Moneda Moves

In my 20s, there was a moment I knew I had to say yes to. I wanted to be a journalist, so I packed my bags and moved to NYC with nothing but conviction and a dream. And when I looked around newsrooms and didn’t see Latinos represented, especially in business, I realized I wasn’t just meant to report the story. I was meant to help change it. Because the stories we tell matter.
They shape who gets seen, who gets heard, and who gets the chance to build. So I, and we, built it.
Piece by piece.
Story by story.
Community by community. Along the way, I’ve been held up by sponsors like @theannagalactic and provided guidance by people like @lalydesigns , @sergiomarrero1 @dinero_diva , @olgacamargo26 , @mamashayna and so many others. I’ve collaborated with peers who are now building right alongside me. From Main Street to nonprofits reimagining capital, to startups and capital markets on the biggest stock exchanges, we’ve told the stories that weren’t being told. And through @monedamoves , we’ve helped others do the same. If this past decade has taught me anything, it is this. The stories we tell matter, and mission matters too. What comes next will ask us to trust ourselves more deeply than we ever have, to create from a place of inner clarity, and to build in ways that do not wait for permission. It will call us to grow new visions, new identities, and new ways of working that honor who we are becoming. And if you know me personally, you know I had to lean into the Fleetwood Mac trend on this one. 🤍

✍🏽Our latest in @forbes today: A story on an iconic corridor in Little Village, notable for its economic contributions to the city of Chicago and nationally for its Latino-owned presence, how a community responds to the administration’s mass deportation campaign and how it mirrors history we’ve seen in this city in the last 100 years. Thank you to our sources for helping deepen this story and give insight into responses and long-term effects of federal policy volatility in an important time to contextualize and truth tell: - Jennifer Aguilar, Executive Director, Little Village Chamber of Commerce - Tonantzin Carmona, Fellow, Brookings Institution - Ismael Cuevas, co curator of Rieles y Raíces at the National Museum of Mexican Art - Patricia Rodriguez, owner of Paty’s Restaurant - Evelyn Flores, owner of Alborada Quince The power of 26th Street in short: Lauded as the “second Magnificent Mile” or sometimes “Mexico of the Midwest,” 26th Street in Little Village had reported to rake in $900M in annual revenue in recent years, all in the span of two miles. On a typical weekend, you might find parking hard to come by, smells of arrachera skirt steak and sounds of Norteño regional music spilling onto the main corridor. Here, resides a community that is more than 80 percent Latino, and highly entrepreneurial. 🗞️ Read the full story via the link in bio. #Chicago #LittleVillage #monedamoves #latinoownedbusiness

Segregation in Chicago and a lack of access to opportunity led Berto to join a gang at just thirteen years of age. His mother, a hairdresser, and two grocery store owners got him out of that gang by creating an opportunity for him. It’s now his life’s mission to protect the community that protected him. Berto Aguayo is an attorney at K&L Gates and the Founder of Increase the Peace Chicago, a nonprofit that empowers youth with the tools and mentorship to become leaders. Drawing from his transformation from a former gang member to a community advocate, Aguayo has supported over 700 young people through employment opportunities and civic leadership training, fostering safer and more inclusive neighborhoods. He also cofounded the Annual Black and Brown Unity Car Parade, a public celebration of racial healing and pluralism uniting Black and Latino communities that began during the George Floyd uprisings. Tune in to Berto’s episode to hear what he and Increase the Peace are doing to protect the Latino community in Chicago, available now wherever you listen to podcasts. #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #nonprofit #nonprofitchicago #chicagononprofit #increasethepeace

Austin, we have unfinished business. 🤠 Last year I landed at SXSW with Hispanics in Philanthropy and Inicio Ventures to talk Latino entrepreneurship: how founders scale, how capital moves, who gets access. This year? I’m coming back with more to say and two stages to say it from. After 10+ years reporting on money, building strategy for Fortune 500s, and five years deep in @monedamoves , I’m stepping into an era of expansion: helping tomorrow’s leaders build the authority and credibility they deserve online. Find me here: ⭐ March 12 · Women Future Forward | Google Austin | 1–2 PM · A panel sharing the founder journey so far ⭐ March 15 · Luminary LIVE Austin | The Cathedral | 1:30–2:15 PM · A presentation on what’s next Shoutout to @cateluzio and @luminaryclub for building rooms where value-aligned founders meet and build together. That’s the kind of rooms I love to be a part of. Austin-bound? My DMs are open. Let’s meet. #founderlife #sxsw #austin

We were featured in @elitedaily this week sharing money tips for navigating today’s economy. In good timing as we ramp up for a new season of @monedamoves . ⚡️ My approach today has far less to do with restriction and everything to do with alignment. As a founder who covers the intersection of culture and money, I’m thinking about whether our spending reflects our values and the future we’re building. An abundance mindset to me isn’t about cutting. It’s about using money on purpose and funding what actually matters. It’s also about perpetually leaning more into shared ownership/systems and learning from them. A few of my favorite tips included. Thank you @mtlajeunesse for the invitation to weigh in. Link in bio.

In our last episode of the season, Patricia (@pmota7 ) shared what she and her team at HACE are doing to close the wealth gaps in the Latino community. While striving for higher titled positions in your career does bring in more income, it doesn’t allow people to access the generational wealth that would help close the current wealth gaps. HACE works to bridge the gap in industries where there is historically limited representation with a focus on ownership. This week, we’re diving deep into how we can establish generational wealth with Patricia Mota – an innovative trailblazer, start-up entrepreneur, author, and more. Today, she’s President and CEO of Hispanic Alliance of Career Enhancement (HACE) (@haceonline ), on a mission to boost the national workforce by cultivating the pipeline of Latine and underrepresented talent by providing the insight, access, and support to their careers. Tune in to this week’s episode of Moneda Moves to hear more about the avenues for generational wealth and how you can advocate for yourself. #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #PatriciaMota #HACE

In this week’s episode of Moneda Moves, Patricia Mota (@pmota7 ) shared how she and HACE (@haceonline ) partnered with #WeAllGrow to keep the Amigahood community alive. This partnership just furthers the idea that we can honor both people and profit. When we have ownership of our companies, we can make decisions that protect our community and generate generational wealth. In our season finale, we are continuing our conversation about expanding how we talk about capital. Today, it’s not just about money; it’s also about power and access, across sectors. Tune into this week’s episode to hear how you can build more generational wealth and what’s next for Patricia and her team at HACE, and #WeAllGrow. #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #PatriciaMota #HACE

In our last episode of the season, CEO and President of HACE (@haceonline ) Patricia Mota (@pmota7 )shared what the current wealth gaps in the Latino community look like and what we can do to address them. Latinos are severely underrepresented in leadership positions. Within the corporate executive roles, Latinos make up between 4 - 5% of the positions, and Latinas only make up 1% of that number. At HACE, Patricia and her team are really striving to disrupt the status quo and help break the barriers that Latinas and Latinos face. The Hispanic Alliance of Career Enhancement (HACE) (@haceonline ) is on a mission to boost the national workforce by cultivating the pipeline of Latine and underrepresented talent by providing the insight, access, and support to their careers. Tune in to this week’s episode of Moneda Moves to hear more about the current wealth gaps in this country and how you can negotiate for more ownership in your company today. #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #PatriciaMota #HACE

Do you have a relationship with your banker? As an entrepreneur, having a good relationship with your banker can be a key ingredient that sets business owners up for success. They can help find solutions to your problems early in the building process. In this week’s episode of Moneda Moves, Vanessa Sancha (@_v.s.anabel_ ) shares how she helps bridge critical gaps in information, connections, and capital, which otherwise can limit growth and opportunity for small business owners. Tune in to hear how Vanessa and her team at U.S. Bank (@usbank ) are opening the door to opportunities that have historically been local communities. Available now wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎧 #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #VanessaSancha #USBank

The odds of loan approval from national banks were 60% lower for Latino-owned businesses than for comparable white-owned businesses in 2024. That’s according to the Latino Business Action Network. And for Latina-owned businesses, the gap is even wider - with just 39% average approval rates from both national and local banks. That’s why it’s so important that big banks like US Bank reach out to local community members to aid them through the loan application process. In this week’s episode, we unpack how Vanessa Sancha’s (@_v.s.anabel_ ) role at U.S. Bank (@usbank ) is helping bridge the financial capital gap in the Latino community. Tune in to hear how to take advantage of these access programs in this week’s episode. #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #VanessaSancha #USBank

In this week’s episode, we’re talking about how big banks can partner with local businesses and open the door to opportunities, like loan acquisition, that have historically had barriers to entry for Latino communities. Financial capital, like loans, offers local businesses the chance to grow and create more financial stability for the community. With these programs, big banks are reaching out to entrepreneurs to offer guidance, help them navigate the financial challenges they’re facing, and help them increase their chances of getting loans. Vanessa Sancha (@_v.s.anabel_ ) is an Assistant Vice President and Bilingual Business Access Advisor for the Chicago/Milwaukee region of US Bank @usbank providing support in both Spanish and English. In her role, Vanessa helps bridge critical gaps in information, connections, and capital, which otherwise can limit growth and opportunity for small business owners. Tune in to this week’s episode of Moneda Moves to hear more about these programs and how local entrepreneurs can grow their businesses through financial capital. #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #VanessaSancha #USBank

“We don’t do community for performative reasons.” In this week’s episode of @monedamoves , @vanessasantosfein shares how #WeAllGrowLatina leaned into authentic service to the community it was built for, even through the sale of the business. Tune in to hear how Vanessa continues to use her capital, in all its forms, to uplift the Latino community. Available now wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎧 #monedamoves #entrepreneurlife #latinxcreate #latinoownedbusiness #entrepreneurquote #economy #Journalist #latinoownedbusiness #vanessasantosfein #weallgrowlatina