JENICE CONTRERAS
JENICE CONTRERAS
President + CEO
Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development
Jenice Contreras is a beacon of leadership and a champion for economic empowerment, serving as the esteemed President and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development. Her strategic vision and unwavering dedication have been pivotal in overseeing the NEO Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), fostering community development and entrepreneurial success.
At the forefront of Jenice’s transformative achievements is the CentroVilla25 project, a $12 million adaptive reuse initiative that she leads as the project owner and co-developer. This ambitious venture is set to revitalize a 32,500 square foot warehouse into a thriving community asset, complete with micro-retail spaces, a commercial kitchen, a business innovation center, office space, and a community gathering area for arts and culture. Her efforts are not only reshaping the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, Ohio’s most densely populated Hispanic enclave, but also nurturing cultural preservation, wealth creation, and business development.
Jenice’s professional journey is marked by her founding of The Inovar Group, a public health consulting firm, and her adept management of Federal grants through the Health and Resources Services Administration (HRSA) at Collaborative Research, LLC. Her academic credentials are equally impressive, with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Capital University and an Executive MBA from The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business.
Her role as a thought leader extends to her service on several influential boards, including National Main Street America, the Center for Community Solutions, United Way of Greater Cleveland, and the Cleveland Clinic-Medina Hospital. Jenice also lends her expertise as a member of the City of Cleveland’s Planning Commission’s Near West Design Review Committee and Cuyahoga County’s Citizen Advisory Council on Equity.
Jenice’s leadership has garnered widespread recognition, earning her the title of 2021 Progressive Woman of the Year, inclusion in the 2021 NEO Smart 50 by Smart Business Magazine, a 2019 Woman of Note in Non-Profit by Crain’s Cleveland Magazine, and a Notable Woman in Real Estate in 2018. Her commitment to the Latino community was honored with the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan award by the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission in 2017. Further cementing her status as an influential figure, Jenice was named a 2023 Crain’s Business Notable Latino and is set to receive the prestigious 2024 YWCA Woman of Achievement award.
Born in Puerto Rico, Jenice is a proud bilingual and bicultural leader whose passion for equity and representation of people of color is relentless. Her strategic vision and heartfelt dedication are not only driving economic growth in Northeast Ohio’s Latino community but also paving the way for a future rich in opportunity and prosperity.