How Latino Entrepreneurs Are Paving The Way Forward In An Unprecedented Year

In recent years, Latinos have made strides in their contributions to the American economy via entrepreneurship. Latinos reached an economic output of $3.6 trillion in 2022, ranking as the fifth largest economy in the world, per the Latino Donor Collaborative. Meanwhile, Latino-owned businesses increased by more than 40 percent and more than one-third increase in total revenue from 2018 to 2023.

It’s figures like these that wouldn’t have existed en masse before reports like those from the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI), a research collaboration highlighting the Latino entrepreneurial segment of the U.S. economy. These are also stats that help business owners and ecosystem leaders speak to the influence that this cohort has in the United States.

This spring, business leaders from across the country congregated at Stanford to discuss the latest findings from the State of Latino Entrepreneurship report, ten years after its debut in 2015.

“Community building has always been a Latino superpower—and now, leveraging this strength to develop robust professional networks is more crucial than ever,” Arturo Cazares, CEO of organization heading the report, Latino Business Action Network, wrote about the summit on LinkedIn.

The start of 2025 forecast incoming challenges for entrepreneurs with an increasingly competitive landscape for raising capital concentrated in few sectors, decreased consumer spending and ongoing supply chain issues. In a year when President Donald Trump has also implemented tariffs, immigration policies, changes to financial programs, moved to eliminate the Minority Business Development Agency, among other changes, Latino founders grapple with uncertainty and strategize on how to continue growing their businesses.

As leaders in the space see it, a big part of the growth comes in collaboration amongst each other to share strategies that work and expand.

“Latino business owners must leverage strong, supportive ecosystems to gain warm introductions to capital providers, reducing implicit bias and unlocking real access to funding,” Cazares said.

That’s just the start. Latino entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders across the country shared how they are pivoting and preparing their businesses for what’s next in real time amid the current political and economic environment.

Regional startup hubs are on the rise, building ecosystems and access to funding and support founders where they are

A repeat founder himself turned ecosystem builder, Jorge Calderon has been in the startup space for more than fifteen years. He notes that it’s not until only as recently as five years ago that Latinos have seen the rise of local startup hubs. It’s one that is now documented by the organization where he serves as managing director, Inicio Ventures. In the 2024 Latino Startup Hub Report, 18 startup hub regions are documented across the U.S., home to over 35 million Latinos, representing approximately 55% of the U.S. Latino population. Leading hubs in the report include Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver, documenting talent pipeline, capital access and entrepreneurial capacity.

“Across the U.S., regions now boast deeper and larger talent pools of Latino founders who are increasingly connected and building vibrant communities.” Calderon said. “This progress is due in part to the post-George Floyd wave of funding directed toward entrepreneur support organizations, as well as the sheer volume of Latinos graduating from college and entering professional roles—developing the skills and ambition to launch scalable startups, alongside other market dynamics.”

Inicio is an impact investing and ecosystem-building initiative which has served to increase Latino participation in the U.S. startup economy since 2021 via equity investments to ecosystem building. What he’s seeing startup hubs bring to their ecosystems is skilled talent, investors, capital, service providers, corporations, higher education institutions and support organizations.

“In each regional hub, one of these stakeholders may play an outsized role in advancing the ecosystem,” he said. “Whatever the recipe, each region can learn from others—but with the caveat that every region benefits from maintaining its own flavor.”

Beyond startups, ecosystem builders working with small business owners also feel the need for local hubs. Among them is Meralis Hood, CEO of EforAll, a nonprofit organization assisting under-represented individuals successfully start and grow a business through intensive business training, mentorship and an extended professional support network.

“A primary concern for both new and growing businesses within our network is sustained support beyond the initial accelerator program,” she said. “To address this, we are developing post-program initiatives focused on providing ongoing learning opportunities, networking connections, access to capital, and resources for growth through strategic partnerships.”

Entrepreneurs are embracing AI, albeit with caution

The 2024 State of Latino Entrepreneurship Report shows that Latino-owned businesses are adopting AI at comparable rates to white-owned businesses, while even a greater number see it as critical to running their operations. 59% of Latino-owned businesses said it boosted worker skills compared to 55% of white-owned businesses. Meanwhile, 74% of Latino-owned businesses said AI increased their operational efficiency.

“Latino-owned businesses are adopting AI with a higher people-centric approach, leveraging it to enhance operations while fostering workforce growth and upskilling,” said Cazares. “However, Latino-owned businesses are more inclined to express caution about future AI adoption. Addressing these challenges through ethical AI frameworks which don’t reinforce societal biases will be key to unlocking AI’s full potential.”

The impact of AI is felt in networks where startups are just getting their early investments, including Angeles Investors.

“This is our fifth year … and we have seen from the beginning companies in AI,” said Angela Cepeda, Chair of Angeles Investors. “Startups have been using AI to collect, summarize data, to accelerate software development. This has been an existing theme, and our startups are just as engaged in it, if not more.”

Founders are pursuing international opportunities more than ever, especially in LATAM

Some entrepreneurs are positioning the moment as an opportunity beyond U.S. borders. Among them is Carlos Otaola, CEO & Founder of Urban Tech, investing in founders and transformative technologies in Latin America. He shares that Latin America is at one of the most powerful turning points for tech and transformation globally.

“We’re not just talking about untapped markets—we’re talking about deeply human challenges in healthcare, education, mobility, and financial access that are demanding real, scalable solutions,” he said about the growth opportunity in the region.

Latin America hit record high investment levels in 2021, and in 2024 it remains strong, hitting $4.2 billion in 2024 — up 27% from the previous year with the rise of digitization, AI and gradual decoupling from the U.S. and China, per Crunchbase.

“If you grew up in Latin America, you’ve already learned to navigate uncertainty. You develop a sixth sense for resilience, for solving creatively, for moving fast in systems that weren’t built for you. That mindset is a superpower,” Otaola said, a featured guest on Startup Series: Latam with Mariana Atencio, which explores Latin America’s entrepreneurial potential.

He says his fund, based out of Miami, gives his team proximity to capital, talent and

U.S. tech ecosystem, while maintaining deep cultural and strategic ties to Latin America. Urban Tech has invested in Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Venezuela.

“If you’re a Latino founder thinking about expanding into LATAM, there’s no better time than now—but timing alone isn’t a strategy, he said. “You understand the culture, the context, the way things actually work on the ground. You can speak the language, both literally and in how you connect with customers. That’s a powerful advantage—but it’s only your foundation. The rest takes precision, discipline, and local depth.”

Daily adaption is a norm of today’s entrepreneurial environment

“There was a general shared belief, especially among many VCs, that under this new administration the capital markets would become more liquid and business-friendly, fostering an acceleration in M&A and IPOs,” said Laura Moreno Lucas, General Partner at L’ATTITUDE Ventures and author of Latinas in VC. “However, it’s clear that this has not happened, with no deals announced yet and a big risk that these tariffs get baked into prices moving forward.”

Indeed, while Wall Street expected a successful first quarter for IPOs and M&A under the Trump administration, those expectations fell short due to market volatility triggered by new tariff policies and broader geopolitical uncertainty.

“We’ve had to consider forward-looking conditions and make quick decisions on all financial aspects of the companies we are supporting and investing in,” Moreno Lucas said.

She shares that the $100M fund has shifted from a company’s general market opportunity to now examining their operating strategies on a regular basis, assessing what needs to be adjusted, cut, or capitalized.

“Everything is moving at unprecedented speed, every assumption we’ve held is being challenged, and the markets are so unpredictable that we have to adapt daily,” she said. “This is not a typical up-and-down, it’s like nothing I have ever seen before.”

“Uncertainty has become the cost of doing business” and preparation is the best antidote

The constant change is felt at every level of the ecosystem, from investors to founders and ecosystem builders.

“Uncertainty has become the cost of doing business — and for Latino entrepreneurs, that cost is compounding,” said Eneida M. Roman, Esq, CEO of We Are ALX, a collaborative non-profit with the mission of advancing Latino American prosperity and leadership representation in Massachusetts. “Policies shift without clarity. Relief programs often don’t reach the businesses that need them most. And access to capital remains a persistent barrier. For example, while a 90-day tariff pause may steady the markets, it does little to help small business owners plan their next hire, place a bulk order, or secure a loan. When the rules keep changing mid-game, growth stalls — not because of lack of will or vision, but because the foundation keeps shifting.”

Critical to staying ahead, however, is staying informed and prepared. Roman recommends employers have clear protocols in place, designate a point person for agency visits, and stay connected to legal resources like Lawyers for Civil Rights or the MIRA Coalition.

“Staying informed isn’t about fear — it’s about being ready to lead with confidence,” she said.