Hola Familia!

I hope you’ve been enjoying all the tech week recaps on socials thus far; now it’s our turn!

It was a privilege to be part of Tech Week this year and witness the remarkable gathering of diverse founders and investors who came together to celebrate the thriving tech ecosystems in SF and LA. We co-hosted not one, not two, but SIX events… we told you we were representing this year. 😎

Here’s the recap.

🌉SF Tech Week

We partnered with VCFamilia member Alejandra (Ale) Vergara to host a Tech Week Coworking Session with Bee Partners at their offices in SF. We had an amazing lineup of programming that kicked off with a hands-on rapid prototyping creation workshop in the morning, led by Tim Smith. This was followed by an afternoon fireside chat on the importance of advisory boards, featuring Ale, who is a Senior Associate at Bee Partners, and Richard Velasquez, CEO of Mooch and a member of FounderFamilia.

In addition to Ale, we had two incredible Founder Familia hosts, Levi Martinez and Aurora Diaz- shout out to them!

🌴LA Tech Week

Tuesday:

1. BLCK VC + Diversity VC: Navigating the Capital Landscape

Our first event on Tuesday morning was a collaboration with two incredible organizations, BLCK VC and Diversity VC, resulting in an outstanding panel discussion. The panel included Shane Kelly from Cinematica Labs, La Keisha Landrum Pierre from Emmeline Ventures, Nehemiah Green from AWS for Startups, Taj Ahmad Eldrige from Jobs For The Future & VCFamilia member, and our very own Renee Rosillo, co-founder of FounderFamilia, from Prism.

Investors were reminded about embracing risk-taking, as it aligns with the purpose of their capital, while also considering innovative ways to disrupt the industry and foster inclusivity. Exploring platforms like Amazon Catalytic Capital was highlighted as a promising option as well.

Founders were encouraged to reverse pattern match, to evaluate investors who share their experiences and backgrounds, with Prism being recommended for exploring how to create safer spaces for queer folks and Signal being highlighted as a valuable tool for searching and filtering investors. Joining AWS Activate and actively engaging in specific industries were seen as beneficial steps; giving back to the community, expanding networks, and exploring resources like MagicLinks were emphasized as keys to success.

2. The East Side Story: Latino/a Founders and Funders

In collaboration with Pledge LA, Vamos Ventures, The Annenberg Tech Foundation, Supply Change Capital, LatinxVC ,and Leeaf, we hosted two unforgettable events that put Latino Founders and Funders in the spotlight. These events also featured amazing Latino food and drink vendors that were espectaculares!

Our first event, "The East Side Story: Latino/a Founders and Funders," took place on Tuesday at LACI. The exceptional panel of entrepreneurs included Patty Rodriguez, founder of Lil' Libros; Bricia Lopez, founder of I Love Micheladas & Guelaguetza; Jesus Chavez, founder of Cabra Sports; and Fanny Grande, founder of Avenida Entertainment and a valued member of FounderFamilia. They shared their invaluable insights and experiences navigating the Los Angeles tech ecosystem as Latine founders. Our moderator, Valeria Martinez from Vamos Ventures, astutely described their journeys as "carving out spaces of belonging" within their respective industries.

AND we got some books written by the panelists!

Thursday:

3. Coworking Day: Amazon Studios Edition!

We had the opportunity to host a full day of activities with AWS starting with a private tour of Amazon Studios in Culver City with FounderFamilia & VCFamilia members as well as some other friends. We explored various areas of the studio, including the lobby with a rainbow lit staircase, a soundproof green room where we heard fun facts about production, and the podcast rooms where we chatted about celebrities that had graced the studio previously.

The tour culminated with the famous bungalows and the historically preserved Culver Studios "Mansion," where we got to listen to some old ghost stories and dive a little deeper into the history.

After the tour, we gathered at the AWS office space near the Culver City steps for a coworking day where over 50 founders and investors came together to build, work, and connect throughout the day. After lunch, the AWS team delivered an informative and interactive presentation called "Pitching Better: a Workshop for Underrepresented Founders to Overcome Bias in Fundraising." The session focused on educating attendees about investor bias and strategies to level the playing field when facing promotion versus prevention questions from VCs.

4. Debunking the Myth: Latino Founders & Funders

Continuing the momentum, our second event, titled "Debunking the Myth: Latino/a Founders and Funders," took place on Thursday at the Techstars offices in Culver City. The panel for this equally captivating event included Robert Angarita, founder of BallerTV (who previously sold his company Cramster to Chegg), Joe Fernandez, founder of AllUp (formerly with Klout and JoyMode), and Noramay of Supply Change Capital. Marcos from Vamos Ventures skillfully moderated a thought-provoking discussion on fundraising, shedding light on the realities faced by both Latine founders and funders as they seek their place in the investment landscape.

5. The After Party

To wrap up the incredible week, VCFamilia & FounderFamilia hosted “El After: Fiesta con LaFamilia” in partnership with AWS and SVB. The event was at the Alley Lounge, a hidden bar in Culver City where we were welcomed with Margaritas at the door, snacked on some quesadillas & guac, and danced to reggaetón all night along with some other 150 attendees!

In addition to all the fun, there was a common theme in every interaction being had that night, una vibra that reverberated throughout… the eagerness to support one another. It was astounding- from offering to connect one another to their respective networks, to shaking hands as the foundations of important relationships were formed. The event was the epidemy of community and the manifestation of this organization’s mission.

It was a night to remember and a community favorite as many expressed it was one of the only LA Tech Week events with “sazon” (duh somos Latinos💃)!

As good as the vibes were, however, we know the special sauce is really in the community this organization was established to unite and uplift. It was incredible to see this year’s LA Tech Week look more like LA- diverse and rich in hispanic culture. Together, we are forging a path towards a more inclusive and equitable tech ecosystem in LA. We want to extend our gratitude to all our partners, attendees, and participants who made these events a resounding success… Bravo y hasta la proxima! 🎉

We had so much engagement at the events and got so many questions that we just wanted to recap who we are for all those reading who still have questions!

So…

🧐Who are we?

In short- we are the largest organization of Latin Americans in the United States in the venture and startup ecosystem. VCFamilia is a family of about 350 Latin investors and FounderFamilia is a family of over 560 Latin founders. We support founders and investors through our curated slack community, creating serendipity with events across the country, forming strategic partnerships with industry leaders to bring members the very best opportunities, but most of all- we provide a space you can call home. 🏡

If you are looking to learn more and join our Familia- head to the following websites:

Partner Spotlight: AWS

We’re grateful to AWS for their continued support of our mission. As a primarily volunteer-led organization, support from valued partners like AWS enables us to create a powerful impact for Latines in the ecosystem and continue to catalyze opportunities for our community.

If you’re interested in partnering with us on upcoming initiatives, reach out to us at [email protected]!

📅 Upcoming Events

Stay tuned for an LGBTQ+ Intersectionality Chat later this month! 🏳️‍🌈

📣 Spread the Word

Shift VC Conference

VC Unleashed is proud to present Shift VC, an in-person conference for aspiring BIPOC VCs, this summer in NYC. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from top investors, founders, and community builders!

Join from June 22nd - June 24th for education, networking, and a lot of fun. The conference has a full day of programming lined up, from VC 101 where you'll hear from partners how they think about the job to industry deep dives to a breaking into VC panel.

Company Venture’s Event Series, Part 2:

For the past two years Company Ventures has been supporting historically underserved founders specifically through our City Fellowship and Boost Founder Fellowship. We’ve partnered with them on their event series in NYC and their next event is coming up!

The second event, Investing in Diversity, is on Tuesday 6/20. The conversation at this event will be around how the VC ecosystem can seek pattern-breaking, disruptive companies by specifically prioritizing those who have been left out of the process in the past. This program will offer a space for unscripted conversation from investors and founders on navigating the fundraising process, including Akili Hinson from Juno Medical and FounderFamilia member, Isabel Rafferty from Canela Media!🤩 RSVP here!

AWS Impact Accelerator for Latino Founders Investor Day

Remember this LinkedIn post where we celebrated our SEVEN FounderFamilia members who got into this cohort? Well their time to shine is coming and AWS is inviting us to give our support.

Investor Day will take place in the AWS Startup Loft in New York on Wednesday, June 28 After check-in, head to the startup stage and listen to startups pitch their products and services and hear their story of growth. Then, enjoy lunch while circulating freely through a trade show-like setting to informally connect with startups. If you want to come support the familia and learn more about the event, RSVP here!

👩🏾‍💻10 VC Roles

• Principal, Proof Investment Firm

• Investment Principal team, Chicago Ventures

• Investment team, Nava Ventures

• VP Investor Relations, Illumen capital

• Senior Operations Associate, Illumen Capital

• Access Fellowship (paid internship), Commerce Ventures

• Principal, Alumni Ventures

• Investment Associate, Konvoy

• US Investment Partner or part-time Venture Partner, Envisioning Partners

• Senior Investment Associate, 3i