The Winners

Dr. Rogelio “Roy” Rivera Jr.,
PT, PhD, DPT, MCHES

Elation Physical Therapy 

Houston District Small Business Person of the Year 

Dr. Rogelio Rivera, Jr. is the CEO & President of Elation Physical Therapy, both a Certified Minority and LGBT Business Enterprise® with four locations in Greater Houston that specialize in sports medicine and orthopedic rehabilitation. Elation Physical Therapy’s outpatient physical therapy practices focus on providing patients with a direct path to physical rehabilitation and recovery from all kinds of orthopedic injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, and post-operative conditions. 

Because of their value to those marginalized by the healthcare industry and society at large, they are proud to offer rehabilitative services specific to the LGBTQ+ community to help mend the gap in care. His passion for the LGBTQ+ community extends beyond physical therapy as Dr. Rivera engages in community partnerships via Pride Houston and is a champion for LGBTQ+ youth and continues to demonstrate his dedication to this cause year after year. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Houston Tennis Club (HTC) and Out for Education (OFE). 

Elation Physical Therapy has received assistance from the SBA since its inception. The catalyst for Rivera to become a private practice owner and set the stage for the future was via the funding of an SBA 7(a) loan. Later, after a few years of entrepreneurship under his belt and completing the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, his BIGGEST dream became a reality when the business was able to secure an SBA 504 loan that allowed for the purchase of the property where the Elation Physical Therapy flagship location currently sits. Due to the COVID pandemic, Elation Physical Therapy once again utilized the SBA’s assistance by receiving both rounds of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

The future for Elation Physical Therapy starts now as they are currently testing the franchise model locally and have started to target other major metropolitan areas in Texas for expansion.

Phylicia Hill

H5 Strategic Alliances

Houston District Minority Business Owner of the Year

Phylicia Hill serves as co-founder, CEO and Managing Director for H5 Strategic Alliances, a full-service IT professional consulting services company. As a co-owner, she manages the operations of the business while her partner manages the service delivery side of the business. H5 Strategic Alliances has grown from a two-man team to 7 employees and 30 resources that make up their extensive team providing services all over the states. 

H5 Strategic Alliances has received SBA assistance through various facets that have attributed to their success. During the COVID pandemic, the company received disaster assistance through the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. Furthermore, the business has received counseling via the Small Business Development Center and SCORE Houston. H5 Strategic Alliances is also working with APEX Accelerator where they are going through the process of being SBA Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certified and considering the 8(a) Business Development Program. H5's commitment to continuous learning is evident through its participation in prestigious programs like the HCC Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and SBA's T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Program.

H5 Strategic Alliances LLC's financial performance over the years demonstrates a remarkable trajectory of consistent improvement, reflecting the company's strategic decisions and resilience in the dynamic service industry. In an era where the IT job landscape has shifted significantly post-pandemic, H5 has not only adapted but thrived.

Samantha Snabes

re:3D

Houston District Innovation Recipient (SBIR/STTR) of the Year

As a veteran, maker, social entrepreneur & the only women CEO leading a 3D printing hardware manufacturing company (that fabricates in-house from the USA), Samantha Snabes is an Officer in the Air National Guard & the CEO for re:3D. Thanks to multiple SBIR awards, re:3D has pioneered a solution to enable Gigabot to directly 3D print from plastic waste (Gigabot X) allowing anyone, anywhere, anytime access to their own personal factory. Via two SBIRS, a Containerized "Gigalab" has also been commercialized. Since its founding in 2013, re:3D® has been committed to empowering local change-makers by developing quality, industrial printers that can be adapted in new markets. 

Their Austin, Houston and San Juan Offices are hubs for 3D printing education and community engagement. In fact, re:3D contributes thousands of hours in factory tours, workshops, mentorship, and educational opportunities to teach others about 3D printing and small business annually. During the COVID pandemic, the business was also able to prototype no-cost life-saving devices for healthcare providers, joined with our local communities to 3D print and donate face shields for hospitals, made ventilators for NASA, and created a program to provide no-cost PPE to the most at-risk businesses trying to reopen in minority areas. 

As recipients of multiple SBIR/STTRs that resulted in global commercialization of products, Samanatha would like to mentor others in the future to learn more about the process.

Cristina Womack

Pasadena Chamber of Commerce

Houston District Community Partner of the Year (2 of 2)

With approximately 600 member organizations, the mission of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce is to "promote economic development and community growth to ensure the prosperity of Pasadena's businesses and citizens." In its almost century of serving the community, the Pasadena Chamber has increased its presence and sustainability in the region including more than 5,500 guests that attended chamber sponsored events and programs in 2023. 

During the COVID pandemic, the Pasadena Chamber was able to receive an SBA COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) that assisted them in not shutting its doors. During this time, they were also able to take innovative approaches to transition all their events to a virtual experience.  In fact, this is where the Pasadena Loves Local initiative was birthed – a program that awarded more than $150,000 to small businesses from the Pasadena Economic Development Corporation.

Annually the Pasadena Chamber donates to Pasadena ISD Education Foundation & raises funds at Taste of the Town, donations exceed $175,000 to date benefiting underfunded projects for PISD. The Chamber instituted a comprehensive internship program in partnership with Pasadena ISD, San Jacinto College, & the University of Houston Clear Lake and was instrumental in shaping the education institutions process for partnering with businesses to increase participation. Furthermore, in response to workforce challenges facing businesses, the chamber created the first ever city-wide job fair to help put Pasadena to work and has hosted more than 125 employers and 500 job seekers. 

By partnering with the emergency response leaders, businesses & non-profits, the Pasadena Chamber serves as the central hub to provide resources during natural disasters. In 2023, when a tornado hit the Pasadena area, the Chamber hosted bi-weekly conference calls, recruited partners & volunteered at the Disaster Response Center, coordinated major donations, communicated real time resources for food, clothing and shelter to the community & hosted training seminars during recovery. Overall, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce has remained committed to innovative approaches to problem solving and has demonstrated this in every facet of chamber operations.