The city of Aurora and its Business Advisory Board hosted its Aurora Business Recognition Awards Ceremony this week to honor several Aurora businesses that have demonstrated innovation and creativity, great community impact and ongoing resiliency.

Attendees gathered at The People’s Building in the Aurora Cultural Arts District for Oct. 18 event, which happened in person for the first time since the pandemic. The ceremony recording may be viewed at YouTube.com/TheAuroraChannel.

This year’s winners are: 

Innovation and Creativity Award: CME Catering uses creativity and innovation to serve the community through food, providing catering services to nonprofits, families, and people in need.

Small, Small Business Award: Five Star Multiple Services is available around the clock to provide five-star service to the community when it comes to tax preparation, immigration bonds, paralegal support and more. And they do it all with just five employees, providing the best in personalized attention.

Resiliency and Community Impact Award: Lady Justice Brewing demonstrated creativity and a willingness to adapt through the worst of recent times, which has enabled them to survive, build a solid customer base and give back to the community in droves.

Service Industry and Hospitality Award: Pearl of Siam in southeast Aurora has provided the community with a cozy gathering spot for authentic Thai food for more than 20 years. The restaurant is one of the city’s dining mainstays, exemplifying the best of Aurora’s international cuisine.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award: You be You Early Learning offers a new model for early childhood education—a classroom on wheels dedicated to engaging culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

Essential Heroes Honorable Mention Award: Roshni, a nonprofit organization that brings people from different backgrounds together to learn and share their stories with each other, stayed active throughout the pandemic, shifting programs to outdoor spaces and hosting a virtual summer dance project dedicated to frontline workers that reached people online worldwide.

Essential Heroes Honorable Mention Award: Aurora Mental Health and Recovery continued supporting the community’s mental health throughout the pandemic, shifting to a telehealth model of care delivery that continues today in lockstep with face-to-face care. The nonprofit organization meets the needs of Aurora’s diverse community through rigorous staff training and assessments and customized culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

Energy Leader Award: This annual award—developed as an outcome of the city’s Energy Action Plan created and implemented as part of Aurora’s participation as an Xcel Energy Partners in Energy community—is designed to recognize businesses that demonstrate leadership and dedication to energy conservation and innovation. The inaugural recipient is the Havana Business Improvement District Board and the district’s executive director, Chance Horiuchi, for actively participating in the implementation of the city’s Energy Action Plan, highlighting the unique energy needs and interests of the district’s member businesses and supporting energy action through customized delivery of energy information. Among other things, they connected businesses to key resources like rebates through their communications channels and built successful relationships between Xcel Energy and the district’s businesses for low- to no-cost energy assessments and on-site improvements.

Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center’s Chuck Hahn Small Business Advocate of the Year Award: As executive director for the Havana Business Improvement District, Chance Horiuchi works tirelessly to support 2,100 businesses in a global district that offers arts, shopping, dining, living and more.

The city of Aurora is accepting nominations through Dec. 15 for the 2024 Aurora Business Recognition Awards. To submit a nomination, visit AuroraGov.org/BusinessAwards.