Dear Valued Member,
During the holiday season, we think about others and how to give back to our community. So, there is no better time to announce our 2023 DIAMOND award recipient. For over 17 years, the Boca Chamber has selected a deserving recipient to receive the prestigious DIAMOND award, a woman who has achieved success in her professional career and continually makes a difference in our community. A DIAMOND is Dedicated, Inspiring, Accomplished, Motivated, Outstanding, Noble, and Driven businesswoman. It is with great pleasure that I announce the recipient of the 2023 DIAMOND Award: Andrea Virgin, President & Founder of Virgin Design, and Founder of The Boca Raton Center for Arts & Innovation.
Andrea is a rare breed; she owns her own business, Virgin Designs, a South Florida planning and engineering firm. Andrea is also a Professional Ballerina who joined the Board of Directors at Boca Ballet Theatre in 2018. If that wasn’t enough for this “female-preneur”, she initiated the concept of creating a performing arts center in Boca Raton. Thus, the Center for Arts & Innovation was born. Giving a fresh perspective to any project, Andrea and her team believe quality and efficient service along with focusing on the client relationship, are the keys to success. With that focus on relationship building, since co-founding The Center, Andrea has amassed over $15 million in donations and in-kind support, engaged major stakeholders and world-renowned consultants, secured a 94-year ground lease with the City of Boca Raton, and has commenced exciting and meaningful discussions for major philanthropic support. Click here to read more about Andrea.
Because of successful women like Andrea and previous DIAMOND Award Recipients — the Chamber created a second award in 2016 called the Pearl Award to recognize an up-and-coming female leader. The Pearl Award is given to a graduate of the Boca Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!), a program of the Golden Bell Education Foundation. This young woman is achieving success and shines bright as a rising star in the community. This year, we are incredibly proud to recognize an individual that stands out as a Pearl of Potential in the next generation of business leaders. I am excited to announce the 2023 Pearl Award Recipient: Ananya Soni,Owner & Founder, of Cosmic Child.
Ananya has always had a love for art. Since she was introduced to jewelry-making in her school’s innovation lab, she has worked with beads, wire, and pliers to craft her jewelry. Family trips to India have influenced her artistic passion, including meeting her extended family and visiting local bazaars where artisans showcased their talent and skills in different art forms. Inspired by her trips abroad, she would make her friends and family gifts of her own making. With supplies strewn around her room, she would work until each piece was precisely crafted by her, along with a personal note.
As time would have it, she began to ask her mother and Aunt for more supplies. She would accept discarded pieces and would recycle the beads, stones, charms, and pendants to create new, eclectic, and modern designs of wearable jewelry. The awareness of recycled jewelry exposed her to the idea of being more environmentally conscious. The concept of repurposing materials to create new jewelry is how Cosmic Child was born. Click hereto read more about Ananya.
Join us on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, at Woodfield Country Club as we honor Andrea and Ananya as the 2023 DIAMOND and PEARL Award recipients. For more information on the DIAMOND Award Luncheon, click here.