On the final episode of Moneda Moves for 2023, we are speaking with Isabel Casillas Guzman, the 27th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  "Everyone is trying to figure out how to target the Latino market," she says. "(Latinos) have an advantage in knowing what the needs and the wants are of this community at scale." When it comes to speaking about accessing the Latino purchasing power, she’s absolutely right. Most want a piece Latino market, and it’s a matter of how they can get to it. It’s the $3.4 trillion question — that’s our purchasing power, according to the&nbs ..read more

Today we speak with Hector Saldivar, Founder and CEO of Tia Lupita Foods, a better for you, healthy Mexican-inspired food brand that uses clean and simple ingredients in all their products. His journey started with his mom’s salsa recipe, which he wanted to package to share with the world. Tia Lupita Foods has expanded beyond salsas and is in the business of selling tortillas, grain-free chips and much more. A little more about Hector’s unique journey: Hector moved to the USA in 2005 as a territory sales manager for a Mexican startup and moved up the ranks through the years working at companie ..read more

Pinole Blue started out of a dorm room while Eddie Sandoval was studying business at Wichita State University. His family is from Chihuahua, Mexico. Growing up, he would take trips twice a year to visit and bring home pinole, a multiuse, nutrient-dense mixture of roasted ground maize savored by his family for generations. He realized his family wasn’t the only one that missed having easy access to pinole but even American endurance athletes. Pinole is popular among the Tarahumara tribe of Chihuahua, who would drink it for energy before running long distances and have gained a spotlight for win ..read more

Keith Alaniz is in the business of doing good and doing well. He is one of the founders and CEO of Rumi Spice, a social enterprise that promotes peace in Afghanistan by connecting farmers with markets and empowering Afghan women. Keith’s military service in Afghanistan inspired him to start Rumi Spice in 2014, which has since become an award-winning company known for its high quality spices and its commitment to fostering peace through business. In addition to his military service, Keith has an impressive educational background. He received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from ..read more

From being inexperienced to making yourself capable. I love the snippet from Regina Trillo, Founder and CEO, Nemi Snacks. Nemi Snacks are crunchy sticks made from seeds and nopales (a.k.a. prickly pear cactus) in Mexican-inspired flavors like Mexican Lime, Smoky Chipotle, Chile Turmeric and Churro. Originally from Mexico City and now based in Chicago, Regina felt unrepresented the moment she stepped foot in Chicago grocery stores. Regina found well-established brands portraying Mexican cultura in a stereotypical way, brands that were unlikely to upgrade their ingredient list an ..read more

Welcome back to another season of Moneda Moves mi gente. This season we are talking about food: It makes the world go round. Some might say food is everything we are: An extension of our regions, our tribes, to paraphrase the late chef and journalist Anthony Bourdain. But it’s also an interesting business opportunity. Last year, venture capitalists invested more than $20 billion in this space even after economic conditions had tightened. And as we know on this podcast, Latinos (alongside people of color) are among the biggest creators of business in this country. Throughout this season, Mone ..read more

It’s the last episode of the first season of 2023 and I couldn’t think of a better topic to close this season about multi-hyphenates than with an episode on storytelling. If you’ve listened to this podcast before, you know I’ve spoken about this: The power of storytelling. It has the power to shape reality, attract and grow our businesses. Today, we are speaking with an expert in the industry on the PR side: that’s Karina Martinez, founder of The Avana House. It’s a public relations and storytelling agency founded to reshape media narratives through storytelling. In 2018, Martinez opened the ..read more

For Rachel Basoco, community building has opened doors to a wide range of industries from lifestyle, to entrepreneurship, and as of late the world of finance and of Paris Hilton. In a world where building trust is priceless for public figures and companies alike, it pays to have an engaged community when platforms have established a relationship with them. It’s Basoco’s job to help build that through community. Today, she is a multi-hyphenate at her core as Director of Digital Communities Advancement and Growth at Fidelity Investments, Web3 Community Manager at Paris Hilton’s company 11:11 Me ..read more

Marcia Chong Rosado (she/her/ella) faces multidimensionality head on. She holds multiple identities within her work, but also in her personal life as she’s navigated cultures across continents, socioeconomic spaces, and industries. Her goal? To bridge venture and civic engagement worlds.  Personally, Marcia operates within and outside of evolving labels, including identifying as multiracial from diverse ancestors, Ecuadorian, as an immigrant to the United States. Today, she is a Director at Cinematica Labs, focused on building mission-oriented entrepreneurial ecosystems in partnerships w ..read more

If there is anyone who knows the ins and outs of building a team for success, whether it’s in entrepreneurship or venture capital it’s Rachel ten Brink. Today she’s General Partner and co-Founder of Red Bike Capital, a Latino and woman-led Venture Capital fund based in New York that invests in early stage, high-growth startups that drive the economy and improve people’s lives. Red Bike supports US-based founders in FinTech, Ecommerce SAAS, Marketplaces, and Wellness, leveraging the team’s 30+ years of experience with an authentic connection to the startup ecosystem and a strong track record in ..read more