Andrea Herrera ’85

Andrea Herrera ’85 was featured on CNN.com’s Money section as an example of the way a small business can succeed by taking measured risks. Herrera, who opened the catering business Amazing Edibles in 1995, was successful, but her reluctance to borrow money limited her business. After participating in the Accelerator program offered by the Entrepreneur’s Organization, she decided to make a move to expand, using home equity and personal credit cards to renovate a space. Her customers now include the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions. “Having a more beautiful facility has given me the courage to go after clients like Harpo,” she told CNN.com. “We’re not a little storefront anymore. We can sit at the table with the big boys.”