At the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center are 40 Under Forty winners (from left) Giselle Rivera-Flores, Elizabeth Tripp, Neil Callahan and Justin Dufresne.
Winner of the StartUp Worcester award, Rivera-Flores quit the corporate world in 2015 to start her own businesses: The Learning Hub, offering low-cost tutoring and free classes in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) to K-6 students at local libraries; and Woopreneur, a branch of IGWorcesterMA, connecting the entrepreneurs through events and workshops. She grew Learning Hub to 10 libraries in less than a year and found it a headquarters at art store C.C. Lowell.
Rivera-Flores is working on an activity book for children aged 6-12 called "Full STEAM Ahead." She and her husband, Jamie Flores, have two daughters, Brooklyn and Evian Flores.
Who gave you the best career advice? When I quit the corporate world, my husband said, "What took you so long?" It was the most insightful phrase he's ever said to me.
Asmar N. Akman – Akman Enterprises Inc.
Greta Bajrami Campoverde – Golden Group Construction Corp.
Patrick J. DiGregorio – Veterans Inc.
Justin Dufresne – VHB, Inc.
Robert Fecteau – BirchTree Bread Co.
Hilary Gardner – The Davis Cos.
Avra Hoffman – BirchTree Bread Co.
Kevin G. Johnson – O'Connor, Maloney & Company, P.C.
Jody Staruk – Consigli Construction Co., Inc.