Nadya Henriquez

Community Business Academy (CBA) Director

Nadya Henriquez Lowy is the Community Business Academy (CBA) Director at Sunshine Enterprises. Nadya is originally from Venezuela, where she obtained a B.A in English as a Second Language, with a minor in Business, at Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas. In 2004, she graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago with a B.A in Fashion Design.

Nadya spent most of her professional life in the corporate world in industries related to consumer products manufacturing, frozen food and juice concentrate importing, international sourcing and purchasing, commercial cleaning operations, among others, until she started working, in 2018, for The Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC), a non-profit organization in Humboldt Park. Quickly she got involved with PRCC’s small business initiatives through the Paseo Boricua Neighborhood Business Development Center (NBDC), which she led. Some of her achievements were the awarding of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities; the development of the ¡WEPA! Mercado del Pueblo ( a market and business incubator), and WEPA Community Pop Up, which have served as platforms for up and coming entrepreneurs to formalize their businesses; and the granting of the Chicago Alfresco Program for Paseo Boricua, a placemaking project which promises to become a tourist attraction for the area.

Additionally, she led the North Ave. Corridor Manager Program for the Invest South/West Initiative of the City of Chicago, where she played a vital role, with stakeholders of the community of Humboldt Park, for the selection, evaluation, and award process for the Pioneer Bank Catalyst Redevelopment Project, a TIFF money project led by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD).

Nadya is an entrepreneur at heart, an artist, a maker, and a poet. Since her early years she has been in the business of creating products for sale. Her latest personal accomplishment is the opening of her business Henji Designs where she manufactures and retails unique copper jewelry pieces and accessories as well as embossed copper pictures.

Nadya enjoys encouraging others to maximize their potential so that they can be successful. She is definitely a motivator and a relationship builder, who believes in the power of community. Nadya is a strong believer in equity and she strives to provide opportunities for those living in disadvantaged communities affected by systematic racism.

nadya@sunshineenterprises.com