The Hispanic Coalition of Small Businesses, or HCSB, will honor UC Riverside’s Rosibel Ochoa this fall for her work that benefits small businesses owned by diverse people.

Ochoa, associate vice chancellor for technology partnerships, will be one of nine winners of the coalition’s 2024 Latinícima™ Rumbo a la Cima awards because of her role as an educator in the small business community.

As a leader in UCR’s Research and Economic Development division, Ochoa works to bring UCR’s innovations to the marketplace, including helping entrepreneurs start small businesses and working with established firms to develop their workforce. She will continue to expand the efforts of her team under the umbrella of the SoCal OASIS™ initiative and with the opening of the SoCal OASIS™ Park, planned for mid-to-late-2026.

The award honors Latinas for often overlooked, behind-the-scenes accomplishments as entrepreneurs or by supporting small and diverse-owned businesses. The HCSB aims to correct oversights with the Latinícima™ awards. Ochoa will be recognized in the education category.

The awards will be presented Oct. 12 at an HCSB ceremony at the Riverside Convention Center.