Moneda Moves

Hello Moneda Moves fam, it’s your host Lyanne and I’m so excited to share today’s interview with Web3 Familia, a nonprofit DAO activating across the country to educate, onboard and connect the Latinx community in the Web3 space. But first, I want to give you a bit of a personal update that will impact our listeners of the show. Earlier this year, Moneda Moves was chosen as one of seven teams around the world to be a part of the Google Podcast Creators Program, a five-month accelerator that will provide funding and mentorship to help us grow and help us better serve you. We are so excited to share updates from the journey, and in the meantime you can expect our Moneda Moves episodes to drop on a monthly and adhoc basis through the rest of the year. We’ve already hit the ground running and are eager to come back in full capacity even better in 2023. In the meantime, if you like the show, please leave a review in Apple podcasts or Spotify — it would mean the world to us.

Now, onto today’s episode. Today, we are speaking with Orlando Gomez and Magdalena Madrigal, two co-founders of Web3 Familia, a decentralized autonomous organization. And that’s a mouthful, so just a bit on what a DAO is: It’s an organization run by rules encoded as a transparent computer program. It’s controlled by the organization’s members versus, say, a central government or a hierarchical structure. No managers are needed, and the idea is that this would eliminate bureaucracy and red tape, thus truly making it a project with shared ownership by the community. And that’s a word you’ll want to listen for in this interview: Community. Web3 believes heavily in this and that when you leverage community plus the power of blockchain technology, we can really reimagine the way organizations work. So today, we are speaking with Web3 Familia about how they are onboarding one million Latinos across the country to Web3 and the opportunity they see in this space, not only for Latinos but anyone who wants to get involved. We also discuss how their DAO is run, opportunities for growth in the space and how Web3 can benefit creatives. Let’s take a listen.

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Learn more about Web3Familia: https://www.web3familia.com/

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The stories we tell matter. I believe that to my core. It’s why Moneda Moves exists as a space to host more stories about the intersection of Latines, underrepresented communities and money. So you can imagine how excited I was to interview a trailblazer creating inclusive reporting around fintech, documenting diverse voices and leading the way. Today, we speak with Nicole Casperson, Creator and Founder of WTFintech?

It’s a newsletter, released twice a week all about founders in fintech, trends and how that affects you, the end user. Why does fintech matter? It’s reinventing the way you do your banking, investing, preparing for retirement with technology. It’s also a huge opportunity to get the relationship with our underrepresented communities right, to increase access and better deliver services to consumers. Casperson shares how she thinks fintech can impact our future, how she increases representation in media and more. Enjoy the interview — this was a good one.

Subscribe to WTFintech? https://workweek.com/brand/wtfintech/

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In this episode of Moneda Moves you hear from Fanny Grande, an award-winning filmmaker, actor and director with more than 14 years of experience in the business. The pain points she experienced during her time in the industry are quite common. Representation in Hollywood has historically not accurately reflected the talent in our communities.

Latinos are more than 18% of the US population yet make up less than six percent of the share of broadcast TV roles. Fanny saw this issue. So, together with her business and life partner, Nelson Grande, they set out to build a tech-powered solution. They’ve built Avenida Productions— an LA-based business to help independent filmmakers create, fund, and distribute their projects.

We are proud to say this episode of Moneda Moves is sponsored by LAT VC, a purpose-driven venture capital firm investing in Latino-led businesses, including Avenida Productions. LAT VC is on a mission to catalyze the most entrepreneurial yet undercapitalized cohort in the US by investing in businesses led by Latinos. It’s aiming to invest more than $100 million in US Latino Entrepreneurs. You can learn more about via lat.vc.

Learn more about Avenida Productions: https://avenida.tv/

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Today we are talking about an issue near and dear to my heart, unlocking Latina power.

For a second, I want to do a flashback to a world before the pandemic, when the word “unprecedented” took a whole different meaning. It was the word we could use to describe: Latinas were projected to grow by 25.8%, close to 9 times the projected growth of white women in the labor force, the new businesses generation in our communities, and the growth in Latinas earning a college degree. Enter the pandemic, and this is when we saw our community take a hit and Latinas exit the domestic workforce at one of the highest rates.

And while the last two years certainly pose an challenge, Olga Camargo, founder of fintech company SHENIX is optimistic we have much more economic power to unlock in our Latina community, with some education, advocating for equal pay and investing.

SHENIX is a Latina-founded app that works with its clients to educate, provide negotiation skills, and develop actionable plans to build wealth. It’s also based in my hometown, Chicago, where Latinos are the city’s second-largest ethnic group. I’m eager to see the impact this app makes in my hometown, and ahead of then we are talking with Olga about founding her fintech company and the importance of culturally-relevant financial service. 

Learn more about SHENIX at https://shenix.app/.

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Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro

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Building wealth and navigating a career when you’re first generation in a new country is hard. And Giovanna Gonzalez GETS IT. She’s a proud first generation American, daughter of Mexican immigrants, first generation college graduate, and first generation white collar professional. But it’s not impossible, and it’s just a bit easier when you have a mentor in your life.

In the last ten years, Giovanna’s paid off her $50,000 collegiate and car debt, and today is debt-free with a net worth of $120,000+ and teaches hundreds of thousands of her followers how to build their own wealth via her brand and TikTok, The First Gen Mentor. On her account (@thefirstgenmentor), she teaches financial education and shares tactical career advice with more than 184K followers.

Today, we speak with her about her journey to becoming a finance educator, full-time creator mid-pandemic and how she’s taking her immigrant family with her on this financial journey. 

You can continue to follow Giovanna on TikTok @thefirstgenmentor and on Instagram at @gigithefirstgenmentor, where she will be teaching money and career tips.

Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves

Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro

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Welcome to part II of the two-part series between Moneda Moves and Latinx professional network La Nueva Link. We’re talking all about Making it and building a brand identity that lasts. Joining me today on the panel is co-founder for the network, Deb Renteria. Thank you so much for joining us, Deb. Also joining us to share her expertise is author of "Jefa In Training" Ashley K Stoyanov Ojeda.

Latinx-owned businesses are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S small business ecosystem. It’s a fact. But in a highly competitive environment, the stakes are also high. Per Bureau of Labor Statistics report, by the end of the fifth year, about half small businesses across the board will have failed. Therein lies one of our critical questions: How to create a brand and business that lasts? Today we speak with two experts in the space to share their guidance and experience.

Meet our panelists:

Kids of Immigrants was founded by Daniel Buezo and Weleh Dennis as a medium to express their passion to create, empower and love. Inspired by their roots, environments and life experiences the mission statement is simple -- DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE.

Ashley K Stoyanov Ojeda is a community-builder, business-development strategist, coach, and socialpreneur. Originally from Queens, NYC. After creating a national organization that has been featured in The Recording Academy, called #WomxnCrush Music, she has dedicated her career to creating opportunities and developing businesses and communities of underrepresented entrepreneurs through her coaching and consulting, and has become known as the Business Hada Madrina and author of business-launching toolkit “Jefa In Training."

Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves

Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro

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Today, we're talking about the big $1 million dollars and how to successfully fundraise in today's digital age. In the first of a two-part series done in collaboration with Latinx professional network La Nueva Link, we discuss what it takes to fundraise and build a brand that lasts.

Latino entrepreneurs historically have had difficulty attaining the capital from banks and investors needed to survive and scale. Per a report published by McKinsey, “Latinos have the lowest rate of using bank and financial institution loans to start their businesses compared with other racial and ethnic groups,” leaving them to rely more on personal funds. 

In this episode, we speak with Latinx founder of Shop Latinx Brittany Chavez, who has raised more than $1 million, and leader in the venture capitalist space as well as Partner at $100 million fund LAT VC Laura Moreno Lucas, to demystify the fundraising process and the gaps in the system where it can better serve Latinx founders.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a weekly digest of Latinx and money news: https://monedamoves.substack.com/

Learn more about Listo!: listofin.com

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.

Getting access to responsible financial services has been a long journey for our Latinx communities in the United States. However, it is these very tools like access to credit-building that are key to creating generational wealth. Ask Mexican immigrant Sam Ulloa, who witnessed this first hand.

Today, finding solutions for underserved communities is a personal mission of his. As CEO & Co-Founder of Listo!, Ulloa runs a fintech platform that is democratizing access to fairly priced, life-changing financial services for millions of hardworking and often "credit invisible" families in the US.

He is a two-time founder in the fintech space, Stanford’s School of Business graduate and started his journey in the US working with his parents in agriculture and observing the gaps in the tools first generation and immigrant Latinos needed to build a financial record.

Listo! has already helped thousands of hardworking families save more than $190M in loan interest and fees and over $6M in auto insurance-related fees.

Today we speak with Sam more about his journey and mission to provide access to credit, among other financial services with Listo!

[Update Editorial Note: This podcast was recorded when the inflation rate was lower — as of February 2022 that rate is 7.9%]

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a weekly digest of Latinx and money news: https://monedamoves.substack.com/

Learn more about Listo!: listofin.com

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.

Ashley K. Stoyanov Ojeda is expert at helping people launch themselves into their endeavors whether it’s music, a career or founding and growing a company. Her journey to coaching entrepreneurs has been anything but traditional, yet wholly authentic — and that’s her superpower.

Through building community for the music industry, and then learning about how to help others do the same, she became fondly known as the “Business Hada Madrina” or Business Fairy Godmother.

Today, she is a business-development strategist, coach, and author of the newly-debuted book, Jefa In Training, a guidebook to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Ashley's career started in the music industry in 2012, and after working at major record labels, created her own network for local womxn songwriters, now a national organization that has been featured in The Recording Academy, called #WomxnCrush Music.

Since the growth of her organization, she has dedicated her career to developing businesses and communities of underrepresented entrepreneurs through her coaching. Her book has received praise from the likes of Eva Longoria, We Are All Human’s Claudia Romo Edelman and SUMA Wealth’s Beatriz Acevedo. We speak with Ashley today about her path to entrepreneurship and actionable tips for Latina entrepreneurs. Without further ado, here’s the jefa in charge.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a weekly digest of Latinx and money news: https://monedamoves.substack.com/

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.

Bienvenidos, Moneda Moves listeners! Lately, we’ve been thinking a lot about fundraising for companies. Because as we discuss the rise of new Latinx entrepreneurs, this kind of capital you can secure as a founder is just as important. It’s what helps a company scale and grow. But attaining this kind of capital and raising more than $1 million has not historically been a straightforward journey for entrepreneurs of color, and even less so for Latinas.

So today, we are sharing a story to help shed some light on the process and how the pandemic thrust former startup employees into the world of entrepreneurship. This is the story of Agua Bonita’s Co-Founder and CEO Kayla Castañeda, who broke fundraising records in 2021 while selling canned aguas frescas, a delicious fruit-derived drink popular in Mexico and Central America. Both she and her co-founder, Erin PonTell, arrived at entrepreneurship experienced in the beverage industry but also out without jobs after their employer startup closed mid-pandemic. As they so wittingly shared with Bustle: “We joke a lot — when life gives you lemons, make aguas frescas.”

Castañeda became one of two Latina co-founders who raised $2 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round for their company. This happened just a year out from founding it and also made Castañeda the first Afro-Latina owned beverage brand to raise this amount.

Among the investors? Supply Change Capital, whose founder Noramay Cadena we interviewed in just our last episode of Moneda Moves. (And we suggest you listen to it!)

Our hope is that Agua Bonita is an example, but not the exception, to help many other Latina founders raise the capital needed to grow their business. Without further ado, here’s our interview with Kayla Castañeda, Co-Founder and CEO fo Agua Bonita.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a weekly digest of Latinx and money news: https://monedamoves.substack.com/

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.