THE top winners of the first Tyler’s Gelatte Stone “Most Badass People” awards were Kagman High School Principal Benjamin Jones, makeup artist Lara Torres, and Firefighter/Saipan Running Club President Edward Dela Cruz Jr.
Held on Friday evening, Nov. 17 at the Crowne Plaza Resort, the awards ceremony was sponsored by Tyler’s Gelatte Stone to fund scholarships for students at Northern Marianas College and the Northern Marianas Technical Institute.
“I like to give back to the community,” said Tyler’s Gelatte Stone founder Ben Babauta, who, aside from owning a gelato business, is also a marketing and outreach coordinator for NMTech. “I think we took it up a notch this year by getting the most badass people of 2023,” he added.
Babauta said his goal is to honor entrepreneurs, advocates, educators, philanthropists and small business owners.
He received over 40 nominations. From those initial nominees, Babauta and other organizers selected a pool of 12 who were invite to the awards ceremony at Crowne Plaza Resort.
Aside from the winners, the nominees included Palm Trio, Guam Army National Guardsman Juan Camacho, gym owner Jocelyn Itibus, Vice Speaker Joel Camacho, photographer Samantha Salamon, small business owner Ashley Pangelinan, small business owner Cherese Palacios, Public School System behavioral specialist Bonny Grow, and small business owner Elina Chhetri.
To qualify for the award, a person must reside in the CNMI; is 40 or younger by Dec. 1, 2023; and “had an awesome year from December 2022 to November 2023.”
In addition to her “Badass” award from Tyler’s Gelatte Stone, Lara Torres was also the People’s Choice awardee for getting the most votes via social media.
She said she was “shocked” to receive both awards.
“I never thought I was badass,” she said with a laugh. “I thought what I do is badass but not really me!”
Torres, who owns LP Beauty, said she sees herself as an introvert, “but extroverted when I need to.”
Regarding her work, which includes hair styling, make up, and permanent eye brow services, Torres said she enjoys helping women “feel beautiful.”
“I just love what I do, and of course it is work but it never felt like work for me because I love what I do. Being nominated alongside so many amazing people, I was like ‘no, they’re deserving, they’ve done more for the community.’ They’ve inspired me…I was just really, really, shocked. It took me a little while to process when they called my name up.”
From left, Ben Babauta, Lara Torres, Edward Dela Cruz Jr. and Lenette Jones, accepting the award on behalf of her husband Benjamin Jones, who is off island.
The 12 nominees for Tyler’s Gelatte Stone’s Most Badass People 2023 award pose for a group photo.
