About the business:
Salvaging an architecture firm on the verge of collapse, Angela O'Byrne raised $200,000 from family and friends (and got a $300,000 bank loan) in 2004 so she could take over and support the operations of Perez Inc. Professional Corporation.
The company stepped into the sphere of pro bono work after Hurricane Katrina, pushing for the recovery of the job market among local businesses. O'Byrne located her company in the heart of New Orleans, where reconstruction was most desired and needed.
Despite the challenges of finding qualified staff, O'Byrne refuses to surrender to the pressures and move elsewhere.
--By Marc Francis and Hyacinth Vassell
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