Latinas are continuing to dominate the entrepreneurial space coming into 2024.
According to the the 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report commissioned by American Express, Latina owned businesses represent 31% of all net new women-owned businesses, which
is nearly double their share of the female population (17%).
Latinas are opening new businesses at a rate of 557 business daily.
WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES REPORT
As the number of Latina entrepreneurs continues to rise, the demand for spaces where they can network and support each other grows alongside it. In my journey as a Latina entrepreneur, I have joined numerous organizations and groups, seeking to connect with fellow Latina business owners for networking opportunities and discovering ways to offer support and service.
Here are five of my favorite communities to network with my fellow Latina entrepreneurs.
1. We All Grow Latina
Founded by Ana Flores, #WeAllGrow Latina is the most established digital and IRL lifestyle community of impactful Latinas and Femme-Latines who support and uplift each other. I found this community several years ago when its focus was on Latina creators and bloggers. The platform has pivoted to serve entrepreneurs and is a wonderful place to network and find support.
This platform offers a plethora of features and resources for Latinas including webinars and other learning opportunities, inspiring IRL events and virtual gatherings, a directory and a Latina shop. There is even an option to buy an ad where you can promote your business to the community.
WeAllGrow has matured into a thriving platform with a great team of Latinas behind it including Co-CEO/Founder, Ana Flores, Co-CEO/Partner, Vanessa Santos and Partner/Chairwoman, Patty Arvielo. They are joined by a full team of marketing specialists.
My take:
While the network started as a resource and support network for Latinas who wanted to be influencers as well as those who were already successful influencers and bloggers, it has evolved into a thriving community of creators AND entrepreneurs.
Through its Amigahood online community hub, WeAllGrow facilitates connecting and supporting Latinas globally with a focus on fostering valuable and meaningful relationships. I appreciate the exclusive content, learning opportunities, and bilingual conversations tailored specifically for Latinas.
I love seeing the growth in this community and can’t wait to see what else they have in store.
2. The Mujerista
Founded by Marivette Navarrete, The Mujerista is on a mission to empower and build an equitable future for the next generation of Latinas. This online community is driven by a commitment to empowering Latinas and provides an inclusive gathering space where Latinas can express themselves, feel heard, and be represented.
Through storytelling, they are redefining what it means to be a Latina by cultivating a collection of celebratory, personal, and informative stories. They equip Latinas with the tools and resources needed to create social change, solidify their identity, foster meaningful relationships, and challenge cultural norms.
My Take
The Mujerista caters primarily to Gen Z and younger Millennial Latinas, making it a vibrant and dynamic community. I particularly enjoy their articles highlighting young Latina entrepreneurs, which are both inspiring and informative. The Mujerista thrives on a Slack channel and features a small shop showcasing products from Latina-owned businesses. They also organize a variety of virtual and in-person events, with a standout being their book club that spotlights books by Latina authors.
3. LatinaMeetup
LatinaMeetup is the community I founded in 2018 as a result of not seeing a community that catered primarily to Latina Entrepreneurs. I was always searching for other Latina business owners to network with and support, and I really wanted a directory where I could search for services. This is why the FREE Latina business directory is a key feature of the platform.
LatinaMeetup’s mission is to celebrate, elevate and connect Latina professionals in an effort to facilitate collaborations and opportunities through unity and expanding networks.
My take:
I’m a bit biased as the founder :-). While many other groups have launched directories and shops, this is the original Latina business directory that always has been and always will be free to submit your listing. We also live in a Facebook group where you can promote your business and find support for your social media posts through daily threads.
LatinaMeetup featured networking events in multiple cities until the pandemic drove our events virtual. Plans are in the works to bring back our multi-city tour in 2025.
Latinista
The Latinista, founded by Yai Vargas, is a national network of Latinas and women of color that features conversations and strategies on career and leadership development. There are online and in-person events and an active slack group where members share events and information.
Founded in 2012 with the mission of helping women invest in their career development through dynamic workshops, today they offer a series of skill-building, activity-driven, hands-on sessions, specifically designed to help you identify and sharpen those career and business skills required to achieve your ultimate goals.
My Take
I have been a member of this group for several years and appreciate the focus on career advancement and opportunities to uplevel skills. While the group offers both Facebook and LinkedIn groups, the most activity happens inside their slack channel.
This is a great space to network with successful and career minded Latinas.
Latinas In Tech
Founded in Silicon Valley in 2014, Latinas In Tech is non-profit organization whose aim is to create a tech industry where Latinas are well-represented throughout all levels of the ecosystem by empowering them to be innovators and leaders.
This thriving platform covers the full tech ecosystem, including engineers, cybersecurity experts, data scientists, business development leaders, public relations professionals, sales professionals, journalists, bloggers, entrepreneurs, investors, marketing professionals, recruiters and everything surrounding the tech ecosystem.
This is your go-to for for learning, mentorship and recruitment opportunities anywhere in the tech ecosystem.
My Take
This group supplies some very important resources and opportunities for Latinas in the tech ecosystem. One of my favorite features of this community is their focus on recruiting opportunities for everyone from beginners to the executive level as well as their emphasis on creating opportunities and solutions.
This is a well-run and well connected platform, and I highly recommend joining and getting involved in the many opportunities to engage.
Which Group Is Right For You?
I suggest joining each network and finding where you feel most comfortable. Each one has its own vibe, and while I have shared my takes on each one, these are my opinions. You may love one group and not the others. Or, like me, you may find particular strengths in each and be an active member in all of them.
It’s important to note that you will need to commit your time and actively engage in any group you join. It’s true that you get out what you put in. From my own experience, the more effort I invest in these groups, the more I gain in terms of connections and opportunities.
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