Patricia Bedford, Owner of Suga’s Cakery, Recognized Among the 2024 Top 40 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs of Central Texas

Austin, TX – 2024 – Patricia Bedford, owner of Suga’s Cakery, has been honored as one of the 2024 Top 40 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs of Central Texas by the Austin Black Business Journal. This recognition highlights her entrepreneurial excellence, community impact, and leadership in supporting Black-owned businesses. A client of the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) since 2019, Bedford is a trailblazer whose journey from engineering to cake artistry is both inspiring and deeply rooted in family tradition.

From Engineer to Cake Artist – A Legacy of Sweet Success

A native Austinite, Bedford holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Baylor University and spent over a decade in engineering, specializing in testing, product development, and client support. However, after the passing of her beloved grandmother, affectionately known as “Suga”, Bedford felt compelled to continue her grandmother’s culinary legacy.

Determined to honor Suga’s memory, she began baking cakes and mastering cake artistry. Encouraged by family and friends, she launched Suga’s Cakery, a custom cake shop specializing in event catering and dietary-friendly treats. Today, her business is known for high-quality, beautifully crafted cakes that bring joy to special occasions across Central Texas.

A Leader in the Black Business Community

Beyond her success as an entrepreneur, Bedford is a dedicated advocate for Black-owned businesses in Central Texas. She serves as the Vice President of the Pflugerville Black Business Builders (PBBB), where she actively supports business education and networking opportunities.

As VP, she played a pivotal role in organizing the Inaugural PBBB Business Symposium in collaboration with the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation (PCDC). The event brought together 50+ business owners for a day of learning and networking with industry leaders, including representatives from Google, Facebook, the Secretary of State’s Office, CPAs, and intellectual property attorneys.

Bedford also serves as a liaison between PBBB and key organizations, including:

  • Pflugerville Community Development Corporation
  • Pflugerville Downtown Association
  • Pflugerville City Council

Her advocacy efforts have been instrumental in policy changes, including supporting a city ordinance allowing food trucks within Pflugerville city limits. She currently serves on the Downtown East Community Stakeholder Committee and has been a member of the CEDS 2.0 Steering Committee with PCDC.

Passions Beyond Business

When she’s not running her business or advocating for local entrepreneurs, Bedford enjoys cooking, entertaining, and spending time with family and friends. A former clarinetist, she aspires to learn the piano in the future.

Contact & More Information

For custom cakes, event catering, and dietary-friendly treats, visit Suga’s Cakery at:
1100 Grand Ave. Pkwy Suite 112, Pflugerville, TX
(512) 262-9983
Info@sugascakery.com
www.sugascakery.com

I Am Ready Swim Recognized as FAVE Innovative Company of 2024 at Austin Young Chamber’s FAVE Awards

Austin, TX – 2024 – The 2024 FAVE Awards celebrate local businesses that exemplify resiliency, adaptability, and innovation, supporting their customers, employees, and the community. This year, I Am Ready Swim, founded by Miranda Collins, was honored as the FAVE Innovative Company of 2024 by the Austin Young Chamber. Miranda is a client of EGBI since 1018, and is now an ambassador of the organization.

I Am Ready Swim provides top-tier aquatic and management services for community pools and commercial facilities, prioritizing safety, high-quality service, and exceptional customer care. The company is also dedicated to giving back to the communities it serves, reinforcing its mission of promoting aquatic safety and community engagement.

About Miranda Collins & The Journey of I Am Ready Swim

Miranda Collins, formerly Miranda Melendez, discovered her passion for water safety at age 18 as a swim instructor and lifeguard. Tragedy struck during her senior year when she lost her mother, prompting her to reflect on her future and pursue work that truly fulfilled her.

Determined to create a business that aligned with her love for teaching kids water safety and preventing water accidents, she continued offering swim lessons after high school. Her big break came when she was offered the lifeguarding contract at the community pool where she had taught for years. With the support of her husband, Dajour, she took a leap of faith—investing their entire savings to launch I Am Ready Swim.

A Thriving, Minority-Owned Business Serving Central Texas

Since its inception, I Am Ready Swim has grown significantly, now employing over 100 individuals every pool season across Austin, Pflugerville, Hutto, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Manor, and Buda. The company offers a range of aquatic services, including Lifeguarding, Swim instruction, Pool monitoring, Pool cleaning, & Janitorial services for pools and community facilities.

Miranda and her husband, Dajour, continue to lead the company with a strong commitment to safety, community service, and innovation. Under Ready Up Aquatics, Dajour oversees the pool monitors, lifeguards, and maintenance teams, ensuring top-quality service at every location.

Contact & Learn More

For more information about I Am Ready Swim and its services, visit:
🌐 www.iamreadyswim.com
📞 Call: (512) 872-1176

A Better Force Founders, Saamiya Seraj and Sarah Seraj, Recognized with the 2024 Emerging Business Award at the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce’s Ovation Gala

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.

Lucero Valle awarded 2024 Businesswoman of the Year by the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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.

Meet an EGBI client- Yesenia Gonzales

I am of Mexican origin, I have been living in the Austin Tx area for some years, I am the wife of Mr Jorge Soto and mother of 2 children Jorgito and Samantha Soto. We have 2 dogs that are part of our family Covid and Sky. Personally, I like walking in nature, reading and meeting new people. I am part of the work team of S & G Builds, a company dedicated to remodeling and construction, my role at this moment is to take charge of the numbers (Bookkeeping) and thanks to the support of EGBI I am learning more about this activity.

What is your favorite part of what you do in your business?

My favorite part is that I’m learning something different.

What has been the most difficult moment for you in your profession?

A difficult part was at the beginning where there were not many clients and the income was not very stable.

How has EGBI helped you?

EGBI has helped me train and continue learning about how a business is structured in the United States.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself

Something fun about me is that people can like me.

If you had the opportunity, would you change anything about what you have achieved?

I wouldn’t change anything that I have experienced, because I believe that this is the process that I had to go through in order to get to where I am today.

If you could do it all over again, would you still join EGBI? Why yes or why not?

I would definitely join EGBI because they are a very complete organization that has everything necessary to support and train people who have decided to start a business.

What do you like about EGBI?

That everyone is very kind and willing to help.

Translated by Berenice Osorio Alvarez

Find the Spanish version here

EGBI provides training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. If you would like to know more about EGBI’s business coaching, visit  https://egbi.org/coach/ Spanish-(https://egbi.org/es/coach-2/).

Meet an EGBI client- Hortencia Alvarez A.

I was born in an ejido in Coahuila Mexico, and when I came to the United States at a very young age, I went to public schools here in Austin. I have 4 adult children and 5 grandchildren which I am raising 3 of them aged 4, 3 and 7 months. So I started creating again. From a very young age, I saw the need for our people to understand another language or have someone translate for them. I say this because my own experience since I was a child was doing it for the people I knew. I translated conferences, documents, legal documents, and also made them, whether it was filling out immigration documents, appeals, income applications, and even lawsuits that people had and did not understand. After high school I took a paralegal course, and was working in different branches of law, family law, workers compensation, immigration and international oil companies in administration. The moment my older children entered college I decided to return to college and obtained my bachelor’s degree in business. I did this for almost 25 years. I am now a graduate of Concordia University. Throughout this journey my favorite job was being a Mary Kay consultant.Now that I am at home and raising my grandchildren (children) as they know me, I decided to open the doors to what I have always done, people administration and from there (ALVAREZ ALCANTAR CONSULTING FIRM), LLC has been born.

Tell me what inspired you to start your business?

What inspired me to initiate my business was the injustice many of the minorities face due to the lack of understanding policies, and procedures, or when the community is taken advantage of because of services they need, i.e. in translation, notary, or simply reading a document in their native language.

Why did you decide to join EGBI?

I decided to join EGBI because I believe in their cause of helping the community and having many networking outlets to get your business off the ground and be successful.

Did you encounter any obstacles along the way? If so, how did you overcome them?

Yes, I was my own obstacle, I do not know how to ask for help, despite the fact that I know I need it, I only know how to lend a hand. I overcame that by remembering what one of the directors of EGBI (also a friend), stated to me, “it’s great for you to help out others, however you’re going to drive a bus through your heart if you don’t do it for yourself” Larrisa Davila.

How does your business differ from others?

My business differs from others because I try to understand the clients needs and make certain I can deliver the service they are needing without adding more stress to their situation. I’m blunt and transparent, if I can help I will if I cannot I let them know.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself

A fun fact about myself is that I like to collect souvenir spoons from everyplace I visit, and also prefer actual photos other than digital. (those 2 fun facts)

Are you happy with what you have achieved?

Absolutely, I am very happy with what I have achieved.

How has EGBI helped you?

EGBI has helped me in my confidence and has opened many doors and windows to more opportunities in gaining more clients.

Translated by Berenice Osorio Alvarez

Find the Spanish version here

EGBI provides training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. If you would like to know more about EGBI’s business coaching, visit  https://egbi.org/coach/ Spanish-(https://egbi.org/es/coach-2/).