Roll Video: Celebrating The 2016 Nexus Illuminate Award Winners

During this year’s Nearshore Nexus event in San Francisco, we introduced a new way to recognize key figureheads and achievers in the industry: the Nexus Illuminate Awards.
The Illuminate awards celebrate those who excel in their dedication to nearshore, from the most innovative and pioneering entrepreneurs or individuals, to the cities and companies that preserve links within the nearshore community, particularly those representing beacons of considerate and humane entrepreneurship in the region.
Picking up the award for Entrepreneur of the Year was Yoni Epstein, CEO at Itel-BPO Solutions. Epstein was nominated for his “true entrepreneurial spirit,” which resulted in the formation and growth of Itel-BPO into a successful nearshore BPO company. In just four years, Epstein accelerated Itel-BPO from a one-client, five-employee unit into a flourishing business, now serving 14 clients with 550 employees.
Executive of the Year went to David Kreiss, CEO and founder of KM2 Solutions. Under his leadership, KM2 created over 1,000 new jobs that can solely be attributed to company growth in the BPO segment last year. As a result, the company made a major impact on the countries in which it operates, creating a strong labor force that includes local managers, technicians, and administrative support staff.
The Voyager of the Year award was given to Ana Lemus, a software engineer at Google. Ana’s journey started in her home country of Cuba, where she worked as a student assistant of mathematical analysis and discrete mathematics at the University of Havana. From there she moved on to become a professor’s assistant, quickly securing a great career at Google.
Guadalajara, Mexico, was awarded with the City of the Year as it is now home to many tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs with a broad range of knowledge in different verticals. This unique, diverse talent pool and grassroots community has put the city on the map in the industry and led to the nomination for this award.
Investment Promotion Professional of the Year went to Ana Karina Quessep, who was instrumental in positioning Colombia as a rising power in the delivery of nearshore BPO and, more generally, serving as an agent in changing people’s preconceived notions about Colombia, making her more than deserving of the award.
Finally, picking up the prestigious Company of the Year awards was BPO specialist Qualfon, which was nominated by the Guyana Office for Investment due to the positive impact it has made to the country’s economy and population. The company has dedicated more than 31,000 hours of service to community organizations and nonprofits, as well as supporting employees and their families through its Mission Office.
To experience the event and see the winners accepting their awards, check out the full video here.
What do you think about the winners of these inaugural awards? Let us know in the comments below.