Report Launch: Unleashing Latino-owned Business Potential
Watch the livestream at 12 pm ET:
Despite an overall decrease of business growth in the US, Latino Americans are playing an important role in driving US economic vibrancy through their outsized contribution to new business creation. Nevertheless, Latino-owned businesses (LOBs) fail to scale in size and revenue at the same rate of other businesses, presenting an opportunity gap of $1.38 trillion for the US economy. This untapped potential has a cascading effect on the wider economy through unrealized economic growth in the form of employment, household income, tax contributions, and in missed opportunities for businesses that supply or are supplied by LOBs.
To address this, the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program is releasing Unleashing Latino-owned Business Potential, a report of the Aspen Institute Forum on Latino Business Growth. The report is the culmination of a collaborative convening among a diverse group of 27 thought leaders, experts, and practitioners from across industries and sectors who identified challenges and solutions to scaling Latino-owned business, specifically those with the potential of reaching $1 million or more in revenue. These high-impact, actionable solutions are relevant to and can be implemented by a range of stakeholders, including banks, entrepreneurs, philanthropy, CDFIs, elected officials, universities and research institutions, and more.
The event will be moderated by Monica Lozano, Chairman of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program with panelists Hector Barreto, Chairman of the Latino Coalition, Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO of YWCA USA, Gary Cunningham, President and CEO of Meda (Metropolitan Economic Development Association), and Jean Horstman, CEO of Interise.