Hello from San Diego! This week I am at the ASU + GSV Summit, reconnecting with so many of my peers in the space!

Let me provide some thoughts for this week's episode…

There has been a huge theme rising on Behind The Work the last several weeks and that theme is community and networks.

In startup spaces, we always hear about the readiness that founders have to come to the table with. Folks are usually referencing metrics like reputation, traction, revenue and sometimes pedigree as the readiness scorecard associated with a startup being investable.

After several years in startups, I have come to learn that:

We expect founders to show up 'ready,' but we rarely ask whether the system has made it possible for them to get there.

I believe ecosystem work is largely missing from the conversation. Ecosystem work is the environment we create to ensure that early stage ideas have room to succeed. Good ecosystems have access to information, talent, tools, resources and capital that help bring an idea to launch, and eventually to market.

At the center of any strong ecosystem are shared networks, people who can open doors, exchange knowledge, and create access. In many ways, networks are the infrastructure that make everything else possible.

The last two weeks on Behind The Work, we have talked a lot about the power of relationships and networks. In my conversation with Miki from Slauson & Co., we talked about the need for capital during the early stages of a company and how that is, often times, very dependent on the networks you have access to.

Last week we went deeper into your personal relationship-building and networking. I shared with you all my networking playbook. The tips, tricks and strategies we discussed were about refining your relationship-building skillset and empowering you to make small contributions that help you build strong networks.

This week we're taking it a step further and are pulling back the curtain on the work Cheryl Campos, Co-founder of LaFamilia Foundation, is doing to create a more equitable ecosystem and playing field for Latine founders, venture capitalists and businesses to succeed.

Cheryl and I met through my mentee Yulkendy Valdez not too long ago. When I was looking for guests this season, I wanted to highlight incredible leaders dedicating their time and their resources to building strong networks where founders, entrepreneurs and investors could thrive. Cheryl's name was on top of that list for several reasons. Here are two of them:

After switching her career from finance to tech in 2018, Cheryl has spent a significant amount of time at her first startup trying to make venture capital and investing more accessible.

The experiences she had at her first startup led her to create LaFamilia Foundation, a set of curated communities that reduce barriers for Latine founders and funders to get access to capital, community, and key resources.

This Week's Interview Is Here:

Cheryl's Work Is Important

The 2025 State of Latino Entrepreneurship report, produced in collaboration with The Latino Business Action Network and Stanford's Graduate School of Business, shares some important information about the climate of Latine-owned businesses.

Latine-owned businesses are not just participating in the U.S. economy, they are driving its growth at a disproportionate rate.

• 9.7% of all employer firms in 2023
• 180,000 net new businesses added (48% growth)
• 976,000 new jobs created (29% growth)

And yet:
• Less likely to receive full financing
• Receive less than 2% of VC funding

Closing this investment gap would not only correct inequities but unlock substantial untapped economic output, accelerate innovation, and enable a rapidly growing segment of entrepreneurs to fully contribute to national prosperity.

Why This Work Is Important To Me

As a Latina, I believe we lose a lot when we don't invest in founders at the right time, especially when we don't invest in Latine founders at the right time. We lose the potential for great products and services and the opportunity to build and amass wealth for our communities.

I also believe that establishing stronger networks across our communities helps to empower us to curate or own resources instead of depending on systems that were not designed for us to give us the things we need to build. That is what LaFamilia Foundation is aiming to accomplish.

A lot of people are excited about our culture, but we also need for people to be excited by our businesses, our innovations and our ideas in the same way.

Please celebrate our food. Please celebrate our music and our dances. But don't forget that to truly celebrate us means not picking and choosing what you can take from our communities. It means investing in them holistically, which includes our businesses and our innovations.

That's why this week I wanted to highlight Cheryl's story. She isn't just talking about access, but she is actively building it.