlando is in the North District, and then compete with a panel of judges throughout the state.
“Our small businesses have been hurting for the last couple of years due to the pandemic, and some of them had to close their doors, but many thrived due to their resourcefulness and dedication,” stated District Director J. Malcom Richards in a release. “We celebrate all the hard-working small business owners and congratulate our district winners on their respective titles. We also thank and congratulate the advocates that have helped our small businesses during a very difficult time.”
Vega started her career as 911 operator for the Clearwater Police Department after immigrating from Colombia. After watching a certified interpreter in court for the first time, she decided this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.
She worked in the 9th Judicial Circuit until founding her company in 2012. Today, CCI Group works with courts, schools, law firms, governments and more to provide language access primarily in Florida and Georgia but in the hopes of expanding nationwide. She recently started offering remote simultaneous interpretation services, which were offered at very important local government events.
Vega has been taking important steps to put her company in the map with the “big boys”, as she calls them: “There is no reason for us not to be in the Nimdzi 100 list”. So, one of her recent strategic moves was to join the Nimdzi family. “You can run with turkeys but it takes greater strength to fly with eagles and in my eyes, there is not an eagle like Nimdzi. I had to hang out with the best to be amongst the best” The CCI Group team is taking advantage of the research, training and mentorship provided by Nimdzi.
“Our goal is to be recognized in the federal government as the linguistic provider of choice. This award by the U.S. Small Business Administration was great, but this is just the beginning. We are just starting to spread our wings. We will be soaring to new highs very soon.”
