LaFamilia Foundation

 ⏪⏪ #LATechWeek Recap!! We had a blast supporting 9 community-centered events across the city. 🤝 We kicked-off the week alongside AWSM SCTY and Grid110 during the Founders and Funders Brunch, followed by LaFamilia Foundation and Techqueria’s Dále Summit, gathering Latinx/e startup and VC leaders. ⚡ We joined VamosVentures and Unshackled Ventures to catalyze connections between immigrant entrepreneurs and VC leaders during their Smoothie Soirée, before Plug In Ventures, SomosVC, VamosVentures, and BLCK VC’s Founders and Funders Happy Hour, bringing together ecosystem key players. 🌱 We supported powerhouse entrepreneurs and investors working to transform the food system at Thursday’s Supply Change Capital’s Food & Ag Tech Ecosystem event. 💥 We joined Friday’s special Building Bridges for Women of Color Investors event alongside Cap Table Coalition, Emmeline Ventures, Sisters with Ventures Podcast, and the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies - USC Marshall, followed by Grid110’s Founder Showcase, celebrating trailblazing LA entrepreneurs. ⛳ We wrapped up the week with BLCK VC’s Venture on the Green Golf Tournament and culminating dinner, building connections shape the future of tech and venture in LA! Grateful to all of our ecosystem partners and participants who made these events possible! 👏 TECH WEEK by a16z #LosAngeles #TechWeek #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital

Speaking at SOCAP Global has been a dream of mine since leading LaFamilia Foundation, surrounded by incredible changemakers and dreamers. Not only do I get to fulfill that dream today, but I also get to do it with my hermanas in arms doing their part to enact change Marcia Chong Rosado Renata Aráuz-DeStefano and my WeHo neighbor Adam Kiki-Charles! The Conversation We are Missing: Leaning into Transculturalism to Break Systemic Barriers - 5pm YUD Gallery. Join us there!

🗽 ¡Familia! Today’s highlights are for New York! Just look at these incredible photos and heartfelt notes from our NY founders and investors… Our hearts are full!💖 Spot yourself in the crowd? Tag away and share your favorite moment in the comments! We celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month the way only New York can—with city lights twinkling against the skyline, charcuterie and drinks flowing freely, conversations sparking magic, and a panel that had everyone on the edge of their seats. With over 110 of you there, the energy was something else!✨ Thanks for coming out and being a part of LaFamilia. A huge thank you to our amazing City Leads team- Mercedes Zhang, Ed Cravo, and Christian Narvaez - for making this happen. Also, thank you to our amazing sponsors, JPMorganChase, ALPFA New York, Keepers, and Marsh. Thanks for backing our comunidad! Want to be part of our community? Sign up for our newsletter! If you’re a Latine founder or investor, join FounderFamilia or VCFamilia—we’d love to have you! All the links are here: https://lnkd.in/g9V2Vz-Q.

What a beautiful night at the VCFamilia Awards! ✨On October 14th, we gathered to honor Latine voices in venture capital and beyond. The evening was dedicated to recognizing the Latine investors who are transforming the VC landscape. With each award, we celebrated the stories, resilience, and vision that our community brings to this field. And yes, we all came dressed to impress—such a special night called for style, and everyone delivered. Check out the amazing photos from the event! We were even featured on Spectrum News! We shared Latine food, heartfelt stories, and music that kept our spirits high.  But our honorees—they really hit us in the heart. Maria Lopez Rosas’ recognition reminded us of the power of breaking generational barriers; Alejandro Guerrero’s words nudged us to lead with heart and humility, to set aside ego, and to make time for those who stand by us; and Cyril Meduña—who dedicated his award to the entrepreneurs he’s supported—reminded us that building wealth means lifting others as we rise. Surrounded by friends, mentors, and partners, we shared the kind of moments that remind you why community matters. And, of course, we had to end with broche de oro—Latine music, laughter, and un poquito de baile. Even those who said they were ‘just stopping by’ found themselves staying ‘til the last song. You know, Latines never leave early! Huge thanks to our sponsors—Pivotal Ventures, JPMorganChase, Baker Botts, Carta, L'ATTITUDE VENTURES, Dahlia VC, Sabio Enterprises, and Morrison Foerster—for making this incredible night possible. ¡Gracias a todos! ##VCFamiliaAwards #LatineInVC #LatineLeadership #VentureCapital #DiversityInVC #LatineExcellence #InclusiveInnovation #LatineInvestors

Prepárate para los feels porque estos momentos te van a sacar un ¡ay qué lindos! 🫠It's time for the Bay Area highlights! We’ve got some beautiful photos and heartfelt gratitude notes from our LaFamilia members and allies during the Bay Area Hispanic Heritage Month celebration! These notes are all about giving a big shoutout to the incredible people in our lives—mentors, co-founders, friends, and anyone who’s given us a hand when we needed it most. Celebrating these connections is what our comunidad is all about. Huge gracias to our amazing sponsors—Morrison Foerster, JPMorganChase, and Carta—for making all of this possible. And, of course, a special thank you to our fabulous city leads and hosts: Tiq Chapa, Francisca Gilmore-Yulee, Aundria Mirabrishami, and Ayanna Kerrison from BLCK VC! We’re posting just a few of the many gratitude notes here (trust us, we could go on and on), and like we said earlier, if we were handing out a “Gratitude Award,” the Bay Area would win by a mile! 😄 Well done, Bay Area! ¡Así se celebra a lo Latine! Si te gustó, comenta tu propio "¡ay qué lindo!" o lo que te salga del corazón, and don’t forget to check out our Linktree: https://lnkd.in/g9V2Vz-Q to sign up for our newsletter and join our growing comunidades. ¡La unión hace la fuerza! 💪 #HispanicHeritageMonth #LatineCommunity #LaFamilia #Gratitude #CommunitySupport #DiversityAndInclusion #BayArea #LatineLeadership #CelebratingCulture #LatineEmpowerment

Today's spotlight is on Austin! We want to extend a huge thank you to our amazing sponsors, including J.P. Morgan, Gunderson Dettmer, Kuali.ai, and Morrison Foerster—this event wouldn’t have been possible without your support. The night was truly special, with over 100 RSVPs showing that our community came together strong and united. A big shoutout to our city leads and hosts, Alonso Mujica, José Luis Silva Vázquez, and Mariana Gonzalez, for making this event unforgettable! And wait for tomorrow! If we were giving a prize to the most grateful city, the Bay Area would win hands down! 🥇 We’ll be sharing their highlights soon—seriously, their gratitude is off the charts! We wanted to post all their notes, but it might turn into a whole book! Want to stay in the loop about our upcoming events and be part of LaFamilia? We’d love to have you! Check out our Linktree: https://lnkd.in/g9V2Vz-Q for links to follow us and subscribe to our newsletter. You’ll find educational resources, job opportunities, LaFamilia news, events, and more! #Austin #Tech #LatineFounders #VCs #LatinX #Entrepreneurship

The Dale! Summit cohosted by LaFamilia Foundation and Techqueria as part of #LATechWeek was amazing. FounderFuego’s CEO Amber and CLO Richard heard from incredible #tech #founders as part of the programming. No matter where we are in the country, we keep hearing similar challenges and opportunities - we hear you, we see you, and we intend to be part of the solution. The pitches to win $35,000 were off the charts - #innovations that stand to change the world and rock #industries. Thank you to Joliz Cedeño and the Techqueria Los Angeles team for your leadership. Head shots and #networking were awesome to develop #partnerships for the #FounderFuego community. The hat from SAND SANDALS was a big hit! Sending people your way, gracias amiga. #FounderFuel #innovation #tech

WOW, what an incredible few months it has been!👏🏽 Our team has been buzzing with energy, supporting all our city leads to make this Hispanic Heritage Month truly special with so many exciting events. Today, we want to give a big shoutout to Boston and our amazing host, Ignacio Castro, who transformed this event into a night of connection and meaningful bonds among our Latine investors and founders. Check out some photos and gratitude notes, and stay tuned—there are so many more gratitude notes and photos coming your way from Austin, NY, and the Bay Area!  Prepare for cuteness overload; these gratitude notes are so sweet they might just require a warning label! If you’d like to stay in the loop about all our upcoming events and be part of LaFamilia, we’d love to have you join us! Here’s our Linktree: https://lnkd.in/g9V2Vz-Q, where you can find all the links to follow us and subscribe to our newsletter. You’ll discover educational resources, job opportunities, LaFamilia news, events, and much more! #Startups #Startupfounders #LaFamilia #FounderFamilia #VCFamilia #Boston #Entrepreneurship

As promised, here’s my list of top organizations that are shaping the development of young venture capital professionals: Emerging Venture Capitalists Association (EVCA): EVCA excels at offering sector-specific events and skill-building opportunities, including their annual summit and regular meetups, making it ideal for emerging VCs looking to build their expertise and networks. Gen Z VCs: Bringing together young professionals, this community is a hub for Gen Z investors to connect, learn, and share resources. It’s a great place to engage with peers early in your career. Black Women in Venture Capital: With nearly 300 Black women investment professionals, this organization fosters career development through mentorship and networking events like the annual Martha’s Vineyard retreat. It’s a vital space for Black women navigating VC. C100: Based in Canada, C100 connects Canadian founders and investors with global tech ecosystems. If you’re a Canadian looking to expand your cross-border relationships, this is the community for you. Venture Capital Unlocked: A joint program by 500 Global and Stanford Center for Professional Development, this initiative provides hands-on experience and training for aspiring VCs. It’s a structured opportunity to gain practical skills and network with top investors. Nextgen Partners: A Silicon Valley-based organization providing educational panels and networking events to help young VCs grow their networks and industry knowledge. All Raise: Focused on advancing women and underrepresented groups in venture capital, All Raise offers mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities aimed at supporting the next generation of diverse investors. Venture Forward (by NVCA): An initiative promoting diversity and inclusion in venture capital, Venture Forward focuses on education and professional development for emerging VCs from underrepresented backgrounds. LaFamilia Foundation: This organization connects emerging leaders in venture capital and entrepreneurship, focusing on building community, support, and access for underrepresented individuals in VC and startups. BLCK VC: A community dedicated to increasing the representation of Black investors in venture capital, Black VC offers resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities aimed at supporting Black professionals as they break into and grow within the VC industry. Their initiatives, such as the Breaking Into VC fellowship, are geared toward fostering diversity and inclusion within the sector. If I missed an organization, tag them in the comments and I’ll be sure to update the post. Follow me for more tips on breaking into venture capital and navigating the startup ecosystem! #VentureCapital #Networking #Growth #Community #YoungVCs #ProfessionalDevelopment #EmergingVC #InclusiveVC #GoodRapport

We just wrapped up an incredible Hispanic Heritage Month at Mastercard, honoring the remarkable achievements and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx champions who inspire and drive innovation and inclusion in business, technology, and beyond. Throughout the month, our LATIN Business Resource Group (BRG) hosted impactful events and activities designed to unite our employees and showcase leadership within the community. The energy was palpable as the LBRG brought together influential leaders from various industries, including Finhabits, FiBrick, Amazon, Nasdaq, Ouro, Félix, Palla Financial, and inspiring organizations such as We Are All Human Foundation, LaFamilia Foundation, Vancouver Tech Journal, First Tech Fund, and MetaBronx. We also engaged with student organizations across New York University, Lehman College, Columbia University, and small businesses like Ozemi Beauty, Terrart NYC™, Candela, YSSLA, and Maison Raphaella. These trailblazing leaders shared powerful insights on financial inclusion, breaking the glass ceiling, and creating opportunities for underrepresented communities. A sincere THANK YOU to everyone involved! From groundbreaking entrepreneurs to tech visionaries, Latino innovators have consistently pushed boundaries and continue to inspire us all. Their stories remind us of the power of diversity and the importance of inclusive innovation. Let’s take a moment to honor their achievements, learn from their journeys, and continue to support and uplift the next generation of Latino leaders. Together, we can build a future where everyone has the opportunity to innovate and succeed. Join me in celebrating the rich heritage and bright future of the Latino community. 🌎✨ #HispanicHeritageMonth #LatinoInnovators #DiversityInTech #InclusiveInnovation #LatinosUnidos Stefany Bello Juan Alberto Funes Carniago, CFE Mariangela Rapuano Andrea Gutierrez Giovani Dambros Ignacio Puig de la Bellacasa Armando Huitron Cedeno, CPA, PFS, CFP®, CGMA, MBA Carlos Garcia Eduardo Marin Jorge Arbesú-Cardona Maria Dolores Pous Michael Cacho Becky P. Arlene Alvarez Renzo Lara Jasmine H. Yissel Samaniego Santiago Cubeddu Jose Hernandez Cristina Jiménez Maddie Callis Vanessa M.