Austin, TX – [Date] – Saamiya Seraj and Sarah Seraj, co-founders of A Better Force, have been honored with the 2024 Emerging Business Award at the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce’s Ovation Gala. This prestigious recognition celebrates their outstanding contributions to leadership and professional development, as well as their commitment to equity and empowerment. The sisters have been clients of the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) since 2023, leveraging their expertise to create meaningful change in workplaces and communities.
A Better Force is dedicated to empowering individuals and companies through customized leadership and professional development programs. Their training is tailored to the unique needs of their clients, focusing on well-being, equity, and actionable solutions. As a women- and minority-owned business, they have a strong emphasis on supporting women, BIPOC professionals, and the immigrant community, ensuring that leadership development is inclusive and impactful.
About the Founders
Saamiya Seraj – Co-Founder & CEO
Saamiya Seraj earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. Following her doctorate, she spent five years in the construction industry, advocating for improved safety, quality standards, and building designs that prioritize occupants’ mental health and well-being.
Through her industry experience, Saamiya recognized a gap in leadership training that failed to address systemic inequities. She began facilitating workshops and discussions on the topic, which ultimately led to the creation of A Better Force. Her passion lies in empowering individuals—especially BIPOC professionals—and helping companies cultivate thriving, equitable workplace cultures.
Saamiya currently resides in Austin, TX, and is a recent survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a testament to her resilience and determination to create positive change.
Sarah Seraj – Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer
Sarah Seraj initially pursued a career in environmental engineering but transitioned into social psychology after recognizing the critical role that social and psychological factors play in problem-solving. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, focusing her research on social upheavals, cultural shifts, and racial issues.
At A Better Force, Sarah leads training sessions, consults with businesses on workplace culture, and integrates cutting-edge research in organizational psychology—particularly language-based data analysis—to develop innovative, research-backed solutions for companies.
Currently based in Austin, TX, Sarah enjoys reading and writing fiction in her free time, balancing her analytical expertise with creativity.
A Commitment to Inclusive Leadership Development
With a mission to equip organizations with transformative leadership strategies, A Better Force is redefining workplace training. By combining academic research, real-world experience, and an unwavering commitment to equity, the Seraj sisters are helping companies cultivate inclusive, thriving, and innovative work environments.
For more information about A Better Force and their services, visit www.abetterforce.com.
Austin, TX – October 26th, 2024 – The Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) has awarded Lucero Valle Ortiz, founder of Lucero Creative Studio, the prestigious title of 2024 Businesswoman of the Year. This recognition highlights Lucero’s exceptional contributions as a Latina entrepreneur, agency owner, and advocate for small businesses through strategic branding and high-impact visual storytelling. Lucero has been a client of EGBI since 2012.
As a certified Women and Minority HUB business, Lucero Creative Studio is a culture-driven, bilingual agency dedicated to helping businesses, government entities, corporations, non-profits, and professionals build compelling brand identities. With over 20 years of experience in photography and branding, Lucero and her team have transformed countless businesses by delivering high-quality photography, video production, social media management, and website design that resonates with diverse audiences.
“After years of capturing incredible visuals, we realized our clients needed more than just photography—they needed strategic marketing support,” said Lucero Valle Ortiz. “So, we stepped it up! Now, we offer a full suite of creative services to ensure brands not only look great but also connect meaningfully with their audiences across different platforms and languages.”
Lucero’s commitment to excellence and client success has earned her widespread acclaim. Tito San Diego, a long-time client, praised her expertise: “I highly recommend Lucero Valle as your next photographer! She’s the ultimate professional—kind, informative, and dedicated to providing outstanding customer service. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her on multiple occasions, and each time she delivers incredible results. Her engagement with subjects allows them to relax and truly shine, making all the difference in her photography.”
Lucero Creative Studio remains at the forefront of empowering brands through powerful visual storytelling, innovative marketing, and a deep commitment to community impact. As Businesswoman of the Year, Lucero Valle continues to inspire and uplift businesses in Austin, Texas, and beyond.
For more information about Lucero Creative Studio and its services, visit or contact https://www.lucero-creative.com/or (512) 825-9946.
About Lucero Creative Studio
Lucero Creative Studio is a full-service creative agency specializing in commercial photography, videography, branding, social media management, and website design. Led by Lucero Valle Ortiz, a Latina entrepreneur with over two decades of experience, the agency is dedicated to helping businesses craft compelling brand identities that drive engagement and success.
Cleantech Open is the largest and oldest cleantech startup accelerator program in the United States, with the mission of finding, funding and nurturing entrepreneurs around the world with ideas to solve environmental and energy challenges. Through this annual program, new clean technology companies are connected with the people and resources that will accelerate their success. The startups selected in the different stages will be eligible for advice from specialized mentors in the sector, as well as prizes starting at $10,000 US dollars.
This call may result from the interest of emerging companies in the area of clean technologies, as well as research centers and academics. Interested parties may submit their applications until February 29 (with an application fee of $30 USD), or until April 14, 2024 (with an application fee of $75 USD).
AUSTIN, Texas (Dec. 14, 2023) – Austin Community Foundation (ACF) announced today $1.5 million in grant funding to organizations working to improve the economic mobility of Central Texans. The Foundation’s three strategic programs—The Black Fund, Hispanic Impact Fund, and Women’s Fund—each awarded $500,000 in unrestricted, general operating support to a total of 53 local nonprofits. This is the highest amount of funding awarded from ACF’s Community Impact programs.
“Austin Community Foundation’s strategic programs are data-driven and community-led, ensuring our efforts are not only well-informed but also deeply connected to the realities of the people we seek to serve,” said Elizabeth Peña, Director of Community Impact, Austin Community Foundation. “Through this grants process, we’re committed to equitable, transparent, and trust-based giving—building real opportunities for everyone who calls Central Texas home.”
The Black Fund granted to 25 Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits working to support the growth, economic mobility and wellness of Black people across five impact areas:
Arts, culture and preservation
Education
Health and wellness
Power building, organizing and advocacy
Wealth building
The Hispanic Impact Fund granted to 16 Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofits working to support the economic mobility and advancement of Hispanic Central Texans across four impact areas:
Early childhood education
Health and wellness
Job skills and entrepreneurship
Leadership development
The Women’s Fund granted to 15 nonprofits working to support the economic mobility of women and children in Central Texas across five impact areas:
Childcare
Education
Housing
Unplanned pregnancy prevention
Women’s health
The Black Fund, Hispanic Impact Fund and Women’s Fund operate as collective giving networks led by community members who share responsibility for the vision, fundraising, and grantmaking. Approximately 175 individuals, including people with lived experience, participated in the grant selection process and thoughtfully vetted more than 255 applications.
A priority of the 2023 grants cycle was to provide a streamlined process by offering nonprofits the ability to apply to all three funds through one single grant application. Among the nonprofits applying for funding, 30% of organizations were first-time applicants and 38% applied to multiple funds. Among the organizations selected for funding, 62% are led by individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC).
Special thanks to Google, PIMCO, Q2 Holdings, Inc., and St. David’s Foundation for generously supporting ACF’s economic mobility work.
Learn more about the Foundation’s programs at austincf.org.
Full list of 2023 grant partners:
The Black Fund
Austin Legal Access – $40,000* Building Promise USA – $40,000* Delivering Unto You – $40,000 Origin Studio House – $40,000* Round Rock Black Parents Association – $40,000* Alliance for African American Health in Central Texas – $25,000 Ladders for Leaders – $25,000 The Bakari Foundation – $25,000 The Giving Rose Foundation ATX – $25,000 Tomorrow’s Promise Foundation – $25,000 Black Girl Ventures – $15,000 Black Men’s Health Clinic – $15,000 Code2College – $15,000 Little Bit of Good – $15,000 P.E.A.C.E. Program – $15,000 RE-CLAIM – $15,000 Real Queens Fix Each Other’s Crowns – $15,000 SCD Enrichment Program – $15,000 Torch Literary Arts – $15,000 We Can Now – $15,000 Ballet Afrique – $5,000 Frofessionals – $5,000 Hungry Hill Foundation – $5,000 Huston-Tillotson University – $5,000 Black Professional Alliance – $5,000
Hispanic Impact Fund
Amhiga Hispana – $50,000* AVANCE – Austin – $50,000* Luz de Atabey Midwifery Project – $50,000* Todos Juntos Learning Center – $50,000* Austin Achieve Public Schools – $35,000* Economic Growth Business Incubator – $35,000* Explore Austin – $35,000* Manos de Cristo – $35,000* Austin Urban Technology Movement – $20,000 Breakthrough Central Texas – $20,000 El Buen Samaritano – $20,000 Literacy First – $20,000 Mariposa Family Learning Center – $20,000 People’s Community Clinic – $20,000 Seedling – $20,000 Workers Defense Project – $20,000
The Women’s Fund
Any Baby Can of Austin – $55,000* Empowering Women Out of Prison – $55,000* LifeWorks – $55,000* Lilith Fund – $55,000* Todos Juntos Learning Center – $55,000* Asian Family Support Services of Austin – $30,000 AVANCE – Austin – $30,000 Center for Survivors of Torture – $30,000 Jeremiah Program – $30,000 Lirios Pediatrics – $30,000 Andy Roddick Foundation – $15,000 Healthy Futures of Texas – $15,000 Ladies Let’s Talk – $15,000 People’s Community Clinic – $15,000 Saint Louise House – $15,000
*asterisk denotes an organization receiving funding over two years
###
About Austin Community Foundation Austin Community Foundation mobilizes ideas and resources to strengthen Central Texas. The Foundation is focused on advancing economic mobility and affordable housing, and it uses varied tools – data, convening and philanthropic dollars – to implement this strategy. In 2022, the Foundation granted nearly $53 million to the community, mostly through donor advised funds. Founded in 1977, the Foundation is the third largest charitable Foundation in Central Texas with $447 million in total assets under management. Learn more at austincf.org.
The Honors Award portal is Now Open. This is a competitive grant application process, resulting in four grants. Live, Learn, and Lift grants will be $50,000 each, and the STAR grant will be $100,000. The foundation aims to fund small to mid-sized organizations that are creating and implementing innovative, sustainable solutions to serve the greatest needs of communities. Below are the categories for our Honors awards. Applications are due by January 1st. For more information, please visit our Foundation website.
Honor Award Categories:
Live – $50,000 – Access to Nutritious Foods
Learn – $50,000 – Career Readiness Certification Programs
Lift – $50,000 – Supportive Services for women and children
STAR – $100,000 – Support for Veterans and military families
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Barbra Boeta if you have any questions.
