Moneda Moves

Mi gente!  Welcome back to a very special episode of Moneda Moves. It’s no secret that this year has been a challenging one for Latino-centered companies and business owners. From shifting economic tides to political uncertainty, the landscape is testing us—but also pushing us to innovate and build smarter. As some of you may know, I had the honor of moderating a panel at SXSW all about the state of Latino startup hubs across the U.S.—and today, I’m thrilled to bring you that conversation as a live podcast episode! This panel was packed with real talk and insight from powerhouse women in business and investing. We explored what it really looks like to build in this moment: the challenges, the strategies, and the money moves Latinos are making as we continue to chase generational wealth. Yes, things feel uncertain right now. But uncertainty is also a call to strategize, not just survive. As a community, we can plan, pivot, and uplift one another. Here’s one thing we do know: Latinos now hold the fifth-largest GDP [https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/us-latinos-have-fifth-largest-gdp-in-world] in the U.S.—and Latinas are leading the charge in new business creation. The women on this panel are proof of what’s possible, and I can’t wait for you to hear their wisdom. Here’s who joined us down in Austin in our LIVE podcast with our friends (who we did angel investing training with just last year!) at Inicio, impact-focused organization that supports and invests in early-stage Latino-led startups, working to close the capital gap and grow Latino entrepreneurship across the U.S: [https://hipfunds.org/inicio-ventures/] 🎤 [https://emojipedia.org/microphone] Eneida Roman is the President & CEO of Amplify LatinX [https://wearealx.org/about/], a business organization advancing the American economy by championing leadership representation, economic mobility, and public policy solutions that consider the immense contributions of Latino Americans. 🎤 [https://emojipedia.org/microphone] Jessica Salinas serves as Co-President of New Rising Ventures and New Media Ventures [https://newrisingventures.org/], impact investment funds supporting entrepreneurs who are innovating for social and political power, respectively. 🎤 [https://emojipedia.org/microphone] Maria Jose Palacio is a fifth-generation Colombian coffee farmer with an unwavering passion for empowering her community. Born and raised in a celebrated coffee region of Colombia, Maria spent several years working in design in New York City before her heart led her back to her roots in 2016. Witnessing the struggles of her loved ones in Colombia to make a living through coffee farming, Maria knew she had to take action by co-founding Progeny Coffee [https://progenycoffee.com/pages/linktree?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabRzxTmIYzmGqvOZR7bMWfh7b0a_ZwvsLl5QevqXlIh3Rx0LoHAIj2iZN4_aem_O1LUxKyfv31egzIiCbpRgg]. With a fierce commitment to uplifting others, Maria overcame numerous small business obstacles to co-create a thriving distribution platform that empowers coffee farmers and helps lift them out of poverty. In this week’s episode, we’re tapping into the power and responsibility of Latino startup hubs. Late last year, our friends at Inicio Ventures launched a landmark startup hub report [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f32RZEOaLj6uR-BZlBGGk5nC6Mnz3-Wv/view] spotlighting 18 Latino startup hubs across the U.S.—regions that are home to over 35 million Latinos and brimming with entrepreneurial potential. These hubs are more than just business clusters—they’re centers of innovation, job creation, and economic momentum, led by Latino founders, funders, and ecosystem builders working to uplift their communities. And while the persistent capital gap is real—with Latino founders and funders each receiving less than 2% of startup funding—this report is less about what’s missing and more about what’s possible when we come together. Follow Eneida on Instagram @amplifylatinx [https://www.instagram.com/wearealx/] and her website [https://wearealx.org/about/]. Follow Jessica on Instagram @jsalinas011 [https://www.instagram.com/jsalinas011/] and her website [https://newrisingventures.org/]. Follow Maria on Instagram @mjpalacio1 [https://www.instagram.com/mjpalacio1/] and her website [https://progenycoffee.com/pages/linktree?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabRzxTmIYzmGqvOZR7bMWfh7b0a_ZwvsLl5QevqXlIh3Rx0LoHAIj2iZN4_aem_O1LUxKyfv31egzIiCbpRgg]. Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves [https://www.instagram.com/monedamoves/?hl=en] Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro [https://www.instagram.com/lyannealfaro/?hl=en] Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST. [https://www.sarahtullochwrites.com/podcast-production]

Finding investment opportunities is a huge part of scaling small businesses into multimillion-dollar companies and Latino founders are more likely to seek external funding to scale their companies. In order to secure funding and scale their business, they need to know how to pitch themselves to investors that will take their businesses to the next level. That’s exactly why this week’s guest is an investing powerhouse with decades of experience growing small businesses and generating millions of dollars in revenue.  Laura Maydon is the founder ofAscendo [https://ascendo.vc/], a venture capital firm unlocking trillions of dollars of untapped opportunities nationwide that are currently overlooked. Ascendo invests in early-stage companies led by groundbreaking underrepresented founders who are using disruptive technologies that address the needs of growing demographic segments and that empower women, with a preference for Fintech, Edtech, Future of Work, Healthtech, and Enterprise Software.   Before founding Ascendo, Laura founded Endeavor Miami in 2013, the first US affiliate of the global entrepreneurial organization, pioneering Miami’s hub. During that time, Laura built a portfolio of more than 20 companies generating over $250 million in revenues, several with substantial exits. Prior to Endeavor, she held leadership positions at Visa and Panamco. Laura has strong Fintech, M&A, and PE backgrounds. Laura brings some pretty incredible statistics that remind us just how powerful our cohort truly is. She says that the US Latino economy is leading in growth and that itrepresents 3.6 trillion GDP. [https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/12/us-latino-economic-output-grows-to-3point6-trillion-new-report-finds.html] Which would be equivalent to the 5th largest global economy if it were its own country. There is so much economic power in the Latino community - that includes both their spending power and their entrepreneurial growth. And this week, Laura is teaching us how to harness that power.  In this week’s episode, we’re learning all that we can from Laura’s experience as a founder and investor who helped companies generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. We’ll be diving into the entrepreneurial side of things including the specific challenges and opportunities that founders face in 2025, as well as emerging trends across sectors, and the rise of cross-border Latino businesses. Latino-owned businesses are seeing a remarkable amount of growth in the last few years and so we’ll dive into how that will impact the global economy and what our audience can do to capitalize on that growth. Follow Laura on Instagram@Lmaydon [https://www.instagram.com/lmaydon/?hl=en] and herwebsite [https://ascendo.vc/#intro]. Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram:@MonedaMoves [https://www.instagram.com/monedamoves/?hl=en] Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram:@LyanneAlfaro [https://www.instagram.com/lyannealfaro/?hl=en] Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST. [https://www.sarahtullochwrites.com/podcast-production]

Pulse check, mi gente: How are we?  January was a very, very long month and came with multiple challenges for our community. And while these threats against ours and diverse communities across the board are flooding our newsfeeds, we must also seek and distribute resources that are available in these trying times. You can find information on immigrant rights here [https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas] and updates on how the ACLU is responding [https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights] here.  This is a marathon, not a sprint. We must believe we will get through this together. If you feel moved to, this is a great time to get involved in your local and extended communities also being directly impacted by executive orders. Feel free to tag @monedamoves in any helpful posts or link resources in our Substack comments.  We know that there is power in a community, especially at an economic level. Research shows that Latinos are the fastest-growing group of new business owners, we create new jobs with these businesses, and we have extremely strong purchasing power ($3.4 trillion to be exact). The broader Latino community and our smaller, more local communities have immense economic power that we can use to strengthen our communities.  But in order to access that economic power, we have to work together and we have to strategize. By working together, we can be the beneficiaries of our own economic strength. We can do that by focusing on our communities and putting money into our own communities. Small businesses have gone viral via online platforms, and not only gained social popularity, but have had economic success through their customers’ support and by catering to the needs of their audience Latino-owned businesses offer real, tangible value to their consumers, but it can’t do that if no one knows they exist and economic support.  This week’s guest is ensuring the world knows about incredible Latino-owned businesses. Danny Miró-Chinea is a fellow advocate for the U.S. Latino community, dedicated to creating opportunities for our communities and celebrating Latino excellence through entrepreneurship, storytelling, and community building. As the founder of Comprende [https://www.comp-rende.com/about], Danny’s platform is designed to uplift the U.S. Latino community by supporting Latino founders, amplifying their businesses, and sharing inspiring stories of impact. Comprende operates as a weekly newsletter and creative agency focused on the U.S. Latino demographic and is working on building a marketplace to connect consumers and companies with Latino-owned businesses. Through Comprende's creative agency, Danny has collaborated with startups like Suma Wealth, [https://sumawealth.com/] equipping Latinos with financial tools and resources as well as influential organizations like the Latino Donor Collaborative [https://latinodonorcollaborative.org/], shaping the narrative around Latino contributions. In this week’s episode, I sit down with Danny to talk  about the role of community building and mentorship in entrepreneurial spaces, the impact of AI on budding Latino-owned businesses, and how building a business can be used as a vehicle to affect positive social change. Latinos have an impressive economic power, and today, Danny’s going to teach us how to leverage that power as both a business owner and a consumer.  Follow Danny on Instagram @comprendelatino [https://www.instagram.com/comprendelatino/] and his website [https://www.comp-rende.com/]. Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves [https://www.instagram.com/monedamoves/?hl=en] Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro [https://www.instagram.com/lyannealfaro/?hl=en] Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST. [https://www.sarahtullochwrites.com/podcast-production]

A warm welcome back to our Moneda visionaries. In the first week of the Trump administration, several actions have deeply impacted our community, particularly with heightened immigration enforcement and the removal of Spanish-language resources [https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-spanish-language-website-62224890c5b05c8ce0878358ba4a5266] from the White House website. These moves, coupled with the threat of large-scale deportations [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6434dq7p1o], DEI order [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/federal-workers-trump-dei-orders-angry-fearful-future-rcna188603], and the dismantling of environmental justice [https://apnews.com/article/climate-health-trump-environmental-justice-pollution-59baf164c81049d3995d2dfe1eceda8c] programs disproportionately affect Latinos. At Moneda Moves, we understand the power of stories, and we are committed to reporting responsibly at the intersection of money and cultura, especially as it applies to our leading entrepreneurial population. The numbers don’t lie: Latinos accounted for 36% of all new businesses in 2023 [https://www.latintimes.com/latino-entrepreneurs-drive-us-business-growth-despite-challenges-569564?utm_source=chatgpt.com], nearly double their 19% representation in the U.S. population. Immigrant Latinos are more than twice as likely to start a net new business [https://www.inc.com/araceli-crescencio/latino-owned-businesses-booming-access-funding-remains-challenge.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com]compared to the U.S.-born population. The stories we tell matter, and more than ever, they will continue to shape our reality. That’s why we started this platform—to ensure that the builders in our communities are seen and heard, especially when our contributions to the American economy and society for a long time went unrecognized in national headlines. Fundamentally, Moneda Moves believes in the inherent value of our community, as humans, but also in critical mass, and in our culture. This commitment remains steadfast.  In conversations with ecosystem builders who are working with underrepresented communities, it has been refreshing to know that we are not alone in this journey. A recent discussion reaffirmed the importance of staying informed, knowing our numbers which undeniably show the impact that we have together and how storytelling has the ability to create change. I highly recommend reading the 2023 State of Latino Entrepreneurship report [https://ced13fe8-7971-4f6f-84fd-b959a48a8605.filesusr.com/ugd/aaa116_ede37eea564d42e7b1b977a8c371706c.pdf] by the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) and Stanford Graduate School of Business.  The future is ours to shape, and we will continue to ensure that our stories are told with integrity and respect. This is why we are also joined today by Fernando Hurtado, a former manager of digital video for NBCUniversal Local and the host/producer of Bísness School [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b%C3%ADsness-school/id1726452812]. Bísness School [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b%C3%ADsness-school/id1726452812] is a podcast that highlights the stories of Latino-owned businesses and the fact that Latinos are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States. That series won a silver Signal Award in 2024 [https://www.signalaward.com/]. Fernando has recently launched The Hyphen [https://www.youtube.com/@byfernandoh], a YouTube channel that covers one of the fastest-growing demographics, U.S. Latinos, with deeply researched, visually rich stories.  Beyond podcasting at major networks, Fernando was the lead producer on NBC’s My New Favorite Olympian podcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/2GzSxcvdJF9WAl7dsAneHp], which was named best sports podcast at the Cynopsis Sports Media Awards.  He’s expanded his coverage in this arena to the Paris, Tokyo, and Beijing Olympics for NBCUniversal Local [https://www.nbcuniversal.com/newsroom/news/nbcuniversal-local]. Hurtado was named to Broadcasting + Cable's 40 Under 40 in 2023 [https://www.tvweek40under40.com/LA2023/speaker/707544/fernando-hurtado]. Prior to NBC, Fernando was at ATTN: [https://www.attn.com/] and Sinclair Broadcast Group [https://sbgi.net/] as a producer and editor. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California [https://www.usc.edu/] and lives in Los Angeles. He is currently an adjunct instructor of visual journalism and multiplatform Olympic and Paralympic storytelling there.  This journalist’s mission is to highlight Latino-owned businesses in English in order to reach younger bilingual audiences who are looking for positive representation in entrepreneurial spaces. In his effort to do so, he has produced over 20 episodes with successful Latino entrepreneurs, including Annie Leal, the owner of the $4M business, I Love Chamoy. It is no surprise that while living in Los Angeles, Fernando, like myself hails from Chicago, which is heavily influenced by Latino-run businesses, in neighborhoods from La Villita [https://www.forbes.com/sites/lyannealfaro/2024/12/06/a-snapshot-of-latino-businesses-power-in-chicago/] to Pilsen [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mexican-neighborhoods-chicago-new-business_n_6356ce96e4b0e376dc1a75f7] and Humboldt Park. In addition to raising awareness about these businesses, he’s also sharing what’s working for them and what challenges they are facing in the entrepreneurial space so that other Latino entrepreneurs can learn from their stories. This week, Fernando shares how Latino entrepreneurs are using their stories to better market their products, why Latino businesses are seen as too niche or exclusive to other communities, and what trends he’s seeing in 2025.  Follow Fernando on Instagram @byfernandoh [https://www.instagram.com/byfernandoh/?hl=en] and his website [https://www.fernandohurtado.com/]. Follow the The Hyphen [https://www.youtube.com/@byfernandoh] podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@byfernandoh], and wherever you listen to podcasts.  Follow the Bísness School [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b%C3%ADsness-school/id1726452812] podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b%C3%ADsness-school/id1726452812], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2z6O4urHiPEWTcdF9kLIic], and wherever you listen to podcasts.  Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves [https://www.instagram.com/monedamoves/?hl=en] Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro [https://www.instagram.com/lyannealfaro/?hl=en] Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST. [https://www.sarahtullochwrites.com/podcast-production]

Welcome back, Moneda Moves community. Following an eventful start to this week in news, we have another amazing journalist on the podcast, Cora Cervantes, who spoke with Latinos all last year leading up to the election which landed Trump in office. She’s here to share what she heard on the ground from Latinos, many of who are business owners, and their biggest concerns they want to see addressed – inclusive of economic issues.  And before we dive in, we would be remiss to not acknowledge the way our Latino communities (plural) will be disproportionately targeted ahead of mass deportations [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/us/politics/trump-immigration-raids-chicago.html] set to start this week. As a platform that stands behind [https://www.monedamoves.com/about] first builders, rewriting our narratives that exemplify our collective force, and tools for empowerment – we acknowledge how damaging the combination of rhetoric and actions on behalf of the new administration can and will be. During this time, we will be leaning into our personal community on the ground. We’ve also found Eliza Orlins [https://elizaorlins.com/about/], New York City public defender, and her explainers [https://www.tiktok.com/@elizaorlins] particularly helpful as of late. As you know, this season we’re focusing on 2025 economic trends, how they affect our entrepreneurial community, and how our community will move the American economy. We have a memorable lineup for you and can’t wait to share the information and resources we’re producing this season. As many of us know, 2024 was a tough year for small businesses. Average revenue was up, but so were expenses, according to Biz2Credit. [https://www.uschamber.com/small-business/small-business-weekly-forecast#:~:text=Average%20monthly%20earnings%20for%20small,(%24296%2C517%20higher%20than%202023).] Breaking down the numbers and net-net, profits were down: average monthly earnings for small businesses in the first 11 months of 2024 was about $86,000 - more than $60,000 lower than in 2023. Some entrepreneurs found themselves in the red in some cases, as this week’s guest independent journalist Cora reported. When interviewing working-class Latinos about their businesses in 2024, she found that people were struggling to keep up with the current economic climate, let alone improve their economic standing. It can also explain why Latinos voted with the economy among their top concerns. This week’s guest, Cora, is an independent journalist based in Los Angeles. She covers politics, immigration, climate change, and race and culture with an equity lens. She has a network television and cable news production background at NBC News [https://www.nbcnews.com/] and MSNBC [https://www.msnbc.com/]. She has produced digital stories for multimedia outlets, including NBC News [https://www.nbcnews.com/], Al-Jazeera [https://www.aljazeera.com/], Latino USA [https://www.latinousa.org/], palabra [https://www.palabranahj.org/archive/volume-3/dangerous-detention?rq=Cora%20Cervantes], High Country News [https://www.hcn.org/author/cora-cervantes/], and Narratively [https://www.narratively.com/]. Cora is a graduate of Columbia University and holds a Master’s degree from New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She currently serves as a board member of NAHJ’s Los Angeles Chapter. Cora spent much of 2024 speaking with working-class Latinos about their businesses and how they perceive the economic environment in the United States. Small business owners are holding out hope that the economy will improve. But with the rising cost of goods eating away at their profits, they’re eager for change. As a result, in the 2024 election, several sources she spoke with voted with the hope that the new president would improve the economy and protect their businesses. In this week’s episode, we sit down with Cora to talk about what she learned while covering Latino business owners and their votes, as well as the coverage we can expect to see more of within the Latino community in 2025. We're discussing everything from why some Latinos voted the way they did to how stricter immigration policies could affect our day-to-day lives. The Latino community is incredibly diverse, and our reasons for what we do and who we vote for are layered. By having boots on the ground via journalists who speak with working-class business owners, we gain a better understanding of what they’re experiencing and why. No te lo quieres perder. Follow Cora on Instagram: @cora_cervantes [https://www.instagram.com/cora_cervantes/] Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves [https://www.instagram.com/monedamoves/?hl=en] Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro [https://www.instagram.com/lyannealfaro/?hl=en] Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST. [https://www.sarahtullochwrites.com/podcast-production]