Negocios Now to Present Posthumous Award to Claudette Soto

Negocios Now

Chicago, June 10, 2025 – Negocios Now will present a posthumous award to entrepreneur Claudette Soto, founder of baso, Ltd., who passed away this Tuesday after a long battle with cancer.

“Claudette lost her battle with cancer, but she left us a legacy of professionalism, a successful businesswoman, a deep commitment to the community, and an exemplary mother,” said Clemente Nicado, Publisher of Negocios Now.

At the event, which will take place on July 25 at the iconic Old Post Office in Chicago, Negocios Now had planned to honor her with the “Latinas in Business” award in recognition of her outstanding career in the construction and design industries. Now, she will be honored in memoriam for her remarkable trajectory and unquestionable leadership.

In addition to founding baso, Ltd., a construction management firm focused on equitable contracting and the inclusion of minority- and women-owned businesses, Claudette was a founding member and the first president of the Board of Directors of UNIDOS in Construction.

In her last interview with Negocios Now, she emphasized the importance of empowering Latinas in a traditionally male-dominated field, encouraging them to take on leadership roles and actively participate in construction projects.

“The company I started, baso, Ltd., is an organization for project owners. Unfortunately, I’m always the only woman in these conversations and the only company owner. That’s why,” she noted, “we have to help women grow, become general contractors, and be involved in these projects.”

An architect and structural engineer, Claudette stated at the time that women must show “we don’t take the back seat — we’re at the front, taking risks. Because being part of these projects is a risk, and we need to support each other.”

“Since I was little,” she recalled, “I helped my dad with different things: putting up drywall, painting, fixing buildings. That’s where my interest in studying architecture and structural engineering came from — and also, my passion for this industry.”

Claudette was also known for her advocacy on behalf of contractors, working to ensure her community played a key role in the field. “I’m always telling project owners to include the Latino people who live and work in these communities,” she pointed out.

Claudette is survived by her husband, René, and their three children.