Newswise — Dominican University's Brennan School of Business presents Ezequiel "Zeke" Flores, founder and CEO of Flying Concessions, as part of its C-Suite Speaker Series on Thursday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. Flores' talk will be held in the Martin Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Center, 7900 W. Division Street.
Flores, a Chicago native, enjoyed successful careers with the accounting firm Arthur Anderson and Sara Lee Corporation before becoming a licensed real estate broker in Illinois and forming Flores Retail Corporation. He launched Flying Retail, the precursor to Flying Concessions, in 2014 as a business focusing on airport retail, food and beverage concessions and management consulting. The firm is currently involved in six concessions at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, including America's Dog, Brookstone, Brighton's Collectibles, Brooks Brothers and Green Market.
Flores was the beneficiary of positive mentoring early in his career and has passed that experience forward. He was mentored by the late Sue Gin, founder of Flying Food Group, an industry leader in airline catering and retail food solutions. A noted entrepreneur and aviation industry pioneer, Gin was one of the most influential real estate pioneers in Chicago. She and Flores became partners in Flying Food Concessions in 2010 and, following her passing in 2014, he launched his own firm, with the intention of honoring her work and memory.
Flying Concessions, an ACDBE (Airport Concessionaire Disadvantaged Business Enterprise)-accredited Latino-owned business, is committed to providing mentoring and learning opportunities for its employees and young people. On a personal level, Flores is a chairman of the board of Corazón a Corazón, a nonprofit organization serving the Latino community in Chicago's south side; a member of the board of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools; a trustee for the Illinois State Board of Investment; and a member of the Steering Committee for the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition.
Recognized as an Emerging Leader by the National Latino Educational Institute, one of Crain's Chicago Business' "40 Under 40," and one of Negocias Now's "40 Under 40," Flores is the recipient of the 2016 Latino Leaders Maestro Award in the category of entrepreneurship. He holds a bachelor's degree in accountancy from DePaul University, where he currently serves as a trustee.
This program is free but registration is strongly encouraged. To register visit https://www.dom.edu/c-suite-speakers-series
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