Did you know that, according to the 2020 State of Latino Entrepreneur Report, the number of Latino owned businesses has grown 34% over the last 10 years compared to just 1% for all other small businesses?

In this episode, Monica shares her story of leaving corporate for entrepreneurship and celebrates winning ALPFA's Latina Entrepreneur Award.

Nikki and Monica also discuss why diversity in entrepreneurship matters, the struggle of scaling your business, and share advice on how diverse founders can gain access to capital.

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Highlights: [00:39] ALPFA Latina Entrepreneur Award Winner Monica Marquez [02:55] Switching from corporate to entrepreneurship [05:22] Why diversity matters in entrepreneurship [07:44] Scaling your company [12:10] Advice to diverse founders on accessing capital

Quotes: "The definition of urgency for an entrepreneur is 100 times fold than what it is when working in a big corporation." – Monica Marquez

"The advantage that diverse entrepreneurs have is the insight into what pain point their community is dealing with. And can help solve because of their unique perspective." – Monica Marquez

"There is so much insight and direct, firsthand lived experience that diverse founders can bring to the table that represents a massive and perpetually growing market opportunity." – Nikki Barua

About Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, author & speaker. Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua

About Monica Marquez: Monica Marquez is a senior corporate leader, ex-Googler, and diversity expert. Website: https://themonicamarquez.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMonicaMarquez/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themonicamarquez/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/themmarquez