BUSINESS

Born in Quito, Ecuador, I am a Latina serial entrepreneur and influential woman who has built an award-winning career focused on business expansion and accelerated growth.

Mayra Khan is a serial entrepreneur who builds sustainable businesses through efficient systems and strong teams. With over 15 years of experience in driver training, she transforms clear, technology-driven operational processes and manuals into measurable results and real growth.

Her company, Nova Driving School, grew from a startup into a successful mid-sized company. In September 2016, Nova was recognized by Fortune magazine and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. The company ranked 61st among the fastest-growing urban companies in the United States in the annual "Inner City 100" competition and was also included on the Inc. 5000 list in 2021.

Among the awards she has received are WBDC Entrepreneur of the Year, Chicago Business Journal's Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, and Chicago Business Journal's Influential Women, in addition to being featured in Fortune and ICIC's Inner City 100. She is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB) Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative. She is currently actively involved in mentoring programs and serves on boards focused on promoting supplier diversity.