Ms. De La Cruz, a Guatemalan immigrant, now a U.S. Citizen, began her construction career flipping residential housing.  She discovered she possessed a talent for contracting including working along side her workers.  A practice she continues to this day.  This led to Antigua’s founding and early contracts with Neighborhood Housing Services.  Next, she sought work as a subcontractor on corporate and government contracts.

After years of difficult experiences with Contractor’s not taking her seriously and closing doors, De La Cruz determined that the only path for growth and success of her company was to take command of its own destiny as a General Contractor. As a GC, she could bid on projects directly to owners. Few minority firms, let alone a woman owned firm, would have done this but she is doing it.  As a small business owner, she has been able to grow her company with integrity and as a woman, work with dignity.

Ms. De La Cruz is a strong advocate for Hispanics and Women in construction and has appeared on a host of diversity panels.  A major testament of Ms. De La Cruz’s role as an advocate and representative of Hispanics and Woman in construction was Mayor Lightfoot’s 2020 appointment of her to the City of Chicago’s  MBE/WBE Advisory Board.  Ms.  De La Cruz is also an active member of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.