👋 Hola Familia!

Every two weeks, we connect you—alongside 2,800+ subscribers and 14,700+ social media followers—to the latest inside scoop on the Latine startup and venture capital scene. Discover funding opportunities and growth strategies for your innovative ideas, can't-miss events, and meet incredible people making waves in our ecosystem!

Follow us on LinkedIn (VCFamilia + FounderFamilia) and Instagram. Join our Whatsapp community, which we won’t put the link because bots, but reply to this email. (Some groups are members-only, so founders can apply to FounderFamilia and investors to VCFamilia to gain access.)

Today is #GivingTuesday (#UnDíaParaDar)! Take part in this global day of giving and show your commitment to Latine empowerment by donating to LaFamilia.

Now more than ever, we need your support. Our community is facing significant challenges and shifts that threaten to undo the hard-fought progress toward equity and inclusion in VC and entrepreneurship. Just recently, Walmart, the country’s largest employer, announced a rollback of its DEI commitments.

By giving to LaFamilia, you are fueling mentorship, grant, peer support programs that increase Latine representation in entrepreneurship and VC. Your support helps create opportunities for Latine founders to access capital, network, and resources while fostering a pipeline of Latine investors who can drive change. Together, we can build a more inclusive ecosystem that empowers Latine leaders to thrive.

¡Un Thanksgiving Latino! 🦃✨

Latinos don’t do basic Thanksgiving, y’all know that! To prove it, we’ve collected some photos from our community celebrations on WhatsApp. Check out this mouthwatering mix of Thanksgiving dishes—seriously, who needs cranberry sauce cuando te sobra sazón? From ropa vieja to traditional turkey, sweet potato casserole, pernil puertorriqueño, and roasted pork, these creations prove we don’t mess around when it comes to food. If your turkey was dry, no shame. Take some inspiration from these dishes for next year, and remember—you’ve got a whole community of Latines ready to save the day with recipes! 🍽✨ ¡Gracias por compartir sus momentos de familia y creatividad!

As we reflect on this year, we’re grateful for every single member of our community. Whether you share deal flow, tips, journeys, or lessons across Slack, WhatsApp, and beyond—or simply be there to celebrate milestones—you are el corazón of what makes this community so special.

Familia isn’t just about who you’re born into—it’s about who you choose to grow with. Together, we’ve created something truly unique, and for that, we’re endlessly grateful. ❤️

Celebrating Familia Wins🎉

• Celebrating FounderFamilia Member Corinne Vargas! 🎉 Corinne’s startup, SMARTCharts, has been awarded a $275,000 NSF SBIR Phase I grant to revolutionize rehabilitation care using machine learning and data visualization. On top of that, she also secured investment and support from Black Ambition. Learn more here.

• Congrats to FounderFamilia member Felipe Chavez and Kiwibot!🤖

  They have launched the innovative "Rent-a-Robot" service, making it possible for businesses to rent delivery robots in under a minute. This exciting milestone was featured in TechCrunch, showcasing Kiwibot's impact on logistics and mobile advertising. Learn more here.

Art Basel & Holiday Events with LaFamilia 🤜🏽🤛🏽

• BLCK VC + LaFamilia Chicago Holiday Party 🎉 Connect with fellow founders, investors, and community members for an evening of festive fun. Friday, December 6. RSVP here.

• VC Ready Miami: Join us today, December 3, for a chance to connect with top investors and founders. Partnering with Lazo, we got hands-on workshops on fundraising, pitching, financial strategies, and storytelling—everything you need to level up your venture. Tomorrow don’t miss the screening of "Show Her the Money!"—a powerful documentary about breaking barriers for women in VC. RSVP here.

• Color of Money Happy Hour. Join SVB, Black Angels Miami, and LaFamilia Foundation for an exciting evening of networking with leaders in innovation and investment. The waitlist is currently full, but you can message JR, and she will do her best to get you in. Please include your name, email, and LinkedIn profile in your message by 12 PM today at the latest.

• CPG Mic Drop! Cynthia from Xinca Foods, part of our FounderFamilia, will be showing off her amazing pupusas at the Startup CPG Mic Drop event in Los Angeles! Swing by and support a fellow Founder! RSVP here.

Now a word from our newsletter sponsor! (Feel free to support LaFam by clicking and checking it out - not saying this ad will change your life, but your future self might send you a thank you note. Just saying. 📝)

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Funding & Resources for Early-Stage Founders and VCs 🫰🏽

• VHNYC Cohort III Fellowship. VHNYC is a hybrid fellowship for underrepresented founders in NYC building high-growth, tech, and tech-enabled businesses. It offers $10K in non-dilutive funding, plus access to workshops, coaching, wellness sessions, and more. If you’re based in one of the five boroughs and ready to take your venture to the next level, apply by 12/6!

• Peerless Applications Close Friday, December 6th! Peerless is searching nationwide for early-stage tech founders bold enough to build what no one else can. This journey ends with a $1M pitch competition at Google’s NYC HQ, but all applicants gain access to exclusive programming, including fireside chats with founders who’ve scaled to the top.

• Gold House Ventures and NYCEDC are launching the 2025 Founder Fellowship, a 14-week program supporting 15 diverse-led tech startups. Eligible startups must have at least one underrepresented founder, be based in NYC, and focus on tech-enabled sectors like consumer, fintech, or healthcare—applications close this Friday, December 6th.

• VC Lab Cohort 17. VC Lab is a global venture capital accelerator supporting new and emerging managers. This 14-week program offers guidance, structure, and a network to help participants close their funds in six months or less. Nearly half of recent successful VC firms have launched through VC Lab. The final Deadline is January 20, 2025.

Open Positions in VC & Startups 💼

• Village Capital is hiring a Senior Fundraising Associate (Remote)

• NAACP Capital is hiring a Chief of Staff | Analyst | Principal (Los Angeles)

• A16Z is hiring a Fund Strategy Associate (San Francisco)

• Quona Capital is looking for an Investment Officer (DC/New York, Dubai, London or Cape Town)

🔗 Useful Links

• VCFamilia Public Directory

• FounderFamilia Public Directory

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