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hometown hero

Get to know Peoria-based Promineo Tech founder Nick Suwyn

Suwyn has been named Hometown Hero in the Entrepreneur category

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For his work in the Peoria and surrounding communities, Nick Suwyn has been named the 2022 Peoria Independent Hometown Hero in the Entrepreneur category.

The Hometown Heroes Awards are a celebration of individuals who live or teach in the city, and Peoria businesses for their local achievements and distinguished contributions to the community.

Suwyn will be honored at an awards luncheon in February.

Get to know him here.

What I like most about living/working in Peoria.
I really appreciate the local focus on community, connections and growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Peoria. There are a lot of efforts from local government and community leaders to intentionally build connections and breed success, which I can directly attribute some of my accomplishments to. I also really love how beautiful our city is. The infrastructure, neighborhoods, parks, etc… are all well thought out and I enjoy living in a beautiful city.

Personal background highlights.
Grew up in Peoria, and from age 13 to 20 taught many children to play various musical instruments including piano, guitar, drums, saxophone, trumpet and violin.

In 2010, won the Division I state championship for wrestling in the 127 lbs. weight class for Mountain Ridge High School. Coached junior high and high school wrestling for a couple years after graduating from high school.

Graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University. Completed the degree in a year and 8 months by taking 23 credit hours a trimester. This is important to me as it helped me develop an empathy and an appreciation for a more bootcamp-style education that later led to my founding of Promineo Tech.

Regularly volunteer and serve at church.

Married for 10 years with three children, ages 2, 4, and 6. Huge foodie with a passion for exquisite flavor and always looking for the next culinary experience.

What does it mean to be a Peoria resident/worker?
To be a Peoria resident or worker means to contribute to, and benefit from, the growth of a beautiful community that has a clear focus on making life great for those who live here. I can honestly say I have a real pride for the city of Peoria, and that pride comes from all the amazing things I see happening here.

What do you think you bring to the local community that makes it better?
This is a tough question because there are so many wonderful people who bring so much to this community to make it fantastic that my contributions feel like a drop in the bucket – but that is what makes Peoria such a great community! If I had to identify a couple of drops that I add to that proverbial bucket, I would say I bring a voice of advocacy for career-changers, alternative tech education, and everyone learning tech skills and critical thinking, as well as trying to be a connection and community builder within Peoria’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

What would you tell people about why it’s important to make a difference?
Making a difference means to create a positive impact on someone, no matter how small or large the impact. It is part of humanity to bring joy to others, if not the central purpose. It’s important to make a difference, even if it’s small, because each time we do, we create a ripple that touches more lives than we could ever imagine, making the world a better place.

Changes I’d like to see in this area.
The changes I’d like to see in this area are closely related to the efforts I make in Peoria. I would love to see the entrepreneurial ecosystem to continue to grow, thrive, and become a city jewel. I would also love to attract more tech jobs and talent to the area. I’m excited to see what the semiconductor industry does for this area with TSMC setting up shop north of Loop 303.

My family (what have they taught you).
I could never fully quantify or qualify everything my family has taught me. It is an exhaustive list would take more pages than I think we could print. However, some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from my family include my parents teaching me to work hard, to finish everything, and never give up. My children have taught me to be more patient, empathetic, and how to continue having fun and being a kid. My wife has taught me how to be team player, how to trust that what I am doing is right despite the challenges, and how to love.

My interests and hobbies.
I love food. I enjoy boating and water sports, skateboarding, coding, pickleball, off-roading, working, entrepreneurship, more food, and doing all these things and more with my family.

The trait(s) I admire in others.

I admire when people can speak well and bring a lot of energy to their presentations. I also admire people who are kind, empathetic, inclusive, and know how to make anyone and everyone feel like they are important. One thing that I probably admire the most in others is patience and compassion toward children. Parents and those who aren’t parents who know how to empower a child by making them feel important and realize their potential is limitless, are true heroes to me.

People who inspired me (and how).
My Savior, wife, parents and children are at the top of the list for reasons I’ve already explained and lessons taught. My wrestling coaches, Corey Whitten and my dad (Nick Suwyn), taught me a lot about how to win and how to do it the right way. Kristin Slice always inspires me. When I hear her speak, I know what true passion and inclusion looks like. Someone else who regularly inspires me is Gregg Scoresby, not just because of the great EdTech company he built, but even more so for his humility and the kindness and attention he shows others.

My guiding philosophy.
Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself. Be kind and empathetic.

My advice to today’s youth.
1. Learn to solve problems and practice critical thinking. These will serve you on any path you take.

2. Also, know that you do not have to “be” one thing or do just one thing for your entire life. Your career may change a few times – don’t feel like you have to make a single choice and be stuck with that your entire life. I was a musician/teacher, then a software developer, then an entrepreneur. Maybe one day I’ll be a food critic! You are more than a title, job description, etc., and you can be different things at different times.

3. Finally, make financially sound decisions when investing in education (or anything, really). Do some research and make sure you will be able to afford any debt you incur through learning. Don’t pay for something that is not worth the price.

Name a couple future goals.
For Promineo Tech, we want to continue to be the leading provider of coding bootcamps to community colleges. We have a goal to grow four times again in 2023 and to continue to expand into every state.

Personally, I want to continue solving problems and become a serial entrepreneur. I would like to mentor more founders and eventually start investing in local startups. I also hope to learn to paint, hire a band to record some of my songs I wrote years ago, and teach my children to work hard and be kind to everyone.