Latino business owners in Lincoln, Nebraska, get their own night in the spotlight on Monday as the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce hands out its first Latino Connect Excellence in Business Awards.

The party is set for 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the DelRay 817 venue on R Street in the city's Haymarket area. Tickets cost $20. The evening is billed as a chance to celebrate Latino-owned companies while building ties across Nebraska's business community.

Three awards

The Resilience Award goes to a business that has pushed through serious challenges and kept growing. The Local Impact Award goes to a person or company that has made Lincoln better by serving, leading or lifting up others. The Heart of the Team Award salutes an employee who is dependable, always ready to help and works with pride.

Nominations closed on Oct. 16. Organizers will reveal the winners at the event.

Building a network

The awards grow out of Latino Connect, a chamber program that offers business classes and networking for Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs in Lincoln. The chamber promotes the program and the awards in both English and Spanish.

A magazine for Latina business owners that is sponsoring the night has urged women business owners in Omaha and Fremont to make the drive and join their Lincoln peers. Organizers say the goal is simple: honor the people whose hard work strengthens the local economy and opens doors for the next generation.