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Minority Owned Firm Takes Major Prize

ARLINGTON, TX, October 20, 2005

Akorbi Consulting, a subsidiary of Elahi Enterprises, Inc., was awarded the Women-Owned Business Enterprise of the Year by the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (NCTRCA), at the 2005 Awards Banquet Program honoring the successes of women- and minority-owned businesses in Texas.

Of the 45 nominees, Akorbi Consulting was given this honor because of its high customer satisfaction rates, revenue growth, and job creation in the local area. The award was presented by Mr. Irvin Hicks, Chairman of the NCTRCA during the gala held at the Wyndham Hotel in Arlington, Texas.

Ms. Claudia Mirza, CEO of Akorbi Consulting, accepted the prize on behalf of the company. “We are extremely proud of this award,” said Ms. Mirza at the gala, “because it confirms and validates all of the hard work that we have put into this company. I never would have imagined when I was growing up in Colombia that I would be here some day, and receiving such a prestigious honor.”

Ms. Mirza started her company as a translations firm in her home country of Colombia. After moving to the U.S. and becoming a citizen, she incorporated her company in the U.S. and expanded its capacity into IT consulting and staff augmentation. Now, her company has won contracts with the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. It also serves several Fortune 500 companies in the commercial sector.

According to Ms. Mirza, “Our 8(a) certification at the federal level, HUB certification at the State level, and NCTRCA certification at the local level make us an attractive partner for government agencies and firms who have MWBE quotas. But we are proud of the fact that most of our customers don’t really care about the certifications — they only care that we provide superior resources and solutions at lower-than-market rates.”

Ms. Mirza’s entrepreneurial success has been widely celebrated in many major publications, including U.S. News and World Report, Latina Style, Hispanic Trends, and Al Día.

Akorbi Consulting is a women/minority-owned consulting firm, specializing in IT projects, staff augmentation, and translation services. Akorbi is 8(a) certified by the USSBA, HUB certified by the state of Texas, and WBE certified by the NCTRCA. It has offices in the U.S., Argentina, and Colombia, and is privately held.

The NCTRCA is an agency created to perform centralized certification services for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Minority Business Enterprises, and Women-Owned Business Enterprises.

Useful Web Sites:

• Akorbi Consulting Home Page......................www.akorbi.com
• NCTRCA...............................................................www.nctrca.org