Sensis
Rank: No. 3
City: Los Angeles, Calif.
Web site
Chief executive: José Villa
Workers: 30
2008 revenue: $7.4 million
2008 growth rate: 124%
Estimated 2009 growth rate: 15%
Sensis, an interactive advertising agency, was founded in East L.A. in the late '90s, but it hasn’t always been an inner city company. The business had a stint in Santa Monica, “which is most definitely not a disadvantaged area,” jokes founder José Villa. A few years ago, though, it found its way to downtown L.A. “The neighborhood was going through an evolution, and we wanted to be part of that renaissance,” says Villa. “It fit very well with us as an agency, very urban, very multicultural. We love that.” The company recently opened its first satellite office, in Washington, D.C., as it plans to pursue more federal contracts.
