The Greater Houston Black Chamber (GHBC) held its 26th Annual Pinnacle Awards, Saturday, October 24, 2020, where several of Houston’s best and most promising Black-owned businesses received high honors. The program will be rebroadcast on Quest Channel 55 in Houston on Thursday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7 - 8:30 p.m.

The GHBC Pinnacle Award recognizes leading African-American entrepreneurs for their success in business and their positive impact on the communities and industries they serve.

Each year, five Pinnacle Awards and one Upstart Award are handed out to some of the most successful small businesses. This is the third year a Rising Star award was also named. The 2020 winners are:

Upstart Award: The Gingerbread School

Rising Star Award: Total Wellness Assessment and Counseling

Pinnacle Award: Lucille’s

Pinnacle Award: Nuksys’s Fine Catering

Pinnacle Award: HillDay Public Relations

Pinnacle Award: J. Archer Insurance Group

Pinnacle Award: ReMax Legacy Living/ReMax 1st Class

In addition to these prestigious honors, the GHBC also honored several other businesses and individuals with community awards including:

Lifetime Achievement Award – Robert F. Smith, Vista Equity Partners

Excellence Award – James Harris, H-E-B

Larry V. Green Advocate of the Year Award – Tamla Oates-Farney, Waste Management

Mickey Leland Public Leadership Award – Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge

Young Entrepreneur Award – Brice Everhart, Vallaire’s for Men

Niles Dillard of Superior Video Productions and Janette Hammond of CenterPoint Energy served as vice-chairs of the event, and Laurie Vignaud, president of Unity National Bank was the honorary chairperson.