Chicago Innovation Awards Recognizes New Futuro

CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- New Futuro, a Hispanic education community helping families get their students into college and beyond, wins the 2012 Chicago Innovation Award. Selected out of almost 400 nominees, from across all industries, sizes and sectors, New Futuro was the only company with a Latino focus to make the finals and win the prestigious award.

The announcement was made at the 11^th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards celebration held at Chicago's Harris Theater, with more than 1,200 business and civic leaders in attendance. The Chicago Innovation Awards is one of the nations most distinguished recognitions of innovative new products or services brought to market or to public service each year. Winners of this prestigious award have included Groupon, Motorola and Abbott.

"To receive an innovation award, in a city like Chicago where the startup scene is thriving is a huge honor," said Peter Wilkins, co-Founder and CEO of New Futuro. "It truly validates that organizations like ours with a double bottom-line are paving the way for the future of America. We are creating enormous economic value while we help change the world."

New Futuro was recognized for its socially innovative high-touch, high-tech bilingual educational community designed to help families get their students into college and beyond. Through its unique business model, the organization is able to offer free educational tools, resources and ongoing guidance and support to Latino families – including thousands of dollars in scholarships through its various partners. New Futuro is reaching millions of Latino families and students across the country and continues to expand its reach worldwide through its rapidly growing, state-of-the-art, fully bilingual website, www.NewFuturo.com, which among its many offerings boasts the largest Latino focused scholarship tracker available.

"The innovation reflected by this year's winners represents one of the most important economic engines driving the new economy," said Thomas D. Kuczmarski, Co-Founder of the awards along with Chicago journalist Dan Miller.  "The economy is challenging but each nominee believes the simple truth that a powerful new product or service will find a rewarding market and each has the courage to pursue their vision."

This award comes on the heels of New Futuro's national launch in which the Chicago based Minority Business Enterprise announced a first-of-its-kind initiative with over 300 partners from across the country, representing the non-profit, education, government and corporate sectors, to focus on solving the U.S. education gap. Allstate Insurance Company, The White House, Teach for America, ACT, Lumina Foundation, and Stanford University are among the organizations which have partnered with New Futuro.

"This award does not just recognize our efforts, it recognizes the collective efforts of the hundreds of organizations who have partnered with us to help millions of Latino families and their students get into college and beyond," said Martin R. Castro, Esq. Chairperson and Co-Founder of New Futuro. "Together we are helping solve the U.S. education gap and ensuring our country remains a global economic leader."

New Futuro is currently hosting a national College Prep Fair tour presented by Allstate. The tour has already touched the lives of tens of thousands of Latino families and students in Los Angeles, Houston, New York, and will be in its hometown, Chicago, on November 10, 2012 at Navy Pier. To learn more a about these free events, which include hundreds of bilingual representatives from universities, colleges and community organizations, as well as dozens of small educational sessions with college and career experts, visit www.NewFuturo.com/events.

New Futuro will join the other winners of this year's Chicago Innovation Awards in ringing the NASDAQ bell in New York City on February 25, 2013.  "This is one way of carrying the message of Chicago innovation to other parts of the nation," said Luke Tanen, Executive Director of the Awards.  As one of the winners, New Futuro will also meet with Governor Quinn to discuss how social innovative companies like New Futuro can advance innovation in Illinois.

The Chicago Innovation Awards are supported by sponsors including Wrigley, Comcast Business Class, Disney Institute, Edelman, SmithBucklin, and others.  The complete list of this year's Chicago Innovation Award winners can be found at www.chicagoinnovationawards.com.

Nominations for next year's awards will open in May 2013.  For more information visit: www.chicagoinnovationawards.com/

About New Futuro
New Futuro is a socially innovative Hispanic education community helping families get their students into college and beyond. With their free, bilingual tools, resources and ongoing guidance and support, New Futuro is creating a pathway to success that is helping millions of Latinos achieve their educational and career goals. This innovative high-touch, high-tech, platform is bringing together hundreds of community, education, government and corporate partners to connect those that need help with those who can provide it. To learn more, visit www.NewFuturo.com or connect with New Futuro on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/NewFuturo) and Twitter (www.Twitter.com/NewFuturo).

SOURCE New Futuro