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 and updates on how the ACLU is responding 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, 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, equipping Latinos with financial tools and resources as well as influential organizations like the Latino Donor Collaborative, 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 and his website.

Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves

Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro

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.