The History of The Don Quijote Awards

The Don Quijote Awards gala was first conceived in 1997 by a group of visionaries from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, better known as HBIF.

While both are dedicated to supporting Hispanic entrepreneurship, the chamber is dedicated to providing leadership for and supporting the economic development of the local Hispanic business community, and HBIF works to strengthen the Central Florida economy by offering quality business development and free, bilingual training to Hispanic entrepreneurs.

As the Central Florida Hispanic community rapidly grew, these leaders saw a need to recognize the hardworking, innovative entrepreneurs who exhibited the spirit of Don Quijote: visionaries, dreamers and business men and women who were willing to take risks in order to achieve those dreams.

For more than 13 years, the two organizations have come together to honor those who demonstrate extraordinary abilities in their field of work.

The Don Quijote Awards has grown from 250 guests to nearly 1,000, and has achieved recognition by the Florida Festivals and Events Association and by the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals for Best Event of the Year.

We value our Hispanic heritage and we celebrate our diversity by dedicating the prestigious event each year to a different Spanish-speaking country.