Optimize and Integrate Your Payments

Founder | Director of Partnerships

Erika Baez-Grimes is a first-generation Latina entrepreneur, born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the sunshine state of Florida. Inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of her late grandfather and following in the footsteps of her mother, she began her career in banking in 2004 at a Fortune 100 financial institution. Immersed in the fast-paced world of finance, Erika quickly distinguished herself as a top performer, excelling in client portfolio growth and establishing strategic technology partnerships.  Throughout her tenure, she played a pivotal role in expanding the institution’s client base—particularly among small and midsize businesses—while forging key alliances with external fintech providers. Erika has led initiatives to integrate advanced payment and security technologies, enabling businesses to scale operations and process transactions with greater efficiency and compliance. Under her leadership, this Florida-based institution has served hundreds of companies and facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in secure card revenue nationally. Her success in the financial sector laid a strong foundation for the entrepreneurial ventures that would follow.  With over 15 years of experience in high-stakes sales negotiations, Erika believes that dealmaking is the heartbeat of business. Her professional journey began in her family’s small business and evolved into negotiating complex, multi-million-dollar agreements for Fortune 100 companies. In 2012, she became President of The Baez Agency, Inc., where she has empowered middle-income Americans through financial literacy education, advanced sales strategies, Insuring key persons and organizational development. In 2014, she founded Best Payments and Healthcare Integrations (theBPHgroup) dedicated to eliminating credit card processing fees and ensuring PCI compliance. Today, BPH has facilitated over $200 million in card transactions across the U.S., helping businesses retain more of their hard-earned revenue. Erika currently serves as a Certified M&A Professional partnered with the largest business brokerage in the world, specializing in guiding family-owned businesses through strategic acquisitions and successful exits. “Doing Good Deals for Good People.”Erika is deeply involved in her community, serving on local boards and actively advocating for Latinas entering the cybersecurity field. She resides in Central Virginia with her husband and blended family—and when not closing deals, she can be found court-side supporting basketball teams from high school to the NBA.

​