Mileyka Burgos-Flores

Nominated by colleagues, and selected by a national jury, Mileyka Burgos-Flores is being recognized for her unshakable vision and tenacious dedication to pursuing equity, championing community preservation, and fostering collaborative action in Miami’s historic Little Santo Domino neighborhood. 

“The incredible breadth and depth of The Allapattah Collaborative’s impact is a testament to Mileyka Burgos-Flores’ leadership,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO at Main Street America. ​“Mileyka’s unshakable vision, persevering spirit, and passionate dedication to centering longtime residents, cultivating relationships, and pursuing collective ownership models in order to safeguard the cultural fabric of Little Santo Domingo is making meaningful strides in the community.”

Francesca Escoto, Chief Operations Officer at The Allapattah Collaborative CDC, nominated Mileyka for the award. The organization’s current and former board chairs and former Director of Miami-Dade Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava’s STRIVE305 Small Business Initiative submitted letters of support, each describing Mileyka’s visionary approach, indefatigable support for Allapattah’s small business owners, and unwavering commitment to preserving the cultural fabric of the commercial corridor.

After years of organizing local leaders and business owners, Mileyka was tapped to implement recommendations presented in an equitable development action plan created by the community. Local residents and small business owners identified cultural preservation, site ownership, and economic empowerment as strategies to prevent displacement and promote generational wealth building. The plan led to the establishment of ACDC in 2019 to preserve Little Santo Domingo, a historically Dominican commercial corridor in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood. 

“I am humbled and honored to receive this distinguished award because representation matters. This recognition is the validation of the sweat equity, dreams, and investment of my community and those leaders who came before me paving the way with their pioneering spirit,” said Mileyka Burgos-Flores, Chief Executive Officer at The Allapattah Collaborative CDC. ​“Main Street has been instrumental in showing us that our community’s cultural authenticity, entrepreneurial spirit, and passion to achieve the American Dream is a vital part of the American fabric. The tenacity of our community drives me and the ACDC team to continue building a more inclusive and prosperous future.” 

In just four years, Mileyka’s leadership has yielded incredible results for ACDC and the Little Santo Domingo community. ACDC’s signature Small Business Resiliency Cohort (SBRC) has worked with more than a hundred participants, providing highly tailored, culturally relevant technical assistance on a variety of topics including banking basics, communication technologies, budgeting, and capital readiness. During the COVID19 pandemic, Mileyka mobilized to secure funding to provide crisis relief grants totaling over $3 million for the district’s small businesses. As a result, 100 percent of businesses that received funding remained open through the pandemic; four years later, nearly all remain open. 

Mileyka’s commitment to capacity building also extends to The Allapattah Collaborative team. Through ACDC’s Community Board and her approach to personally engaging with community members, Mileyka creates a welcoming space that nurtures local leaders as advocates. This approach has led to the cultivation of relationships that have resulted in phenomenal growth: the organization’s team of 11 manages a $2.25 million operating budget, providing five concurrent programs. This year, ACDC plans to launch signature annual events to promote the corridor. Concurrently, Mileyka creates a supportive, growth mindset workplace environment for the team, incorporating professional development plans and learning opportunities into the annual staff evaluation process.

“In every single conversation, Mileyka reminds us that this work is about helping people stay in their home, about legacy businesses staying in the neighborhood, and preserving the cultural heritage and authenticity of the community,” said Francesca Escoto, Chief Operations Officer at Allapattah Collaborative CDC. ​“There is nothing we do that does not lead to this major goal.”

ACDC’s innovative program approach is often tapped by local governments. For instance, following a devastating fire that ravaged sections of the Tropicana Flea Market in 2023, ACDC collaborated with Miami Dade County’s Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to deliver immediate financial aid and a specialized technical support course designed to provide essential resources and guidance that equipped participants with skills required to navigate the process of recovery and restoration effectively.

A testament to Mileyka’s passionate focus on preserving the cultural fabric of Little Santo Domingo can be seen in the production of the organization’s documentary, En Nuestros Palabras (In Our Words), which captures the stories of the district’s small business leaders and emphasizes Allapattah’s Dominican-American and immigrant heritage. These efforts were amplified in 2023 when the National Trust for Historic Preservation recognized Little Santo Domingo as one of the nation’s Top 11 Most Endangered Places in 2023. Under Mileyka’s leadership and holistic approach to cross-sectoral strategy, ACDC is leveraging this designation to advance historic preservation projects, such as securing a $500,000 grant from the Miami Foundation Open for Business Program sponsored by Wells Fargo for the acquisition of community real estate. This initiative marks an expansion of ACDC’s commitment to prevent displacement through community ownership models, creating avenues for small businesses and residents to remain in place.

“Mileyka Burgos-Flores has proven herself to be a powerful and visionary leader, consistently demonstrating her dedication to the betterment of the Allapattah neighborhood and the broader Miami community,” wrote Danilo Vargas, Principal at Danilo Vargas Productions and Former Miami-Dade County STRIVE305 Director in the Office of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. ​“Her ability to imagine and work towards a brighter future has added a unique and proud flair to the rich tapestry of Miami’s diverse communities.”