SHCCNJ Feria 2026: Expanding New Jersey’s Economic and Cultural Fabric
Inside the Chamber's 15th annual Feria de Negocios
By Giovanna Aguilar, Director of Communications
August 7, 2026
When the doors at Pines Manor in Edison opened at 2:30 p.m. on July 30, more than 1,000 people ultimately walked through them: business owners meeting customers and elected officials meeting the communities they represent—all under one roof for the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey's 15th annual Feria de Negocios.
For the first time in the event's history, a sitting New Jersey governor attended in person—a milestone that carried weight beyond the room itself.
Sherrill opened with a warm "Hola, New Jersey," thanking the state and local leaders in attendance, including Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, before turning to the Hispanic community's economic impact.
"Your businesses contribute more than $127 billion to New Jersey's economy," she said. "You've built your American dream brick by brick by brick."
Listen to the Keynote Speaker: Governor Sherrill
That economic power was visible throughout the room—in business owners building companies and elected officials shaping policy, including Ruiz, who later connected the community's economic strength to its voice and influence in the rooms where decisions are made.
Sherrill illustrated that impact through the story of Brisas Bakery and Restaurant in Elizabeth, founded by Alberto Orozco after he arrived from Colombia in the 1980s with a fifth-grade education and, in her words, "no shortage of ambition"—a description that resonated beyond his story, reflecting the drive of the Latino business owners gathered in the room.
"It's just one example of the exceptional work that Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs are doing across our state," Sherrill said, noting that New Jersey is home to more than 180,000 Hispanic- and Latino-owned businesses.
She paired that recognition with an action case, citing a permitting dashboard pilot, a 90-day pause on new regulations, reduced business-registration fees and the appointment of the state's first chief operating officer, charged with removing barriers in state contracting.
Her message culminated in a direct pledge: "I pledge to make New Jersey the capital of Hispanic and Latino businesses."
Growing Scale of Latino Economic Influence
Ruiz, who also addressed Feria in 2025, returned to a familiar theme: families across New Jersey share the same basic aspirations, and public policy must deliver them equitably.
"Human beings just want those same basic principles," she said. "It's a matter of how we deliver that in an equitable way."
She then turned to the scale of the Latino community's economic influence.
"The GDP of Latinos in the state of New Jersey is more than that of the GDP of the entire state of Hawaii, more than that of small countries in the entire world," Ruiz said.
But the numbers, she argued, matter only if the community uses them collectively.
"If we galvanize together, whether we like each other or not, the power that we have will be completely untouchable, extraordinary and powerful—not for the purpose of saying we're number one, but for making sure we're included in the rooms," she said.
Echoing Sherrill's earlier point about inclusion in decision-making, Ruiz made that assurance personal:
"When that door is shut, I'm in the room." Representation, she added, requires elected leaders willing to "listen—not hear, but listen."
Ruiz also said that 87% of Latino history and contributions are absent from educational texts, while the remaining 13% is reduced to five sentences. Against that erasure, she cited the creation of a state Latino Commission and a Latino studies curriculum as concrete achievements of the Latino Caucus and its legislative allies.
Her closing message was both a warning and a declaration: "Don't take us for granted."
We are part of the economy. We are part of leadership. We have a purpose and a reason."
The Northeast’s Largest Hispanic Expo Turns 15
SHCCNJ Board Chairman Luis O. De La Hoz, who helped launch Feria through the Middlesex Regional Chamber of Commerce before it came under SHCCNJ's umbrella, reflected on how far the event had come.
"This is our 15th anniversary," he said. "It's become the largest Hispanic business expo in the Northeast."
The Feria Familia Keeps Growing
This year's expo featured the return of the Mexican Pavilion, co-hosted with the American Mexican Regional Chamber of Commerce, showcasing entrepreneurship, culture and cuisine from Puebla and other regions of Mexico.
Emcee Dr. Melissa Baralt greeted vendors and business owners individually, table by table—an approach she first used while hosting the Dominican Parade in Paterson.
"It makes a difference when you're walking by someone's table and giving them little shout-outs," Baralt said. "We're gonna mention every single person."
Feria's reach continues to extend beyond the Hispanic community it was created to serve. Nearly 45% of SHCCNJ's membership is now non-Hispanic, reflecting the event's growing crossover appeal.
The Familia Behind Feria
SHCCNJ President and CEO John Lucas distilled his remarks into three messages: welcome, thank you and enjoy the expo.
"This is, believe it or not, the 15th Feria that we've had as the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce," Lucas said. "And we're going to have 15 more."
He thanked Gov. Sherrill, the elected officials in attendance, first-time visitors and Feria's sponsors and supporters, giving special recognition to title sponsor Citizens Bank and the American Mexican Regional Chamber of Commerce, co-host of the Mexican Pavilion.
Lucas reserved one of his biggest acknowledgments for the Chamber staff, crediting the team that had arrived hours before attendees and worked for days to prepare for the event.
"I think it's going to be a terrific event, in large part due to their hard work," he said.
One of the staff members behind that work was Daniela C. Velez, SHCCNJ's Innovation HUB manager. For Velez, Feria's success was measured not only by turnout, but by the visibility and connections it created for the Hispanic business community.
"It puts a face to the rapidly expanding Hispanic community and its significant economic impact across New Jersey," she said. "It provides an opportunity for local leaders to meet our community face to face, learn from their experiences and better understand the contributions they make to the economic and cultural fabric of our state."
Special Thanks to Our Extended Familia
The Chamber also extends special thanks to the many volunteers whose time and energy helped make Feria possible. Among those supporting and amplifying the event was Nadya Ramos, an HETP graduate and SHCCNJ ambassador who recorded and shared a Feria video recap through her social media platform. Ramos described Feria as growing "not just in numbers, but in impact and influence as well."
SHCCNJ summer fellow Juan Pablo Arredondo Gallego also supported the Feria team. He recently completed the 2026 New Jersey Governor's Hispanic Fellows Program, serving his fellowship as a Business Administration Intern with the Chamber. The program prepares emerging professionals through mentorship, leadership development and public service experience.
Their contributions reflect what Feria represents beyond the expo floor: SHCCNJ graduates returning as ambassadors, emerging leaders gaining meaningful experience and volunteers helping create opportunities for others. It is the Chamber's support system in motion.
As the final tables closed, the Chamber's message remained the one with which it began and the one it plans to carry forward for the next 15 years:
Juntos Somos Familia.
Watch Our Feria Highlights Reel
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