Award-winning architect Juan Gabriel Moreno, president of JGMA, will receive the Business of the Year Award during the Negocios Now Who’s Who in Hispanic Business gala on July 15 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.
“It is an honor for Negocios Now to have Juan Moreno receive this special award. Juan is not only an entrepreneur who leaves his architectural mark on Chicago, but he is an example of the entrepreneurial Latino who has placed himself among the elite of his profession, with a lot of effort and passion,” said Clemente Nicado, publisher and editor in chief of Negocios Now.
Wintrust Bank is the presenting sponsor of this year’s gala. Negocios Now has held the event since 2014 to recognize Hispanic leadership in Chicago.
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Moreno launched JGMA (Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects) in 2010 with the sole purpose of positively impacting Chicago’s diverse communities. Since then, JGMA’s designs have helped to create a culture of change in many of these disadvantaged communities by bringing an architecture of dignity and profound transformation.
These award-winning works include the Northeastern Illinois University El Centro Campus, the UNO (ACERO) Soccer Academy, and the Esperanza Wellness Campus, which was recently recognized as the Building of the Year by American Architects in 2021. Now in its 10th year, JGMA has become one of the largest Latino-owned architecture firms in Chicago with plans to expand to other locations. In 2020 JGMA broke ground on their first project in Colombia, the Bogota Arena, which will become the largest music venue in Latin America when completed.
JGMA has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognition since its inception. Awards come from such notable organizations as the American Institute of Architects and the Society of Colombian Architects (USA). JGMA’s work has been described by Crain’s Chicago Business as “transforming Chicago’s architecture.” Architect magazine named JGMA as one of the Top 50 Design Firms. It was named Firm of the Year in 2017 by American Architecture Prize, and AXXIS magazine named it one of the 50 Design Personalities of Colombia for 2017.
Moreno was born in Bogota, Colombia, and studied architecture at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California. He also lived in Florence, Italy, where he studied under Superstudio founder Christiano Toraldo di Francia.
