JOHANNA GUEVARA

Background
Twenty-seven year old, Colombian-American Johanna Guevara started the New York-based design company 7ONE8 Design. Her company helps artists, businesses, and non-profits develop every aspect of their identity, from logos to stationery kits to websites to sales/promotional materials.

A graduate of Parsons School of Design with a degree in Communication Design, Johanna is an entrepreneur in every sense with an indescribable fervor and continual zest for learning. She loves a job where she works with clients to enhance their public image, help others sell their product or service, and make an overall imprint in the competitive business world. While in college, she worked in design positions where she quickly realized she was unable to express herself completely through conventional design. Presented with creative frustrations and a lack of challenges, she established Johanna Guevara Designs in 2000, which was renamed 7ONE8 Design two years later.

About the Company
Named after the (718) area code of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, 7ONE8 Design is inspired by its people. The exposure to different art, music, and ideas influenced Guevara to develop 7ONE8’s methods of creating unique brands that get the message through. For 7ONE8, uniqueness is the key to a company’s survival in a very competitive economy.

The leap from an abstract concept to a practical vehicle of promotion is 7ONE8’s specialty. By creating a company’s identity, they help shape the public perception of the product or service. Some of their current clients include Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, GingerLuxe, Cosmetics, Styleaholics Productions, and up-and-coming R&B singer Nirvana Savoury.

Always Improving
7ONE8 plans to steadily build and grow to be one of the top branding companies in the country for the fashion and entertainment industries. After expanding their studio space, 7ONE8 plans to branch out and set up an art gallery and art therapy workshops.

An Active Member of the Global Community
7ONE8 has worked with several non-profit organizations including the One Darfur Chapter of Help Darfur Now, whose mission is to raise awareness and funds for the victims of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan; Kuumba Family Reunion, a benefit concert that raised awareness for Kuumba Academy, a Hip-Hop and African culture school that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina; and Latinos In Fashion and Entertainment (LIFE), which concentrates its efforts on fostering the emergence of new talent from Latino communities through programs that promote education through the arts.

In the Media
Past accomplishments include landing on the pages of the Japanese newspaper Nikkei for their work on RoseBullet, a women’s wear line by Onward in conjunction with Sony Japan. They have also been profiled by CNN for a piece on young Latino entrepreneurs. In 2005, Latinos in Information Science and Technology Association (LISTA) recognized Guevara with the Innovation in Design and Corporate Identity award. She was also published in PARSONS RED, a magazine highlighting the achievement of Parsons alumni, and was recently featured by the online magazine The CulturalConnect in their Latin section.

RICARDO A. GARCIA

Background
Twenty-eight year old, Colombian-American, Ricardo Garcia started the Westchester-based technology solutions company, Etectonics, after graduating from New York University with a degree in Politics and comprehensive knowledge of and experience with numerous forms of technology. His company manages IT support for hundreds of businesses in the Tri-State area. A fleet of company vehicles and technology consultants take care of this ever-growing client base.

Etectonics also develops projects for clients such as Best Buy Inc., The New York Public Library, IBM, and various diplomatic agencies (Consulates, Missions and Embassies) to both the United States and United Nations. During the last two years, Ricardo and his company have focused on addressing the increasing demand for a reliable and ready available professional remote tech support to its clients by opening an operations base in Bogota, Colombia. By establishing a solid infrastructure and developing a professional, reliable and dedicated team of bilingual technology consultants, Etectonics is able to offer top of the line services to corporations looking for a high quality managed service and lower their IT spending. In the last six months, Ricardo has seen the benefits of staying ahead of the curve as his company has increased customer satisfaction and response time, while passing on these savings to hundreds of Etectonics’ business clients. The successful model also has sparked ongoing talks with large corporations.

An Active Member of the Community
Ricardo is President of the Scarsdale Alumni Association, Board member of the New York University Alumni Association, Executive Vice President of LISTA (Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association) New York Chapter, Co-Chair of the Princeton Club Young Alumni Committee, Board member at the Strategic Business Alliance in Yonkers and member of the New York Cares Association. In addition, his company participates in the United Nations Information and Technology Task Force forums as well as Digital Bridge’s technology forums.

Working for the Community with New York Public Library
After Ricardo approached the New York Public Library in 1999, his company won a contract to conduct the Spanish translation for 33 branches of the NYPL website. In 2000, his company became the technology partner of New York Public Library in the effort to bridge the digital divide in New York City. One year later, Ricardo introduced a plan to the Director of Information Technology at NYPL to provide mobile classrooms at the 79 NYPL branches lacking technology centers. His company then conducted a successful pilot project leading to the scheduling of mobile technology classes throughout the coming years. Etectonics was selected to run the NYPL training program that was to be personally evaluated by Melinda Gates, President of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program was very successful and resulted in a sizeable grant for the NYPL. To this day, Etectonics enjoys a fruitful relationship with the NYPL as a technology partner.

In the Media
Ricardo Garcia was the keynote speaker at Verizon Inc. Hispanic Support Organization celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month on 2006. Ricardo has also been a guest on regional radio and television shows as a technology consultant. He is also the recipient of Forty Under Forty Award by the Westchester Business Council 2005 for his company’s success in Westchester County. Ricardo has been awarded Business Person of the Year by the Hispanic Business and Professional Association. The Westchester Business Journal dedicated a front page article to his accomplishments and his company. In 2007 Ricardo is one of 25 latino professional men nationwide recognized as the future latino business leaders by the 2007 Management Leadership for Tomorrow MBAP program.