Brian Ovalles, a Black Latino from Washington Heights, talks about navigating spaces where he was culturally, racially and socio-economically different than his peers. From an early age, he felt like he was always having an away game yet he took every shot people thought he couldn’t make. And now, he’s dedicating his work pa’ la comunidad and transforming a poorly constructed food culture and system with his app, TOM (The Orange Market). In this episode, Brian unpacks imposter syndrome, his Black Latino identity and the story behind TOM. 

Connect with Brian on Instagram @brian.ovalles, Twitter @BrianOvalles1, Clubhouse @brainovales and find him on LinkedIn. For more info on T.O.M, visit tom-app.com. And check out Brian’s Cafe 15 in Oakland, more info @cafe15oakland on Instagram.

As a Hella Latin@ listener, you get a free one-month membership to RisOn—an interactive weekly space created by two first-gen Latinos with the intention to mindfully unburden, introspect and connect. More details at the end of the episode. For updates on Hella Latin@ episodes, follow me @OdalysJasmine on Twitter, @ohjaaaasmine on Instagram and connect with me on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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